Mixed 'hard-soft' colloidal systems have been generated in which the 'hard' components (80 rim diameter silica nanoparticles) coexist with a population of 'soft' microemulsion droplets, both structures stabilised by the anionic surfactant sodium bis(ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) with toluene as solvent. The addition of water to swell the inverse micelles to form microemulsion droplets appears to increase attractive interactions between the silica particles (determined by DLS), possibly due to adsorption of some water at the silica-toluene interface; however, long-term stability of the dispersions is maintained. Small-angle neutron scattering was used to examine the structures present in these new colloidal systems. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.