Original Louis Vuitton trunk

An original Louis Vuitton trunk travelled into our studio to be tidied up.

Andrea June

Calavaggio

Cal (Calavaggio)

Cal is our artist here at Romantiques, here she is hard at work again, if Cal is not hand painting on your living room walls, or  hand painting your favourite image on a piece of your furniture, she's creating another delectable piece of art for a frame. 

Andrea June

Lick of colour

We are a day away from winter, although it feels as if it is already here.

I absolutely adore everything about winter, the fashion, the food and most of all the colours.

 I love a little boldness.

Furniture with a lick of colour, an added touch of warmth to the home.

These are a few of our past pieces that have a lick of colour.

Andrea June

Living Life in a Loft

Double height ceilings,grand open spaces and secret compartments.

It's a NYC tradition.

 A loft apartment oozes the concept of a New York City style apartment. 

A loft apartment is a project that needs to be worked, you could say own a loft and style it like a 'well heeled traveller'. 

Lofts are a very commercial space, to make it feel like home you need to alter the commercial feeling and turn it into a warm, entertaining, opulent space.

A loft apartment is one of the best blank canvases you can have for a home, the simplicity of its natural state is asking to be taken to the next level.

To turn a Commercial loft in to a concoction of elegance, sophistication and seamlessness, find a balance.

Dissect the areas of the apartment, the stairs, the railings, the kitchen benches, play with textures such as timber, stone and granite. 

Think like you have been walking the streets of famous cities for years.

Walking through a simple front door, into another world 'your city' double height ceilings,polished concrete floors - sometimes laid with textural floor rugs. 

A wall palette consisting of whites, Smokey silhouettes and accents of rich deep chocolate greys.

Gold leafed baroque mirror, pitted and all leaning up against the never ending wall, of the entrance.

Ceiling spots strategically placed to create ambience. 

Modern, quirky artwork of 3 of the most beautiful hand painted tulips you have ever seen,leant on the wall behind the silk upholstered 3 seater louis. 

Larger than life Bookcases used as dividers, dividing the dining area from the living area. 

Long refectory dinging table with timber boxes growing fresh herbs sitting upon it.

Large caged lanterns hanging over the kitchen bench.

Harlequin chairs bearing their own classical artwork.

Up the original polished stone stairs holding onto the wrought iron balustrade, walking beneath more spotlights.

Peeking into the bedroom, studio tripod lighting each side of the room,divine upholstered bead head.

 Walk in wardrobe bookcases hand painted in a dramatic dark midnight blue, silver leafed and black upholstered louis chair popped to the side.

Ensuite; 2 sink marble top vanity with wooden base. 

Simple wall lights each side of the 2 mirrors above the vanity.

Classical reproduction of one Raphael's finest works behind a claw foot bath.

Just to the side beneath an old wooden ladder used for hanging the towels, sits Aphrodite and some fresh greenery, some lovely indoor plants.

And that is just the beginning.

So pack your suitcase and travel in your own home. 

Andrea June

Think smart

Play with textures 

Be quirky

♫♪

When you walk in your door after work, doing the shopping, or even after having a truly spectacular day...you have to ask yourself...can my mood get any better?
The answer is..of course it can. With the help of music.
We've all experienced the feeling...a rapid change in mood when a favourite song is on, how it changes the tone of things in our lives, how it can change a room's atmosphere. There's a reason why music is played at dinner parties, in restaurants, in stores. It's a subtle, yet completely effective form of mood manipulation.
And to be honest, I'm not going to object to this form of manipulation one bit.
Lately, I've been coming home and kicking my shoes off to forms of downtempo jazz, the type your soul sings out to in response.

From one great inspiration stems another

Inspiration

It's a pinch of creativity

It's motivation

It's a feeling

It's a lifestyle 

image

Andrea June

Nanny it down

How many people think that if they have books they need to be displayed behind glass cabinet doors, that bright colours should be minimalist; only put in key areas, that wallpaper shouldn't be used on all four walls in one room, that mirrors should be hung on the wall and last but not least things should be simply symmetrical?

Nanny it down.

Let your personality come out, after all like i have said before your living space is an extension of your wardrobe.

Do you match your plaid top with your plaid pants.... ? eeek 

DIDN'T THINK SO!

Don't be afraid to

 Put your books out on display on a free standing bookcase in the middle of your living room, pile them on your coffee table (artistically of course), next to your linen upholstered couch bearing rust and chartreause coloured cushions.

Don't be afraid to have 3 walls of your dining room covered with artworks, in tones  likes musk or winter whites, or go the other end of the scale cerulean blue and kelp.

