NINA'S APARTMENT - Inspirational interiors

Valentines Day...how about adding some red to your life?

2012-02-08T16:08:00.002Z

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037518052/

I'm not big on Valentines Day myself, but I do love a bit of red! I have gathered some inspirational images of interiors with red furniture, red artwork, red fridges, red walls, red doors and red anything else.

Hope you like it. Spread the LOVE.

http://pinterest.com/pin/68719846607/

http://pinterest.com/pin/20266267042644029/

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037848142/

http://img4.coastalliving.com/i/2009/06/redwhiteblue-9-l.jpg

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037848140/

http://spookyhome.tumblr.com/post/4108147260

http://designismine.blogspot.com/2010/05/interior-inspiration-random-rooms.html

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88092887/patchwork-cushion-cover-red-apples-and

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037848153/

Where East meets West...vintage kimonos and upcycled jeans

2012-01-23T12:43:00.000Z

Today I had the luxury of a whole afternoon to myself, as hubby took baby out shopping, leaving the house in peace and quiet. Bliss! I took the opportunity to get the sewing machine out and decided to start a new series of patchwork pillows, as I needed to produce some more for my online shop. I have now created some with unusual fabric combinations; how about vintage kimono fabric and an old pair of jeans? Or denim, retro fabric and velvet? I even managed to include the back pocket of the jeans, making it a handy pillow to store your remote control ;-)

They're all for sale in my Etsy shop.
Have a look! x

Hello! I'm back!

2012-01-09T10:28:00.002Z

Wow. That was some month and I don't mean the annual festivities around Christmas and New Year.

On the 9th of December I became a mum! I gave birth to Dylan, my beautiful little boy, and I have been busy with him ever since. I knew it was gonna be busy - but blimey, those first few weeks are just mental. We have got to know each other a bit better now and although there's no such thing as a routine yet, I feel a little bit more in control. Hubby has gone back to work today, so it's just me and Dylan now! Eek! Hence my escape to the blogosphere, while Dylan is doing a nap. I never know when he wakes up and needs my attention, so I better make the most of it. Hopefully he sleeps LOTS so I may even be able to squeeze in a bit of sewing....hmmm, I know, wishful thinking.

Free vintage printables for all your creations this Christmas season

2011-11-29T12:17:00.001Z

Just something I made Great round labels.

I love graphic design and creating blogs, postcards, posters, flyers, business cards and more. Not that I have any proper Photoshop or Illustrator skills, but by keeping things simple and using good quality images and type fonts I seem to get away with a lot! ;-)

Lately I have come across some absolutely gorgeous free downloadable images and photoshop textures, which I didn't want to keep to myself. I mean, what better finishing touch than a customised, vintage label to go with your hand-made gift?

So. Here we go! Have fun and do share links to your websites if you've created anything with them!

Fuzzimo
A great site with lots of vintage downloadable images including postcards, stamps and envelopes as well as polaroid frames, canvas textures and old sticky tape. Yum!

I-Do-It-Yourself
Wonderful website with lots of ideas and inspiration for weddings - but of course these great labels can be used for your homemade Christmas gifts too. Worth a look.

Demilked
I found a great selection of free downloadable Retro type fonts on this website, ready to be used on all your labels, cards and other creations...

Shadowhouse creations
More yummy type fonts! Which one to choose???

World Label
Heaps of great vintage labels to stick on jars, bottles, boxes, gifts, anything!

Miss Cutiepie goes 80s
Lots of free printable vintage Christmas labels and tags...

DigitalCollageImages (via Flickr)
Some more lovely vintage Christmas tags. Oh my - are those gifts going to look good this year or what.!

Lilybox Designs
Cover some tin cans in these vintage wrappers. You may want to keep some yourself as a home for your pencils, scissors and other bits and bobs too!

Maybemej
Great collection of printable paper scraps, including old maps, flower patterns and labels:

Hope this list has given you some ideas and inspiration! Enjoy!

***

Grey boring? How about sophisticated - and a great backdrop for colour?

2011-11-18T11:13:00.000Z

http://pinterest.com/pin/379977431/

A lot of people choose natural colours like beiges or browns when opting for a 'neutral' and safe colour scheme for their homes. Grey is often seen as too cold or depressing and not on every person's radar when standing in the paint pot alley of the DIY store.

I've collected some examples today of rooms where grey actually looks rather sophisticated and stylish, when used in combination with the right colour accents and accessories. Much better than beige (or worse even, magnolia...)! And hey, you can start off simple - try one bit of wall for starters. Perhaps around the fire place or in the hallway to make a mirror, painting or piece of furniture stand out.

Grey teams very well with yellow, teal and mustard. Imagine if these splashes of colour weren't added to the decor pictured below... They really lift the room. Loving those knitted floor cushions.

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037586270/

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037591235/

Grey is also excellent with more 'girly' colours like red and pink - if yellow is not your cup of tea. That grey becomes the perfect background for your favourite pink accessories - just add cushions, throws, curtains or just a bouquet of roses to the room.

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037591534/

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037593603/

Loving this chesterfield sofa... http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037591995/

http://pinterest.com/pin/301590063/

And if you really can't detach yourself from your beiges and browns, why not combine grey with a bit of 'neutral' after all - and add accessories in natural materials like wood, wicker and jute? Add some natural wooden furniture, pieces of driftwood as accessories and of course don't forget that lovely natural wooden floor as a basis.

Oh my - now THAT looks like a cosy seat! http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037593612/

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037574949/

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037584118/

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037593594/

http://pinterest.com/pin/381739864/

My debut as a business at the Christmas fair...

2011-11-11T18:22:00.001Z

It felt like I was finally officially launching my business in 'real life' yesterday, at the Christmas Fair in Inchmarlo. I had my table all set up, my products displayed, my labels and packaging organised...how exciting! It's all very well running an online shop and blog from behind the safety of your computer screen, but physically speaking to customers and seeing what they pick up, look at, like and buy (or don't!) really is a different ball game...and so useful!

I learned a lot in three hours. I am however pleased to say that my lovingly hand crafted patchwork cushions went down very well and so did my Christmas decorations and vintage items. I'll definitely do more fairs next year!

In the meantime I had to update my web shop as I sold quite a bit! If you would like to buy anything, please order in the next few weeks - my baby's coming soon! www.ninasapartment.com

Here's me, proud owner of my stall!

Wardrobe makeover in Aubusson and Duck egg blue

2011-11-02T14:00:00.002Z

I am proud to finally present to you the result of my £20 wardrobe makeover! Got it months ago from Banchory's Box Room (great for finding old furniture) and I eventually painted it and did it up. I love the combination of the blue and the brass hinges. It is now baby's first antique piece - holding all its baby grows, cute little cardigans and mini socks.

I painted the inside of the wardrobe in Annie Sloan's duck egg blue chalk paint and the outside in her Aubusson blue shade (with a layer of duck egg blue underneath which shines through after I lightly sanded through the corners and edges). I also stuck some blue-green retro fabric against the inside back panel of the wardrobe. My sister, who has been helping me finish the nursery over the past few days, put in an extra shelf (which she made out of our old bed slats!) and we got some useful storage boxes for underneath. She also saved me some money by suggesting using an old broom stick as a clothes rail and painting it in the same colour as the wardobe. Neat!

I'm very pleased with the result - hope baby likes it too when I show it its room for the first time next month ;-)

The broom stick clothes rail and bed slat shelf!

My hard working sister 'handy An' - :-)

My new passion: sewing patchwork pillows

2011-10-27T14:27:00.000+01:00

This post is a shameful plug of my recent sewing bonanza, which has resulted in a wonderfully eclectic collection of patchwork cushion covers which I am now selling online as well as at the Christmas fair I am taking part in soon. I have turned into a right pillow making factory since I got my new sewing machine and I love it! Finally knowing what to do with my scrap pieces of fabric that I don't want to throw out, I just sew them all together into unique combinations. I also use vintage linens and all kinds of upholstery and dress making fabrics I come across on my travels. If anything, they will provide excellent insulation for our home in the coming winter months! ;-)

Which one do you like best?

I am selling them for £25 ($40) each excl insert, with free shipping to the UK. Happy to ship internationally as well - just drop me an email on ninasapartment at gmail.com. Makes a perfect handmade Christmas present! I am open to make custom pillow covers, so if you're looking for a specific colour scheme just let me know.

GO TO THE SHOP

DIY craft project tutorials - for a homemade Christmas

2011-10-17T20:00:00.003+01:00

Felted garland tutorial from Small Bird Blog

I have been asked by my friend and artist Fenneke of Fenfolio to sell some of my handmade cushions and vintage wares at a Christmas Fair she's organising in November and I am SO excited about this! It will be the first time I am going to officially be 'out there' with my business and goodies, other than just being online. Eeek! In addition to selling my home decor items I have been browsing the internet loads to find inspiration and cool ideas to create handmade Christmas decoration to sell as well. I have already made some lovely fabric rag wreaths, but am also going to have a go at making tree ornaments and anything else that is beautiful but relatively easy to make. After all, my maternity leave is starting next week, so an ideal time to get cracking with those crafts!

As you're probably not all going to be able to rush down to my stall at the Christmas Fair (but wouldn't that be great!), I thought I share some of the DIY projects I found with you so you could have a go yourself at creating a 'homemade Christmas' this year. Enjoy!

Fabric covered polystyrene/styrofoam ball
This is one of the things I will be attempting soon; baubles covered in fabric squares. Endless possibilities here with your favourite pieces of fabric! Go to the tutorial

Using vintage papers
Clear, glass ornaments decoupaged with vintage papers, sprinkled with glass glitter and tied with "Noel" made on a printer. There's no real tutorial here, but I guess it's using the decoupage technique and glue such as Mod Podge to get the paper to stick to the ornaments.

Clay ornaments with doily print These are super simple to make but oh-so-elegant. The one pictured is featured on the beautiful website of Marley and Locker.

1. Use air-dry clay, roll it out so you have a thin even sheet (about 3-5mm thick).
2. If you want start by pressing a piece of linen or cotton onto the clay to create a textured effect.
3. Press a doily or piece or lace into the clay and carefully take it away to reveal the imprint.
4. Take a small round glass or other shape you like and press it into the clay to cut out the shape. Use a nail or similar to pierce through the ornament so you can put a ribbon through it later.
5. Use rubber stamp letters to create a word or Christmas wish.
5. Let the ornament dry completely.
6. Paint the ornament with white acrylic paint or leave it natural.
7. Fill in the imprint of the word with a darker shade of paint.

