Delicious Tropical Recipes to Try

As a follow on from the South Pacific breakfast recipes I gave you all last month, here are some delicious lunch (or dinner) recipes, from my absolute favourite cook book - Savour the Pacific.

Enjoy my coastal island friends.


Grilled Chicken Salad with Avocado, Bacon and Bananas

Roast Pork with Ginger Honey Glaze

Lemongrass and Chilli Risotto (this is the most refreshing summer style risotto ever)

Happy Yummy Island Styling.



Cool Coastal Finds

As a professional interior designer, I'm often asked, 'where did you get that amazing piece?'.

So, I'm going to open up my address book and give you some exclusives as to where I source the amazing decorating items, you usually only see in magazines.

 

One of my latest finds was this simple yet elegant decorative hourglass. It's from a company called Amalfi and I bought it through an Australian retail store called Earthborn. 

I was lucky enough to get it on sale (double bargain). Earthborn has some cool coastal decorative accessories - worth a look. For my international friends, their website is coming soon, so you won't miss out.

In the same image is an old 1930's book (I love the front cover) picked up from the Salvos (op shop) and a lovely large starfish I picked up in Paradise Point, Gold Coast. I think together they make for a cheerful vintage style coastal vignette, sat in my ever changing cubed book case installations.

I hope these articles will help to inspire you all and give you the secret sources and ideas to re-create the looks stylists put together.

Happy Coastal Island Styling.

The King of Hospitality

The Pineapple has long been the Caribbean symbol of hospitality, and I think its a glorious addition to any home.

Christopher Columbus first found pineapples in the Caribbean and brought them back to Spain, they were also used by sailors to fight off scurvy.

Pineapples at that time were rare & expensive in Europe and America and often adorned extravagant parties as a symbol of wealth and status.

The English were the ones to actually name the pineapple because it looked similar to a pine cone, and Hawaii is now the largest producer of pineapples.

A pineapple takes 18 months to grow and belongs to the Bromeliad family.

So now you know a little more about the magnificent pineapple, but do you know that it makes an amazing interior decoration?

The pineapple has long been used as a favorite architectural and decorative motif, sculpted on buildings, painted on furniture, woven in textiles, even adorning the top of the men's Wimbledon trophy.

And still its longevity endures.

India Hicks uses pineapples in her decorating

to instantly give that island feel.

Pineapple fabric

by Tommy Bahama

Love this wallpaper!

from Pinterest

Pineapple canister

from Island Collections

More use of the pineapple by India Hicks

How cute is this clutch?

from Kate Spade

Small pineapples as table decoration

from Pinterest

Pineapple napkin rings

from My Island Home



Crystal paperweight/candle holder

from My Island Home

India Hicks dining room table setting

complete with a showcased pineapple

Pineapple lamp

from My Island Home





Now here's a pair of shoes

from Pinterest

Pineapple candle Holders

from Pink Pearls

what an amazing dress!

from Pinterest

Pineapple cushion

from Outer Banks Trading Co.

Happy Island Styling.











Island Cocktail Hour

recipes Tommy Bahama

Cheers to Island Styling.

Flip Flop Friday

Flip flop Friday is all about getting ready for the weekend.

So Oceania Island Living will bring you an inspirational image each Friday, just to get you into the island spirit.

Happy Island Styling.



New look Oceania Island Living

Well the new Oceania Island Living logo is ready to be unveiled, together with a fresh new blog format, how exciting.

Hope you all like it, after many designs, the palm leaf won

because it instantly sums up breezy coastal island style.

You'll see it more from now on as the official identity of Oceania Island Living.

I will also be creating a link button soon, so there will be plenty of opportunity to add my button to your sites, so we can link up the blog friendships and team our sites together.

Happy Coastal Island Styling.

Zoe x

Coastal Vignettes

I love this shot from Alfresco Emporium in Sydney.

It shows 3 of the best coastal styles in vignettes - Tropical,

Hampton's and Coastal with all those lovely blues.

Each one sums up beautifully the essence of each style, perfect little reference point.

Happy Island Styling.

Create Your Own Paradise - Coastal Island Correspondence

There's such romance in the art of the written correspondence that's lost in today's e-mails, texts etc.

So it's nice to indulge from time to time with beautiful and inspiring stationary. This allows creativity to flow through even the most humble of items and a re-think on upcycling in our conscious consumerism times.

Take the humble old toast rack. A historical reference of times long ago when families sat down to breakfast before the day got started.

I picked up this delight in an op shop a year ago.

An old toast rack with cool vintage style.

It makes the most marvelous and stylish letter rack ever.

I love it.

My letter writing tray, beautiful vintage island style.

I hope you're inspired.

Happy Island Styling.





Create Your Own Paradise - Coastal Scented Treasures

The humble and historical potpourri gets a modern makeover, coastal style of course.

Easy to make and beautiful to display.

First select your decorative container, I selected a wood box.

Next select your ingredients, here I used natural coastal items

such as shells, driftwood, small rocks etc.

Place ingredients into the box and spray your

favourite scent over the items.

The end result is a beautiful box full of collected

coastal treasures that smell gorgeous.

Happy Island Styling.

Homage to Aqua

Anybody who knows me well, knows that I love, love, love the colour aqua. So attracted to it, when spotted it literally stops me in my tracks.

This water colour runs through my life in all facets and I just can't seem to get enough of it. I have a home full of aqua accessories, clothes, stationary and even cooking utensils. Even my engagement ring has the most wonderful aqua opal in it that reminds me, everyday, of the gorgeously amazing aqua lagoons of coral seas that surround tropical islands - what a lucky girl.

So I've created my own homage to the lovely Aqua in these stunningly beautiful images, ahhhhhhhh just lovely - enjoy my coastal island lovelies I'm sure you share this passion too.

These girls have to be the most adorable aqua cuties ever.



I love this dress. The copper bronze colour looks

amazing against the deep aqua colours.

What a verandah. Book me in.

So pretty. Would love to have this piece of natural art any day.



Wise words.

Comfortable aqua, how relaxing.

So inviting.

Cool aqua sea tumbled glass.

The perfect travel journal.

What a refreshing bedroom.

How cool is this image? A perfect circle of life.

Summer aqua parasol.

Aqua coral sea in the Maldives.



Another cool verandah, love the breeziness of this-

very evocative of a peaceful summers afternoon.

Happy Aqua Island Styling!

Stylish Colonial Interiors

There's something very romantic about the colonial look. It's light and summery and with its dark contrasted furniture set against crisp white offers a cool elegant style.

Add some palm leaves and beautiful prints and you have a beautiful timeless island interior.

Classic colonial interior

A modern translation of colonial.

This reminds me of scenes from Out of Africa.

Harbour Island Hotel

The classic colonial chair, made for relaxing

Although this is a modern interior, the elements

are very much influenced by the colonial look.



Part of the colonial look is to incorporate world

travel collectables.

A colonial desk, perfect for stylish correspondence.

Happy Island Styling