{décor inspiration: balloon shades}

. . . whether always elegant silk or sumptuous velvet, billowing, pooled, or luxuriously layered, curtains & shades always add a layer of texture, depth and style to a space, and ever since rita konig's neo-english manhattan bedroom and hamish bowles' parisian grande hallway/drawing gallery {center}, have fallen for the elegant ruching of balloon shades, their romantic, old-world charm and the sense of grandeur they lend to any room . . .

{images: 1 - domino magazine via iffer's little nest; 2 - a previous post; 3 - country living}

{a charming mix of things}

. . . shall always adore white, light-flooded rooms for the understated beauty and feeling of serenity they invoke, but truth be told, am a maximalist at heart, bits of boarding passes and foreign currency tucked away in pretty boxes, every issue of every magazine overflowing from shelves and coffee tables and so, fell completely for everything about these rooms -- the charming mix of tray and glass tables, warm and rich orange, pink & turquoise intermingled with soft sable and flowers everywhere, walls of artwork and paneling and molding, luxurious ruching, tassels and pleats -- everything working perfectly together as if part of a beautiful and unwinding story . . .

{images: hamish bowles' paris apartment, photography by françois halard for world of interiors, scans via flickr}