Category: accessories
Wish list x
Take a moment and think textured, green, seventies glass.
(All pics Pinterest)
A Joy, no?
Laters, Kate x
Trayed x
If less is more than the more has to speak volumes. Which doesn’t apply to our current tea tray. It’s the only one we have – round, crudely painted with white undercoat that literally laughs at me with it’s many stains and unclassable imperfections, too gritty to even rank as boho.
It was bought from Ikea many years ago as a DIY project. But I think I’ve always known that there were better painted trays available than I could ever produce.
(All pics Pinterest)
And so it has languished, used but unloved. The butterfly moment is never going to happen. Time to love a replacement and move on..
Laters, Kate x
Hot seat x
If there was a design choice Dessert Island discs the Frank Guhl concrete chair would make the cut. Or if all else failed, a concrete homage..
Which is odd because concrete doesn’t look the most comfortable to sit on. And yet..
There’s a fragility, like the edge of an exotic shell, combined with a brutal, no nonsense strength.
It’s a sculptural piece of practical art.
(All pics Pinterest)
And I’ve decided, if all else fails and they really are all fur and no knickers, there’s always the joy of finding the perfect cushion…
Laters, Kate x
Project concrete x
There was a project this half term – to make fairy light stands for the garden, just like these ones.
The aim was to have pure concrete at the bottom rather than a container of any sort. I found these 7 litre tubs in the pound shop and hoped the flex on the sides would mean the hardened concrete would pull out easily. The easiest way to mix the concrete was separately, in each tub. Tip of the day: mix it in layers rather than all at once – put a bit in, add water, mix…add a bit more, otherwise it hard work..and there’s always a bit you’ve missed..otherwise, I didn’t know how easy concrete playing was. Like play doh for grown ups..
The concrete was nothing posh. Bog standard from DIY store.
I had six foot metal poles from homebase (£4.75 each) to go in the middle, held in place with duct tape till they were hardened.
It was surprisingly easy to pull the finished bases out. Ta-dah!
I bought s-hooks from Amazon. The shape of this particular hook was appealing with it’s straight side to fit in the pole and the curvy end to hold the lights.
In position..pic taken today as the rain streams down…the hooks are held in position with window putty. Simple.
The final thing will be to paint them all black – when the weather improves. And then photograph them with their lights. Maybe then I’ll do a post on finished projects because the mirror has finally gone up in the downstairs toilet too….
Laters, Kate x
Bowlful..
Such a pleasure when a sink can be full of colour and visual ideas as well as water.
These sinks from The London Sink Company, a mother and daughter team, are glowingly resplendent in their form and practicality.
Not a cheap option, but a deep one that sings buy less, buy better, buy better but maybe wait longer – but then relish with joy every turn of the tap.
Laters, Kate x
The fairest of them all..
Mirrors. The item that always gives back.
Powerful and playful. As illustrated by Leandro Erlich’s Dalston House art installation.
(All pics Pinterest)
It’s all about what you see.
Laters, Kate x
For this weekend..
We have two large garden parties in the diary to cater for – one in June, one in September. Just enough time to put the thinking cap on.
After weather, lighting has to be the key ingredient.
So I’ve ordered 2 metre fence poles from Ebay (cheap as chips) to concrete into tubs.
A few hooks and just imagine what we could create..
Laters, Kate x
Bling x
If an Indian summer comes in the autumn, what name do you give a summer that arrives in spring…and disappears?
The gardens need the rain..but I was so looking forward to the easy living of summer dresses.
Which has been a brilliant discovery of older years and has resulted in a serious, but sensible shrinking of my wardrobe.
There’s no need to think, a dress is the perfect capsule wardrobe in itself.
All effort can go into beautiful, stand out jewellery, like all of these earrings by Finery London.
Fun, Sassy and succulent. Now all we need is the sun.
Laters, Kate x
Light the way..
A wall of synths and soaring violins – that feeling when you find the perfect present for the right person.
I’m on the trail for something fire, candle, glass, light related. It has to be functional, simple, not too ostentatious. 
There’s always that invisible line – do you push for something they’d never consider but could love? 
Or play it safe?
(All pics Pinterest)
Decisions, decisions.
Laters, Kate x
It started with a kiss..
Someone very close has proposed to his girlfriend, and she has accepted! And it’s this wonderful, happy, heart warming, life affirming event that his inspired this post.
I was thinking of engagement rings – the token of love with a significance way beyond it’s size.
And I was contemplating how even the word ‘size’ has been hijacked so we now confuse size with love. And pay the price.
How beautiful instead, for a ring to tell a story – a piece of sea glass from a memorable holiday, a stone from a Grandmother’s ring, something from a sister, a mother to communally create and forge in love a unique, individual circle of trust and beauty.
(All pics Pinterest)
Because the most precious things are naturally priceless.
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 