Clay doily bowls
If you really getting into this technique, why not try these gorgeous little bowls as well?
Go to the tutorial

Fabric rag ornaments
Couldn't quite find the tutorial to go with these, but aren't they lovely? My guess is cutting out thin equal strips of fabric, then using pins to hold them in place on a polystyrene ball. I'm gonna give this a go...Please let me know if you've discovered a better way of doing this!

Branch candle holder
No Christmas without candles, so of course I am including a tutorial for a candle holder! This one is made with little twigs and will add a bit of rustic beauty to your home. Go to the full tutorial

What are you going to give a try?

***

Turn your bathroom into a luxury spa (or Turkish hammam)

2011-10-07T11:40:00.000+01:00

http://pinterest.com/pin/237377281/

Summer is over, nights are drawing in, the central heating comes back on. Time to cosy up our homes and get into some serious pampering. No better place to pamper yourself than in your own bathroom. Bubbles in the bath, candles on, glass of wine..you get it. I don't know about yours, but our bathroom is small and always runs the risk of looking messy with too many shampoo bottles and other stuff lying around. No bathroom is going to going to look like a luxurious spa with lots of clutter in sight, so look out for some pretty baskets to store towels, bath products or use for your laundry.

West elm

http://pinterest.com/pin/241518973/

I really like the idea to step away from the standard mdf bathroom cabinets and replace them with a vintage glass cupboard, painted in a nice colour.

Image: Madam Fafa on Flickr

Have you ever been to a Turkish bath house or 'hammam'? Some of them are grand and very decorative, others - especially traditional ones - are pretty basic (after all, they were bath houses for people who didn't have a bathroom at home!). What makes some of them very pretty is the dome-like architecture, arabic decoration, mosaics and natural stone. Usually they also have a big heated stone platform in the centre where you can get your back scrubbed by some old lady ;-) And don't expect a gentle massage here!

http://hotsprung.wordpress.com/category/hamam/

Anyway, back to the comfort of our own bathroom, let's see how we can add some hammam-style to your own sanctuary. Tip one: swap your high street brand shampoo bottles and soap bars for something prettier (or at least hide the family size plastic bottles in the bathroom cabinet!). Lots of people are now into making their own soaps, so why not buy a few bars from an independent soap maker? Plenty on etsy, or try and make your own.


Frog Goes to Market on Etsy

100layercake.com tutorial

I'm definitely going to give this DIY salt scrub recipe a shot. Looks very simple to make but delicious and pretty in a nice glass jar:

DIY salt scrub tutorial

And how about replacing your soap dishes with some vintage bowls or little saucers? Who says these things are for kitchen-use only?

Dennis Anderson on Etsy

Or pick something else that's a step up from your standard plastic or white sets:

Handmade soap dish from Prince Design UK on etsy

West elm

I love the beauty and feel of cotton hammam towels which give your bathroom instant stylishness. (I recently imported some to sell in my online shop, which I would love to keep all to myself but that would make me a rather silly shop keeper!). Drape them over an old ladder or roll them up in a pretty basket.

http://www.unstitchedblog.com/category/textiles/

http://tinyurl.com/659gh7b

Something I also like and gives a real 'spa-like' feel, are pebble floors. They now apparently come in easy sheets that you can simply buy from your DIY store....keep that in mind for your next bathroom project!

Pebble floor

http://pinterest.com/pin/244311902/

I hope I've given you some ideas. I certainly know I need to take a good look at my own bathroom and de-clutter. I've got the day off today though, so who knows. Maybe it's time for a bath first.

***

Feeling the blues: indigo fabrics and patterns

2011-09-30T20:00:00.003+01:00

http://pinterest.com/pin/213308348/

Continuing my posts about colour today! Monday it was plum, today it is blue. I have always liked blue, the deep moody blue that can look fresh combined with white or mysterious with darker shades. The combination with bright red works surprisingly well too. I especially like the indigo blues used in fabrics such as kimono fabric or ikat from Japan and other far East countries. The beauty is, used in textiles like cushions or throws you can never have enough of them in my opinion, especially scattered together on a sofa or bed. Combining lots of different patterns and textures but all in the same colour can make a room look very 'together' and stylish.

http://pinterest.com/pin/220336599/

Ever since buying my new sewing machine a few weeks ago I have turned into a cushion factory, so my house might end up looking like this one day!

http://brightbazaar.blogspot.com/2011/08/harlequins-kallianthi-collection.htm

I always keep an eye out for unique decor items while browsing markets and carboot sales and I have been collecting quite a few blue lovelies over time. This cute little vase I discovered recently:

http://ninasapartment.bigcartel.com/category/blue

http://pinterest.com/pin/201885751/

http://tinyurl.com/636gweq

http://pinterest.com/pin/215687216/


http://pinterest.com/pin/192691997/

http://pinterest.com/pin/189692553/


http://pinterest.com/pin/189684642/

Plum, my new favourite colour for the home

2011-09-26T20:00:00.012+01:00

http://pinterest.com/pin/239810624/

http://gallery.me.com/bellanottelinens#100705/20100503_bnl_059&bgcolor=black

Do you have that sometimes, that all of a sudden you're drawn to a certain colour, one that you never really gave much attention to before? Well, lately I am loving plum. The slightly dusty, deep purple that can turn living rooms into lush luxurious lounges, bedrooms into boudoirs and outfits into sophistication. Combine it with duck egg blue and it lightens up. Combine it with dark greys, blues and black and it becomes seductive and mysterious. Team it with yellow and it becomes autumnal and slightly vintage. Plum...yum!

I have just finished and put up in the shop a lovely patchwork cushion in plum and yellow, made with Michael Miller retro fabric and an old merino wool jumper. Very upcycled and unique! Ready to be shipped to your sofa or bed ;-)

http://ninasapartment.bigcartel.com/product/handmade-unique-upcycled-patchwork-cushion-plum-yellow

http://pinterest.com/pin/204206309/


http://pinterest.com/pin/233496131/

http://pinterest.com/pin/239852148/

http://pinterest.com/pin/230767704/

http://pinterest.com/pin/127796522/

http://pinterest.com/pin/178554065/

What inspired me this week: gorgeous ceramics, knitted blankets and painted glass cabinets

2011-09-23T10:13:00.000+01:00

Just a short post from me today! As usual I have been manically 'pinning' inspiring images again on Pinterest. This is a selection of what inspired me this week. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Feeling creative: pom poms, t-shirt yarn and a hula hoop rug

2011-09-15T18:00:00.001+01:00

It must be that nesting instinct setting in now I'm about seven months pregnant, but I can't help feeling the incredible urge to make things. Sew, paint, recycle, upcycle, revamp, refurbish, you name it. I am still working my day job though, so I am just collecting lots of ideas in the meantime while still doing the 9-to-5!

Here are a few great ideas you may want to try yourself, whether expecting a baby like me, having a day off or looking for stuff to do with the kids in the holidays.

To cheer up any party or kids room, you could make a pom pom garland. Remember those? We used to make them in primary school all the time. Now it's time for the grown-up version! If a garland looks more like a week's work than something you're able to do in an afternoon, why not keep it simple and make a few to dispense from the ceiling? If you're really lazy you can of course just buy them from other creatives down at Etsy.

This tutorial from Craftaholics Anonymous (great name!) shows you how to make fluffy pom poms made from t-shirt yarn (you know, 'wool' made from old tees - see how to make your own yarn here). Very nice.

Another cool looking project is the 'hula hoop rug', woven from t-shirt yarn. I'd love to give this a try. Looks pretty easy, no? I am crazy about those chunky knitted rugs and poufs at the moment, but I have no idea how to knit them. This seems to be an easy way to create something similar. Not sure about the bold colours in the one pictured, but I'm sure you could turn it into something quite sophisticated by using greys, deep purples or reds instead. Here's the How-To

familyfun.go.com

Making a coat rack out of a wood pallet and some doilie DIY

2011-09-12T10:09:00.000+01:00

I absolutely LOVE this. Doilies, those things your granny probably has millions of lying in her drawers, can be used in far more creative ways than as coasters or table cloths. Turn them into a gorgeous lamp shade! Visit the lovely Swedish blog www.dosfamily.com for the full How-To.

Then another wonderful, and quite simple, project you could finish on a Saturday: a coat rack made out of an old pallet. Give it a lick of paint, screw in a few hooks and - voila! Great idea. For the How-To (do you need one?) visit www.shelterness.com

Nina's Apartment - my online shop is now open!

2011-09-05T19:11:00.001+01:00

Guess what? After years of blogging, hunting for treasures and getting an overdose of inspiration and ideas, I thought it was high time to open up my own online shop! After all, there's no way I have space in my own home for all those vintage purchases and revamped pieces of furniture I have collected by now. So what is nicer than to share it with my loyal readers? I have just accessories in stock for now, but soon I will add more items, including revamped furntiture and handmade items. All of it carefully selected and created with love!

I ship UK-wide, but if you live abroad and see something you fancy, please drop me an email and I will give you a shipping quote based on your location.

Happy shopping everyone!

TAKE ME TO THE SHOP

What inspired me this week: Pinterest, unusual floors and blackboard paint

2011-09-03T15:43:00.001+01:00

I have just joined Pinterest, an aboslute gem of a website where you can create pinboards full of images that you like. My husband now calls me "addicted to images of furniture" - and I think he's right. I was already addicted to facebook, now I'm addicted to Pinterest as well!

Here's a selection of beautiful images that have inspired me this week:

You can't beat fresh flowers. From Reasons to Breathe

Beautiful worn furniture, blackboard wall and vintage lamps. Nice. From nice*room

This would jazz up any dull wall! From Tracy Le's pinboard

In case you don't know where your socks are. From Apartment Therapy

Striking stripes on this floor. From Katie Maennle

Floor made out of old wine crates. From It's Designed

How funky! Yellow patterend floorboards. From Designvagabond's Flickr

Lovely quilt. From urban outfitters

Nice colour scheme made up of stamps. From We Heart It

...and a matching post sack cushion! From Etsy

If you're curious to what else I've been pinning on my boards, here's the link: www.pinterest.com/ninasapartment

Happy weekend! Nx

---

Thonet chair makeover using Annie Sloan chalk paint

2011-08-29T21:07:00.001+01:00

I have started a new project for the nursery; painting a £20 old dark brown wardrobe, but as that hasn't been finished yet, I will show you a small project that I did while waiting for the paint to dry.

Some years ago I bought a couple of the classic type Thonet chairs for little money, the ones you often see in pubs. As I was attacking my old wardrobe with Aubusson Blue paint from Annie Sloan, I thought, hey, that might look good on a chair too! I left the seat unpainted (just gave it a coat of wax), which I think goes quite well with the blue-grey colour. What do you think? Improvement?

