Category: 2016
Finishing Touches x
Boo hoo. We were meant to be having the crittall glass for the hall fitted today….but these things never happen when they’re meant to. It’s delayed now till the end of the week. Sigh. So instead of proper pics I’ve just got the inspiration pictures to drool over.
I hope mine will look half as good..
Laters, Kate x
I spy..
We’re due an artic blast this weekend.
(All pictures and details Pinterest)
But it doesn’t stop me thinking of the perfect summer dress. Or two.
Laters, Kate x
Stairway to Heaven x
The first stair carpet for the main stairs arrived yesterday..excitement! It’s an unusual combination of earthy colours with contrasts of pure neon…definitely a risk that’s paid off..can’t wait for the other one to arrive now..Will they work together? Only time will tell..
I’ve almost finished painting the hall – ran out of paint at the very top. Typical. But it’s had it’s own little transformation, including adding a newel post and new banister to make the stairs feel more integrated and trick the eye into thinking the wall on the kitchen side was always there (we nicked the corridor space to give as much width as possible – every inch counts in London)
The new radiator cover is still painted with the builder’s grey undercoat..except I rather love it. I like the contrast rather than everything matching. So last weekend it was dragged to B&Q to be colour matched..they thought I was bonkers as it was hauled onto the paint counter to go under their machine. But sometimes needs must. If there’s any give in the already blown budget, a fitted mirror will go in the alcove..and stained glass in the front door. A girl can dream.
Of course, the biggest change to the hall will be when the glass crittall doors arrive on Monday..
Laters, Kate x
Candy Store x
Kilims on my mind..
You can’t beat a good rug. (Except of course you can..)
They work with anything, anywhere, quietly bringing soul and drama to a room.
Traditional or modern. It doesn’t matter.
I’ve been trying to source some as runners for our main stairs and cellar stairs. It hasn’t been easy: No runner is long enough and narrow enough to fit a complete flight, so it’s about finding combinations that work together, fit together in size….and still make the heart sing.
The pair for the cellar have just arrived, prompting a nostalgic glance back at the cellar stair’s upwards progression…from this..
To this.
The kilims still need to be fitted properly…but I think that’s best done once the floor is down (May 3) and possibly after all the furniture is down.
But it’s progress….and I love it.
Laters, Kate x
Trans-seasoning..
We’re experiencing fluctuating weather again: Five days of t-shirts and shoes with no socks, followed by scarves, coats and snow in the north. It’s eclectic if nothing else. But there’s been enough blue to herald the slowly arriving summer and firmly entrench the season as ….transitional…which if one was truly honest probably covers most of the year and highlights the fact the transitional clothes are the workhorses of a wardrobe that pull together outfits come rain or shine.
Take the humble T: a vest in winter, a garment in the summer and a layer every other time – it seriously earns it’s place for a large dollop of love. Shame all of mine are in such a sorry state. But where to find the best?
I like that elusive fit – a low slung neckline with a bit of slub in the body – which has in previous years been notoriously hard to find. But not now – in fact there’s a rich crop of potentials just waiting to be scooped up. I checked out the Outnet – quality names without the same wallet squeeze – and was pleasantly surprised by the amount on offer, from this classic grey by AG Jeans..
To Splendid..(and they are)..
And more like this edible one by T by Alexander Wang..
And Majestic..
And Helmut Lang.
I’ll have them all in grey,white and black please..
Laters, Kate x
Floored x
There was no dispute over which flooring to choose for the new cellar: It’s sisal all the way.
It’s not only such a natural look with an ancient, timeless quality….
(It’s a floor covering that’s been used for centuries)
But it’s also that smell – the flooring equivalent of cedar wood – which feels so grounding and calming. Nostalgic almost.
I have The Husband off for a much needed days holiday today…so the lucky man is coming with me to browse samples and help make a final decision.
(If he chooses right we might just squeeze in a naughty lunch somewhere. Promises, promises..)
Laters, Kate x
Judith Scott x
This wasn’t the post I was going to write today, but I was looking through my Pinterest feed and these works of art caught my eye. There was something primal, something tangible that reached out.
Subtle yet charismatic. Sourced from the urge to create.
All made by one woman: Judith Scott.
And then I discovered her story.
Judith Scott and her twin sister Joyce were born on May 1 1943 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Aged seven, because of her Downs Syndrome and profound deafness the decision was taken to send her to an asylum where she spent the next 35 years.
Then her sister Joyce then became her guardian, moved her to a care home near to her and enrolled her in the Creative Growth Art Centre in Oakland.
For two years she did nothing. And then she started winding thread.
And found the voice she’d never used.
(All pictures from Judith and Joyce Scott website (well worth looking at) and Pinterest)
Judith Scott died in 2005 at the age of 61 in the arms of her sister, but she remains a testament to the power of art, the strength of human nature and an epiphany to how disability can be a footnote.
Laters, Kate x
Mac and Tosh..
Parodying the great words of Truman Capote and Holly Golightly.. would you reach in the drawer there and hand me my purse as no girl should write this without lipstick…
And no girl should be out in London in the changeable month of April without a Macintosh (and preferably a vintage Burberry one)
In this fast spinning world of trends it remains the epitome of a timeless stalwart.
I so need one in my wardrobe – a need and a want. I think I spotted a rack of them (possibly not Burberry’s but who knows..) in Camden Lock when I went with the kids…but there was no time to forage..
Sigh. I’m thinking of the future and speaking of the past..which possibly defines the word ‘Classic’. Get me back to Camden..
Laters, Kate x
Some dreams are made of this..
The temperature is rising, the bluebells are out! And like the instinct of an awakening hibernating beast, the brain is coming alive with illicit thoughts of cloudless skies and barmy evenings and how best to harness those precious summer months.
More and more I’m dreaming of hammocks and swing beds.
That primitive allure of quiet self-indulgence: Peace, tranquility, old soft cotton and a damn fine book.
If our garden was huuuuge I’d go for one of these…beds on top..potential den beneath…broken bones a given…but just think of the fun!
This is probably more realistic – and I like the pagoda style..a bit more secretive and tucked away. Maybe with a curtain to block out nosey neighbours…and with a back support – I hate reading completely flat. It would eat the space…but in a rather wonderful way. The truth is we have an urban life: Our garden will never be a football pitch…so why pretend?
Laters Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 