The Polka dot plant ...

I bought myself some new plants ... the 'Polka Dot Plants'(Hypoestes phyllostachya) ... I am in love... they are simply beautiful ... the splash of color and how fast they grow... I am trying to read up all I can ... about these beauties...and I am so excited to share it with all the readers.

The H. phyllostachya ... belongs to the Family... Acanthceae. It is believed to be a native of Madagascar. Normally, you can expect it to grow to a hight of 30 inches ... but you can also find smaller varieties(hybrids I guess).

The polka dot plant ...is an ornamental plant ... it makes a great house plant ... and enjoys indirect sunlight... making it a great choice for shade gardens. Though bright indirect sunlight is ideal ... it is said to tolerate some bit of sun as well. The lovely burst of colored leaves ...can bring cheer where flowers may find difficulty growing. Faint memories remind me of my father using them as a hedge and as borders around flower beds.
Normally these plants are bushy ...but you may find your plant to grow longer stems and spread out leaves...making it look gangly... all you need to do it keep pinching it back.Though as the plant matures over time you will need to replace it... it looses its bushiness , as the maturer stems begin to show more. The polka dots ... also give out lilac flowers which grow on long shoots or racemes...they may be cute ... though not as spectacular as the leaves.Flowering will probably be seen in summer months.
You may find some of these cultivars in your local nurseries...
-‘Carmina’ has bright red splotches on the leaves.
-‘Confetti’ series plants are smaller (8 inches) but more vigorous growers than other cultivars, so they fill in more quickly in the landscape. The five separate colors include white, pink, red, carmine rose and burgundy red; they are often offered together as a mix.
-‘Pink Brocade’ is mottled with pink spots.
-‘Pink Dot’ has attractive pink spots.
-‘Purpuriana’ has purplish leaves.
-‘Splash’ series has large blotches of contrasting color in pink, red, rose or white.
-‘Wit’ offers marbled white leaves.
(I found this information about different cultivars from a paper by Susan Mahr,University of Wisconsin,...thanks Susan)

Watering -Spraying or misting... brings out the best in color of the leaves if the sunlight is right. When watering the soil do allow some bit of drying (not completely) before your next watering.

Pests and Diseases - the Hypoestes... is considered quite a hardy plant... but can get powdery mild dew and root rot. As for pests look out for aphids ... mealy bugs.

Propagating - Seeds and cuttings (cuttings can also root in water or the traditional way of planting them in soil).

Cool Weekend Thoughts!

As I sit here we are experiencing our hottest summer on record in Tassie. Yesterday we hit 36.7C, which isn't as much as the mainland, but let me tell you for somewhere so close to Antarctica...it's bloody 'ot!! Hottest day ever! We have been living in a cave with blinds, curtains and doors closed and the air conditioner on cool (that doesn't happen very often...like twice a year!). The boys are now both ill and laying in knickers and nappy! Where is the cooling sea breezes that are a part of our every day???

Where ever you are in Australia, stay cool. If you are cold right now..lucky you!!

Ness xx

Swedish Blonde

seeing that one of my favourite mags, Country Home, is about to fold. I have been looking through their files and came across this Swedish lovely. Loads of honey coloured wood, white and interesting pieces caught my eye. Like this hallway with it's beautiful warehouse style windows that floods the space with light.

Loads of shiny stainless against the warm wood works so well with white. I love the little calcium glass light shades above the work area.


The bead and board walls gives another element to the Master Bedroom. I love that bench seat, and the sisal mat gives the space some warmth.

The master bath is stunning. Carrara Marble sinks and bluestone floors are divine.
Behind this wall there is a walk through shower which comes off from the Bedroom...cool!

A little nook in the bathroom which the owners have seized as a useful display area and also for storing white fluffy towels.

Another angle of the bathroom. I love the bath, not sure about ALL the marble (reminds me of a morgue) but lovely none-the-less. I do like the wicker roman blinds though :)

I could definitely eat my Weet-Bix here and peruse the weekend papers.

The living room is beautifully simple. Honey floors, picked up in the frames and Chaise, and anchored by the sisal rug. The little hits of red keep the space from becoming too bland. There are loads more photos of this home. Click HERE to see.

Let's hope no more magazines will bite the dust any time soon.

Have a great weekend...I am on sick watch as our baby is now ill...

When will it end!

Ness xx

Huzoor Palace... Porbandar...India

You'll be forgiven ...in believing ,I am taking you on a tour of a European palace... It is infact... a beautiful Indian treasure...a palace by the Arabian Sea.The Huzoor palace of Porbandar,Gujrat.I had a memorable tour of this palace.Its beauty completely bowled me over.And the neglect that it lies in today ... makes me nostalgic about a by gone era ... when Natwarsinhji , the then ruler of Porbandar built it. As a designer ... I hold in high regard the people who created this beautiful piece of design and architecture. As an Indian I am very proud...to share with all my readers ...another piece of our great design heritge...

...a pink dining room ... I fell in love with the damask table cloth...and the art deco chairs were very pretty in pink. Now who says pink is for barbie dolls and little girls ... there was a definite air of class in this dining room...

... the blue music room ... its here that the Maharani , played her piano and her husband played his violin ... like most of the rooms in the palace (barring a few exceptions) ... the architectual detailing is ornate and traditional European style,while the furniture very Art Deco...

