The long view

So here is a full view of what the bedroom looks like now with my home office corner.  I enjoyed having the bed between the windows as it left lots of space in front of the fireplace, but its nice to mix things up a bit and now have the bed facing the fireplace.

Some felt slippers for the desk

I discovered last week to my dismay that cast iron table legs can make rusty 'footprints' on a nice white floor, so to avoid this in the future I have given the desk some little felt 'slippers'.  

The felt slippers also solve the problem of how level a table on a completely uneven Georgian floor.  To get the desk to sit level, the two back legs nearest the wall have one felt pad each, while the leg nearest the window gets two, and the leg nearest the fireplace gets four!

Final Coats of Paint and Finishing touches

 

There are few things as satisfying as opening a fresh new can of paint... especially when it is the colour of liquid sunshine!

Here is a photo of the final coats going on, including the yellow ribbon around the perimeter of the desk.  The table legs needed 3 coats in the end to get an even coverage, I guess because I was going from black to white.  

To get the yellow edge I taped off the grey top and painted away.  Unfortunately, because the desk is old and the edges slightly chipped and uneven, some yellow seeped beneath the tape and it was difficult to get a perfectly clean line.   I will need to touch this up with a careful hand in due course.

A bright idea!

I just had a bright idea about how to add a fun punch of colour to the desk - I will paint the edge bright yellow!  I brought home some paint samples today and will collect a small tin of 'Delhi Bazaar 4' on the way back from my Pilates class tomorrow morning.  The grey in the background is the colour of the desk top - Cornforth White No 228 - from Farrow and Ball.

First Coat of Paint

On goes the first coat of paint...!  The paint needs 4 hours to dry between coats, so the second coat will go on before work tomorrow morning.

A new table

This bank holiday weekend was pretty relaxing and didn't involve much more than pottering around town eating nice meals.  On Monday however, I found this desk in a junk shop in Crystal Palace.  I've been keeping my eyes open for one that would fit in the niche beside the fireplace in the bedroom to make a little home office area, and this one fits perfectly!  My plan is to paint the legs white, and the desk top light grey to match the fireplace and shutters so that it blends in more with the bedroom decor.

Highlights from the IKEA Stockholm Collection

IKEA have just released their 2013 "Stockholm Collection" which appears to be targeted at the design conscious 30-40 somethings who have grown out of their cheap and cheerful Billy bookcase once used in their dorm rooms and to furnish their first apartments, and who are now looking for more durable, high quality, designer furniture.   

Overall, the collection looks really great, and I plan to check it out in reality next week to see how it looks in the flesh!

Beautiful Bookshelves

Just thought I'd post some images of non-bathroom related interiors. I love these clever integrated bookshelves. They really add great texture and interest to a room, and are perfect for small spaces by maximising storage opportunities right up to the ceiling.

Nesting Tables

In keeping with the Easter theme, I thought I'd make a post about nests, or, more specifically, nesting tables. These make so much sense in a small flat as they can be stored neatly and compactly out of the way, and then slide out if extra side tables are needed during a party.  These are definitely on my 'want' list.

 

 

These 1950's designed Ercol Nesting Tables designed by Lucian Ercolani are lovely. They released a 90th anniversary edition in candy coloured shades, but I'd just go with the classic natural finish.

For a sharper look, these Joseph Albers Nesting Tables are also super nice - Habitat also do a similar version for a fraction of the price.

Spring Coloured Stools

Arent these Easter coloured Dolly & Jessie Stools from British furniture designers Thelermont Hupton lovely? I'd get the yellow one for a slash of instant sunshine. These little stools would also make cute side tables, or tiny desks in a child's bedroom. And look - the side profile is the letter 'A'. Check out their other fun pieces here.

Bathroom Cabinet

I have now purchased all of the fixtures and fittings for the bathroom refurbishment, except for the cabinet that will house a laundry basket and shelving for toiletries. This will need to be made to fit within the tight space constraints available.

Above are images of what I am looking for - a combination of a tall slender cabinet (but with a mirror on the door), with a concealed laundry basket below. These are from the XL range at Duravit.

Clever wardrobe handles

This is an elegant and clever solution to wardrobe handles by Hosun Ching. You could hang out your clothes on them so they were ready for the next morning!

Marais Stools & Chairs

I have been looking around for a new pair of chairs as whenever I have 8 people around for dinner, having only 4 chairs means I need to ask them to bring along their own - obviously not ideal.
I love these brightly coloured Marais stools and chairs. I'd get a pair of red or yellow ones for my kitchen!

New Coffee Table

I've been keeping my eye open on ebay for a vintage teak coffee table which would match the sofa and at last found this one which was delivered last week. I'm super pleased with it, the legs match those on the sofa perfectly! The apple crates which made up the old coffee table have been nicely recycled into bedside tables.

Chairs on Walls

What a clever storage idea! Hang spare guest chairs on walls if you dont have space to store them on the floor in a small flat. Then use them as shelves for pretty objects. One in a bedroom to store summer hats on would also be nice!

French Connection Home

French Connection launched a really lovely homewares range last year. This January in the sales I managed to get myself a great deal on a pale grey linen throw and some matching bed cushion covers. Here are some other nice photos from their range as a nice change from bathroom taps!

Meet my new Flatmate - The Tab floor light!

I used the cheque that I received from my dad for my birthday gift to buy this cute Tab floor light to use as a bed side reading light. I dont have a bedside table, so this light is perfect for the job - Im so pleased with how cosy it looks. Perfect for those long dark winter nights that are setting in....Thanks Dad!

New Bed

After 9 months of sleeping on a mattress on the floor, its a real luxury to finally have a proper bed. It was delivered last weekend, but I was just waiting for a sunny morning to take a photo to show you...

IKEA Kitchen Reconnaissance Mission

Last night after work Flo and I went to IKEA on a little reconnaissance mission to investigate their kitchens for when we do ours in December. I was pleased to see that they have cute wood drawer inserts which actually look pretty decent (the dividers are solid wood, the base is veneer, but I guess you wont see that under the cutlery). We managed to resist buying a bag of tealights, but couldnt leave empty handed and of course came home with a few bits and pieces. The 'Stave' mirror has found a nice home in our bedroom.

Bed frame ordered

Buying a bed frame hasnt been a priority for us because, until recently, our bedroom has existed as a workshop and there wasnt space for us to put a bed anywhere else. (We had the mattress in a corner of the living room for ages - a good mattress being our very first purchase!) However, now that our bedroom floor is painted, we decided it was time.

Its not easy to find a simple, clean lined, wood frame bed, with space below for storage... We loved the one at top from CA1, but with a price tag of £2000, it was, alas, out of our budget. We settled on the one below from Muji and ordered it today when we were in town. It will arrive next weekend and our plan, for now, is to re-finish it with a translucent white varnish.