There is a way to balance this out, harlequin chairs around your dining table upholstered in the same tone that the artwork bears.

Don't be afraid to have a large mirror leaning against one of the walls in your bedroom, pitted glass and all. 

Don't be afraid to lean the old mirror up on the  modern wallpapered striped walls.

Don't be afraid to get large rugs that showcase bold patterns.

Don't be afraid to have a radical choice of lighting in your study, a 'spider' like chandelier that looks like task lamps are hanging off of it.

Even have a chandelier where it looks like you have stuck all your post it notes on it.

Mostly don't be afraid to be daring, different and totally individual.

It's a service that we offer, to have your favourite sayings or images hand painted on your walls or your furniture. 

Your entrance foyer hand painted with your favourite image of your family pooch.

Or on the other end of the scale, have the wall in the entrance foyer hand painted like a scene out of your favourite movie, a street out of Paris, New York or Sydney.

What ever strikes your fancy.

Dare to be different

Going to pick up a palette and some paint brushes.

Andrea June

The palette of the eye

Sight analyses everything in a room. It creates an illusion. 

Your sight will either tell you if it is vision splendid or vision disaster.

Although what is pleasing to your eye may not be pleasing to someone else's.

There are a lot of things I look for, when I step into a room. 

Over the past few days, while writing about senses I have really thought about what springs to mind when stepping into a room.

Here are the group of words that came up.

Contoured

Spotless

Tapered

Glamourous 

Homely

Distinct

Fancy

Deep

Andrea June 

A Sweet Scent

Just a little home made candle making, on a warm Autumn day. Rose the perfect scent to accompany the chilly night ahead.

Andrea June

Taste This

A desirable taste that sends your taste-buds into a tingling frenzy.

Chocolate & Raspberry Pots

Prawn, chorizo and tomato kebabs

Smoked salmon & avocado sushi 

All images and recipes taken from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/

Click links below images to see recipe. 

Andrea June

Sense and key scents

Walking into a home, entering through old french style wooden doors, stepping on wooden floors, lit up by strategically placed ceiling spots. The most opulent surroundings you have ever seen, the most elegant hanging chandelier you can imagine, the most grand set of marble stairs you've ever set your sights upon 

But oh my whats that smell...

Personally for me nothing is complete with out a scent of some sort.

Here are a few of my favourite natural scents 

Lavender - It's one of the safest scents when diluted, it's calming, relaxing and makes you want to place your head down on a pillow. 

French coffee - A divine, rich aroma that makes you want to socialise, it's an aroma that makes you crave. When i smell the scent of my French coffee candle i can  literally taste it... yummo!, it makes me feel as if i am in Paris if i close my eyes. A little dreaming doesn't harm anyone.

Vanilla- Vanilla is very common, it's a warm,simple, rich aroma. 

Exotic woods -  A woody scent combined with a line of sweetness through it. 

Ylang Ylang - A very delicate aroma, that hits all the right notes, and brings light to all the positive feelings. 

Gardenia- A very sweet scent, for me gardenia is one of those scents where it is very easily missed, i call it a transparent scent.

Petrichor - I know that this is not a scent that can be purchased but i had to put it down. One of my all time favourite scents is Petrichor- The earthy smell that is accompanied by the rain.

What are your favourite natural scents?

Andrea June

Simplicity

Simplicity of an arrangement.

Andrea June

Turning pages

I am a big book lover, photography , food, fashion and oh of course interiors. Just recently I ordered  a few books in store, they are gorge, that's a bit of an understatement but anyway... I love the feeling of waiting for something to arrive in the mail, I find it so exciting.

 I know we all  have a tablet, an i pad or some sort of other technology that allows us to read a book. 

To me there is nothing better that having the book, holding it, and flicking its pages by hand rather than on a screen . Books to me have value and hold memories, I will never discard the books I have, and read online.

 I guess you could use a similar  concept with furniture, old pieces that you have had for years and years,just because they are looking outdated.

 Don't throw them away and go get something brand new and ultra modern.

 That old piece has personality, it's charming, it's a treasure to you. 

A piece of furniture with us here at Romantiques has endless possibilities , those possibilities are priceless you can't purchase anywhere. 

You can't put a price on bringing your very own ideas to life with our help.

 You can change and piece from eeek! to chic,with our help and a little imagination, as many times as you want. Re invent your piece, re invent your comfort zone re invent your  ideas, keep the pieces personality and charm (which is something we are really passionate about)  and open opportunities . 

After and Before 

 Before and After

Andrea June