Olivia Outred is a London based designer whose portfolio is delightful and she has yet to be featured on our wee blog so how about a little intro?
While traditional decorating techniques, classic furniture and antiques are a feature of her work there is a freshness and a pared-back modernity to it. Olivia is a confessed colour enthusiast and lover of great art and unexpected furniture, which when combined, result in stand-alone spaces that appear to have developed over time. Her interiors are full of life and character, each piece of furniture is worthy of conversation and each room feels harmoniously coordinated but not staged.  Olivia and her team bring colour, textiles and antiques into their designs, often using treasured items their clients have collected over the years along with new pieces they have found.

Back in 2017 Jo featured a home with knotty pine walls that has gotten lots of traffic ever since, and when I spotted the cottage of Barrie, ON based designer Ashley Montgomery I had to share another wonderful example of knotty pine done right. What was once her family’s horse stable (with stalls) outside of Toronto, then became storage, then was transformed into a cool “bunkie” or sorts that sleeps ten. The pine is original from when it was built in the 1950s, and was in such great condition it was simple cleaned and lacquered. She added in some flagstone on top of the concrete floors and with a colour scheme of black and white, it turned into a functional and modernized rustic space. Knotty pine at its finest.

The concept was a time-traveling train station as we referenced details of the original Chatham train station in the shelf and corbels of the custom booth, to the 70s California references and Viennese Hoffman chairs our client brought to the meetings. We tore down an outdated, clumsy coat closet to create a cozy fireside seating area with a hidden tech-cubby.
This foyer is an absolute dream! The tiny vestibule with newly built-in storage, all that glorious woodwork, the sweet powder room, those wallpapered stair niches….LOVE! Designed by Hollie Velten. Photos: Tom Leonczik.

Atelier Ellis is a paint company (breathable and natural) in the UK whose website I happened upon and the photos and the paint colours are sooooo pretty. The 120 colours that make up our collection reflect a new classicism that is neither minimalist nor traditional. Embracing a simple-useful-beautiful aesthetic, the colours are deeply rooted in the natural world, as well as personal memories, marks, and fragments. I sometimes joke that I can eat walls when the colours are scrumptious. These are 100% that.

On the old road leading to Aosta, less than an hour from Turin, on top of a rocky outcrop overlooking the small village below and the beautiful countryside in the mountains of Piedmont and Aosta Valley is located the Castello di Montestrutto. It was built in neo-Gothic style around a tower of the 9th century. A panoramic staircase leads to the castle’s garden. The property, of about 800 square meters, internally consists of a large entrance, frescoed with scenes that reflect the history of the Castle, a richly decorated hallway, a living room and a large dining room with adjacent kitchen. On the first floor there are the stateroom, a studio room, the master bedroom and several other bedrooms. The castle is in excellent condition and it is currently used as tourist accommodation.
It seems this 8 bedroom 3 bathroom castle (listed by Sotheby’s International Realty) has since sold which is a good thing because I am completely smitten. From the details inside to the views outside and the magical exterior…..