Fresh is Best

The other day we had a lady in the store ask us for some fake flowers.  I had to bite my lip and very kindly advise her that we only use fresh flowers.  I don't go for anything fake.  I'm a real or nothing girl in all aspects of my life.  If I can't have real flowers then I would prefer to go without.  Today I brought into the shop some of the succulent pots I have been potting up at home which I placed onto a tray on one of the coffee tables.  They look great mixed with the fresh lemons in the clam shell.  It just goes to show that fresh really is best.

New Things

New Tables

New Paintings

New Blue and White Bone Inlay Boxes and Pink Inlay boxes too...

Another new painting

And another fabulous and very reasonably priced table

It really is like Christmas at Black & Spiro lately with all of the beautiful new things we have arriving from our overseas suppliers and also our wonderful Australian suppliers too.  Here are a few things which just arrived in this week.  I am finding it hard not to take things home.  I whisked one of the new pink inlaid trays home with me yesterday and I am obsessed with it...almost as much as my garden!!!

Happy March!

Can you believe it's March already?  As March heralds the start of Autumn here in Australia I was inspired by the colour orange and falling leaves to create this month's calendar vignette.  I made a necklace out of paper letters I bought at Kate's Paperie and wrapped lots of gingham ribbons and pleated trim around the neck of our vintage French Mannequin.  This month we are opening our back displays at Black & Spiro again.  This is the third time we have redecorated the 2 back rooms since our re-opening last year.  We are using lots of orange and lavender.  I can't wait to unveil them in the coming weeks.  Happy March Everyone! 

xo
Anna

Black & Spiro Today

Today we changed our front window display.  It was a little overdue I must admit.  The fresh blue, white, pink and yellow in the windows is nice for a change.  Our Max range of furniture is now available in a console table which we have placed into this display in yellow.  The nice thing about this furniture we are making is that it can be made in any colour and it only takes a few weeks to have it manufactured and delivered.

Isn't it hot today!!  I can't wait to go for a swim when I get home this afternoon...

A New Window

Today we worked on a new display in our front window at Black & Spiro. We wanted it to be fresh and colourful and eye catching. This is our last window before our very exciting Christmas window which will be installed in a few weeks time. We wrapped bits of remnant fabric around birdcages and hung them in front of a gorgeous bright pink and white and black floral fabric. It always makes me feel so happy when we have installed a fresh new window at the shop...

Black & Spiro Today

Here's a little shapshot of some things in the shop which I am loving right now. Our new purple inlay chest of drawers is like a breath of fresh air...it's so pretty! I really am having a purple moment! One of my favourite quotes {by Virginia Woolf} which I had hand written and framed in an old white-painted frame - "Arrange whatever pieces come your way". This quote really is wonderful. I love it!

Black & Spiro Today

This morning I pottered around my garden at home and collected a few flowering things for the shop. I arranged some pink bougainvillea and some native gum leaves in a couple of shell encrusted baskets I picked up in Bali a while ago. There's something so Summery and vibrant about bougainvillea and I do love it mixed in with a few classic blue and white ginger jars.

Above is one of a pair of amazing hand beaded African chairs we have in the shop at the moment. I think these chairs are a favourite of mine right now. To think of the work that goes into them...

We just received this gorgeous geometric patterned rug in today. The girls and I couldn't wait to put it in place under our bright orange coffee table in our front lounge room display. I think it has added so much colour to the shop...I just love it and I am very tempted to take it home!

Just thought you might like to see a few of the new things we have in at the moment.

Black & Spiro Today

Pretty cushions fill the shop at the moment. The 2 above are some of my favourites.

I came up with the idea of covering this little pair of antique gilt chairs in black and white gingham and then Kelly wrote on the fabric in hot pink fabric paint - "I love old gold chairs covered in big floral fabrics with pretty coloured trim". We used fluoro yellow tulle frilled around the edges.

I love these hand painted Staffordshire dogs which are from a UK artist.

These glasses come in green, blue and clear. I love them!

We have lots of blue and white ginger jars in the shop but also lots of gorgeous colourful ones too!

