Oceania Island Living: Create your own paradise - Its a wrap

Oceania Island Living: Create your own paradise - Its a wrap

Create your own paradise - Its a wrap

I'm making a conscientious decision to try and purchase items out of sustainable natural materials this year. So out with the plastics and hello bamboo, rattan, coconut etc.

And that got me thinking. Why not use natural materials to wrap presents. We wrap food in bark and banana leaves, so why not gifts?

image Martha Stewart

You can incorporate flowers, spinifex, a variety of leaves in various colours, shells, feathers etc. Wrap in twine, or secure with toothpicks. It's really easy, and makes a unique and lovely statement.

I even love the idea of using long tropical leaves to wrap bottles up in or even using ghost leaves (available in craft stores) to add an ethereal element or look at coconut and mother of pearl buttons to embellish.

A little imagination and a lot of fun creates something truly unique with natures beautiful bounty.

Happy island styling!

Sucker for a good strap line

In my previous career I was the high flying advertising exec. working in London for one of the most famous and infamous advertising agencies in the world. So it comes as no surprise how even now I'm still a sucker for a great strap line!

Watch out for my strap line of the month. You'll see it posted under the Oceania Island Living headline. This month's is courtesy of Corona lager. Their advertising screams Summer, and I've always considered the beer to be synonymous with golden summer sunshine - and it certainly hits the spot on a hot, hot day!

From where you'd rather be, is a wonderful spin on wish you where here. Genius! And who wouldn't want to be. Well I think it was just made for Oceania Island Living. I know this is where I'd rather be, and I'm sure you too.


Happy Island Styling!

Create your own paradise - Coastal Coaster

I'm starting a new and regular feature called 'Create your own paradise'.

This is where we inspire you to get all crafty and make your very own creations, serious fun, serious decorating and most importantly serious celebrating of all things coastal and tropical in an island styling way.

Today, its the humble coaster that gets a make over.

Take a few unglazed stone tiles and brush them well with Mod Podge. Take a paper napkin or other desired image (I'm loving maps at the moment) and cut fit tiles. If using a napkin peel off the two backing layers of the napkin and apply the design to the surface of the tile. Leave them overnight to dry then sand the edges with a foam sanding pad before varnishing. Stick on some clear bumps underneath to protect your tables.

So simple, so chic.

Image and instructions from Tara Dennis.


Happy island styling!

Crazy & Beautiful Too

On board interiors get a serious Kelly Hoppen styling with the Crazy Too yacht. Just gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Kelly is the master of the neutral palette and luxury finish with amazing clean lines and perfect sense of symmetry.

Crazy Too



 Are those 'Z' cushions? If so, I want one!

all images charterworld.com

Happy Island Styling!

Happy Valentines Day

I was recently surprised to learn that Valentines Day is actually named after St. Valentine, a man who secretly married young lovers in a time when it was forbidden. What a nice chap.

In honour of this man and not the Hallmark cards event, I salute you with my island take on the mighty heart.

image Seahorse

I bought one of these at Christmas - just gorgeous

image Buy the sea



image bombus

Love this idea!

image Lavender Room

image Devon Driftwood Designs

Happy Valentines Day to all my Tropical Island Coastal Lovers

Happy Island Styling!

Perfect Feature Fabric

I think I've found my perfect feature fabric, Warwick Fabrics Vishna. Trouble is I'm torn between the sky blue and mocha colourways, but I'm sure I'll find the perfect pieces to dress up in this great design - in both colours of course!

image Warwick Fabrics

Happy Island Styling!

Armani Rules the Waves

Giorgio Armani is for me, the master in understated yet exquisite design.

His new yacht was recently featured in Harper's Bizarre and what a yacht. Only Armani could get away with such paired back extravagance - awesome.

I love the use of contrast colours, the attention to detail it feels like the perfect Armani suit.

'Main' the latest Armani yacht





All images from Harper's Bizarre

Happy Island Styling!

Encyclopedia of Tropical

I ordered this book last November on the Internet and it finally arrived last week. Only 3 months late but well worth the wait.

This is the THE ultimate tropical reference book to swoon over. It's a door stop of a book, beautifully shot, researched and edited.

It will beat away those winter blues for those across the Atlantic right now, and for us Oceanianians (if that's a word?) bring on all that lovely aqua blue that's so, so summer.


Happy Island styling!

Coco Loco

Coconut water rocks. I first tasted it in Trinidad in the Caribbean from a freshly cut green coconut from a small street vendor - delicious, like nothing I had tasted before. In Trinidad they mix it with a little local rum - extra delicious.

Now, Nudie have cottoned on and are selling this awesome drop in Oz.

Coconut Water (not to be mistaken with coconut milk) is the liquid portion extracted from inside young green, immature coconuts. The coconut water is extracted at approximately 7 months, prior to the coconut meat growing.

The water is naturally filtered through the dense fibers of the coconut and is a fantastic hydrator, great for summer days.

Nudie also has 33 reasons why you should drink Coconut water.

Do you need 33 reasons?

Well, if you're after a tropical escape from it all, its a holiday in a bottle!

Happy Island Styling