Five Things I Love This Week #2

Happy Friday! I would like to start with a huge thank you for all the lovely comments, emails and Instagram messages I’ve had about my first ‘Five Things’ post. It really does mean a lot to hear that you enjoy following along with my smaller projects, finds and inspiration. Each week will be a varied bag… a ‘pick n mix’ depending on what I’ve been up to.

This week, I have mostly been concentrating on design decisions for our extension. It’s getting close folks! We are aiming for a nice balance of contemporary and traditional… with a bit of ‘quirky’ thrown in for good measure. There are still a few big decisions to be made, but we have pushed the button on some of the pretty elements. Sometimes, when you know, you know. You know?

The Skystar Wall Sconce

We knew we wanted wall lights in the dining room, but we didn’t know what we wanted. Until we saw these. We bought them immediately. These beautiful pressed recycled glass and brass lights (from Pooky Lights) are just the right mix of traditional and contemporary and really set the scene for the rest of the room. We will be having a lot of recycled glass in the kitchen so it will tie both spaces together nicely.

Vintage Rug

Another charity shop find, this gorgeous rug cost £70 and is in spotless condition. The mix of colours is exactly what we were looking for, with the olive, teal and mustard really working to inspire us. Mustard upholstery, anyone? Watch this space…

Bentwood and Cane Chairs

So, there is a bit of a story attached to these chairs. I found them on Facebook market place a few weeks ago. They were located a bit further North, so I asked if they could be held until we get there. We DEFINITELY wanted them. Following a trip back home to the motherland (The VERY tippy-top of Scotland, Wick) we went to pick them up… only to arrive at the most beautiful house, in the most stunning setting. A very beautiful guest house that has recently been renovated and caters for weddings… So, we picked up two chairs and a very exciting potential wedding venue!! *Btw, we got engaged on Halloween… this is my big announcement. WOO HOO! (The fact it’s Valentine’s Day is a happy coincidence).

But you’re here for the chairs, right? I spent last weekend stripping the old fabric upholstery to reveal cane in perfect condition. SO pretty and will look great with the 8 million other bentwood chairs that we have in storage.

‘Food in My Beard’ Plates by Phil Jones

Or as we call them, the ‘beardy man’ plates. These were a present from our lovely friends Emma and Andrea, for my 4oth birthday in January. We LOVE these because they look like us. This is the kind of quirky accessory that makes me smile. Thoughtful and funny.

Getting Arty

This week’s fifth love isn’t so much about the outcome, as it is the process. I started these a while back but only just got around to finishing them off. Absolutely no forward planning went into these mixed media ‘trials’, they were entirely intuitive. I was out of my comfort zone but had so much fun. Oil pastel, pencil, soft pastel, gouache, felt pen and collage all layer up to give texture and depth. I would love to do more of these. I might even do a wee step-by-step blog post.

Have a great weekend, lovely people xx