Fenton & Fenton

Lucy Fenton is one passionate woman with incredible taste and style! During a backpacking trip around Europe and India, Lucy was deeply inspired to open a store that would reflect her love of travel and passion for colorful accents, unique home furnishings and artifacts. After working and travelling alongside industry pros, she launched fenton & fenton, which is located in Australia. The store is gorgeous and looks comfortable enough to move right in to! And it goes without saying that a woman with such an incredible eye for color and design would have a home as equally fabulous as her shop! Take a look at both her store and apartment for inspiration and lots of eye candy! If I ever have a small storefront, this is what I'd love to model it after :) Have any of you ever had the privilege to visit fenton & fenton in person?

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Fenton & Fenton Store...
{click here to see more!}

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Lucy Fenton's Apartment...
{click here to see more!}

ALL IMAGES VIA FENTON&FENTON.COM

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With that, I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing weekend. My husband and I will be working around the clock tomorrow and Saturday to finish up my room design at the Good Shepherd Center. The photo shoot is scheduled for Sunday afternoon and I plan on incorporating several items from my shop to get the room camera ready! I can't wait to see how it all comes together...it's one thing to have the design vision in my head, and another to see it actually come to life. Looking forward to sharing the before & after pics with you all! xoxo - Julie

Bright & Colorful Shop Terrace

Several months ago I did home tour post for Doris Sochaczewski's (fabulous!) apartment in Brazil. Doris is the owner of an adorable home decor boutique called Coisas da Doris, located in San Paulo and she recently re-designed the shop's terrace. Doris was so sweet to email me photos of her newly revamped space, which will be published in a Brazilian magazine in the near future. Doris is one talented woman with a spectacular eye for color and style! Click here to visit her online shop or here to visit her blog.

PHOTO CREDITS COURTESY OF VALENTINO FIALDINI & DORIS SOCHACZEWSKI

Moving Forward - Need Your Help!

INSPIRATION PHOTOS VIA FLICKR

As some you might know, I'm an interior designer and launched my own company last summer called belle home studio. My first year as a business owner has been relatively successful...it's also been a roller coaster of excitement, fear, disappointment, happiness and every emotion in between! I have grown and changed in many ways since embarking on this journey and I'm ready to take my design career to the next level. I have decided to give my company a complete new image, including a new name and a new logo/company brand. In addition to all of these exciting changes, I'm planning on launching my own online home decor retail boutique!

INSPIRATION PHOTO BY JEANNE BOTES FOUND HERE

The idea first started with opening an Etsy shop but there are so many things that I'd love to sell, some handmade, some not, that I decided a retail boutique would be a better route. My goal is to feature and carry unique and fabulous items for the home, starting with a custom pillow line, a selection of fun wallpaper and fabulous accessories (I'll be starting small and plan on expanding as business picks up). I want to provide people with great home decor at affordable prices. Now, the reason I'm rambling on about all of this to you is because I figure the best place to get feedback, ideas, suggestions, etc. is to ask all of you wonderful readers to give your input which will help guide me in the right direction! I'd like to ask some questions and if you have the time, please answer one or two questions or all of them -anything would be much appreciated! I would like to award a couple of you with a special little something for participating. Details to follow...

1) What are some online stores you prefer to shop for home decor and why?

2) What do you find frustrating when searching for specific items in an online store (difficulty finding specific color, style, etc.)

3) What would you like to see more of? (unique pillows, vintage-style accessories, etc.)

4) What keeps you coming back to a certain site? Sales? New items?...

5) What item(s) do you have a hard time finding online?

Have any other tips, suggestions, advice? Please share! Thank you for taking the time to help me out. I really do appreciate your comments! I hope to launch the boutique this July - I'll keep you updated on the details as I get closer.

Lealand Eve Boutique

I was delighted when I received an email from the owners of Lealand Eve Boutique, husband and wife team Nathan King and Lealand Eve Richard. Their quaint little shop is located in Sayville, NY and they carry some fantastic accessories for the home (at wonderful prices, by the way!). Have a look at a few things that caught my eye while browsing their online shop...

This lamp is so fresh and I love the soft blue color; I want this eclectic collage venetian style mirror for my apartment - the colors are perfect!

They have a lovely line of jewelry in all sorts of fun organic shapes and materials.

How cute are these 4 x 4 Iinitial Glass Trays? They'd make a great little gift!

A little more about the company (directly from their website)..."Lealand Eve is a specialty boutique that brings a young, fresh aesthetic to our location on suburban Long Island and online to the rest of the world. Showcasing the lines of smaller manufacturers and individual artisans, the shop carries home accessories, wearable accessories for women and men, gift and novelty items and jewelry. Our look is organic and clean, taking cues from the natural environment and adding a whimsical, fairy tale touch. We update a classic “vintage” look with modern materials and design." Click here to visit their boutique!