Category: Renovations
By All the Planets! x
What a treat the Sunday Times Home supplement had this week – and whole article on this amazing story – Club Jupiter – the tale of three talented friends pulling together to create something special over lockdown that will change the way you think of static caravans forever. So much of this spoke to my heart – taking something forgotten and breathing new life, stripping away the plastic and replacing it with everything natural and considered, three women with a special bond, three women with fantastic eyes for colour and pattern; it’s a dream made in heaven – or rather Margate, because this little beauty is now up for renting – so not only brilliant but financially brilliant as well – I doff my feathered cap you incredible girls.
For more details and to book, click here – Club Jupiter
A little slice of heaven.
Laters, Kate x
Interior x
The interior of the garden studio will be a new building with an old soul. Nature, natural, re-claimed, loved and lovable will be the theme pulling it together. Soft edges, patina and unprecious the by-lines.
The space will not be big, but that does not exclude character.
The walls will be exposed wood, the floor wood, covered by a jute rug.
Down the left side of the sitting room, on the adjoining wall to the office, I will finally have the perfect place for the remains of my Cado storage system I originally bought for the sitting room for TV and has remained under a bed ever since – we only needed one section, but I bought…three! It’ll provide much needed storage, a place for a record player and an extra desk space – always useful.
The pod will divided into two – a small office room with storage on the left side, a larger sitting room on the right. Both will have stoves as heaters; this has been a moot point – I would love proper, wood burning stoves – but we live in London, and I don’t think it’s fair on neighbours or the environment, so they will be electric, but cunningly disguised to look the business.
The office room will be a vintage homage, simple desk, anglepoise wall lamp, pictures and storage.
At the far end will be a door leading to floor to ceiling storage for things like our tent and paddle boards.
Still to be finalised is the ceiling – I would like to do something to suggest a bit of drama – nothing on the scale of these – but possibly some narrow cross beams, to add shadow and interest, a miniature of these above.
Further indecisions are whether there will be space for a small mezzanine level – a place for children to hide. Or will it eat too much into the space?
And whether to go for build in bench sofas with storage – or something else.
I suspect budget will be the dictator.
Laters, Kate x
Angle Poise x
The plans for the office pod are rumbling on, but there’s also talk of making use of the builder when they’re here and turning the other far corner of the garden for a pergola-slash-gazebo. The thinking goes that in small London gardens we veer away from structures in the garden for fear they make a small garden look smaller, but the problem is in leaving a garden horizontal we rarely venture into it, preferring to gaze into from afar. So the aim is to build a private, roofed area that will still be useable in summer London drizzle to while away precious hours, whilst still keeping a sense of space and lightness of touch.
(All pics pinterest)
So not much to choose from then…
Laters, Kate x
Bella’s Room x
The makeover of Bella’s bedroom is limping to it’s conclusion – there’s stuff to be hung on the walls and I still haven’t ordered the blinds, but most stuff is out of boxes. We’re also waiting for a delivery of this sofabed from Made – such a relief not to be blowing up airbeds any more. At £299 in green velvet with its midcentury styling it feels a bit of a bargain..
Of course there was the usual disagreement on colour – Bella wanted yellow. I put my foot down and said she’d thank me in five years time.
I also have my eye on this bed in a box for Charlie’s room because that would mean no more airbeds. Ever.
Surprisingly it’s more expensive at £399 so it’s going to have to wait.
Laters, Kate x
Exterior x
It was my birthday yesterday – Yippeee me! Meet my presents – Alfie and Bear, the two best dogs ever who now bookend the front door in regal fashion, the finishing touch to the newly painted exterior which finally can get it’s unveiling.
We also have new window boxes, made to size from a great company on Etsy so they sit properly within the window frame. The black of the boxes contrasts the graphite of the paintwork.
The boxes have been planted with ivy to soften and tumble over edges, heucheras for their colour and cyclamen as they were the only white plant readily available at this time of year. At some point trailing white geraniums will be added. It will be a pleasure to see the living wave of colour and white expanding and flowing out over the window sill. I’m even thinking about adding them to the first floor.