The chair before and after the paint layer:

Our patio makeover. Where natural stone meets lavender.

2011-08-26T13:36:00.001+01:00

Maybe some of you remember my post from last year about our patio project? Well, I am pleased to let you all know that it has now been FINISHED! Well, at least, as far as the actual patio area goes. The edge from patio to rest of the garden is still another little bit of work that we need to look at later. Yes, later. Like, next year. But gosh, am I happy that it is done, even though Summer is almost over! It's only been ten months! Still, it's been worth the wait and all the hard work.

Here are some before shots to refresh your memory...

And....here is the finished patio:

The outer ring of pebbles we did ourselves and took absolutely forever, preparing the ground, placing cement, deciding on the pattern, tapping them all in and making sure they're level. And you can't do these things in rainy weather!

As for the planting I choose bamboo plants for the top bed (as we'd like them to give us some more privacy in the future and bamboo is meant to grow fast!) and lots of alpine plants and sedums for the top of the wall. I choose lavender for pots and the lower beds to match the purple slate. The small tree in the pot is an olive tree (that only gets put out for a little while in Scotland!).

I love the old oak plank that has been built as a bench into the drystone wall:

Our patio certainly has a lot of creativity, love, blood, sweat, tears - and a hell of a lot of rocks - in it. I love the natural stone, the different textures, patterns, the purple shades and the way it looks like it's always been there. Concrete slabs may be quicker, but this patio will sure bring us (and the cats ;-) many years of joy.

A new obsession: antique Hungarian pine benches

2011-08-10T22:33:00.001+01:00

We love being in our kitchen. It's spacious and it has a large dining table in it where you can sit and read the papers for hours, drink tea and generally potter about. A lovely addition to our beloved table we think would be a big old wooden bench, antique, painted and with cushions scattered on it. Now, where to find one? I always do a search on eBay and quickly I came across the type I like best: the Hungarians! Church pews are nice too, but I don't think they're very comfy to sit on in the long run. The Hungarian ones however have a deeper seat and a back that isn't as upright as the pews. They also often have storage space underneath the seat. Very handy. Hopefully we'll have one in our kitchen very soon... I'm on the hunt! Do let me know if you know of any place in the UK that deals in them. Thanks!

Image: Ravishingly Rustic

From Fleamarkets to high end design: on tour in Sweden

2011-08-03T17:19:00.002+01:00

I have just returned from a fabulous two weeks holidays in lovely Sweden and am totally rested and inspired (and even a little tanned!). What a totally cool and laidback country....aaahhh...I want to live there. We shopped, sauna'd, sailed, canoed, shopped some more, read books, drank very expensive wine (not by choice - and only a sip for me!) and took heaps of photos. Below I will share some of what inspired me most.
I saw these upcycled cupboards in a shop window in Stockholm's trendy area Sodermalm. It's not an actual shop, but the designers used it as an advertising space. Very clever!

A great lamp shop in Sodermalm, with lamps in antique, retro and contemporary styles.

An atmospheric picture of a street and bicycle in Stockholm's Gamla Stan:

This was our idyllic sauna on the waterfront on the island of Lidingö near Stockholm. Lovely. You could bring your own candles and make it a cosy retreat in the evening. Once all heated up you dive straight into the sea water. Brrrrrr....

Here's me enjoying some sunshine on the ferry in Stockholm.

One place we spent quite some time in was the department store P.U.B. Apart from serving an awsome lunch and home bakes, the store features many great brands and shops. The home interior department was wonderful! I wanted to buy everything wih the result that I didn't buy anything because my brain could not take all the beauty...and I would have to ship it all back by at least three large containers . So I just took lots of photos.

And of course there were plenty high end designer furniture shops with the familiar names of Arne Jacobsen, Eames, Vitra and many others. Always nice to have a wander around these stores although some times I must admit I get a bit bored by them, as they always look a bit 'sterile' to me. Where's the junk?! Gimme me some junk!

Well, junk galore once you're in the countryside, I tell ya. At first I had no clue what the word 'Loppis' meant. I thought perhaps people were selling strawberries or something at their farms, so I paid little attention. But soon we were enlightened by our landlady who told us they were nothing less than mini fleamarkets! Hey-ho! So as you can expect, I soon shouted STOP! LOPPIS! at every Loppis sign at the side of the road, driving my husband bonkers. Some barns were full of total rubbish and didn't have much to offer, but I did find three lovely 'characterful' (i.e. cracked) Swedish blue plates though for the grand sum of 30p.

We also found some more junk: the vintage car cemetary in Båstnäs,Värmland, which has become a bit of a tourist attraction. Hundreds of rusty cars from the 1940s-60s scattered in the field and forest, piled on top of each other with trees growing through the roofs. Bizarre but fascinating!

Last but not least, we brought back some plastic rugs from Swedish brand Pappelina and one unknown make but equally cool. In Arvika, a provincial town in the province of Värmland, we came across a fabulous rug shop with rugs in every colour and pattern under the sun.

Shame the holidays are over, but it's a country I definitely want to go back to. Even if it was only for the evening swims in the quiet lakes.

Meet Peapod, Aberdeen's brand new upcycled furniture shop

2011-07-09T10:00:00.002+01:00

Living in the North East of Scotland, I am missing independent, creative and inspiring shops, mainly in the furniture department. I clearly wasn't the only one. Two weeks ago Claire Milne, a mother of one (and another one on the way!), opened up her brand new shop 'Peapod' in Aberdeen, dedicated to giving used and unloved pieces of furniture a new life by lovingly restoring them, painting them and giving them a whole new 'funky' look. I headed down to meet with her.

"I just felt it was time to do something different in my life", says Claire, "after having been a fulltime mum for over a year. Opening up my own business felt like the right thing to do, doing what I love doing and being able to fit it around my family as well." When a competition called Retail Rocks sprung up earlier this year, offering a number of entrepreneurs the chance to start up their business in rent-free premises for a year, Claire grabbed the opportunity. She is now one of the winners, trying to breathe new life into Aberdeen's old neighbourhood of Torry, alongside a jewellery designer, a gallery, a hot dog cafe and a photo studio.

Peapod has a real vintage and romantic feel to it, with its pink painted walls, pastel coloured chairs, dresser and wardrobe and colourful bunting in the window. There are also plenty of pieces of furniture still in their original, shabby state, waiting for their turn to be done up. "We would like to give customers the freedom of telling us what colour and design they would like the furniture to be in", explains Claire. " They may be looking for something in particular, so we source it and we can then give it any look they wish." Claire tells me about the basement of the shop that is full of gorgeous, old furniture and there's even more. "There's loads at my parents' house, even their summer house in the garden is piled full of stuff!"
Other than just giving furniture a fresh lick of paint, Claire also has a love for the decoupage technique, which she applied to one of the chairs on the shop floor, covered in old comic book pictures. As I came in today, Claire was just busy doing another one, reusing sheet music from an old Beatles book. Great idea!

Claire has got help from her dad, a joiner ("my dad makes sure wonky chairs are safe to sit on again!"), and her husband, who is self-employed and is currently building an online shop for the Peapod business. And now, in addition to a lovely shop just been born, Claire is going to have a second baby in November. "It's going to be one busy year!" Claire laughs, "we'll just see how things go and make the best of it". I have much admiration for this busy bee and hope she'll do really well, adding a much needed touch of originality and a splash of paint to the grey city of Aberdeen.
If you're in the area, go and have a look. Or even better, finally get that unique and eclectic statement sideboard, chair or wardrobe you've been looking for for ages.

Peapod
28 Menzies Road, AB25 1SL Aberdeen, UK
peapodaberdeen@gmail.com
Peapod on Facebook

Bedside table makeover

2011-07-06T18:00:00.001+01:00

I've been on a roll ever since I found the Annie Sloan chalk paint and more and more pieces of furniture in my house are getting covered in duck egg blue. Maybe it's time to get another couple of colours...just to get a bit of variety!

I had this bedside table for ages, once bought for £10 somewhere in the area, and I decided this too needed a lick of paint. On my trip to Copenhagen recently I bought a handful of ceramic drawer knobs and they came in very handy to give the table its finishing touch. What do you think?

Junk find becomes cool coffee table

2011-07-03T13:02:00.002+01:00

I'm so chuffed, I found this wee table at second-hand shop the Box Room in Banchory yesterday for £5 and a day later it's already brightened up my living room - and my life!

I painted its legs with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Duck egg blue (oh my goodness, another brilliant discovery! Go google it and get some, it's the best paint ever if you're into painting old furniture and distressing it). I then put some wax on it and lightly sanded it back to get a worn look. I just tried it out in the lounge and guess what, it's a perfect compagnon for my other recent find: the 1950s chair. We've got a winner here!
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Junk up your nursery with funky and colourful pieces

2011-06-30T17:54:00.001+01:00

As I am expecting my first child I am obviously focussed (perhaps a little obsessed!) with finding some cool pieces for the nursery. Matching, expensive sets in white and oak from the big high street stores bore me to tears and as Aberdeen doesn't have any independent retailers catering for the more eclectic taste, I'm trawling the web looking for some originality and inspiration. Anyone know of some good sites? Let me know!

Meanwhile I am going to try and find an old chest of drawers that I can paint in a funky colour and transform into a changing table. We've been promised a wooden swinging crib already (yay!) and I may just turn the freestanding wardrobe that we own into one suitable for baby stuff.

I did buy some things from a few high street chains (oh no! *blushing*), but only because they had a nice vintage feel to them and of course with the purpose to mix and match them with my other finds. I bought this gorgeous stripey blanket from Mamas and Papas' 'gingerbread' range and I found some 1/2 price cute retro (Amy Butler-like) fabric at John Lewis last week, which I am going to make into cushions (see photo above). Bought both the pink-orange and blue-green variety, to suit both boy or girl. But hey, as the shop-lady said; baby won't notice anyway.

I wanted to share the link to the fabulous blog Bambino Goodies with you, which features heaps of inspiring articles about all things lovely for kids - including some smashing announcements of discounts and sales. It was here I found the link to the great looking Olli Ella Nursing chairs that are made in London. And - to be honest - they would look stunning in any home, whether you have kids or not! They're not cheap, but since you can 're-use' them in your louge, it seems a good investment. I'm really tempted to get one... what colour would you go for?

I also explored Apartment Therapy's kids' rooms site OhDeeDoh a bit more and found some really nice nursery examples:

Gotta love this big bright yellow cot!