... details of moulding ... cornices and elegant use of blue... (in the blue music room) ...

... an ornate chandelier ...made of onyx ( I think so ...it was difficult to make out ...with the height and the aging) and the brass hardware looked ... lovely with the green patina of tarnish over the years...

... I just loved these chairs in one of the passages ... infact the passage looked so beautiful with these chairs...

...a pair of these ivory tusks mounted on pedestals are pure grandeour ... age and neglect surely has not affected them. Behind the these tusks ... screening the lobby area from the passage are traditional Indian screens...

... on one of the sofas I saw this fascinating upholstery ... it looked aged and uncared for ...but still beautiful...

... the view of the sunroom ...I can just spend my whole life here...soooo calm ...serene..the antique furniture in white ... the centre of the room has a marble fountain ... the Corinthian pillars ...and art deco light fittings ... unbelieveable that two styles so strikingly different ... compliement each other ,so well ...

... there are no fans or airconditioning needed in the entire palace ...here in this snap you see a view of the open plan of the rooms...the sunroom done up in different shades of white ..cream...beige... with openings to adjacent rooms... a little view of the blue themed ... card and bridge room...

... I love this room...can't have enough of it...

... details of the art deco chandelier with ornate traditional moulding on the ceiling ...

... another view of the sunroom ... displayed all over the palace is a great collection of paintings ... both European and Indian ...potraits of the royal family... priceless pieces.Here you can see the room opening on to the other side to another room ...

... a closer view of the pillared arches opening the sun room to the adjacent peach room...

... I loved this view of the terrace through the dusty doors ... I can so easily close my eye and imagine the beautiful evenings of entertaining that the terrace my have seen ... while a cool sea breeze flowed through ...

... one of the many paintings adorning the walls ...

...details of the skirting level in the sunroom ... an eclectic mix of Mughal and European botanical motifs...

... an embossed glass panel door ... I couldn't get the best image of it ... but ,I had to take this snap to remember the design details...

...the view from the peach color room ... looking towards the cream sunroom ...

...the oval library ... loaded with not just priceless antique books ... but also beauitful pieces of furniture ... the art deco style...ever so subtly co-existing with the ornate window and wall finishes ...

... one of the corners of the library ... show the details of the colors used on the walls ... I love the tone on tone effect ... which carries on into the ceiling...

... a curious looking book in the library... 'Loyal ( mind you not Royal...) Rulers and Leaders of The East'...

... another speciman of art deco style ... beautiful and elegent ... even in age and tattered upholstery... which was appeared to be a very modern design and not traditional ...

... one of the very many Indian art works ... this I think is a Pichwai...of the nathdwara school...

... heading back from the library ...towards the sunroom ... I could not help but click this...

... botanical motif details on the ceiling of the peach room ... and ofcourse the tone on tone effect ...I really found that very interesting...

... a snap shot of the blue room ... all ready for a game of bridge or cards ...

...the drawing room...I would definately love to entertain here... the sofas are upholstered in a beautiful blue and purple fabric... the walls are adorned with fine art and family portraits ... the wall sconces look like old torches ... the two round pieces on the wall ...are like trophies ... made of deer horns ...

... tucked away in a dark corner was this most interesting table ...agin a sad shot... but I had to put ths to show you the details of its base...

... four sea serpents with intertwined coils ... form the base of this magnificant piece...

... these very art deco style chairs ...were curiously upholstered in damask ... makes me wonder if they are a recent upholstery job ...

... a crystal wall sconce...it has a missing shade ... inspite of which it was an interesting piece...

... a side cainet in the general dining room ...

I can go on and on about the little I saw of this beautiful ... beautiful ... beautiful ... palace ...but my camera gave way on me ... I don't even want to tell what more I could have shared ... well ...

Creating A Little Drama Down at the Party Barn

I wonder if I was an actress in another life because I sure like dramatic interiors. I don't have the guts to go completely overboard in my own home- you know, it's that burden of Southern propriety or something. So I always thought that if I had some type of party barn, I would go the theatrical route and give it the old Oliver Messel touch. (For those of you who aren't familiar with Messel, he was a socially prominent British artist who was one of the leading set designers of the twentieth century. And if you're interested, his nephew is Lord Snowdon.)

To furnish my little fantasy barn, I would choose pieces that have presence. Now, each of the pieces below would look great on its own. I wouldn't necessarily mix them all together. After all, you only need one diva in the room! That said, this is for fun so let's throw caution to the wind.

I also think I would keep my color palette limited to black and white with just a few accents of color. Why? Perhaps it's because I have a fondness for old black and white movies. And when you pit deep, dark black against pure, creamy white, well, it's like good vs. evil, and is there anything more dramatic than that?


(Image at top: George Carter's party barn is perfection- at least to me.)

Possible Furnishings for the Party Barn:


White Webb's Intaglio Console Table


White Webb's Intaglio Chandelier


Wall Sconce Shell by Nymphenburg


Maitland Smith Black and White Obelisks. I would use them for table decorations.


Handpainted Screen by Gracie


Chrome fireplace mantle


Polychrome painted over-mantle mirror. Not really part of my party barn design scheme. I'm only showing this because it caught my eye and it's fabulous!