Friday 24 September 2010

Hub Interior Design





I recently had a lovely email from Camilla Forti who has recently launched a website called HUB, an Interior Design online boutique which promotes and sells homewares by British designer makers. HUB stands for Handmade, Unique and Beautiful, and when you check out her website, you will see that her handpicked items are just that. I am in love with the dutch house cabinets and the red jug is just stunning.

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Bedroom on a budget

We've been in our current house for about 6 months and although we are getting there decorating-wise, we still have a lot to do. The bedroom is one room which hasnt had much TLC since we moved in and so with that in mind, I am putting together a 'bedroom on a budget' post to inspire you if you are planning a low-cost makeover for your little nest too.

The DIY bed

There are numerous versions of the excellent pallet bed on the internet but here are a couple of my favourites:


If pallets are not your thing, there are plenty of other ways to make yourself a bed from scratch, two bookcases on their side, side by side with a mattress on top gives you not only an instant bed, but also storage space underneath. Alternatively, why not build a scaffolding 4-poster, like this one:



The DIY headboard

There are so many ways to create your own headboard for a fraction fo the cost of buying one, here are just a few:


Also, you could use fabric/scarves hung down from a curtain pole, paint your own frame on your wall, use pallets again, painted trellis, DIY large artwork, window panes, shutters...the list is endless.

Under-bed storage

Or what about dis-used drawers with castors attached to the bottom - the front of the drawers could be painted to match the bedroom color-scheme.

The DIY bedside table
How about a stack of suitcases, a stack of books, an old vintage chair, a little step-ladder, an old food-crate...here are some more


DIY Bedside light ideas


(you can stiffen lace by using starch - link)

I love this idea, I'm a huge fan of globes but I don't know if I could dismantle one of these bad boys, maybe only if one of them was damaged, them this would be a fab project.

Rug ideas

If these aren't your style you can paint existing rugs, make rag rugs from old t-shirts, printed cardboard shapes, felt pom-pom rugs, macrame rope rugs,

curtain/blind ideas
I recently made a pair of lovely no-sew curtains using just hemming tape and muslin fabric (and an iron of course!)


There is no end to the type of fabric you can use for curtains - sari material, flour sacks, vintage hankies, vintage bedding, tea-towels, or you could make ribbon curtains using ribbons, of course, and anything else you can think of attached to threads hanging down - spool bobbins, fabric circles and more. Or paper like this:


OK, so I have to be up early tomorrow so I'm signing off for today - there is plenty more to come on the bedroom front, so I'll be back with more later this week.

Friday 17 September 2010

O woww!


...Not to be confused with J Woww (fellow closet Jersey Shore fans will know what I mean!). I'm always proud of my man and his lovely work and love any chance to show it off, so here he is at work on another of his 'installations' for a recent photoshoot with Tom Jackson. Will upload pic of the finished beast soon.

Wednesday 15 September 2010

Spool Buttons


I have been looking for a winter coat for a while but they are either prohibitively expensive or not my style. I had a bit of a brainwave last night when I saw an old summer khaki coat in the wardrobe. I have had the coat since my uni days, so over 10 years - eeek! I've altered it already a number of times. So I took hooded top (which I no longer wear as its covered in paint) and I cut the hooded top up the middle at the front and sewed it into my khaki coat - ta da...New winter coat!! It doesnt look too shabby either.

I was going to buy some nice wooden buttons to sew down the centre of the coat to jazz it up a bit and was about to leave the house to go button shopping this morning when I suddenly realised I didnt need to buy any wooden buttons, I could use the ends of old wooden spools.

So, to make these bad boys all you need to do is collect a few old-fashioned wooden spools if don't have any already, often these are available on ebay, charity shops, freegle or from a relatives stash.

Then, using a saw (I only had a junior hacksaw in my 'toolkit' but it worked fine) cut the ends off the spool.

Using a gimlet or braddle, poke holes for your threads in the spool heads, you have to press down fairly hard and use a sort of screwing action with the tool but the holes are quick to make and look pretty good once done (almost as though they were drilled).

Before you sew them onto a garment or cushion etc, just give them a quick spray with a clear sealer to make sure they can stand up to the great British weather!

Thursday 9 September 2010

Coastin' along

...and found these lovely doily design wooden coasters from Uncommon, and you know I love a good old doily design!

Like China on your Hands...


...Love these. What a great way to upcycle charity shop china! Made by StayGoldMaryRose found via conversation pieces.

My little bro tied the knot...














...to a beautiful and lovely lady who I am so happy to call my sister in law. It was a wonderful ceremony with a fantastic party afterwards, all organised in the space of a month! I helped out with a bit of pop pom decoration but really the venue was so fantastic it didn't need much. They chose The Roost, a location for film and photography, for their reception and WOW!! what an incredible place. An old edwardian house in Dalston, set over 4 floors, each room filled with great props and decorated in a different way, all with that faded grandeur look to it which I love. All the guys were given flat caps and the ladeez got fans as the wedding favours which I labelled using an old typewriter and some cheap cloth. A wonderful day had by all. Congratulations Kendal and Michelle, can't believe you beat me to it, we got a lot to live up to now:)

I went to Barry Island and all I got was ...

link


...a new job! No, not as one of those dodgy dudes who lurks about on the dodgems...

A few months ago I was contacted by a company who were creating a Channel 4 show called Make Do and Mend, they were looking for a co-presenter with a craft background and contacted me. I had to make a short video from which they would make their shortlist. I made the video, but didn't think I stood a chance not least because I had a nasty case of laryngitis on the video, so much was my surprise when they contacted me to ask me to visit their offices for a screen-test (cue mega freakout, I didn't even know what a screen-test was!) Anyway, after a couple of meetings with them and much nail-biting and waiting for the all-important call, I got the job!!! We started filming last week in Wales, which deserves its own post really, but suffice to say it was incredible and terrifying all at once, but I got through it thanks to a fantastic bunch of people without whose support I would no doubt have been on the train home faster than you can say Barry Island!

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