Category: DIY
Through the Looking glass..
Sometimes you walk into a room and you know exactly what it needs to up the anti. Other times, the space has to settle before it can speak. I’m in that dilemma with one of my rooms, hence a bit of visual inspiration.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm….
Laters, Kate x
Nicely Niche..
I was speaking to a friend yesterday about the appeal of embroidered patches and we were discussing where to buy them. I don’t know the cheapest place to find them (any suggestions gratefully received – I’ll pass them on) but I do know the best:
Hand and Lock has provided the finest hand embroidery since 1767, offering everything from civilian to military regalia to ecclesiastical to couture.
They have the skill to produce intricate delights such as this.
Which can then with their bespoke service and be translated, if you so wish, into…well..the imagination is your limit.
They also offer a range of machine embroidered badges, perfect for every day. You know they know their stuff because the sizes are perfect.
This place is a little slice of living history – it’s even possible to take part in workshops or tour the atelier. This is Britain at it’s best.
Laters, Kate x
The sitting Room x
The advantage of doing all the decorating from our building works myself is there’s been something in the pot to buy a few treats like this Hans Wegner wishbone chair.
A pair of them now sit in pride of places at either end of our dining room table. What love.
The extra bonus were the large boxes the chairs arrived in which were quickly commandeered by the children. Who needs toys?
But it hasn’t all been treats and joy. This was the sitting room on Sunday..
A much needed bookcase went up meaning the final boxes could be unpacked. These are original midcentury tomado shelves – the choice surprised me as well.
Probably a good thing as we have guests for the next two weeks and at last the spare room is liveable in.
The sitting room isn’t finished (check out the plastic storage tub by the yellow chair, part of our sad tv storage) – it still has some organic growth to go – but it’s a huge improvement.
And lots of pictures have finally gone up.
The footstool still doesn’t have it’s cover on – it’s meant to be white, but I’ve got some lavender coloured dye waiting in the wings…
Slowly. But surely.
Laters, Kate x
Shibori..
Yesterday was spent teaching a group of friends (I’m a rep for Charlie’s class) how to shibori tie-dye. It’s something I love to do with its heady mixture of deep indigo, spontaneity, freedom and promise.
I’ve posted about it before (here) but this year was a little bit different/lessons learnt – the scarfs are longer (2m – possibly the perfect length) and the dye is a new one: If you’re making a large dye bath with the more commonly used Dylon, it’s hard to keep the solution warm so I went for a procion dye that works with cold water (it’s the dye they use for batik dying) and it produced excellent results. If you want more info on dyes and techniques, check out this website (makes me wish I lived in Bognor)..this is a brilliant craft for kids in the summer..and imagine on duvet covers, sheets..or even larger pieces of furniture! Bella spent her evening after school dying..socks!
Gloves are always useful..
This may be old school..but it’s still the best.
Laters, Kate x
Exteriors..
As the internal painting on the house starts coming to an end (just the downstairs toilet and some radiator cabinets to go) all thoughts are turning to the outside. It’s a big decision and needs time to mull.
There’s so many options..dramatic and black?
I like it..but I think it might be better on the back of the house…(I just love the way it contrasts with green..)
So at the front..I’m thinking putty coloured windows and woodwork..but the front door? A darker putty shade? or that classic pale blue…
Or even a mallow pink?
Hmmmmmm. There’s no rush – we like the front looking crap as a burglar deterrent over the summer…but the picture needs to come into focus..
Laters, Kate x
The Sitting Room x
Charlie, The Husband and I went to Twickenham on Sunday to see England v Wales (cr*p kicking but a great match). Before we left there was a huge discussion about the weather..hot? Cold? Rain? Snow? The general consensus was if the sun was shining it would be hot…but it wasn’t…so we dressed for winter. We got there…the sun came out…and we all fried like sirloin steaks on a barbie. Today, in contrast the heavens have opened and we’re probably getting the months rain in one day which means we’re all stuck inside as it’s half term. I’ve declared it a creative day, with my creative project being to paint the sitting room.
