Nicky Haslam: EXTRAordinary

Nicky Haslam - taking it past design into the realm of creation. Be sure to visit his site - each next image will be your new favorite. These images are just from 1 of the 19 homes featured.




Hope you have a great weekend!

A Little London Loft

I've had these photos of the Loft Suite at Covent Garden Hotel, London floating around in my inspiration file and thought it was finally time to post them. I like the simple furnishings and the contrast between the open space and the more intimate space tucked in under the bedroom loft above. A huge mirror over the marble fireplace is balanced on the opposite side by the large painting.

Love these charcoal striped pillows - don't think the space would be the same without them.

From across the Pond - Caroline Paterson

Thrilled is how I felt when I came across the portfolio of London designer, Caroline Paterson. Named by House & Garden to their Top 100 decorators list, I find her work inspiring and the attention to detail amazing. The first picture makes me swoon - love the blue/green silk pillow and hand blown glass vase paired with the contemporary styling of the bureau and the traditional artwork.
Abstract art, its colors reinforced in the fabric choices, adds a bolt of energy to this traditional library.

What drew me into this photo is the lamp - amazing how one carefully selected piece can make a space. It very subtlety picks up on the fabric on the ottoman.
The bird sculpture and the abstract painting play off each other - although everything is stationary there's movement in this space.

A great reminder that a closet is all you need for a functional home office space.

For me, these narrow horizontal stripes are unexpected and add so much interest to this space.

To see more of Caroline's work, click here.

A Walk in Notting Hill

I've always had a thing for blue doors. First thing I did when we moved into our house was to paint our door a very bright, strong blue. This love of blue doors must have been in my subconscious when I arrived at the name of this blog, My Notting Hill. Not only did I love the movie but I loved the neighborhood, and of course, the famous blue door. (image via Sonja Campbell)

Arriving jet lagged to London years ago and heading off to our hotel in Kensington, I turned to my husband and said, "London looks just I imagined it would." Here's to more imagining where a stroll through Notting Hill could take me. Along this wrought iron railing to...

a lovely sitting room streaming with sunshine Chepstow Rd Notting Hill

into an airy and elegant dining room Norland Square Notting Hill

to a bright, cheerful kitchen with an amazing fireplace Ledbury Road Notting Hill
or a fun family room w/a killer view onto a courtyard garden (Ladbroke Gardens Notting Hill - at an asking price of 8,950,000 pounds that would leave most people beyond broke)

or maybe to this charming bedroom with so much potential and the knock-out bathroom with the fireplace and the floor-to-ceiling french doors

Courtnell Street Notting Hill

or a sweet bedroom, and then
Blenheim Crescent Notting Hill I would reach my destination...getting right into this very cool Citroen...


and pulling up to the front of "my" home. Until then, I'll have to vicariously enjoy My Notting Hill life through the terrific illustrations the immensely talented Patricia van Essche of PVE Design created for me. And right now, I'm good with that. (consider contacting Patricia for your commissioned artwork)






For those of you in the DC area, consider taking a stroll over to Maison Living/Jean Pierre Antiques for champagne and great shopping this Saturday. It's not Notting Hill but it is in Georgetown and that's more than a close second in my book!

Lost London Photos

Five years ago my husband and I spent a week in London but most of the photos from that trip were lost somewhere in the cyberspace of my hard drive. I just found them today!


If only I had known then I would be blogging I would have taken so many more photos of the interior of the Blakes Hotel where we stayed in Kensington. Designed by Anouska Hempel, every room makes a statement.

Here is a picture of the room we were in the last two nights. I believe it probably has the requisite 10 pillows Barclay Butera would advocate for.


Upon seeking permission from my husband to post the picture below, he said, "I remember that. It was my private frou frou hell!" I completely disagree. However, you might notice how his legs are hanging over the end of the bed so as not to disturb the pillows!

There's a photo of the room we stayed in during the first part of the vacation further down in the post.




The t.v. was housed behind a red silk curtain that you lifted up for viewing. This completely perplexed Dan - "And why is this necessary?" he said.
Here is another photo of the room. If I had known anything about blogging then I would have promptly rolled that portable A/C unit out before I took the picture. It's a white eyesore.

The courtyard

The white door at the end of the courtyard leads to the 007 suite. At the time we stayed there (July 2003) the hotel was popular with musicians and actors.

A street nearby. Below - a photo of Kensington Gardens I think?

Here are some more pics from the hotel's site. Click here to view a slide show of more of the rooms.
Above is the room we stayed in during the first part of the vacation. Love the floors.

So tailored and crisp.