….must be the jester stocking! Adoringly whimsy and cute. I always enjoy a touch of circus in home decor, it makes me smile. Pics via photographer Nato Welton.

Every now and then I stumble across the nicest wall art @Etsy. Our poster wall is made up of prints I found there last winter. One new-find is Amber Alexander’s shop, she makes the most adorable whimsy animal prints! And has the forest and garden animals ever been as trendy…? In Amber’s collection there are some real goodies.

Like these sweethearts. Top left with the high neckline is Mae and right the Victoria, Tea Time, print. Oh Deer, she says she likes alfalfa petit four, a nifty taste she has. Many of the prints are just cute, but some are great fun too. Like these below, which I’d give an antique golden frame. The cat who has had A Hard Day and the lovely coloured Byron print. Byron likes to read Shakespeare while sipping black tea heavily sweetened with honey. I knew it!;)

The prints vary in sizes but most are approx. 20×28 cm. I had to order myself a print or two immediately now that I found them; a rabbit and a fox lady. Will get back to where I placed them once they’ve arrived from Vermont :)

…is what Ben Brougham calles his style. With the reservation ”I’m still not sure if that exactly defines it”. Whatever the definition – it surely is difficult to label personal style – this is an interesting style! As featured in the superb e-magazine Lonny. Seeing that Mr Brougham also contributed with some interesting comments and advice we pick up this track with some hightlights.

The wall in this room is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Surf Blue. This strong teal colour could have been overwhelming, but the collection of pictures and heirlooms break up the colour and prevents that. A very clever – and inspirational – move is that he left the opposite wall white and hanged some mid-century vintage mirrors (collected from car-boot sales) on it. This makes the mirrors pick up the teal and the collection from the wall opposite.

As for collections, Ben’s advice is to only collect things you love. Base a collection on a common theme – this can be anything from colour to material to subject matter. Play with scale; group objects of varying size and scale. His choice collections includes e.g. portraiture: old pictures of people, old family objects, and he also has a passion for vintage photographs of sailors.

Full story of An Eclectic Collection can be read here, at Lonny mag. To close this, let’s hear Ben Brougham’s advice on mixing patterns: be brave. People worry about things matching too much, but design never advances if it’s not pushed. This is entirely consistent with my decor philosophy. Don’t worry, push it if you are a push-it-person, and always surround yourself with things you love and feel at home and happy with. And of course this last inspirational advice:

La Maison – a feminine bohemian little house. By RobinsEggBlue on Etsy.

Birdhouses – as well as parrots and birds – add a touch of whimsy to the interior. Especially when they are boho charming like this one!