A bit of vintage and nostalgia here:

Loving the yellow-grey combination in this one:

Bambino Goodies also does 'Room tours' to give you inspiration, and these rooms sure did:

If you know of any good online shops or places for inspiration, do leave the links in the comments bit below. Thanks! x

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Guest blog: Creating an Eclectic Interior - Creative Collections

2011-06-16T16:36:00.001+01:00

As I am currently pregnant (almost four months now!) I haven't had a lot of energy to keep my blog up to speed - hopefully things will improve now I am entering my 'blooming' stage! I was delighted when US based Arcadian Lighting kindly offered to write a guest blog for me, continuing my series of Eclectic Interior posts. I have certainly been inspired by the wonderful photos of colourful collections, I hope you will too. By the way, if anyone else would like to help out by writing a 'guest blog' for Nina's Apartment, do get in touch! Nx

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Creating an Eclectic Interior - Creative Collections

Making collections part of everyday life gives the collector the greatest satisfaction. Hiding collections away in a closet or in storage takes the fun out of the art of collecting. It is easy to decorate with displayed collections whether they are a wall of plates, a table of old light fixtures or a cabinet of found objects.

Embrace the Pretty (via)

A seamstress displays her collection of fabrics in her workroom by grouping them according to color on an industrial metal shelf. The dressed mannequin and picture off to the side add a nice touch and coordinate well with the prints and colors in her collection.

House of Design & Style (via)

Art lovers have the most advantageous of spaces to display their collections on blank walls. This collector fills the walls of a modern apartment with a variety of paintings and drawings, making it possible to enjoy each piece on a daily basis. Installing ceiling lights would highlight the art nicely.

Remodelista (via)

Vintage plates are very common collector's items, however, this collector displays a grouping of modern plates. The graphic printed cloth on the table above sets the colors in the plates and platters off beautifully.

Imgfave (via)

Many collections, like the one pictured here, are a combination of unrelated items. This collector displays photos and cards inside a vintage picture frame surrounded by found objects such as the antique telephone, old hat and wicker basket.

Inspire Bohemia (via)

A hallway is the perfect spot to display art and family photographs as this image shows. This collector displayed her collection in a clever way by hanging art in a stair step fashion along each step. The vintage suitcases on the landing are a nice touch.

Inspire Bohemia (via)

Photo collections are very common and usually take quite a bit of flat surface space, however, this collector found a way to display their images beautifully without individual frames. The color blocks in red and green coordinate well with the pillows on the bed below. Don't be afraid to highlight any of your collections with a pair of wall sconces.

KitchAnn Style (via)

Many book lovers demand a lot of space to display their tomes, and of course, shelving is the most common. This collector displays their collection of the classics by color creating a beautiful backdrop to the white sofa.

Apt 5 (via)

Vintage mirrors in all shapes and sizes adorn this wall in a European apartment. The mirrors do double duty in reflecting a grouping of pictures on the opposite wall.

Amazon (via)

Jonathan Adler's book, My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living, gives many ideas for displaying collections which can be great for your health.

Content provided by Arcadian Lighting.

Lost in a junk yard - when even a junk-a-holic has had enough

2011-05-28T22:31:00.001+01:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

Today my husband and I went for a lovely road trip along the east coast of Aberdeenshire, to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and generally enjoy the sea breeze and sunshine. We stopped off at pittoresk fishing village Johnshaven, ate fresh strawberries and ice cream at a farm shop and found some nice pieces of driftwood on the beach of Montrose. We also paid a visit to the (in)famous Steptoe's Yard in St Cyrus, where you literally trip over all kinds of junk. My treasure hunting pals suggested many times that I should really go and have a look, so we did...

Hmmm, what can I say? Overwhelming! I can honestly say I have never in my life seen so much junk piled up in one place. Millions of plates and cups scattered on tables, one whole shed full of glassware, a barn filled with thousands of chairs, cupboards, tacky prints, mirrors, old records, suitcases, tables and more. Not to mention the endless boxes of rusty old tools lying around outdoors. Phew - good lord! Now you know I love junk and am not afraid of some treasure hunting and seeing the potential in old furniture. But today at Steptoe's Yard I felt like running a mile! How funny. I guess when you "just go for a browse" you get lost in a sea of rubbish and just want to get the heck out of there (I did!). When you know what you're looking for, I am sure a treasure awaits you. Seriously, if you can't find it at Steptoe's Yard, it simply doesn't exist.

Steptoe's Yard, St Cyrus
http://www.steptoesyard.com/

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Istanbul, where oriental bazaars meet trendy design

2011-05-08T22:17:00.001+01:00

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I am writing this on the plane, traveling back from a wonderful week with friends in Istanbul. This city was always on my 'to-go-list' and I am pleased to say: it was 100% worth it! Istanbul is surprisingly western; a big mediterrenean city interspersed with minarets. It feels modern and familiar, even though you can find plenty of more traditional neighbourhoods as well, with muslim women fully covered in long black dresses or at least wearing head scarves and long coats. We were staying in the Beyoglu part however, which is full of the young and trendy and saturated with buzzing cafes, original boutiques and yummy restaurants. A great area as starting point for your daily trips through the city.

Sure, we did all the usual touristy stuff including visits to Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi palace and Byzantine churches. We wandered endlessly through the grand bazaar, ancient tiny streets, snacked all Turkish street food under the sun and took a boat trip up the Bosporus lined by the most expensive villas and boulevards full of posh looking people with big designer sun glasses.

But we also ended up a bit 'off the beaten track' at Santral, a lovely art centre (with even lovelier museum shop ;-) in an impressive looking old electricity plant, on the university campus just outside busy Istanbul city centre. Changing art exhibitions in one part, a science museum in the other. The shop contained some great ceramics by Turkish designers as well as a rather cool chair made out of a suitcase.

If you rather buy some traditional Turkish style products, you'll find plenty of ceramics, kelims and decorative items in the Grand bazaar and around the tourist hot spots. I bought a designer necklace as well as some colourful blue tiles (to use as coasters or just as decoration). I also bought loads of Turkish delight and I doubt whether that will last the week!

Beyoglu, 'our neighbourhood', has some superb independent designer boutiques (mainly clothes and jewelry) and a couple of streets full of antiques. Great to see some beautiful old Turkish furniture, old maps, vases and textiles - different from styles in the UK. To further please my interior and vintage obsession, we were lucky to stay in a gorgeous loft-style apartment, tastefully decorated by the French owner in a mix of antiques and IKEA.

If you haven't been to Istanbul, put it on your list! It is a friendly, welcoming city that stimulates the senses: wonderful food, plenty to see. You'll come home recharged and inspired.

Photos top to bottom: antiques in Beyoglu, tiles in a mosque, interior shop in Beyoglu, more antiques in Beyoglu, shops, textiles and cafe in the Grand bazaar, suitcase chair and ceramics in Santral museum shop, a trendy cafe near Santral, detail in byzantine church, Turkish breakfast at garden cafe Limonlu bahce in Beyoglu, our apartment and the Blue mosque.

How to create an eclectic...exterior! Rugs, seating, lanterns and other colourful patio ideas

2011-04-06T19:07:00.003+01:00

April always seems to be one of the best months in the North East of Scotland and today we had tropical temperatures of 19 degrees Celsius! It was incredibly windy, but still, I managed to enjoy lunch 'al-fresco'. Each year I hope that we'll have great weather until at least August, but unfortunately we've had plenty of wetness and cold too.... Anyway, enough about our crappy Scottish Summers, let's talk sunshine! As I have recently been writing a couple of posts about how to create an eclectic interior, I thought it would be nice to focus on how to create inspirational outdoor areas today, since we'll all be walking around in our flip-flops soon.

As you may have seen in earlier posts my husband and I are still busy building our own patio area from beautiful natural stone, which hopefully will be finished before Summer. Can't wait to dress it up with furniture, cushions and pot plants. The rockery plants are in place already.

To give you and myself some inspiration, I selected some great images to get our creative thinking going...

I adore everything in this picture. Look at those tiles! Image: www.style-files.com

How romantic is this...! Image: La Belle Vie

How to create this eclectic garden chandelier, read it on www.sunset.com

And another wonderful alternative chandelier

Not exactly a patio area, but wouldn't you love to have your al-fresco Summer lunch here? Image: Modern Interior Design

I have a thing for colourful cushions, like necklaces, you just can't have enough of them! Image: My Deco

Even small balconies can be transformed into wonderful spaces. Image: Houzz

Indoor furniture doesn't have to stay indoors! Image: House to Home

Get your vintage linens out to create a wonderful country chic dinner table. Image: House to Home

Yup, told you so, get those vintage linens out. What a lovely French style patio! Image: House to Home

And of course...an example from Stockholm, where we'll be heading for our Summer holidays. Great use of a tiny roof terrace! Image: Pitut.com
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Don't know about you, but I am really looking forward to Summer now...hope you like this post. How do you create that individual look on your outdoor area?
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Hurray! My wonderful "mid-century meets Marimekko" chair project is finished!

2011-04-02T21:52:00.002+01:00

Finally got around to finishing the chair today, in the Spring sunshine on the patio - lovely. I'm really pleased with the result! What do you think?

A very small but perfect cottage in the Stockholm archipelago

2011-03-31T12:27:00.001+01:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

Only a short post today. Just wanted to share how excited I am that I found this beautiful tiny cottage near Stockholm, which we've now booked for a week this Summer. I love the painted white wooden walls and the eclectic mix of furniture. Yup - right up my street. It's got a beach, kayaks, a barbecue, a sauna and gorgeous views onto the archipelago. And still within cycling distance of the city buzz (yes, bicycles also come with the cottage!). Bring it on!

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Planning a Summer in Sweden... a lakeside cottage, Scandinavian design and childhood memories

2011-03-26T12:47:00.001Z

Obsessed with Scandinavia? Who, me? After my recent trip to Copenhagen I suddenly refound my love for the Scandinavian countries (although the one for their design had never gone!). I spent many childhood holidays here - camping in Summer, cross-country skiing in Winter - and they were all wonderful. Fishing until midnight as it never got dark, jumping into the nearby lake straight from our tents, grilling sausages on an open camp fire and going on canoe expeditions on the look out for wild beavers. In Winter we would travel up with other families in a caravan of cars packed full of kids, skis and groceries from Aldi (cause you know what the prices are like in Sweden!) for a week of fun in the snow. My parents were truly Scandinavia-holics. IKEA was a standard stop on the way home and my mum even dressed me as Pippi for a school party. Ahhh...those were the days. (top image: Dinh Linh on Flickr)

Me in my Pippi outfit, age...8?