(I’ve been desperate to paint these velux windows white since they first went in)
The walls also need a lot of work where we had a leak (all fixed by the builders) and general 10 years of wear and tear.
I’ve surprised myself by sticking to brilliant white but it works on multiple levels: The ceiling with all it’s variation in height is blended together with the eye drawn to the highest point, the skirting board radiator that runs round the edge of the room disappears, and finally..there’s a fairly eclectic mix of furniture in this room that the white pulls together (spot the latest edition..my seventies table light..probably deserves a separate post).
I did all the prep work for half the room yesterday..I’m hoping I can get it all finished by tomorrow.
Not easy when the kids are off school for half term..for instance, I couldn’t find my phone yesterday – not a huge hardship as we’re not biologically linked. But it eventually turned up in Bella’s room, tuned to You Tube and a video about ‘Women making graffitti for the first time’ …if you’re mentally away..the mice play..
Laters, Kate x
Innovation x
How about this for a super cool design: A light that opens up like a flower..and closes again.
It’s the work of the Science Museums Inventor-in-residence, Mark Champkins. Inside the petals are bi-metallic strips – a sandwich of copper and steel. The copper responds to the heat of the bulb by expanding, the steel doesn’t, resulting in the realistic bend.
Whilst I love it, It’s small and I’m not convinced it’s working to it’s true potential..Just imagine it as collection together designed as a blossomed branch huge chandelier..
Or inside a large eye-filling glass pendant: Three in a row over a kitchen island unit…heaven.
Laters, Kate x
Roses are red..
This post is to remind me to plant the white rambling rose that’s been languishing in it’s pot for the last two weeks…because if it’s all constrained, there’s no hope it will ever look like a half of one of these..and with Chelsea round the corner..there really is no excuse..
Sigh.
Laters, Kate x
Staircarpet and Cellar x
I finally grasped my courage with both hands and, bored of lifting boxes, fitted the stair carpet down to the new cellar.
Taking things seriously, I invested £40 in a heavy duty staple and nail gun (I’m hoping there will be options for more uses…like the main stairs). It worked really well – you have to use two hands which just means reduced chance of accidents. The only downside was I initially bought the wrong staples – even if the packaging/name looks the same, read the small numbers on the staple box carefully, otherwise it’s a return journey to the DIY shop to buy the right ones. I used 12 mm staples.
I also ordered some carpet grip from Ebay (the sort of stuff you lay under rugs to stop them from slipping). The thought process was that I wasn’t worried about slippage from laying the pile in the wrong way, as there was no pile, but I was aware that kilim is a thinner type of rug and wanted to give it some support regarding pulling from the staples and feet.
Then it was the simple matter of laying a piece of underlay with carpet grip and stapling it into place.
For the carpet, I pencilled off on each stair where the carpet should run centrally (7 cm on each side for me). Then the lines in the design were a big bonus, helping to keep everything straight and on track.
Finally it was the simple matter of stapling under the nose of the riser, in the middle and at either end. And again where the step meets the riser and working down. The last bit of kilim was folded up, tucked under and stapled away. Job done.
The cellar itself has changed considerably as boxes have been unpacked.
It’s now probably one of the most relaxing places in the house..time takes on a new dimension here..if only I could hide it away from the kids…
Laters, Kate x
The reality x
Whilst downstairs might be looking all shiny and new. It’s a different story upstairs. This is the spare room – more commonly known as the promise-it’s-only-temporary storage facility.
I’ve spent the last week clearing it..which resulted in a huge strop at the weekend, because it seriously feels like attacking an iceberg with a bent teaspoon.
With tackling it comes the horrible realisation of the inevitable insidious creep of crap into every other room of the house, because it has to get worse before it gets better.
This is the ensuite. The idea is that anything bound for charity or car boot can reside in here..but just the thought of more multi-layered jobs still to do is doing my head in. I just want it out. I don’t want stuff, I don’t want bits..I want a clean floor…and no boxes..
I’ve got it to this now..a little glimmer of light at the end of a long tunnel. And yes, that is a bed..and yes, the rocking chair will move..one day.
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 