Timeless Toiles

I have always loved toiles. There is something so charming about them. I

love the little pastoral scenes and the simplicity of using one strong colour. Toile fabric makes a strong statement for interiors and they can be used for curtains, upholstery and cushions and combined effectively with other fabrics especially stripes.

Toile de Jouy fabrics were originally produced in France in the 1700's. The name literally means "cloth from Jouy - en Josas" which is a town in north central France. It has been continually produced since that time and now many different fabric manufacturers have their own designs. They are usually produced using only one colour although more recent versions combine two.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to produce a story on toile fabrics. The piece, called Timeless Toiles, ran in Country Living Gardener magazine. The images from that piece are depicted here. All photographs by Ellen Silverman.
It was great fun sourcing the many different colour variations and coming up with creative ways to show them in the pages of the magazine.

Hopefully these images will give you a bit of your own inspiration.

Do email me if you'd like to find out about a particular fabric - I have not listed all the sources here but have them on hand.

The Sketches of Olivia Tonge

Above: A frog and toad from Karachi share the page with a forehead chain with bejewelled ear studs and an intricate nose ring.




As I'm a very visual person, I'm always tearing out articles from the magazines I read (even sometimes discretely ripping them out from the magazines in doctors offices). I've done the best I can to purge the magazines themselves, however, I have multiple files of stories I've pulled out for future use. Now that I've launched NenaghGal - I have endless inspiration tucked away in my various files and it's been fun re-discovering what I've saved (and sometimes figuring out why!).




Above, top: An ornately peeled pomelo with a beetle from Mussoorie. Above, bottom: A camel's collar, some ivory dice, a sandalwood comb and a cutting from the medicinal babul tree.


Anyway, today I was going through some of my files and I came across an article I tore out of the September 2008 issue of World of Interiors magazine. The article, "Bombay Mix" was written by Annabel Freyberg and detailed the 16 sketchbooks that the Natural History Museum in London received in 1952. "Inside them was an extensive series of unusually charming watercolours painted in India (and present day Pakistan) early in the century by one Olivia Fanny Tonge."

Above, top: A Hindu woman's anklet and nose ring amongst the purple blossoms of the neem tree. Above, bottom: A snake with regional Mussoorie flora and two 'hillman's' pipes.
Olivia Tonge lived was born in 1858 and died in 1949. The sketchbooks became a distinctive Edwardian addition to the the museum's current collection of illustrators. Tonge travelled to India from 1908 - 1913 and the sketchbooks are exquisite illustrations of what she saw during these travels. Her attention to detail and strong use of colour gives them great vibrancy.

Above, top: Betel nuts and leaves considered to be auspicious ingredients in Hindu religious ceremonies and the nut is also chewed in India for its effects as a mild stimulant. Above, bottom: A black crusted myna bird perches on a battle belt with the purple flowers of a weed.

Above: Here, Tonge herself appears mounted on three regally cloaked elephants. The curved sword and brass studded leather shield served as protection against tigers.

Above: A selection of local sweets made of sugar, ghee, eucalptus and other pungent flavours.

I'm just so inspired by these illustrations and think they would make wonderful framed prints and of course postcards. I'm due a trip to London so a stop by the Museum of Natural History is on my list.

Ikea in Dublin opens today

This is one of two Ikea bookcases we have in our home. Fantastic for storing everything from books, to clothes and stuffed animals (in our daughter's room)

Today is the much anticipated opening of Ikea in Dublin. I will not be going to the opening day myself as I'm taking my driving test at 9:15am and celebrating my 40th Birthday and while I am a HUGE fan of Ikea - I think I'll wait a week until some of the kinks of traffic, parking etc. are worked out.
Because of the opening, there has of course been loads of publicity about the opening. There are the critics who feel Ikea is only adding to mass consumerism, will wipe out Irish furniture and kitchen businesses, is not as green as it claims it is, the furniture is poorly made and cheap etc. etc. The lists go on.
Ikea is not for everyone but there is something there for everyone. Maybe you need to pick up a little something for your kitchen such as a whisk, a new chopping board, a teapot or napkins. Perhaps your cushions have seen better days in your sitting room or you need a new rug for your upstairs landing. Or your children have outgrown their beds and need an upgrade and you've decided to change the bedding in your master suite. It's all obtainable and really good prices.