Our packed green Lada with matching canoe in Norway early nineties

And now I want to go back! I have been googling like mad on the hunt for the perfect holiday cottage by a lake (Glenn doesn't share my Dutch love of camping) and trying to find the easiest way to get to Sweden from Scotland in July. One week relaxing in one place and another week touring around and visiting various places including Stockholm. Lakes, canoes, camp fires and endless Summer evenings combined with a visit to one of the hippest design cities in Europe. Sounds like a plan. Shame it's still only March.

Image: DianeCA

I love the simple, functional but beautiful 'Scandi style'; pure, natural materials, clean lines, quality products and fresh, happy colours. No unnecessary decoration, but form follows function. Here are some inspirational photos featured on Scandinavian design blogs and designer websites:

A picturesque Swedish cottage and its interior featured on the Designheaven blog

A bright and airy space featured on the blog From Scandinavia with Love

A bathroom featured on the wonderful design blog by Stockholm-based Emma

Colourful products by Darling Clementine, Norwegian design agency inspired by the past and their Scandinavian design heritage.

Plenty of inspiration for your interior on the lovely blog Scandinavian Chic (two images above)

Lots more to drool about on design blog Roomservice

Great looking 'retro' tableware by Swedish brand Sagaform

More great home decor on Tinaminastina's blog

Beautiful, durable woven rugs made out of plastic, designed and made in Sweden by Pappelina

Did I miss any good Scandinavian blogs and sites? Anyone been to Stockholm recently - share some tips with me please! And if anyone knows the perfect Swedish lakeside cottage, please share the details with me - thanks! :-)

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Treasure hunting at lunchtime: one enamel teapot and two vintage spice jars

2011-03-24T20:04:00.001Z

People kept on telling me about this place but I never got around to visit... The Box Room in Banchory, Aberdeenshire. Yesterday lunchtime I finally had time to pop down and have a look. My oh my, what a great spot for treasure hunting! Hidden away on a small industrial estate and packed full of second-hand furniture and just...well, stuff. Chairs, tables, cupboards, bed frames, mirrors and lots of cups, vases, decorative things and of course your fair share of hideous kitsch-y pictures. Cheap too, that was the best bit! £10 for a chair, £20 for a table. Not all great pieces, but there are some real gems with potential. I feel I should really keep this little secret to myself and not shout it from the roof tops but most of you live far enough away not to all of a sudden raid the place, haha ;-)

I will definitely be checking here for furniture once I'm ready for my next DIY project, but yesterday I was a good girl and only came home with one lovely blue enamel teapot and two cute mustard yellow spice jars... Had to be strict! "No, Nina, you can't have that chair - you gotta finish your other one first!!" Can't wait to go back though, they told me they get new stuff everyday...

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Creating an eclectic interior: don't forget your bathroom!

2011-03-17T18:43:00.001Z

Adding wonderful touches of colour and personality to your home doesn't have to stop with the main living spaces. How about creating an inspirational bathroom too? Most people go for white, cream of other 'neutral' colours when decorating their bathroom, but why not add a bit more 'you' to it? You could keep it safe and just pick accessories to brighten up the space or go all the way and pick colourful wallpaper, tiles or a unique freestanding bath. I'd love a freestanding bath... but my bathroom isn't big enough. (top image and one below from Homeklondike.com)

I really like this 'Swedish spa' style bathroom. Great combination of clean lines and natural materials.

You could add unusual mirrors instead of the usual square ones and use a small colourful rug as your bath mat. Great use of a ladder too. (from House to Home)

Don't know about you, but I get easily bored in a bathroom. Soaking in a bath for hours is not something I do very often. Adding a map of the world could be the solution to this however... dreaming about all those places I still want to visit... or brushing up my geographical knowledge while brushing my teeth at the same time. (images House to Home)

Another great way of adding something different to your bathroom is by painting a wall in a bold colour. I love this deep blue. (Image House to Home)

What about adding some red? Not a usual colour to pick for a bathroom, but I think it works! (image from Houzz)

Or how about adding some colourful artwork to your walls? (image LivingEtc)

And last but not least: text! Add a bit of humour to your tiles. And don't forget to wash behind your ears ;-)

(image Top of Designs)

I hope this have given you some great ideas!

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Work-in-progress: my £12 chair goes Marimekko

2011-03-13T13:57:00.001Z

I originally wanted to wait until I completely finished redoing this chair so I could show you the before and after-shots, but I just can't help myself... I'm too impatient! Here's the in-between-shot instead after I finished reupholstering the seat yesterday with gorgeous Marimekko fabric.

Last weekend I started stripping the wooden frame out in the garden, but it's been pretty wet and snowy the past few days and I'd rather not do this messy job indoors...! I was pleasantly surprised how beautiful the wood turned out once I took off the glossy mahogany coloured varnish. Seems it's a light maple frame with darker teak wooden arm rests. It's gonna be a stunner when I'm done :-)

Restyled, re-worked, updated and saved from the trash: vintage sideboards

2011-03-12T13:24:00.001Z

I love sideboards from the 1950s and 60s. Sleek, timeless and very stylish. They are often great as they are, given some TLC and a dash of Danish oil, but are sometimes even better with some creative adjustments. Caroline Key owns Trash Furnishing in Edinburgh and creates a unique collection of bespoke up-cycled furniture. She restores and re-works furniture and brings the pieces up-to-date with stencils or some paint. I love the way she turns a simple cupboard into something totally unique.

Another company who does this sort of work is a little bit further away from where I live, but anyone reading this living in Australia is lucky. These sleek and funky sideboards are restyled and sold by Retromodern in Adelaide. Totally customisable to your taste and very cool looking.

Have you ever saved a sideboard or other piece of furniture from the trash and restyled it?

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Dreaming about Summer... cool blues and lazy hammocks

2011-03-04T17:47:00.002Z

It's been such a mild, sunny week here in Aberdeenshire, I am totally in the mood for Summer! Can't wait to get out into the garden, plant new flowers, tidy everything up and get that barbecue on the go. I got hold of the Spring/Summer catalogue of Broste Copenhagen (I just can't get enough of that city, can you tell?!), full of beautiful products and I thought I share some of the photos with you today for a bit of inspiration. I love the cool blues in the collection and raw, natural look of the ceramics. I'd love to get that hammock too, although not sure whether it will get much use in North East Scotland with its average Summer temperatures of 15-18 degrees...! Oh well, I guess I could always find a place for it in a sunny place indoors. After all, you got to be creative living in a chilly climate ;-)
Bring on the Summer...

Antiques, junk shops and cargo bikes in Copenhagen's Vesterbro

2011-02-26T16:45:00.001Z

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Today I ventured into Copenhagen's lively neighbourhood Vesterbro, on the other side of Central Station (as supposed to the side of the city centre). Vesterbro is a very up and coming area with a pleasant mix of multicultural shops, cafes, antiques dealers and hip independent boutiques.

I didn't buy much today, apart from a lovely vintage ceramic bowl which I discovered hidden away in a junk shop, for about £10. For the rest I walked around taking it all in. Istedgade and some parts of Vesterbrogade definitely have the best shops. I also explored the area around Flaesketorvet, where big industrial buildings house butchers, fish mongers, catering supply businesses...and art galleries! An intersting combination and worth a visit.

It's Saturday today and it was bright and sunny (though freezing!). Lots of families were out and about, carrying their warmly wrapped up kids around in cargo bikes. Amazing how safe it feels everywhere and how relatively little traffic there is for a captital city. Talking about safe: not sure in how many other countries you would park your pram AND baby outside a shop while you pop in to get your groceries! It seems that Saturday is definitely 'park-your-pram' day here in Copenhagen. Heaps of them!

So. That's the trip almost over...Tomorrow I only have the morning left before having to head back to Aberdeen. I may visit the Glyptotek art museum to sniff in a last bit of Danish culture. I will be back soon though. Now I know why they call it 'Wonderful Copenhagen'!
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Copenhagen day 2: design, explosions of colour and a stuffed polar bear

2011-02-25T16:46:00.001Z

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Day two in Copenhagen and I am all shopped out! (No, I'm not!) Tomorrow's another day and another neighbourhood to explore. I must say: if you love good design and have never been in Copenhagen, put it on your to-go-list. People say it's expensive, but apart from some restaurants and hotels I find prices very similar to the UK. Best of all, I have been totally inspired by everything I've seen so far. And the people are very friendly too!

I started off this morning at the Danish Design Center with wonderful exhibitions of furniture by the grand Danes Arne Jacobsen, Poul Kjaerholm, Hans Wegner and others, as well as everyday Danish design products such as coffee pots and bicycles. Functionally made with the user in mind, but beauty not forgotten. Superb place.

Then, walking via the impressing 'Black Diamond' library on the waterfront, I strolled back into the city for lots of shopping. Popped into some weird and wonderful places including an auction house with the most beautiful art and antiques (and a stuffed polar bear!). I suddenly remembered again why I decided to get that degree in History of Art, long time ago (because of art, that was, not because of polar bears). Couldn't afford any of it though, so swiftly moved on...

I ended up finding some wonderful items in more affordable shops such as Notre Dame, Gronlykke, Tiger and Sostrene Grene: cushions, colourful rugs, felt coasters, ceramic door knobs and Japanese cups and plates. Last but not least I went to the Marimekko store and bought a meter of black and white fabric for that £12 chair I got at the auction the other day. In the sale! You can imagine, I am a very happy bunny.

My feet are sore now, so maybe I will rent a bike tomorrow for my next adventure. But first... time for the sauna & spa, complimentary of my hotel. Yay! I am having such a great time - can you tell? ;-)

Here are some pictures of my day. They may be a little fuzzy due to taking them on my iphone. Oh yeah, I didn't shoot the polar bear (pardon the pun!) - so please take my word on that one...

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A weekend trip to designer Heaven: Copenhagen

2011-02-24T21:00:00.001Z

See and download the full gallery on posterous

This weekend I am in Copenhagen, just by myself, to fully indulge in my passion (or obsession?). I have only arrived here a few hours ago and I have already been to heaven and back. Illum Boligshus is THE designer home and furniture store with ALL the classics and lots of drool-worthy accessories. And not just one floor, no - FOUR floors! I literally thought I was gonna explode with enjoyment seeing so much beautiful design. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Chair make-over! Reupholstering a £20 find

2011-02-21T19:00:00.003Z

We finally got around getting this chair reupholstered, which I bought over two years ago for £20 from a local junk shop. It was hard choosing the right fabric, as there is just so much to choose from. Ever been in a fabric store or department? It's like putting a kid in a sweet shop!
I wanted two contrasting fabrics that were not too "in your face" and would suit the rest of the room - and I am pretty pleased with the result. The patterned fabric is Harlequin Azara (it comes in beautiful cerise, yellow, cream, black and dark blue). The other one I have forgotten the name of, but it's a Peacock blue velvet which a lot of different fabric brands do, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find a similar one. I bought them both from John Lewis.

