once we’re able to travel to europe again i’m definitely headed back to france to shop for super marché. and when we find downtime, high on my list of places to visit is the incredibly brilliant brainchild of sisters and entrepreneurs amélie and mélanie huynh — Château Malromé the former aristocratic family home and summer retreat of renowned french artist Toulouse Lautrec in Saint-Andre-Du-Bois, france, just outside of Bordeaux. the sisters have quite cleverly restored and yet reinvented the Château Malromé while still conserving its unique heritage into a wellness retreat with yoga stays, and art tours all surrounded by beautiful 500-year-old vineyards and winery, and a very personal and specialized dining experience with a master french chef. we’re going to pack light in mix and match layers for our visit to this dreamy Château, with some classic white slim-cut pants (so french!), a chic lace shirt and pretty pale pink blouse for daytime activities, and add a flowy white dress and strappy sandals for dinner. don’t forget a yoga ensemble and chic sunnies. since we’re in wellness mode i suggest listening to optimal living daily in your downtime — a podcast that narrates to you the best content on minimalism, personal development, and life optimization and recommended as one of the Best Motivational Podcasts by Oprah Daily and as one of the best podcasts to help you live your best life by Good Housekeeping. bon voyage!

wear this there: emerson fry FRANCES BLOUSE in SHELL PINK; Nili Lotan Harmonia shirt; uniqlo skinny black belt; nili lotan tel aviv pant; Converse Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers; anthropologie Raffia Fringe Tote Bag; Le Specs Air Heart Sunglasses; athleta Purana Wrap Sweatshirt; listen to optimal living daily podcast; cuyana Leather Airpod Case; athleta Recharge Yoga Bra; athleta Salutation Stash Pocket II yoga Capri pants; cuyana Triple Zipper Overnight; emerson fry meadow dress; Matisse Lace-Up Gladiator Sandals.

• photography via Château Malromé and inside closet.

i think sometimes when people think of ‘surf style’ they might envision tropical prints and too many palm trees. but i like a more understated and unexpected surf style with natural earth tones, an eclectic mix of vintage modern and new furniture, and just hints of vintage bamboo (like the pieces i carry in super marché from holiday homes in france), great ceramic collections, shell motifs, and lots of unique and layered textures. it’s a laid-back, beachy style i like to emulate around my own beach cottage here in laguna, and believe me, there’s not a hula doll or tiki bar in sight.

clockwise, from l to r: large basket via @_marinadenisova_; surfboards by @ashelizadavis; bamboo lounge chairs billie blanket; Resin Clam Shell from pineapple traders; Desert Night linocut artwork by Dennis Revitzky from annex galleries; bikini shadows via semper femina; Lorna Murray hats via milk magazine; vintage stoneware vase from super marché; resort bedroom by @piariverola; white bedroom via design*sponge; 96 Molecules Table Lamp from aqua gallery; palms by @kimficaro; vintage bamboo loveseat from super marché; Lorna Murray hats via milk magazine.

clockwise, from l to r: bamboo lamp via remodelista; striped throw via apt f; serena mitnik miller’s home via domino; santorini via @brechenmacher_baumann; nautical accessories via homes to love; worn store’s Cane Lounger via @jacqui_turk; sea fan via the @worn.store; surfboards by @kawa_heart_studio; branches by @kippkoppdesign; shell bowl from sunday shop; LisaGolightlyart hold fast art print; seth & kendra smoot’s home via jenni kayne.

• all other photography credits in order of appearance: @themarketbeautiful dining space; shelving via @semikahtextiles; leanne ford’s cabin via sfgirlbybay; @kimficaro mobile; jeremiah brent’s diy shell mirror via domino; seth & kendra smoot’s home via jenni kayne; luis Barragán house via @_marinadenisova_; serena mitnik miller’s bedroom via domino; seth & kendra smoot’s home via jenni kayne; leis by @kimficaro.

when it comes to styling or rather the ‘unstyled, but styled look’ (stay with me here) i’m gonna give big props to designers that make it just look effortless  — which is really the desired effect when designing a home that’s uniquely you. the organized but cohesive chaos, but not too over-thought look is always my idea of great style. the french do it impeccably too — that effortless chic i really envy and try to emulate. and as i try to dissect what it is about these looks that i love the most i think it’s just the idea that these homeowners have gathered belongings and collections that actually mean something or have a real sentimental value to them. it’s hard to define because sometimes less is more, and other times cluttered overkill looks amazing — like in many of these looks. balance is key, but keeping true to your heart is always the best start. if you decorate with collections you love you can’t help but make it perfectly ‘unstyled’ but uniquely you.

clockwise, from l to r: @brit_gill; house of c; freunde von freunden; grupo arca; @ohsiesta; liberty infinity; @herz.und.blut; toast uk; remodelista; @brit_gill.

