Ideas, Inspiration, Spaces, Places, Treasures and Happy Finds

Monday 21 March 2011

In the bedroom...


Hello people!

Well - sorry it has been so long - I actually prepared this post a little while back but strange events both in my own household and the wider world have kind of taken my attention away from the blog for a little while and writing about beautiful things and eye candy hasn't felt like such a good thing to do with so much bad and sad stuff happening in the world.

Anyway, I am back now and will try to get back on board the blogging train and see if I can cook up some interesting bits to share with you.

Hope you had a great weekend? What have you been up to? Anything exciting? A couple of weekends ago I was away celebrating a Women's Institute themed hen weekend (!) in honour of my lovely friend Lou (the very talented florist who did my wedding flowers)  - she's getting married this Saturday and I know it will be such a beautiful day - getting the hankies ready though - somehow weddings just reduce me to a puddle!

It's been gorgeous outside today and on sunny days, I LOVE my bedroom - its on the bright side of the flat and the sun streams in  making it lovely in the mornings.  The room itself is not huge, but we recently passed on our wardrobe and a chest of drawers to a new home (thanks Dad) and now, before we get new furniture, I'm thinking of giving the whole room a bit of a makeover. I think the room is a bit girly at the moment - don't know how it ended up like that really, because its not really my style and after all, I share the room with my lovely husband....

In an attempt to make the room a bit more masculine and grown up, we painted the bedroom grey a couple of years ago which was a risk but paid off in that it made the room feel much more cosy. However, I think I just want to return to white walls, to give the room  a fresher feel, so I'm collecting images of nice rooms and bits and bobs at the moment in the hunt for inspiration.... here are some of my picks so far....

I'm always drawn to this image on the website of bed company The Sleep Room - I like the mix of colour and   pattern in this room..... and the fact that its a bit vintage looking.... and somehow looks a bit Indian....

Image: The Sleep Room
I'm thinking of maybe using tongue and groove panelling to create a feature on the wall behind the bed head  a bit like in this sweet room photographed for Lisa Stickley's new bedding range (bit too girly for me though) ...

Image: Lisa Stickley

And for the details, here are a few nice bits and bobs;


Shelves and hooks;
We don't have a lot of surfaces in the bedroom and could probably do with a few more shelves and places to help me keep things neat and tidy (I'm sure D would agree with that one!)

Shelf from A Country Way on Etsy

Shelf from Urban Outfitters

Studio wall shelves (so sweet!) Ferm Living

Lighting;

I'm drawn to this pendant light, but maybe its too girly?? Still, its really sweet eh, and I think the cage gives it a bit of a tougher look....
Pendant Light from The Conran Shop
But, we have already invested in this light from Ikea which I think will cast some cool shadows in our bright room....

Maskros Pendant Light, Ikea
But will it work with this gorgeous light?? which I think I would want suspended by my bed for reading by. I'm loving the gold....

Work Light by Form Us With Love 

On the floor;

I like this rug from Anthropologie but its pricey - probably need to look for a budget version!

Rug, Anthropologie
This rug would look cool on a painted floor.... 

Rug, Urban Outfitters

And the other details;
Cute vintage fabric for a nice bedspread, cushions or even curtains???
 Fabric, The Vintage Cabin on Etsy
Love the Brass Crane, and the styling in this image
Brass Crane Ornament, Comet Wreckage on Etsy
Ok, I've featured this print twice now, so I think that's telling me something! 

Print, The Big Harumph on Etsy


I'm fancying a bit of hanging foliage, which would do well in my sunny room, this planter is featured as a DIY project on the excellent Sew Trashy blog (there's also an Etsy Shop) (Sew Trashy, I e-mailed to ask if its ok to use this image but haven't heard from you - please please let me know if you're not happy for me to have it here on my blog!)
Image; Sew Trashy

What do you think? Nice? Its a bit of a mish mash at the moment and I'm not sure its quite there yet, but I'm going to keep collecting pics because I'm determined to get my flat ship-shape and looking beautiful before summer comes.

We have so much stuff that we need to clear out all over the flat, from clothes to furniture, knick knacks and junk, and now the weather is picking up, I think its time to do a car boot sale and maybe that will fund some of the new things for the room...

Are you planning any makeovers this spring? I'd love to hear about them if you are....

Have a lovely Monday evening and hope its sunny where you are for the rest of the week.
L. x









Tuesday 1 March 2011

A splash of colour

The end of last week was sunny (well, for a day at least!) and got me daydreaming of summer days, so I curated a little list of Etsy treasures to keep the sunny vibe alive  - Enjoy.

Dress, AidaCoronado


Photo Print, Elgarboart

Sandals, Oliver and Alexa

Blanket, OliverBDesignStudio

Dress, NuBambuVintage

Rainbow curtians, TheVintageCabin

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. Check out the full treasury here and enjoy a little splash of colour for your Tuesday. 
L. x





Amazing book alert!

Morning lovely people

have to just quickly share this amazing book - Maske by Phyllis Galembo - that was bought for me by the lovely D. I saw it in a bookshop a while back and couldn't stop thinking about it, but when I went to get it, they had sold out, so D tracked it down for me - the photographs are just amazing!

Maske by Phyllis Galembo


Ngar Ball, Traditional Masquerade Dance, Nigeria 2004
 Photo: Phyllis Galembo


Makishi Masquerade, Zambia 2007
Photo: Phyllis Galembo



Ano Women's Masquerade, Nigeria 2004
Photo: Phyllis Galembo via Stephen Kasher Gallery

Much like the Human Planet programmes I mentioned before, images like this just remind me of the amazing world out there that is so easy to forget sitting in London on a grey and drizzly day. 

I don't doubt that some people would find these images a bit scary or even disturbing  - I find them slightly creepy and I used to work for a mask theatre company where I would scoff at anyone who found masks frightening, but they are also so interesting and they just fuel my imagination in a crazy way.

It looks like Phyllis Galembo has made some other interesting books, so check out her website - I am now a BIG fan.

Enjoy and have a great Tuesday.... more soon.
L. x