Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of (John Watling's) Rum

Believe it or not, it was the beautiful building, rather than the temptation of rum sampling that lured me into visiting the John Watling's Distillery.

Perched on top of the hill, overlooking the hustle and bustle of downtown Nassau, the distillery is situated on the historical Buena Vista estate. The estate, which dates back to 1789 has recently been restored and is hard to miss.

A friend had recommended the distillery tour to me, but it wasn’t until I happened to be driving past it, that my interest piqued. The terracotta and cobalt blue colour scheme caught my eye, so I headed back a few days later with friends in tow.

The tour is self guided, allowing you to wander around the property at your own pace, and is free of charge.

The main building opens onto a large terrace and instantly the sweet but subtle aroma of rum fills the air.

More than a seating area and thoroughfare into the actual distillery, this terrace is also home to a huge 74 ft deep well, hand dug by slaves and cut out of solid limestone. The jawdroppingly deep hole is testament of the amazing history of this estate.

We soldiered on past the well, and into the barrel filled distillery, taking in our surroundings and reading the information boards with interest.

Back in the main building, we browsed the gift shop and made a beeline for the bar, where we sampled the rum and perused the cocktail menu. Eventually I settled for a "rum dum", a refreshingly limey concoction, poured over ice and perfect on such a hot day.

The rum dum cocktail turned out to be one of the best I have ever had, and has left me counting down the days until the distillery's popular happy hour on Friday...

Modern Island Living

After an eight and a half hour flight from London to Nassau, and a further 20 minute flight (in what at first glance appeared to be a toy plane) to Eleuthera, I am now finally settled in my home for the next week.

Located just a short drive away from Governor's Harbour Airport, Sky Beach Club is a small resort made up of villas and cottages facing the Atlantic.

Carved out of a steep hillside, the villas, complete with private pool and jacuzzi, shine a modern light on the term "Island Living".

Upon entering the villa, the scale of the open plan layout is impressive.

My eyes are instantly drawn up to the huge ceilings and large hanging chandeliers, then to the wall of windows and doors overlooking the ocean. Meanwhile, the sunlight streaming in through the windows have a bit of a dazzling effect on the iridescent mosaic tiles in the kitchen.

Steps lead down to the sunken living area, where the seating is custom built to fit the angular shape of the space. There's ample room to sprawl after a long day in the sun, and a plethora of jewel-toned pillows for comfort.

The bright tropical prints and wicker furniture typical of an island resort are nowhere to be found. Instead, this modern island style consists of a more pared down, sleek aesthetic. In this case, less is certainly more.

P.S. You can follow me on instagram for more photos. Username - designgratis

Old School

I recently had the pleasure of spending the day at Twelve Studio, an interior and graphic design company located in the heart of Clerkenwell.

Housed in a former school house, the design studio is quite literally "old school", and as cool as they come.

Upon entering the offices and passing through a small foyer, you arrive in a large hall, which in it's position (central and surrounded by glass enclosed studio space and meeting rooms), feels very much like the spine of the space.

The rectangular room is furnished simply, yet stylishly, allowing for one to take in the skylights, and vaulted ceilings above. Meanwhile, wooden beams, original brick walls, and glossy herringbone wood floors supply warmth to the stunning space.

Drinking in the great bones and architectural features of the building, I started to think about alternative uses for old schools. I began to envision living in a similar space, and after just a few minutes of internet sluething, I soon realised I wasn't the first to have this thought.

Article via OneKindDesign

Article via OneKindDesign

Article via Brownstoner

Article via Brownstoner

Property Details via Foxtons

Property Details via Foxtons

Property Details via Foxtons

Fifth Avenue School Lofts via Pittsburgh Magazine

Fifth Avenue School Lofts via Pittsburgh Magazine

Would you feel comfortable calling an old school home? I couldn't think of anything better.

Patiently Awaiting Spring

While the rest of the world basks in the spring sunshine and awaits summer, here in London we've remained in winter, feet firmly planted in the increasingly ridiculous snowfall.

So imagine my surprise when I awoke yesterday morning to brilliant sunshine, and a relatively balmy (by comparison) 6°C. Though I would like to think this (and today's even warmer temperature) is an indication that we're rounding the corner and spring is well on the way, I recognise my theory may be flawed.

Still, I remain hopeful, and with that hope I have spent the better part of the weekend trawling the internet, gazing longingly at lush outdoor spaces and daydreaming of long, sangria sodden afternoons.

via Apartment Therapy

via Emily Henderson

via Emily Henderson

via Habitually Chic

via Decoration for Life

via Apartment Therapy

via Desire to Inspire

The fact that most of these outdoor living spaces are larger than my entire flat got me thinking about big style in a tiny space.

via Sortrature

via Sortrature

via Sortrature

And these miniature versions inspired me to have a fiddle around in Sketch Up, where I created my own outdoor living space, based on the tiny balconies that are fast becoming standard in London new build properties.

Pillow Cover, Etsy $28. Alsed Footstools, Ikea £20 each. Decking, Ikea £17.50 per pack (of 9). Wood Serving Tray, Target $19.99. Carved Wood Mirror, Zara Home £39.99. Folding Wood Chair, Ikea £39
 
An outdoor oasis in a tiny space - it can be done!

Spice Up Your Life

When I came across this image the other day, the intense and unexpected colour palette instantly reminded me of my trip to Istanbul and visit to the Spice Bazaar last summer. I could almost feel the chaotic atmosphere and heat pulsating through the market as I flicked through my photo album from that day to confirm the resemblance.

Motivated by the image and Spice Bazaar, I have rounded up my favourite spaces with similar colour schemes.

via Apartment Therapy

via BrightNest

Source: desiretoinspire.net via Lauri on Pinterest

Source: g.virbcdn.com via Heather on Pinterest

via dg

via Style at Home

via Design Manifest

Much like a certain pop girl band of the past, these colours work well together as a unit, despite being individually very strong and full of personality.

To further emphasise my thinly veiled attempt to reference the Spice Girls, this colour scheme can go very wrong, very quickly, should one colour start to over power the others (I'm looking at you Geri). To prevent this from happening, there is a certain balance that must be struck - most easily and commonly in the form of a neutral background.

Here's what I would do:

Eber rug, Woven Ground £220. Armchair, Room & Board £460. Tripod floor lamp, West Elm £165. Leather sofa, Habitat £1,900. Brass swing arm wall light, Lights World £56.99 each. Natural wood side table , Habitat £180. Noguchi replica coffee table, Milan Direct £149. Knit pouf, Habitat £100.