I am a big fan of Ikea but I wouldn't furnish my entire house with it although the majority of our big furniture pieces are from Ikea. And let me explain why - yes, they are very affordable and they come flat packed which with our move from New York two years ago was ideal. Okay, they can be a bit of a pain to put together but once you get the hang of "reading" the wordless instructions and becoming a master of an allen key you'll find it's worth the money you save to put it together yourself. The other thing is that the quality is great. As far as I'm concerned this is not what some people are calling "disposable furniture". No it's not made like beautiful antique furniture and it all has a pretty modern aesthetic but I'm sorry I cannot bad mouth the quality. The bed in our guest room was bought almost 15 years ago from Ikea in the states. It has been put together and dismantled at least 6 or 7 times. The wood is solid and I've never had any glitches putting it together ( I can even do it on my own).

It is true - going to Ikea is destination shopping. The experience is pretty cool. You spend at least an hour walking through the showroom part of the store - looking at different room set ups, gathering ideas and writing down what you want to pick up in the warehouse section. Then you head to the market/warehouse where you can pick up kitchen items, rugs, cushions, curtains, shelves, hooks, lighting, frames, dog beds, vases.....you get the picture. And then onto the proper warehouse where you find the furniture pieces you've written down and pull them off the shelves and load onto your trolley. The food in the restaurant is cheap and cheerful and the notable Swedish meatballs are even available to buy to take home.

While Ikea is certainly going to be a huge attraction in the upcoming weeks - I really don't believe people will abandon their local interior stores and fully join the cult of Ikea. You certainly cannot get the one on one customer service that you'd get in a local retailer. If you want a more traditional look for your interiors, Ikea is not really right for you either. The shopping experience certainly does not suit everyone - it can be very overwhelming.
I certainly urge you to visit Ikea and experience it. Take from it what you'd like. Pick up things that will mix in with what you already have. Believe me, they can be mixed - you just have to be creative and adventuresome.

Oh and if you need help assembling furniture, a new kitchen or anything from Ikea I was recently introduced to this website through Twitter - so take some of the nightmare out of assembling it yourself - http://www.simpleassemblymehole.com/! You get the picture - I've assembled smaller things but one tv cabinet took over 5 hours to assemble and nearly cost me my current relationship - Simple Assembly Me Hole is right!

New Series: Weekend Collector

Today I'm launching a new weekly post on collecting - Weekend Collector - and I promise to do my best to get one up every weekend.
Why on the weekend? Well, for one you usually have a bit more time. You may be out and about visiting family and friends, seeing the local sights, popping into town for shopping etc. It's a good time to stop into a charity shop, go to a car boot sale or have that time to browse on EBay for pieces to add to a collection.

I'm not an avid collector but I have collected my share of things over the years. I have quite a collection of tea towels. I also love Italian ceramics and ages ago someone introduced me to glass spooners or celery glasses so I quickly amassed a small collection of those. It's fun to collect and it doesn't have to be expensive. You can even set yourself a price limit so you can only buy things at or under a certain price. And anything can be collected. Maybe you like small oil paintings or blue and white delft - once you've gathered three or more together, you have a collection. Then make sure you display them in a prominent spot in your home. Live with your collections - enjoy them - add to them - edit them - redefine them. The ideas are endless.
This week I've pulled together some images from my book, At Home in Nantucket. This is the home of Cam and Gardiner Dutton. Cam owns a shop in the Nantucket town called Nantucket Country and is an avid collector. This is only a fraction of what they collect but most unusual. The kitchen has cathedral ceilings and there are several different collections on display throughout the space, however, one of the most impressive and unusual is her collection of rolling pins.

There are pins in wood, glass and porcelain in all different sizes with a myriad of designs. Until I walked into this house I honestly had never thought about collecting rolling pins and certainly had no idea about how many different kinds were available. I love the way they've been displayed. En mass they make a powerful impressive statement in the huge kitchen space.

