This is something I never thought I would have to type, but being in quarantine really doesn’t make it easy to find five things I love! So, this week’s post comes courtesy of a rummage in the attic, hours of internet browsing and a bad case of the wants. Again.
French Flair
I bought this book in a charity shop late last year and it is one of the very few books that I pick up regularly just to browse through. It is so much nicer to look at pictures in a book, rather than online, don’t you agree?
Of course, we won’t include my blog in that statement…
French Flair is an eclectic mix of beautiful French interiors (and exteriors) to inspire and to aspire to. There is something about a rustic, imperfect interior that warms me.
Here are a few of my favourite pages…
The Hoxton, Williamsburg
The Hoxton is one of those hotel brands that I have long ogled on Pinterest; the Hoxton Paris in particular. This week, this image popped up on my feed and I immediately fell in love. The reception area of their Williamsburg hotel is my new favourite “Hoxton’. I just love the mix of neutrals with the baby blue and pink chairs, all set against natural wood parquet. The gorgeous Murano chandelier is like the cherry on the cake.
Vintage Soup Tureen
Earlier last year, my mum, Brian and I visited the Castle of Mey, the former Caithness holiday home of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. The castle was derelict when she bought it and had it lovingly restored to a very comfortable home. Apparently she went to local auctions herself to furnish it. I instantly fell in love with it, and in particular a beautiful orchid displayed in an antique soup tureen. The quest was on. I needed a vintage soup tureen. In my head, I wanted it to be green. I don’t know why.
Weirdly enough, I didn’t have to wait long to find one. Actually, I only had to wait a month or so until our next trip North… where I found the perfect tureen in a charity shop in Thurso…
…and that tureen had a baby tureen inside it!
This Sofa
When you unexpectedly find a sofa that you both love/WANT. We saw this sofa whilst I was working on an upcoming project and it was love at first sit. It took about 10 minutes of googling to find it. The one we saw was a lighter shade, which doesn’t seem to be available any more… but we’d still have this one. At £799 it’s not too pricey either. This is the Valetta two seater sofa from Dwell.
DIY Wall Lamp
Would it be a ‘Five Things’ post without a lighting piece?! It’s becoming a bit of a habit.
Yet again, I have a strong idea of what I want for wall lamps in the study… we just don’t have the budget for my dream lamps. I also can’t find the lamps. I think I may have made them up. Anyway, I figured I could DIY them, so I gave it a go. I have to say, I’m pretty happy with the results.
This was a pretty simple DIY and a very inexpensive one, though I may alter it when it comes to finally fitting it.
I started off with a batten lamp holder (easily found through a google or eBay search) and two IKEA Blanda Blank bowls; one 20cm and one 12cm.
Using a metal hole cutter slightly bigger than the lamp holder (but only just bigger) I cut out the base of each bowl. The steel cuts really easily, just make sure that you have it held firmly in place for drilling. Using a file, I smoothed the edge of the holes to remove any sharp or rough areas.
A coat of spray primer and a couple of coats of spray paint to the outside (leaving the polished steel interior to act as a reflector) and the lamp shade is complete. It is held in place with the shade ring, so no need for any fancy fixings. All I need to do is fit it with an oversized bulb to make it a statement piece.
After a coat of paint, I’ve decided that I really don’t like the colour. I’d prefer to go for white, I think. I may even get a flatter batten bulb holder and lose the smaller bowl. I want to go for a larger white bulb too… but this will all have to wait until normality resumes.
Take care folks and keep yourselves well. xx
As always, Malcolm, a most enjoyable read. I like your forays into design, whether it’s out-and-about or rummaging through your storage. 😉
My favourite read of the week!
What a beautiful soup tureen you found and as usual your diy lighting skills are impressive.
Presume your build is on hold . Such a shame when the end was almost in sight. Keep warm and safe.
I love all 5 of these things! lol. The French Flair book looks perfects for thumbing through on idle afternoons for inspiration. The soup tureens though not my style are a work of art. Also I always love getting 2 things when you set out for just 1. That pic of the Hoxton has made me a convert. The sofa looks good, though skinny high legs aint my cup of tea. The DIY lamp though, win and win!
Thank you for this post. Reading from Uganda where our lockdown has just started so it was lovely to find some things still the same i.e your impeccable taste and these regular 5 things posts.