I’ve been sent a nice thing, a copy of a book by George Clarke called “More Amazing Spaces”. It goes with his Channel 4 TV show about usual homes and projects and the idea is that I give it away to someone reading this who fancies it.
I’m looking at it now, and it’s got all sorts in here including a converted bus and a Gypsy caravan.
Although my favourite is this tree house.
So if you fancy a copy I will send it to the first person who leaves me a message requesting it.
This week the blog has featured in a list of ‘blogs to read’ in Elle Decoration, Mexico. I was pretty surprised given that…well…it’s Elle Decoration Mexico….but pleased to be asked.
Now to flowers.
I got these. Nice huh?
Here’s a closer look.
What you hopefully haven’t noticed straight away is that they are……….fake.
I’ve never been a fan or seen much point in fake flowers until I visited my friends house and couldn’t believe how she always had such a nice display of hydrangea, a bit like these. She revealed that they weren’t real and told me she’d bought them from a specialist shop in NYC and so when she was back there again recently she kindly popped along and bought me a set.
It hasn’t stopped me buying fresh flowers as well, but these are so cool. You could even have them on something normally too warm, like above a radiator in the winter.
Then lastly I’ve been contacted by the nice people at Country Living Magazine about plans for their Christmas Fair.
It’s weird to be writing this as I sit with the sun streaming through the kitchen window but they’ve given me two free tickets which I will give to the first person who drops me a email claiming them. You can find out all the details here www.countrylivingfair.com and they also have an early bird two for one offer if you book before 7th September. Either enter the code: CLEB15X into the discount code box when buying online or call: 0844 848 0150 and quote: CLEB15X. I’ve been before and I enjoyed it, so do go along if you fancy it and you are in the UK.
UPDATE: thanks to everyone who contacted me about the tickets, these have now gone.
A while ago I inherited some chairs which I painted and very simply recovered. I write about it here. With general use and a specific disaster when I spilt stuff on them I decided they needed a change.
Here they are ‘before’. Slightly stained.
I found some fabric I liked in John Lewis called Deco Tulip.
And I was ready to get started.
This is by no means a proper professional bit of upholstery. I have (I confess) been on a short course where we were taught to lovingly rework furniture and this isn’t really the thorough approach they recommend, but it works.
First I just removed the old top layer.
And cut out roughly the right amount of fabric.
As I paint I’m lucky enough to have a staple gun I use for making canvasses, but I think you could just use small tacks in fact that is a bit more professional.
I then just pull the fabric tight, but not excessively so and staple it in place. A bit like wrapping a present.
Pop a bit of fabric on to cover the edges.
And you’re basically done.
Last weekend I went to Hampton Court Flower Show with my parents. It’s not too far from here but feels like you are well and truly out of the city. It was glorious summer day with everyone in straw hats and rocking the linen trousers. And plenty of chances to eat ice cream or sip Pimms. Basically a classic English day out.
In theory it’s all about the show gardens. Here are a few…
This one has Winnie the Pooh on the bridge and was designed to celebrate his 90th anniversary.
However, it also has a large number of exhibition areas. There’s an extraordinary marquee filled with every rose on planet earth (at least it seems so).
And another hall with a variety of growers, many of whom specialise in one plant type. It was in there that I spotted this gorgeous orchid from a French company which my parents kindly bought me.
And there was pretty of other impressive displays as well. These guys were HUGE.
And then are the things that inspired me a bit. I came away thinking I could use pots more, especially to isolate plants that suffer from slugs like hostas.
And to try using decorative supports.
Or converting unexpected items.
I really liked these supports for beans, probably because I am struggling to grow my own this year. My dad felt pretty confident that these wouldn’t be too hard to make at home (but he quite good at that kind of thing).
The main thing I noticed was the planting style. I’ve always thought the trick to an attractive garden was the group types of plants together in drifts and that’s kind of what I have been shooting for – although that may not be that obvious to the casual observer.
However, I noticed that plants were being placed in a more random mixed in style, certainly with limited planting but not with one type altogether in a group and the another.
And I thought it was kind of lovely, and something I could give a go.
To continue to sweep around the house another stop on the first floor landing (this house is tall and thin). I did post about this a while ago as I recently rearranged and added to the pictures and really like how they are now arranged. I also switched out a lot of the frames to plain white which I also now prefer and have started doing with all my newly framed pictures (there are more to come….). A mixture of frames can look great but, I think, when each frame is interesting and not just as a hodge podge of colours and styles.
The other thing that I love about this space is the long window overlooking the garden.
It lets the light flood in.
Sometimes you have something you like but can’t find a home for it.
I’ve owned these lovely vases (and yes they are vases just with very thin necks – I have been asked to confirm that a few times) but not found a permanent home for them. Until I suddenly decided this was their spot…..
Pleased.
Ages and ages ago my Dad and I made this trunk.
The idea was that I was going to paint it inspired by something I’d seen in a magazine, but I never got around to it.
Then late last year Farrow and Ball emailed me and asked if I fancied undertaking a project painting a piece of furniture and writing about how I did it. I love Farrow and Ball (almost the whole house is painted in it) and so of course I said yes please!
I found this image on Pinterest of a painted trunk, sent it to them and they sent me back their best guess on the colours needed.
And then nothing happened. Farrow and Ball sent me a couple of polite emails asking me how I was finding the paint, but I just didn’t knuckle down. And then suddenly I did.
I opened up the paints having completely forgotten the design I’d opted for….was surprised….dug out the image I was inspired by and got going.
I chalked a design a bit like the one from the photo on the side as a guide. I say a bit as the original image isn’t great quality so you can’t really make all of it out, plus I’m too slapdash to be totally faithful.
And then I got going. Probably a mistake but I started with the front.
Then the sides.
Inside lid.
And finally the top and back.
And that’s it really. It’s not that neat, or symmetrical and I kind of approached it as a doodle, just adding bits as I went. However, I think the overall effect is good!
I was in San Francisco last year with work. While there I bought this beautiful kimono from a vintage shop. I think I imagined I’d waft about in it on Sunday mornings while drinking coffee and reading an intriguing novel. Needless to say I’ve never worn it.
However, I decided to make more of it and if I’m not going to wear it I should display it. Magazines always have some pretty dress hanging outside a wardrobe or draped across a chair so I decided to steal the idea.
Another post, another room. This time looking at the sitting room.
This room has a lot going on in terms of colour and pattern, but I think it works. It contains my favourite thing which is this black Mora Clock I bought a couple of years ago. It’s also one of the rooms where I have painted the walls, doors and ceiling all the same colour. I don’t think that’s something you immediately notice when you walk in and you’d assume it would make the room feel small or dark. However, the impression is (I think) of greater height because you don’t create a hard stop at the top of the walls with another colour. A bit like horizontal stripes making you look shorter and wider!
These yellow and red cushions are made from some fabric I bought down the road in Peckham.
These pictures are actually embroidered but me in front of the TV in the evening. They are the last eight Prime Ministers.
I love this chap. I bought him in the sale at Anthropologie.
And my growing collection of Fat Lava pots…..eBay is a dangerous thing.
Just because they are nice.
klaus and heidi 