(the view from the kitchen into the front hall)

I'd love to hear from you about what you collect and if you'd like, email me a photo of your own collection. I'm intrigued to hear about what people like to collect and why. Once I've gathered enough images - I'll do a post of my readers collections - you can email me at stylistmcgee@gmail.com. And here in Ireland, I'd love to hear about favourite charity shops, good car boot sales or flea markets!

The photograph below shows the detail of the collection we photographed for Victoria magazine which ran in their Collecting column in the June 2003 issue. It's great because you can see up close all the different variations.
All photographs by Paul Whicheloe.

In Good Company - Blog Watch

I was really delighted to find that my blog was included in Lorna Sixsmith's "Blog Watch" article - also featured in the summer issue of Munster Interiors. What a thrill to be included with so many other notable bloggers. Lorna blogs through her website - www.garrendennylane.ie/blog. Then there is Dublin based Melanie at http://designheaven.wordpress.com, Naomi at http://inspireinspire.typepad.com, Sheila in Australia with her blog www.folderofideas.blogspot.com and then last but not least, Jessica and her blog http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com.


I'll be keeping an eye on all your sites! And encourage everyone else too as well. Blogging is a great way to connect with like minded people and since I started blogging I've found a whole new group of friends and connections. It's great to talk about things you love and find that other people appreciate it too.

I'll get back to my regular posting tomorrow!

Our 2nd Anniversary in Ireland

The accent to the top of Keeper Hill.

Yesterday marked our second anniversary in Ireland. We landed from Boston on July 17 - 2007 and it looks like we are here to stay! Most people thought we were a bit mad to give up the high life in New York City for the quiet life in Nenagh. Mad as it may seem I have yet to regret our decision. Sure the economy has taken a nose dive and we've had a few hiccups along the way but in general it's been great and in hindsight we did it at the perfect time.

There are so many great things about living here - first of all, as you'll see from most of these photos - the land, the scenery, the green. I love it! When I do have to "commute" into Limerick - instead of being stuck on the LIE in four lanes of traffic I'm on a single lane road (each side) with views of the Silvermine mountains. Sorry but I just wouldn't change that!

Secondly, the people. For the most part everyone in Ireland is friendly and welcoming and even as a "blow-in" I've felt very at home very quickly.

Thirdly, less stress! Our estate is so quiet, so peaceful and relaxing - it have given me a chance to re-charge after the manic city life. There's plenty more but I thought I'd just celebrate the moment with a few photos just to celebrate our life in Ireland.

the walk to the summit of Keeper Hill

The thrill of getting to the top of Keeper Hill! The wind, the view - what can I say? (that's me with my sweet hubbie and Sugar our dog)

A double rainbow out behind the back of our house.

My very own garden!

Beautiful Lough Derg on a sunny day.

and equally beautiful on a cloudy one.

Sugar in the foxgloves on a walk up in the Silvermines.

Walking up in the Silvermines - how could you find a view like that in New York City?

and another

Beautiful St. Mary's of the Rosary in Nenagh(and below)

The Nenagh Heritage Centre

Magical Mermaid Isle in Munster Interiors

The brand new issue of Munster Interiors in out on newsstands now and I'm delighted to let you know that I have my first editorial feature in the magazine! The piece, Magical Mermaid Isle begins on page. 60 and runs for 8 pages.
I just have to say that this was a truly magical experience writing about this house. I drove down in June to meet the homeowners Kevin and Lori for the day. Thankfully the weather was spectacular and I drove through Killarney National Park (I'll be posting all those photos later).
The house in in an absolutely breathtaking spot and I took loads of my own photos for the blog. Be forewarned - there are a lot of them!! But I'm leaving out captions so you can just experience the place. It has wonderful character and much of it was reclaimed or salvaged from old buildings around Ireland. The craftsmanship is just beautiful. It was also lovely to meet people who put so much thought and care into building a house - taking into concern the land, plants, animals and sea life around it.
Oh - and did I mention? Mermaid Isle is on the market!! Take a look at it's website - http://www.mermaidisle.net/ for more details. It is an amazing house on an amazing piece of land and it is just waiting for a real nature and water lover to snap it up.
Don't forget to pick up Munster Interiors to read the whole story and see lots more photos.