Tagged: sitting room

October 30, 2019

Cubit x

We’ve been looking at getting a new corner sofa in the sitting room. If money were dreams and conveniently grew on trees and my sitting room were double the size, I would seriously be considering a Cubit sofa: Sustainable, architectural and totally flexible…all the things I desire to be…

(All pics Pinterest and Cubit)

I think it’s the freedom that’s at the root of their appeal: There’s something so nostalgic about re-arranging the cushions and chairs to make something just for you, it’s like adult lego for nest builders.

Laters, Kate x

September 5, 2016

September..

The school term has begun which should be heralded with joy and relief except for me there’s always an element of wormwood and ashes: The early mornings, the sense of cramming round pegs into square holes, all the boxes to tick plus the tiredness, the flagging stamina interestingly mixed up with hockey socks, mouth guards, rugby boots, new shoes and never knowing exactly where to pick the kids up from each day. The start was also a deadline for me..and I’m sort of there – I wanted the house to be running as smoothly as possible to give me free reign on another creative project – generally if I hand over my head to creative challenges the house collapses under the strain of chaos and constant trip-ups..this time I’m trying to learn the lesson and do my best to pre-empt them..hoho.

It’s not finished (when is a house ever??) but the study is sorted and everything filed away, there is now a runner made of kilims on the main stair, which I fitted in the same way as the cellar stairs here. Plus a bright newly painted yellow mirror right at the top of the stairs.

The sitting room is almost back to normal, painted a very chilled green (a few bits of skirting and one small bit of wall to go)

And the vintage media unit is hung..it just needs a few books and bits to bring it to life, but because it hangs rather than hogs, it really works.

The footstool went pink..it said pale pink on the packet..hmmmmmm..more like taramasalata..I’m thinking how to turn it down – maybe put it back in the washing machine with a packet of colour run??

And so it starts..

Laters, Kate x

August 30, 2016

Frankly it’s fringe..

Some would say it’s an affliction, others a disease…all I know is I’m in love with everything fringe.

Particularly the type you find at the bottom of an inviting sofa: There’s an echo of the past, a touch of glamour..a sense of time standing still. A cat at play..

(All pictures from Pinterest)

The painting in the sitting room is finished. All it needs now are a few finishing touches. Where’s my needle..

Laters, Kate x

August 22, 2016

The Sitting Room: The Return

It started with an itch when I saw this picture in the summer edition of Elle Decoration magazine. A room bathed in a magical greeny grey that shouted both chic and warmth.

The itch had to be scratched when I found these Poul Cadovius shelves on Ebay to house the TV…if I wanted to change the colour of the sitting room, it had to be done before they went up. But why change it? The white worked – except it was an easy decision made at the end of building works when ‘easy’ was the best solution…it didn’t mean it was the best choice.

I’ve gone for it….here I am again, working on one corner each day (the maximum limit with the kids at home, otherwise blood (theirs) would be spilt)

What I was after was a colour I could paint the ceilings in as well..and Pale Powder from Farrow & Ball seems to be it…warm, enclosing..but not dark and oppressive.

It’s the final proof that I am mad and have lost the plot!

Laters, Kate x

June 20, 2016

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

January 21, 2016

The Sitting Room x

In the normal run of things, you look at a room, decide it needs a spruce and decorate it knowing the context surrounding it. A renovation is slightly different – you tend to think of each room as individuals and forget how they link together. It’s what’s concerning me about our sitting room.

The original choice was for it to be a green as it leads into the garden, merging them together.

And there are some gorgeous greens out there.

But vaguely rational part of brain said ‘it’s leading from dark grey..’

And then I was drawn to blues, deep, dark, inky blues…resist, I thought – stick to leaves and plants. But the pull was there. And kept coming back. So compromise stepped in – use the midnight blue in the cellar where light doesn’t matter. Which seemed like good thinking.