The painted graphite on the outside of the house has been dramatic. It has given the whole house a presence, made it feel bigger, added a modern gloss without compromising its history.
Very happy.
Laters, Kate x
Bella’s room x
Bella’s bedroom has been painted, but that’s about it. It means it’s at an ugly transition stage when it’s a hybrid of essential bits from the past and colours from the present are all colliding to create a visual clash of cultures. There are still big decisions to be made: colours for the blinds, what colour to paint the bed, rugs to source, a new wardrobe. But in the frantic hell that is the start of the September term, the pull for peace is outweighing all of this…this weekend we’re just going to paint some art for her room. Together, with music and large cups of tea. Nothing complicated, but hopefully bold and aiming for beautiful…these are our inspirations.
The idea is to hang them over the half wall line: There’s something so appealing when art hangs over a paint line.
No idea why. But somethings in life you don’t need to question. Like tea and creating.
Laters, Kate x
The dark side x
The exterior of the house has been undergoing it’s dramatic transformation to the dark side…the scaffolding is now down but there’s a still few bits to go before the grand reveal: The front step is being taken back to stone, the letter box is changing to brass and I’ve ordered shiny black window boxes for the ground floor bay to act as a contrast to the dark grey…they’ll work a bit like the new black drainpipe does, drawing the line between black and not – without them I think the eye will register only black. I’m after bright green trailing foliage and white flowers to balance the drama. Finally all the stone in the front garden needs a good blast to bring out it’s colour…it’s interesting times…
Laters, Kate x
Front Garden..
Heading to the DIY shop today for wire brushes, sand paper, fillers and primers whilst imagining the perfect front garden: I have this quiet obsession developing for a statue of a dog to stand sentinel by the door – I’ve already caught myself searching on Ebay so I know it’s serious. It can’t be an expensive one as I’ll never persuade The Husband (hmmmmmmm – mind at work – present for Father’s Day?!, ‘Here Husband, have the concrete dog you’ve always wanted but never knew you did..you love it, don’t you?!’) Besides the chances are it’ll get nicked, but there’s a persuasive voice in my head saying ‘get a faux concrete one and paint it with yoghurt, the resulting green algae will soften, age and add character’…will it be enough to blur the line between kitsch and statement? It’s a risk..
But I can see him there already, proud, endearing, ever present…with a party hat on for birthdays, skeleton mask for halloween and baubles for Christmas: Fun, joy and no poos to clear up. Win win.
The search for the perfect Fido has meant other garden art has also popped up, some of it sublime.
(All pics Pinterest)
Think I’ll need a bigger garden..
Laters, Kate x
Exterior..
Molly the dog will be fifteen next week and we still haven’t made any progress on the front of the house..except try out multiple tester pots..
And cobble below the bay window.
Not great progress in a year. At least the decision has been made on colour…we’re going DARK..
Rad, bad..and let’s hope not sad..Work starts Monday
Laters, Kate x
Handling it..
The designing of the kitchen actually started on Friday – Alleluia! Naturellement it’s not a new kitchen per se but a hotch potch of the old kitchen units (we like recycling) and new additions that somehow all need to be brought together, but this picture represents the inspiration (I only wish I could have that island unit…but sadly it’s the only space for the sink/dishwasher/bin/cutlery so the carcasses need to hit the floor..maybe in another life..) But we’ve been working on how to line up the sight lines, even up the variety of widths and unify the look.
Which is never easy..go for industrial raw edge?
Or embrace industrial engineering with these beauties from Buster & Punch?…
(There’s something very tactile about that surface..)
The potential fly in the soup is the mixing in of an old french glazed bookcase (a bit like this one) I have to hold my crockery. The thinking goes that to pull them together by using that same handles on at least some of the other units.
It helps I like a variety of handles.
But it’s still a matter of balance..too many would just be wrong – so which ones to choose?….lovely brass handles?
Delicious little catches?..
(All pictures Pinterest)
Or just subtle, understated cup handles and little brass knobs?
The thinking cap is on.
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 