Here's the before and after shots!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Creating an eclectic interior: add the Wow-factor to your home with a reupholstered chair

2011-02-15T20:00:00.002Z

OK everyone, it's time for the second episode in the Creating an eclectic interior series... I thought I talk a bit about how to create the 'wow-factor' in your home by adding a totally unique reupholstered chair to it. Think about it: you can get a chair for next to nothing at an auction or even through Freecycle, you go and pick your favourite fabric and get the chair restored and recovered back to a perfect new state (or do it yourself if you're handy). You may have to spend a couple of hundred pounds on fabric and restoration, but just remember how much a chair like that would cost if you had to buy it new. The good thing about antique furniture is also that it was built to last, on solid wooden frames - unlike a lot of furniture in the high street stores these days.
And hey - you won't be able to find a chair like that anywhere else!
Design*Sponge is always a joy to browse for its inspirational Before & Afters. It is absolutely amazing how furniture gets a complete transformation just by covering it with new fabric and giving it a lick of paint or oil. Here's a few stunning make-overs:

Drop-seats on dining chairs are very easy to recover yourself with some foam, a staple gun and a beautiful piece of fabric. I love how this chair looks with the black paint and recovered seat (as featured on the blog Frilly Details).

These were recovered in antique coffee sacks (via Faded Plains).

Choice of fabric and how to avoid a bad headache caused by bold patterns
It may be pretty obvious for most of you, but not everyone (including my husband!) can clearly imagine what a bold reupholstered armchair will look like in their home and some may be afraid that it won't go with what they've already got.
Here are some guidelines:

1. For the easy & safe option: pick a fabric in the same pattern/colour as the rest of your furniture, if you want it to be matching and 'calm on the eye'. I know, not rocket science, but it's worth remembering if you get carried away in the fabric department.
2. For the Wow-factor: pick a very contrasting pattern or colour to draw the attention to it. Even better, combine different fabrics on the same chair. This can create a real statement. If you want to use the chair in your living room, make sure the colours still make a good combination with the rest, even though they are standing out. Tip: take a couple of pictures of your room on your phone before you head out to buy fabric, just to remind yourself of your colour schemes.
3. For a focal point: to make a recovered chair really stand out, place it away from your sofa and armchairs, perhaps in a reading corner, the hallway or next to a dresser against the wall.
4. If you are combining patterns: unless you want to create a very busy living room I would keep patterns to a minimum, and not use various busy patterned chairs in the same space (or it may give you a bad headache!). If the rest of your furniture is plain, one bold patterned chair makes a great addition - or two of the same. If you have a patterned sofa already, going for a plain fabric is probably the best-looking option (but hey - it's all up to you!). Combining it with a different pattern but in the same colour scheme could however also work out ok (i.e. black and white stripes combined with black and white dots).
Here's an example of how one bold patterned bench is combined with plain upholstered furniture. See more photos of this interior on Apartment Therapy.

To give a chair the focus it deserves, place it away from other chairs and sofas. A stunning patchwork armchair (from House to Home):

This gorgeous reupholstered vintage chair (featured on Kristopher K) would look great on its own in a bedroom or hallway.

A great combination of a plain sofa and two of the same patterned chairs, creating a very stylish room (image: Studio Nouveau's Flickr):

Have you done something amazing with old furniture? Do share a link in the comments below - I would love to see it!

Treasure hunting! A mid-century chair at the auction

2011-02-13T12:14:00.002Z

I went to an auction yesterday at the village hall in lovely Tarland, Aberdeenshire, and guess what - I came back with a chair. The room was full of Edwardian chairs, big mahogany chests, sideboards, hideous pictures and lots of bric-a-brac but this chair caught my eye as it's mid-century and very elegant. Couple of chips in the varnish and a hideous stained seat must have put people off bidding for it, because I snapped it up for £12. Bargain!

Not sure whether to completely strip and revarnish it or to repair it (need to have a closer look at it tomorrow). I do quite like the idea of lightening the wood somehow, as it's a bit too mahogany-like for me (I think the frame is a mixture of maple and teak). I can already picture the end result though: a beautiful modern chair with a nice, new seat. I am thinking black and white fabric, something with a graphic pattern. What do you think? (fabric images Marimekko)

Here's some more images of the auction. Almost bought the leather suitcase (I love those!), but didn't want to bid over £10 for one with a broken lid.

This always happens to me: I end up buying stuff without realizing the size of my car. Amazing how much DOES fit in though. Friends helped me push it in (having to zip open the roof to accommodate a chair leg) and I was still able to drive ;-)

Creating an eclectic interior: how to decorate with vintage furniture and found objects

2011-02-07T18:00:00.002Z

So you've spotted this gem of a chair, but how are you going to use it in your interior? It may be unlike anything else you have in your house, so what does it go with, where do you put it? And what about that vintage sideboard… how do you mix different types of wood in your interior? Chatting to various people I found that many love going to antiques shops and markets, but don’t always know whether something will actually look good in their own homes. I personally just buy it if I really like it (price-depending of course!), as somehow I find that if you buy items you love, no matter how random – they will blend in. After all, it is you who has chosen them because they are your taste, which is that one great thing all those items have in common.

From now on I will regularly post about how to decorate with vintage items and unique pieces of furniture, to show you how to create a stylish home that reflects your personality. I will collect pictures that will hopefully inspire and give you creative ideas. Here we go! Top image: e-architect.co.uk
___

Vintage cupboards and displays
The images below are from the great blog sfgirlbybay by decorator Victoria Smith. See how she mixes different types of wood and styles of chairs and still create a very 'balanced' look. Grouping artworks (instead of hanging them apart) can create a great display on the wall.

Covering a wall with lots of framed photos is another way to get a real 'wow-factor' (as well as displaying lots and lots of great pictures!). I've done it in my house too and visitors always love it - it's a great talking point.

Place an antique cupboard on its own and display your favourite collection on it (cameras or... vases, teapots, books, glassware, anything...?).

Mixing and matching dining chairs

The picture below is from the blog Things We Heart. Some people prefer the 'catalog approach', buying a brand new dining table and six matching chairs. Why not pick a beautiful antique wooden table and place six different chairs around it? They can be all different in different colours, all the same but in different colours or all different, painted in the same colour. Be creative! It sure creates an original, more characterful look.

Another example of mixing different styles, from the blog The Brick House: a big vintage dining table combined with the popular mid-century Eames chairs. I also love the collection of vintage vases in the background. Very stylish!

Here orange metal chairs are mixed with painted wooden ones, all put around a nice vintage table. They belong to Judy Kauffmann, whose colourful home was featured on Design*Sponge.

I'd like to finish this first 'themed' post with some top advice from fellow blogger DebutanteClothing;

Here are 5 Tips to Decorate with Vintage:

Buy what you love.

your

Don't be afraid to mix wood tones.
Be patient. Shop often.
Mix it up.
Don't be afraid to re-purpose.

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Treasure of the day: my old 'poesiealbum'

2011-02-05T11:38:00.002Z

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Treasure hunting doesn't always have to be done outside the house... I was tidying up this morning and came across a little book from my childhood. Any Dutch girl over 25 will remember it: the 'poesiealbum', a book you would carry around with you and ask family, friends, neighbours and teachers to write a poem in. Most poems were standard 'I wish you well in life' ones but some were written especially for you. I am so happy I still have it, as it holds the hand written poems of my grandparents who have now all passed away. No value to anyone, but worth more than gold to me.

Charity shop finds of the day: a vintage jug and a 19th century beer bottle

2011-02-03T22:56:00.001Z

See and download the full gallery on posterous

It was a terribly stormy day today in Aberdeen! Had a meeting in town first after which I went to see an art exhibition at Peacock Visual Arts' gallery. I got almost blown away by a hurricane hitting the city when I came out...! Luckily there are always a charity shop or two to dive into - for some shelter and some treasure hunting.

Found some lovely treasures indeed.

A beautiful vintage milk or water jug from the 60s or 70s, in super condition. Very nice blue-grey colour. Looking great in my living room already.

I also found a wonderful stone beer bottle from the 19th century, and in perfect condition too. It originally had a cork (before someone drank the beer!). I love text on decorative items and this name and address makes the bottle a bit mysterious...need to do some more googling on Mr C. Welch! If anyone knows who he is (or rather, was), do let me know...

Design line-up: lamps and pendants

2011-01-29T19:29:00.000Z

I love Danish design and this lamp, called the IQ Light, is one of my all-time favourites, especially when lit at night. The one pictured below is a replica and sold on eBay.

Another mid-century cracker from Denmark (from collectables.articles.com):

I also love Moroccan lanterns and pendants that create such a lovely diffused light. This one is from Haysom lighting.

This one is a cheapy from B&Q, that we've got hanging in our hall way. Got a nice retro feel to it!

This pendant light is great for its simplicity and elegance and would go in any interior really (and I'd love it to in mine!). You can get it on eBay.

This pendant light with aluminium casting is reminiscent of the successful industrial era of the 60's. I love it! Wouldn't it look great in a pair above the kitchen table? It is available from Garden Trading.

Fabulous warm orange light coming from this retro beauty (found on eBay):

Dramatic colour schemes for moody living rooms

2011-01-24T17:37:00.000Z

I love browsing the web looking for inspiration and I am always drawn to bold, dramatic colours chemes. I would like redecorating to be easy as 1-2-3 but so far my lounge hasn't changed colour since 2007. Maybe this year? We shall see.

Here are some pictures that have inspired me to at least start dreaming about it...hope they inspire you too.

I love the moody grey wall in this one, combined with the purple and mustard yellow. (via carolinaeclectic.blogspot.com)

The steel blue and yellow details give this room a nice modern feel (via Houzz)

More happy than moody, I really like the feel of this living room. Great combination of retro furniture and bright colours. And hey, great purpose of a granny blanket too! :-) (via Houzz)

Wow. These are BOLD colours. I don't think anyone could be moody in this room. Wonderful mix of fabrics. (via Houzz)

This is a seriously moody room. Love the dark blue velvet on the chair. (via Houzz)

And this is...my own livingroom! Quite a bold colour scheme as well. I do still like the spicy red colour of the wall in combination with the glossy black fire place, baroque mirror and the orange lamp, especially at night when it makes to room feel very cozy. Maybe I will leave it for another year...

