The Peculiar Art of Over Complicating Things

He was so good at imagining overly complicated and outlandish contraptions that his name became part of the English dictionary in the early 20th century to describe anything with an unnecessarily elaborate design. “That’s a real Heath-Robinson!” one could say to describe an apparatus that performed very simple tasks in an eccentric but rather inefficient…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. CCCLI)

1. Post Modern cakes by a Fashion designer turned Baker Discover the delicious world of Ard Bakery found via Present & Correct. 2. This Home built around a Boulder Desert Modernist AlbertFreyintentionally designed Frey House II around a large boulder to honor + incorporate the natural environment. The house is open for series of tours…

Paris is Removing its Iconic Kiosks. So What Will Become of Them?

I woke up one morning in Paris, headed to the boulangerie, when I noticed a strange new structure had been installed on the sidewalk overnight. It took me a moment to figure out what it was. One of those self-cleaning public toilets? A construction crew’s cabin for yet another roadwork about to begin? And then…

Who wants to take over 13 Greenhouses? Café, Historic Nursery & Cottage included

I can picture myself now: waking up with the birds, throwing on a pair of wellies and zipping up my fleece as I walk out to a little hamlet of 13 Victorian greenhouses. The lines of the glass catch the morning sunlight just so, as dawn breaks through the trees. Clutching a watering can, I…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. CCCL)

1. Anyone like this idea of Notre Dame’s roof as a greenhouse? As you might have heard, France announced an international competition to be held to find a replacement for the Notre Dame spire destroyed in the cathedral fire. Some of the designs making the rounds on the internet so far have been er, interesting,…

The Lost Floating Pools of Paris

Once upon a time, the banks of the river Seine were lined with giant floating swimming pools. In the 19th century, one could take swimming lessons next to the Pont Neuf and in the 1970s, sunbathe topless on the upper deck of the Piscine Deligny, which was moored in the 7th arrondissement right in front…

Don’t be a Tourist in Portugal Mini Guide

So you’re thinking about a trip to Portugal. When travelling in Europe, Portugal tends to be an afterthought for Mediterranean sun seekers, whose first instincts are to look at France, Italy, Greece or Spain. Portugal once owned half of the new world and it’s the oldest country in Europe – four centuries older than Rome…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. CCCXLIX)

1. That 1970s Vegas Underground Bunker Home is for sale again This time it’s listed for $18 million. Before the house became internet famous, our original article on the property from 2013 reveals that it first went on sale for just $1.7 million. 2. Parisian woman with her cat in her cannabis garden, 1910. ⁣…

Did the Rooftop Bees of Notre Dame Survive?

It took me several days to think of the bees. After the smoke had cleared and the heartbreak settled in, I remembered: they kept beehives up there. So you might be wondering too: were the honeybees spared from the fire that ravaged Notre Dame and left the world in disbelief on that black Monday evening…

The Vault

10 New York Collector’s Addresses

To celebrate MessyNessyChic’s next book finally heading off to the printers, I thought we’d switch this week’s “Collector’s item du Jour” series with a special sneak peek at Don’t be a Tourist in New York. So I’ve combed through the manuscript and plucked out my favourite collector’s addresses … for your Keyholder eyes only! 1.…

Pssst! You've stumbled across content that is exclusive to Nessy's Keyholders.

There’s a new way to access the really special stuff from Messy Nessy Chic …

Hidden beneath the surface layers of the internet, there’s a place where we keep our most secret addresses, untapped archives, creator’s inspiration, collector’s guides, explorer’s manuals, obscure research and much more… And it’s made for our keyholders only!

Apply now to unlock the Vault

Keyholder Login