June 8, 2016

J’adore..

If I was a trust fund babe, this would be my luggage of choice.

Made in America by Steamline, they’re the perfect marriage of the elegance of yesteryear and the practicalities of modern performance: Handcrafted in leather and brass they swear to be lightweight and durable.

In the past, Louis Vuitton held the aspirational luggage high ground – but it’s now so tinged with the fake tans of tv reality star wannabees that to say your luggage is LV is like announcing to the world that your coat is fur and your knickers are missing.

After years of broken zips, plastic and making do, maybe it’s time for a change…these are certainly on the list of lust.

Laters, Kate x

June 7, 2016

Hot to trot x

Nostalgic and a bit sentimental: I’m after a pair of wedge espadrilles with ties this summer. I’d love them to be in a deep navy blue, but I suspect black is more realistic.

With just that little bit of extra height, they give an outfit the potential to carrying on strutting straight into a decadent night on the tiles.

As well as being highly adaptable (also great with culottes or skinnies) they’re supremely comfortable and, with a bit of shopping around, easy on the pocket.

If slides are your thing, check out Asos for the best selection..

(All pics from Pinterest)

With prices starting at a mere £12 i’ts winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Laters, Kate x

June 6, 2016

Summertime x

We’ve been away in Hampshire for the last days of half term, chewing the cud, smelling the new summer air and enjoying the freedom.

Simple pleasures.

Laters, Kate x

May 31, 2016

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

May 27, 2016

Thank you Dievca x

In response to my post about Mark Champkin’s flower lights, the lovely Dievca sent me a link to Studio Drift’s Shylights at the Rijks Museum in Holland. I’m so grateful because they are a wonder to behold…

I thoroughly recommend watching the film they made during the making process: The attention to detail, the care…the joy.

Laters, Kate x

May 26, 2016

I think..

Green…..

….Because it’s mean.

Laters, Kate x

May 25, 2016

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

May 24, 2016

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

May 23, 2016

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

May 19, 2016

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