I was going to use this one-off eastern embroidered cushion above in Max's nursery however, it ended up being too big so it's now in the shop.

I thought I'd do a "Black & Spiro Today" post. It's been a while since I have done one as the shop has been closed. Here are a few bits and pieces I am loving which are in the shop at the moment. Look away now if you don't like lots of colour!

New Window Display

We installed a fresh new window display at the shop this afternoon. The pretty blue, yellow, green and white floral fabric in the background is a current favourite. We teamed it with some classic blue and white lamps, fresh bright yellow roses and a set of Antique Victorian jugs. Over the next few weeks we have lots of lovely new things arriving which is always very exciting!!

New Bits at Black & Spiro

We've finally received our delivery of Megan Park cushions in at Black & Spiro along with some of our other lovely cushions {top image}. I thought I would take a couple of photos of some other bits which we just received in last week. The little Antique brass mirror is one of my favourite things in the shop at the moment and the colourful ginger jar lamp bases are divine!!

For all enquiries, please email us info@blackandspiro.com.au

How much is that doggie in the window?

I brought Ned into work today in an attempt to cheer myself up. His favourite spot in the entire store was sitting in the front window next to our beautiful new curtains watching the traffic and passers-by. I couldn't resist snapping this photo above.

Friday Flowers

Here are some beautiful fresh pink peonies which I just arranged and placed on our entrance table at Black & Spiro along with a collection of other lovely things. Have a great weekend!

xo
Anna

Black & Spiro Christmas Window

I've been meaning to post these photos of our Christmas windows at Black & Spiro which we installed last week. I feel like I am always one of the last stores in Brisbane to install Christmas! Anyway, I went for a very bright pink and yellow combination this year. I wanted to end 2009 on a lovely bright note!

PS. The wreath is made out of beautiful dried out Australian native bush {very hard to see from these pictures} which a lovely lady in Melbourne made for me. I then decorated the wreath with silver baubles tied on with torn strips of fabric and ribbon.

Bright & Colourful

It seems I am loving lots of orange lately as noticeable in the shop at the moment. I took this photo this afternoon of our front room at Black & Spiro. There is so much colour in there right now which I love...colour makes me so happy!! Unfortunately this photo isn't the best so make sure you drop into the shop to have a look as it really is looking lovely. Oh, and next week we will be receiving 32 beautiful Black & Spiro cushions in for the shop from our cushion maker in lots of gorgeous mismatched fabrics {including a few vintage fabrics}...perfect for a special Christmas gift!!

PS. Click on image to enlarge.

Friday Flowers

Apparently these beautiful peonies, which our florist delivered to the shop this morning, are the first for the season. They look so pretty with our colourful cushions and our new orange ottoman!! Hope you have a great weekend.

xo
Anna

Black & Spiro Today

Our new left side window display was supposed to go in today however, we had a few dramas with it and it won't go in until tomorrow so the girls put this temporary display into the window for today. I had to share it with you as one of my most favourite things in the entire world is blue and white ginger jars filled with fresh flowers...definitely an obsession my mother has passed onto me!!

Black & Spiro Today

Here are a couple of photos of our current window display at Black & Spiro. The poodle lamps are very wild yet so much fun. I adore the fabric drop in the background and our new little woven shell boxes which you can see on the table are a current obsession of mine. They come in 5 different sizes and I was thinking it would be a fun idea to bake some beautiful shortbread stars for Christmas and use these lovely shell boxes to put the shortbread in as gifts for my friends. We have a few in stock if anyone else would like to do the same!! For all enquiries email us info@blackandspiro.com.au

Black & Spiro Today

Here is our current window display at Black & Spiro {above}. It's very bright, I must say, even for me! It's been a crazy week here at B&S. Usually the September school holidays are a quiet time for us. It is usually a time we call the lull before the storm with the onslaught of Christmas coming! However, for some strange reason these September holidays have been crazy. Lots of deliveries arriving as you can see below. A few clients will be very happy at the end of this week once they receive their beautiful armchairs!!

Black & Spiro Today

The shop is brimming with lots of lovely new things. I thought I would share a few photos of some of our new bits & pieces.