Going for gold

Today I'm thinking interior trends. And then I look at my home, the way it has evolved over time, and I cannot stick a particular 'style label' on it! I love so many different elements of varying styles...a little bit of shabby chic...country cottage charm...bohemian boldness...vintage and retro! It is unfortunate, as it creates a bit of a jumble, especially as I'm not particularly 'minimalist' in my ways! So, I think I'll opt for the 'lived in' look...A style (for lack of a better word!) that speaks of personal loves and collections gathered over time, a kind of personal 'storybook style', as it tells the story of our lives! Visitor's often refer to our home as a dolls house, as it clearly shows that I like to play house! I style and dress our home purely with things we love, nothing is too contrived or thought out. If I like it, I'll home it! Of late I have fallen in love with what I can only refer to as 'grown-up style', influenced mainly by the work of TV host and interior stylist, Emily Henderson. She is one trendy lady, and I like her mix of colour and textures. Here's a little taster of her own personal home...Oh, that chair!

Now, the trends for 2014 have incorporated bold geometric patterns, like chevrons and stripes, teal has made a real surge in popularity, and the mix of mid-century (1950's/1960's) and modern has had me pouring over the pages of interior magazines. It's such a vibrant, bold look, and I sometimes wish I could pull it off, wall to wall, ceiling to floor! But, that would mean a whole different change in budget! So, I choose to incorporate small changes of trends that appeal to me into our home, to lift things a little and create interest.

One of the most popular trends for 2014 has definitely been the use of metallic accents, be it copper, bronze or gold. I have never been a fan of dripping gold and opulence, but I do think that the use of gold accents can add an air of sophistication and freshness. I have tackled a few projects to show just how easily (and cheaply!) this can be done. I set to work, armed with nothing but a tin of gold spray paint and a bit of masking tape. The idea was to 'update' objects already owned, or cheaply thrifted ones.

First off...the mini globe...Sprayed with gold paint, and then covered in glittery snowflakes, it now adds a touch of quirky glamour to my dressing table...

The enamel bucket, beautiful in it's simplicity, is jazzed up with a touch of gold for an instant update...As is an old favourite Celtic vase...Simply mark of the area you'd like to add your gold accent to, and spray away!

And now for a little project I like to call 'glam-a-gnome'...Okay, maybe not THAT sophisticated, but certainly a bit of fun! A jewelry holder, perfect for stray earrings...

A few shells got the gold treatment too. They look lovely among unpainted ones in a bowl, or scattered neatly on the coffee table...

Will you be going for gold? Let's face it, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I'll take a few small trendy sips this week...

Blessings

Pastel polishing...

Hello my lovelies! Well, it's finally here. Sunshine, daffodils and brighter evenings! I revel in the changing seasons, as they are so beautifully and characteristically defined here in the UK. Every season inspires a little nest primping in our home, as I love to change things around to reflect the time of year. My favourite corner to dress is most definitely the dresser which sits in our living/dining room. Since we acquired it, it has always been styled with red accessories. Red is my favourite colour after all! But, for while now I have longed for a change, something a little more brighter, ethereal, springlike! It felt like it needed a bit of polishing...with pastels! And, what better time to tackle a change of mood than spring, with a little Easter celebration thrown in for good measure!

The dresser before...in red at Christmas time...

The dresser now...pastel spring colours of pinks, blues and yellows!

Some Easter chocolate bunnies in jars...

An old favourite...'E' for Easter...

Some decorative altered books in a stash...tied with velvet ribbon...
I cut out a display window through the cover, added some gold leaf, glitter and Scrabble letters...

Fresh flowers...

And a few favourite things...

A basket of eggs...and an egg box prettied up...





























And who said deer are just for Christmas?

I'm in love with the cheery lightness in this corner. It might stay like this well beyond Easter!

Blessings, Tania ♥

My retro soul sings!

And so I have waited...patiently...And I'm not the patient kind. But sometimes that's all one's purse allows for, waiting and hoping  that somewhere someone will want rid of that one thing that would bring the zing back into your home, without having to cut off an arm! And then I found it. A superb specimen of retro revelation... a magnificent 1960's teak McIntosh sideboard which I have longed for, for such a very long time! These retro sideboards have made a fierce comeback, and hence they are quite pricey. But my thrifty soul is singing, as I found one for an absolute song! Eventually...Why, I ask you, are they so sought after these days? Well, for me it evokes nostalgic feelings of a time when it seemed that time stood still. The pace of life these days leave little scope for reflection, simplicity and calm, and there is something quite calming about the structure of these retro pieces. So, there has been some re-shuffling, nesting and tweaking...

Finally, a resting place for old collected pieces, that breathes new life into them...somehow, they now fit...

And so the oak cupboard had to move, but it's found a happy spot!

Adding a few spring like blooms in blue...

A teapot re-purposed...

And with that done, I can now sit back, transported a little further down memory lane to the sounds of the Beatles, with 'Love me do' and 'Hey Jude'...My retro soul sings!

♥♥♥♥

A little fresh touch...

So, spring cleaning never hopped, skipped and jumped out of my reach this year, as we travelled to South Africa, and I never got round to doing it. I'm having to play catch up in a big way! The kitchen has been looking a little more shabby than chic of late, so I've had to reach for the old marigolds and cream cleaner in order to get it looking crisper! The 'Deep Clean' soon turned into a little re-decorating too, as the paintwork had suffered the gusto of a toddler hurricane! I'm pleased to say that, a WHOLE bottle of cream cleaner, four scouring sponges and a tidal wave of hot water later, it is now smelling fresh as daisies!

Sleeves rolled up, ready to start...it always gets worse before it gets better!

There is always reward at the end of a big spring clean. This time it was the discovery of a whole set of Jaj Rose Pyrex, which I have been coveting for a while! Found it in a charity shop and paid pennies for it! Happy girl...♥

I can smell the freshness!

The paint is dry...the cooker is clean...

Time for a cuppa...

Well, it feels great! The only thing is...there are many more rooms waiting for the duster...

Blessings
Tania ♥

Nocturnal nesting...

What does a person do when insomnia strikes? A bit of shelf restyling of course! I just couldn't drift off to the land of nod last night! My thoughts just kept running around in circles like a dog chasing it's own tail. So, I figured I may as well tackle the built in kitchen dresser, or hutch as my American friends like to call it. It's been suffering a bit of an identity crisis since we returned from our trip to South Africa. All the wide open space we got used to made me shift gear, from full speed ahead into 'hoarders haven', to 'de-cluttering mode'. I emptied the hutch, and filled it with all the Cream Ware I own, for a cleaner, more grown-up look. However, my colour thirsty eyes soon became bored with it, lovely as it was, and so last night I decided that it was time to re-dress it with all the rainbow lovelies that I possess. So, here are a few pictures of the newly styled dresser...

A touch of florals...

I hot-glued some floral ribbon to the already lace-trimmed shelves...

A few favourite things...

Tins...Pyrex...Flowers...

Enamel plates, and a heart garland...

Some twinkly lights...red, for a warm, fun glow...

Sweet treats...

More tins, with a retro flavour...

So, what does a person do when insomnia strikes again? One writes a blog post of ones first nights sleepless adventures! And now, I shall tip toe off to bed once more, in search of the next train to the elusive Land of Nod...

Night-night!
Tania ♥