Do you have a feature wall or bold colour scheme in your house or great example on your own blog? Please share in the comments section. I'd love to see more inspirational photos. Nina x

Turning a spare room into a yoga room

2011-01-17T22:13:00.001Z

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Our spare bedroom upstairs is mainly used for drying laundry and dumping stuff. It also has a single bed in it and my husband's wardrobe. Tonight I decided it has more potential than that, so I tidied it up and added a bit of zen, a buddha and a candle. Voila, here's my new yoga space - combined with dressing room (to display my wonderful gig outfits) and guest bed. This may become my new favourite room in the house... now the main challenge is to keep it tidy!

Repurposing furniture and other things

2011-01-14T20:57:00.003Z

Hello everyone! It’s January 2011 and as most of us are broke after the December month I thought I write a post about repurposing or altering things you already own or can find for little money.

Looking at the overload of TV commercials from the home superstores it seems that the nation is obsessed with getting new furniture, buying new kitchens and bathrooms and basically getting their whole house done for springtime. I can't help but think people must still all want to keep up with the Joneses and subsequently put themselves into debt as a result, despite the difficult economic times we're in. Anyway, how about we don’t buy all those expensive new things but instead look at what we already own or can find for free or little money and how we can give it a new life?

This is a vintage sofa my mum once rescued from the marriage resistry office at the local Town Hall in Emmen, The Netherlands. Although not repurposed by physically changing it, I gave it a new purpose by placing it in my student room, and later moved it to my first apartment. When I moved again and the sofa turned out to be too large, I had it "adopted" by my good friend Mieke in Utrecht, who now loves it. Schools, local authority buildings and other offices sometimes get rid of furniture, shelving units and desks. Worth keeping an eye out for them...

I got inspired by this post on the Daily What and really wanted to share this with you. "The amazing transformed oven lounge". Not something you would DIY on a Saturday, but what a great idea!

I also came across this - I must admit slightly silly - idea of repurposing a water wing via Apartment Therapy. Still, it's very original!

Has anyone ever looked at the Ikea Hacker site? It's brilliant how people take a run-of-the-mill Ikea item and just make it into something else. Now this Billy bookcase is still a Billy bookcase, except the owner has 'hacked' it by turned it on its side and mounting it onto the wall making it 'float'. Cool!

Fruit crates are very versatile to reuse in the home. Here they've been mounted onto the kitchen wall to be used as open shelving, looking very nice. Found it on the great blog Poetic Home.

Another amazing project featured on Poetic Home is this huge desk made from repurposed books, created by Architectural students at Delft University of Technology. Could you imagine something similar for your own home in the shape of a smaller desk or coffee table?

My car (a lovely old Mazda Mx5 with pop-up head lights) had to go for its MOT today and failed on a rusty bottom (ooh, that doesn't sound right, does it, haha). We're getting it repaired - once again - but if ever it had to die, I would like it to be turned into a sofa, like Bel & Bel have done with a Seat 600. What a cracker.

I drive one in black - such a cool little car

What have you given a new life?

Death by chocolate - Nina's brandy and ginger biscuit chocolate truffles

2010-12-19T17:45:00.007Z

These are my brandy & ginger biscuit truffles, that have become a bit of a hit with family and friends. I thought I share the recipe with you. I never follow any recipe exactly so I suggest you do the same and adapt amounts and exact ingredients where you feel necessary!

Enjoy - and do let me know how you get on!

For around 25 truffles:

3 x 200g dark chocolate, broken in chunks
50g butter
100g condensed milk
(optional: a few table spoons of double cream)
dash of brandy (armagnac, rum, whisky - anything!)
50g desiccated coconut
4 ginger biscuits - finely crushed into crumbs
chocolate powder to cover the truffles with (I used hot chocolate drink powder). You can also use desiccated coconut or chocolate sprinkles.

1. Melt the butter in a sauce pan on low heat, then add the chocolate bit by bit, stirring until melted and smooth.

2. Add condensed milk and stir. If you are adding cream, add now.

3. Add the coconut and ginger biscuit crumbs and stir it in.

4. Add the brandy, stir until everything is smooth. If the mix is still a bit thick, add a bit of normal milk (or more brandy!), but don't make it too runny.

5. Put in the fridge for around 4 hours or until stiffened up.

6. Once ready, spread chocolate powder on a dinner plate. Take a small amount of chocolate emulsion in your hands and roll into a little ball. Roll into the chocolate powder until fully covered. Truffle done!
Try rolling them into desiccated coconut or chocolate sprinkles to create different versions.

7. Put back in the fridge to let them stiffen up a bit. Done!

8. Wrap some of them individually and put them in a little box if you are giving them away, like I did (I got the wrappers and box from Hobbycraft).

NB: dip your fingers in a bowl of water every now and then when doing the rolling, to avoid the chocolate sticking too much to your fingers.

+++

DIY gifts on a budget

2010-12-15T17:09:00.007Z

December is an expensive month. It's all about eating that special food, wearing those special clothes, adding that special decoration to your home, let alone buying all those extra special gifts for everyone. It's fun (right?), but it's madness! This blog is all about tastefully saving money by recycling, buying vintage or making stuff yourself, so I thought I do a post about DIY Christmas gifts. I mean, how much better is it to give or receive something that's been lovingly hand-made? Much better than trawling those jam-packed shops looking for....for what actually?

For the drinks & nibbles

I came across this idea on addicted2decorating which I really liked. Stenciling or painting a wooden tray. An ideal blank 'canvas' for any creation.

For the ladies

Jewelery is always a nice idea. A woman can never have too many necklaces, I say. I really like the idea of recycling old buttons (sew them as decoration onto cushions, clothes, etc), and like me, you probably have quite a few of them lying around in boxes and drawers. Hey, why not make a necklace out of them?

This example is from www.treehugger.com

Here's a helpful How-To on www.craftstylish.com

For the bathroom junkie

Making soap is something I've always wanted to try but somehow it looks like a lot of work...! I love the way hand-made soap looks though, cut into big colourful chunks - and I would be so happy with a gift like this! Have a look on teachsoap.com for all the how-to instructions if you fancy giving it a go. If you think it's all too much hassle - why not buy some off etsy - plenty of people who are happy to do the hard work for you.

For the traveler / explorer

Something very original and highly unusual I came across on a site called Inhabitat Green Gift Guide, is a "personalised walking tour" on Google maps! "Show them your hometown – or even their hometown!" they say. "You can either print it out and make it part of a tour booklet, or, depending on your internet skills, post it on a simple website. Alternately, you could lead them down your streets with a personalized podcast". Sounds very 2011!

For the sweet tooth

And what about making some home-made chocolate truffles and presenting them in cute little boxes? I made truffles for the first time last weekend and they were so easy to make and absolutely delicious. Needless to say they didn't last very long... But as they're so easy to make I think I'll make another batch and bring them home to my family for Christmas (I'd have to put them in my suitcase in hold though, cause I don't think they'd survive the flight otherwise ;-)

Have a creative Christmas!

Painted portraits are forever

2010-12-13T21:20:00.004Z

Ever seen 'artworks' in department stores? Mass produced prints and ornaments, without any personality and emotion? I guess some people just want something to match their curtains, but there's so much beautiful, affordable art available so why not give your home a little bit more personality?

I just received this portrait of me and my husband tonight:

I've been fortunate to have a talented painter as a colleague, who offered me to paint a portrait of me and my hubby - as a wedding present to us. It's based on one of our wedding photos and I absolutely LOVE it. I am so pleased with it that I will do a bit of word-of-mouth promotion for her in return for this amazing gift: go and visit fionajack.viewbook.com. Fiona is happy to work from photographs and ship overseas - and she's got a special Christmas offer on just now! Prices start from £95 ($150) for A4 size. Go on, treat yourself and your walls ;-)

What to do with your old records? Make them into a roof!

2010-12-13T15:27:00.002Z

Full article on www.dornob.com

Snow Day #6

2010-12-02T15:28:00.001Z

See the full gallery on posterous

How to make a wreath out of an old book

2010-11-30T13:46:00.002Z

I came across this creative idea of recycling an old book on The Happy Home Blog and loved it. (Although I always have trouble getting rid of any of my books!). If you haven't got any books you want to use, go and pick one in the charity shop - plenty there!

Click here for the full How-To

Comfy Chair Cushioned with Built-In Storage

2010-11-29T12:04:00.000Z

Ever found yourself looking for that key, coin, remote control or magazine that slipped somewhere between sofa cushions? This design by Daisuke Motogi Architecture is celebrating that very common phenomenon by providing lots of built-in storage. Funny design! Although I hate the idea of having to vacuum clean crums and bits out of every single space! (but hey, never let domestic worries get in the way of good design).

Images via http://dornob.com/

Making furniture out of old pallets

2010-11-18T20:00:00.005Z

Image: Ana White

I am a big fan of recycling, or in other words, making sure that something doesn't end up in the skip. I love seeing old wood being reused and the crates made by Ana Whyte are a beautiful example of this. She has the complete How-To on her website, so do have a look if you want to do this yourself.

The next example from www.folksy.com I really like, but... £180 for coffee table made from a reclaimed old pallet? (For US-based readers, that's $288 - yes, you are reading that correctly!). It doesn't look that difficult to screw four wheels under a pallet, give the thing a good varnish and get a cut-to-size piece of glass to put on top of it, does it? Although, glass can be expensive...maybe that's what has put the price up... ;-)


Image: mobius-living.co.uk

Hold on, I just came across this Studio5 website with some tutorials on it... Time to save some money, folks! Tutorial: How to make a coffee table out of a pallet

And another great looking coffee table here... And you know what? I've got the tutorial here just for you: pallet coffee table tutorial

You may be charging £180 for your own home-made creations soon!

This design is very nice too, an ottoman designed by BCK design from Canada. Looks very contemporary, beautiful and functional at the same time.

Image: Designspotter.com

The lovely Recicla e Decora blog also shows a great number of recycled pallet projects (although I can't understand the Portuguese text - I always enjoy the pictures!). What about this shoe rack...? I know, a bit basic...but an original idea.

Image: recicla e decora

One of my favourites is this rustic bench and a similar one was shown in the BBC gardening programme Gardeners World last Summer. I'm pleased to say there's a video tutorial for it on the BBC website. It's not the most glamorous looking thing, but hey, it's a pallet - what do you expect!

Image: treesandthings via GrowsonYou

Pallets are not just great for making tables and benches, London based Studiomama also makes lamps out of them.

Image: studiomama

That's it for today! But if you still can't get enough of pallets and the magic you can create with them, go and have a look on www.greenupgrader.com, for many more ideas and "The 8 best resources for Building with Pallets".

Time to dive into the skip, I think, and find some old planks...

Our patio project or Grand Design

2010-11-12T18:40:00.002Z

BEFORE!