• all other photography credits in order of appearance: mad about the house; leanne ford interiors; leanne ford interiors; ayesha patel ceramics; apartment therapy; lotta agaton; my paradissi; @lenacorwin; @tintaluhrman; in bed store ; from moon to moon; frenchy fancy; the socialite family; @aliciamlund.

i keep seeing this beautiful west village apartment pop up on the internet and had to explore and investigate further. i’ve come to discover it’s the brainchild of interior designer and dealer Olivier Garcé along with his partner, Clio Dimofski, director of interior design at Pierre Yovanovitch, in collaboration with furniture designer Ian Felton — who feeling creatively stifled during covid quarantine, came up with the quite genius idea of transforming their beautiful new york brownstone apartment into a conceptual design ‘showroom’. so with the help of designer and artisan friends and gallerists, and along with the photographer Sean Davidson who took these lovely photographs, they’ve turned their apartment into a showcase for great design. together they present Ian’s new collection in a living environment along with other original artworks, unique ceramics, homewares, and very covetable collectibles. for more, follow Olivier Garcé on instagram for updates and new additions to this very enviable collection.

• photography by Sean Davidson.

i’ve really gone for the bold and the beautiful for this week’s friday finds and why not? it’s spring of course, so why not go a little nuts and add a few bits of color around the house? even if you’re just adding some pretty cut poppies to your table or those inexpensive trader joe’s daffodils, bringing in a bit of color really can lift your mood. have a wonderfully colorful weekend, everyone.

xo, victoria

1. honestly, i could probably never be quite this brave, but i can still utterly admire this bold, modern look from @piotrparadowskistudio. it’s a chic apartment of a young creative couple in Warsaw-Powiśle with an eclectic and very cool mix of designer pieces from the ‘60s and ’70s. so groovy!
2. sometimes all you need is a colorful bowl of vintage matchbooks to brighten up a coffee table or credenza. they just don’t make these old matchbooks the way they used to but whenever i see some in my travels i always grab a couple to add to my collection. i find some old matchbooks on etsy or the flea markets from time to time, too.
3. i love the idea of this floating glass display case from @femte.til.venstre and the way she’s painted the inside cabinet to add a touch of color really makes her collections stand out proudly. i think you could find an old cabinet like this on etsy or your local flea market or salvage yards and make a fun diy project out of it.
4. remodelista shared this beautiful new Showroom Concept in new york’s West Village. it began as a ‘pandemic lockdown project’ started by French-born, NYC-based architect Olivier Garcé, an apartment-as-gallery collaboration with furniture designer Ian Felton. so very fabulous. and he’s just bought an apartment in lisbon with the same genius idea in mind. more to come on that!
5. sometimes all you need to take your bathroom style to the next level is to hang a pretty bathrobe, such as this one at marston house’s winter home in Provence featured on the maryn (a wonderful blog if you’ve never seen it). i love that feminine and pretty bit of pastel color. for the full home tour pop on over to their site.
6. another idea for adding unique style and a pop of color is a collection of vintage pottery. i have quite the collection and it keeps on growing! you can never have too many unique handmade pieces of pottery in my humble opinion. i love the collections from sunday shop, one of my favorite homeware stores in new orleans and have ordered quite a few pieces from them since they ship — hurrah!
7. here’s a beautiful example of adding some bold color this time by simply upholstering a cushion for a vintage mid-century danish modern ercol-style sofa and chair. it’s such a bright and cheerful look created just by adding a few new fabrics — simple and yet so effective.
8. how do you go about modernizing a 250-year-old villa? you might add an incredible tufted orange sofa to start! this is casa mina — a new design project from @quintana.partners — to see more of it click and swipe left.