A terrifically pretty turquoise living room that will leave you feeling anything but blue!

✯ Day 155 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Whereas earlier this spring I was heavily feeling purple (particularly when it came to my wardrobe choices), as spring marches ever closer to summer, I find that recently  my mind has been drawn heavily to crisp, confident shades of feel-good blues and turquoise.

Perhaps it's daydreams about Caribbean beaches, where dusty white sands march in perfect harmony with the nearly surreal aquamarine seas, or maybe it stems from the fact that cheerful blues tend to feature heavily in summertime decor (think melamine dishware and punchy hued throw pillows, for example).

Whatever sparked my current colour fixation, I'm pleased that it did, because there are few more soothing - yet equally lively - shades out there than a zesty turquoise blue, precisely like the one in the captivating living room below.

Hailing from the UK website House to Home, this photo gorgeously showcases the allure and charm of a living room done up in sparklingly pretty hues of perfectly summertime worthy blue, snowman white, and fresh-from-the-garden pink.

Weaving old school elegance (such as the ornate mirror atop the fireplace mantle and the curvaceously legged furniture) with a whimsical touch of modernity (e.g., the intentionally unfinished paint job at the top of the walls), this spacious living room is the sort of chic, fresh, very appealing space that captures the same sense of turquoise's unfailing beauty as the tropical waters mentioned above.

Whether you're drawn to the colours, the design, or the timelessly lovely pieces at work in this marvelous vintage inspired living room, it spills forth with an abundance of blissful bright blue to inspire your home decor and summertime wardrobe pieces alike all through the season and well beyond.

Introducing Flickr Favourites

Few sites continually inspire me with the same degree of creative, endlessly beautiful wonder that Flickr does. I’ve professed my undying love for Flickr here before (and like to think it comes through in my Saturday Snapshots posts, as well as many other image filled articles), but have been wanting for ages to launch a regularly occurring post devoted squarely to this amazing image filled site.

Instead of assigning this new reoccurring post a set day of the week (for example, Tuesday), I’ve decided to put together a Flickr Favourites post whenever the mood strikes – which will certainly be on a frequent basis (I’d tentatively say one such post every week or two).

While Saturday Snapshots focuses solely on vintage photographs of "real folks" (as opposed to famous people, magazine pictures featuring models, etc), the images that appear in “Flickr Favourites” will be a tapestry of old school snaps and modern photos with a vintage slant (or ones that I simply find to be too resplendently lovely to not share with you). Sometimes the images that appear in a given post may have a common theme, on others might be entirely random, tied together simply by their inherently breathtaking vintage related subject matter.

Last June I wrote about ten of my favourite Flickr groups devoted to various vintage topics, and many of you shared with me how much you enjoyed that roundup. Since that time I’ve thought often of that post, wanting to have a regular outlet in which to share more vintage related Flickr groups, so in addition to a selection of assorted images that have captured my imagination recently, each time I write an edition of Flickr Favourites, I’ll be including a previously un-blogged about Flickr group that’s focused solely on some marvellous aspect of the past.

I’m so excited about this delightfully fun new post, and sincerely hope that the images below, as well as all that follow in future editions, will provide you with scores of inspiration, help to fuel your vintage daydreams and brighten you day in the sweetest of ways.


♥ ♥ ♥


{Vintage Turquoise Creamer by ethanollie}



{Floating spoons by saltycotton}



{Still life 5 by lucy.loomis}



{A Symphony of Pink and Turquoise by Charm and Poise}



{Spring Journey by Magpie’s Fancy}


♥ ♥ ♥

Teaming with images of lovely treasures, retro kitsch, family heirlooms and other items gathered and saved from yesteryear, the Flickr group Vintage Beauty – Thrifted Bliss teams with photos of assorted vintage items and photographs that people have found while out thrifting and want to share, or are hoping to sell (elsewhere, Flickr itself has a strict no selling policy).


{1. Stewardess from the 1950s, 2. 60s mod, 3. hairdyer1, 4. Romance is in the air}

♥ ♥ ♥


As spring ever-so-slowly creeps out of hiding here, my mind is evidently being drawn to shades of turquoise and blue, both hues that contain the ability to be serene and invigorating at the same time, much like this very season itself.

Wishing you each a radiantly sunshine filled Monday – and a week ahead bursting with bliss!

In the navy

Regal and understated, timeless and graceful, navy blue often takes a backseat to black, grey and brown, seen more as the stuff of uniforms and nautical wear. However, with its denim-like ease of pairing and hint of warmth over black’s midnight coolness, navy pairs wonderfully well with the majority of hues in the rainbow and can bring a lot of colour to your face when worn near it.

I’ve always adored wearing this inky shade of blue and moreover it loves me. At times black can wash out my pale strawberries and cream skin (there’s a decent hint of pink to my skin tone, so I prefer to think of it as a berry instead of a peach, even though I love peaches) and overpower the green of my eyes, to curb this effect enter navy.

In the past couple of weeks while I’ve been picking up (budget friendly) items to compose my summer wardrobe with, I’ve bought two navy tops, one shrug (my first shrug ever! I know, how is it possible I went 24 years without one?), and a light weight cotton cardigan (it’s material resembles a cotton tee more than a woven sweater and will be perfect for tossing over anything and everything during the warmest months of the year).

Then the other night while reading Elle (the US edition, it’s the first time I’ve ever checked out the American version of this Canadian fashion mag staple), I spotted the most incredible dark denim shoes (with white piping and a dainty bow) from one of the ultimate masters of classic wardrobe pieces, Liz Clairborne. I tend to doubt that I’ll ever own these shoes, unless I can find a shop that sells them in person (I have uneven sized, wide feet and have learned that shopping for shoes online is never, ever a wise idea, I absolutely need to try footwear on before purchasing). Nevertheless, I can swoon and dream and imagine the plethora of outfits that these shoes would pair gorgeously and perfectly with.

These lovely heels (which I could very easily imagine some of the Mad Men gals wearing) set me looking for other wonderful navy blue pieces to inspire my summer – and year-round – wardrobe with. The following beautiful shots are but a few of the serene, sweet, and wonderful indigo hued photos that fill me with swirls of vintage inspiration.

{Blue makes me anything but!}


1. Blue dress, 2. `If the essence of my being has caused a smile to have appeared upon your face or a touch of joy within your heart., 3. threads, 4. Alice Shoot 02, 5. Blue Dress 2, 6. Vintage 50s Dress, 7. shadowspawn photography, 8. 04.11.08 {snow white... without the dwarves! }, 9. eyelet party dress, 10. blue colored rose, 11. From wonder into wonder existence opens, 12. Lexi, 13. blueberry cake {Click on a link to see a larger version of a particular image and/or for photographer information}

There is something so marvelously vintage about navy blue, to me at least. I can’t quite pinpoint what early moment in my life made me associate navy with the clothing and realm of the past, but I do and when I slip into this hue I feel a jolt of vintage energy flow through me. What’s your take on this dark, subtly mysterious colour, does navy also float your boat?