Our patio in the back garden has been en eye sore ever since we moved in three years ago but we finally got around to improving it. Glenn was keen on getting a drystone wall, but I wasn't too sure about what this would look like on a patio area. What we did know was that we preferred real stone rather than concrete, man-made slabs for pavement and walling. By asking around on facebook I found Danny, a wonderful and very talented stone mason who not only came up with a great design (something far more 'organic' and beautiful than we had come up with), but has now almost finished making it a reality.

Danny's Grand Design

We ended up building with local sandstone, pebbles and some slate - all natural. Danny salvaged some oak planks from an allotment - now used as a gorgeous build-in bench within the walling. It has been such a great, creative process - and it's been a pleasure working with our stone mason - who is anything but your typical builder (more like a free spirited, traveling surfer dude! :-).

As I say, it's not finished yet - and work is becoming harder with colder weather and less light - but I thought I'd show you some pictures of the progress so far. I will upload more pictures once it's all done (especially next Spring when we can start putting plants in and adding the finishing touches). Can't wait till next year....barbecues on our new patio! By the way, that ugly pink screen/fencing in the back will obviously go too!

My dad, me and Glenn on our patio three years ago

Aaaah! The sandstone has arrived!! Now what...?

Glenn and Danny

Quick! The light is going! November is not ideal for patio building ...

Another bit of patio!

An outer circle will be added made of pebbles. Other parts will be filled in with soil for planting

Happy me - supervising and making lots of cups of tea for the workers...!

Our 'upper' patio is finished.... yay! Can't wait to add some plants next year.

Stay tuned... to be continued....!

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Motivational wall candy...Some positive thinking on a rainy day.

2010-11-09T18:53:00.001Z

Image: www.dontgiveupworld.com

In the Netherlands, where I'm from, it used to be very popular to have tiles with motivational (or in some cases, silly or plain rude!) phrases on the wall. They were especially popular to have in the bathroom. I guess people liked to think philosophically when sitting on the toilet...? The Dutch tile pictured reads "A person without dreams is poorer than a person without money."

Tiles like these have gone out of fashion some time ago, but I do like the idea of having some positive messages in my house, to keep up the good spirits - especially when done in nice type fonts and bold colours and given a pretty picture frame. I found some modern versions of the motivational tiles in the shape of prints and wall stickers on Etsy:

From Etsy seller Thebigharumph

From Etsy seller colorbee


From etsy seller sunnychampagne

From Etsy seller Dalidecalls

From etsy seller mursblanc


From Etsy seller SPRdesigns

Painting furniture. How to do it properly!

2010-11-07T15:22:00.010Z

Image: Design Sponge

I love the Design Sponge blog, especially her Before & Afters, and recently I discovered many 'how-to' manuals on the site as well, which I am definitely going to use in my future projects. At flea markets, carboot sales or on the freecycle website you can find so many unwanted, unloved, but real 'high potential' pieces of furniture waiting to be transformed and I'm just itching to start a little project again.

I have always admired cupboards or side tables that were painted to look 'antique' in a nice distressed style, but I never quite understood how to create that look. One of the secrets, as described on Design Sponge, is not to put primer on those bits that you want to look 'old' and worn, like the corners or edges of a drawer for example. Then when you paint over it, the paint doesn't stick as well to the surface as it does to the primed bits, so the original colour still shines through. Dark brown cupboards are apparently best to use for this look. Good tip!

>>> For the full How To, please visit Design Sponge: painting furniture.

And of course, once the hard work is finished....go shopping for some cool hardware!

Image: surroundingsonline.co.uk

Image: the bellalifeblog


knobs from www.sunburstknobs.com

Inspiration from Japan...cups, bowls, fabric and a kimono flea market!

2010-11-05T17:26:00.005Z

Karaku Pottery


Aaaah! Look at this! Shopping heaven! A shop called Kanzando in Kyoto. Image: www.savoryjapan.com

A country I have never been to but is high on my wish list is Japan. I heard so many good things about it and the aesthetics are amazing. I just love the absolute beauty of Japanese ceramics such as the ones pictured from Karaku Pottery in Tokyo. They also have a shop on etsy and ship internationally (yay!).

And what about this delicate chop stick set from Wasabi World... not that I'd be using it daily, but isn't it pretty?

Image: Wasabi World

I also adore vintage kimono fabrics, which I discovered are for sale on eBay for very reasonable prices. Perfect for cushion covers or other small projects - or to upholster an old chair with, like Anna Troupe did.

The best discovery I made however was the website of Ichiroya, or the Kimono Flea Market. A Japanese flea market!!?? Man, that sounds like serious heaven to me. I must go. I think our next holiday destination needs to be Japan.

Do check out the Ichiroya website by the way, as it's charming (as is their newsletter http://ichiroyanewsletter.blogspot.com/ ).

Upholstery in vintage kimono fabric by Anna Troupe

Image: catwalkthreads.wordpress.com


Kimono fabric buttons! Image: puchimaiko.blogspot.com

Image: Fluffbuff

Image: Ichiroya

Autumn colours, I can't get enough of them

2010-11-04T11:25:00.000Z

I took some photos when I went for a walk last night in the forest just outside my village and I thought I'd share them with you. It had been such a beautiful sunny day and the yellows, oranges and browns looked like on fire in the evening sunlight.

Just a bit of inspiration. I am always amazed what beauty natures gives us every season. I never get bored of it.

How to turn a dead corner into a cozy seating area

2010-11-03T18:36:00.001Z

The 'dungeon'...or our 'non-room'.

We have a room in our house that used to be the kitchen before an extension was put on by the previous owners, after which the old kitchen area became a redundant bit of the house. More like a through-way with two doors coming off it. It's become part of the hallway, dark, undefined, a bit strange really. We have always struggled with this room and even named it 'the dungeon' for a long time because of its darkness. Painting it white made a big difference (it used to be orange!), as did the photographs we have hanging on the walls, which give it a bit of a 'gallery' feel. But we still only used the room to walk through to the 'new' kitchen, didn't give a purpose.

The bench sits where the brown cupboard used to be (see above)

And then I had this idea last weekend and created a cozy seating area, so it would be a place where we would like to hang out before, during or after cooking dinner. A place a bit more comfy than sitting at the dining table.

I found a redundant coffee table upstairs, which I thought would make an excellent low bench - and it did. I covered it with one of my Moroccan throws and some cushions (and my newly found vintage crochet blanket from the charity shop!) and I think it works quite well. It's low, but that's OK. What do you think?

I have sat here every night since I created the space earlier this week. It's a great, cozy place to sit with the laptop while keeping an eye on the dinner at the same time. And the cats love it too.

Today's Charity shop finds: two crochet blankets and a soap dish

2010-11-03T17:32:00.000Z

I can't help myself. Every time I am in town I HAVE to go into a charity shop - cause you never know what you may find. If I am in a certain part of town I pop into a row of at least five of them. Today I was lucky and found two lovely crochet blankets, hand-made by an old lady who apparently supplies them to the store year-round! (Knitting non-stop, maybe I can put in requests!)

I also found a nice old ceramic soap dish in green. (Oh yes, and a cardigan and top, but I won't bore you with that ;-).

Enjoy Autumn even more... Bring the outdoors indoors

2010-11-01T16:37:00.001Z

Photo: DIY life

The trees are so beautiful just now with their vibrant yellows, reds and browns. My office is a 30min drive across the rolling countryside and it's such a joy, passing those colourful woodlands, especially when the sun shines - which it has been doing for the past week.

I came across some wonderful blogs with nice pictures of homes where the owners must have enjoyed Autumn as much I and actually decided to bring a little bit of that loveliness indoors.

Image: centsationalgirl

Photo: Martha Stewart

Portugal: going on holiday in style...

2010-10-15T14:32:00.002+01:00

We're off for a week on holiday soon and I can't wait. We wanted to catch some last Autumn sun before diving into Winter and picked Portugal as our destination. It's promising to stay sunny and warm, so that's perfect.

Always looking for beautiful places that inspire me, I found a lovely guesthouse in the Algarve, close to the coast. I hate going to big chain hotels and places for mass-tourism - of which there are unfortunately plenty in the Med - and so I was chuffed about this one. Of course, we haven't been yet, so we'll have to wait and see what it's really like, but the photos look promising! www.tapadadogramacho.com

I'll be chilling out by the pool or on the beach I think, while my man is trying out some kite-surfing (oh dear). I'd rather relax, read a book and indulge in some delicious 'Pasteis de nata' or Portuguese custard tarts. Don't know these tarts? Let me introduce you to them with this recipe...Yum!

I am also planning to look for some nice Portuguese antique tiles, or 'azulejos' as they call them, to take back home. I saw them some years back when I was in Portugal for the first time and they're so beautiful. I'll probably only be able to take a few back, due to airline restrictions, but perhaps that is not such a bad thing, budget-wise...

I got plenty of creative ideas for what to do with them anyway...using them in bathroom tiling, making coasters out of them or simply displaying them as pretty objects.

Or actually, you could do as the Portuguese and stick them on the outside of your house!

Até a vista ! (see you soon!)

www.flickr.com/photos/zedworks/

www.flickr.com/photos/dubes

Cool Scottish contemporary craft and design

2010-10-07T17:16:00.000+01:00

Image: Papa Stour

I don't usually boast about Scotland as the place to be when it comes to interior design, as most interior shops up here I just find incredibly boring and traditional. Sofas are bulky, sideboards massive, "contemporary design sofas" often means "oddly shaped" and made out of black or red leather - but still bulky. Where are the aesthetics?

I am always flabbergasted (I love that word) by the many homes decked out with complete lack of inspiration, with everything bought brand new, in the same shop, on the same day, in the same colour. Playing 'safe', by choosing beige, creams and 'neutral' colours. It's so soul-less!

Image: Papa Stour

Anyway, I will get off my soap box now - phew - because today I am proud to present Papa Stour, a wonderful Scottish online shop featuring great individual, eccentric home decor pieces by some very talented artists!

Papa Stour was launched 5 years ago by Rosie Brown, a Scottish textile designer, freelance interior stylist and a regular contributor to publications such as Elle Decoration, Living Etc and Homes & Gardens.

Since Scottish design seems to be my topic today, I'd also like to boast about my good friend Libby Day, who is a very talented designer based in Aberdeen, making the most wonderful contemporary interior pieces - and jewelry (including my wedding ring!).

Libby focuses on the natural and built environment as inspiration for her designs, which I think is shown beautifully in her room dividers/screens and the box seats. Libby does large commissions and big interior projects, but also sells limited edition items on her website www.day2designs.co.uk. Do check out her fruit bowl and lighting, as they're ace.