Trying my hand at pottery at West Dean College

I love ceramics and always enjoy having a go at new crafts, so when my friend Amy suggested we try our hand at pottery, I agreed straight away. We decided to make a weekend of it and signed up for the throwing pots taster day at the beautiful West Dean College near Chichester. After a sneak peek of the house itself (former home of surrealist art collector Edward James) we headed to the pottery studio.

There’s always something so lovely about craft studios and now I’m getting used to my camera, I couldn’t stop taking photos of all the little details around the place. To begin with we were shown ram’s head kneading, which gets rid of any air pockets in the clay and can lead to wobbly pots. Once we were ready our tutor Alison Sandeman demonstrated our first task: a simple cylinder.

Simple as that!

There were eight of us in the class and pottery was new to nearly everyone, but after seeing how effortless Alison made it look we were all confident about our chances as we started the wheels.

It soon became obvious that it’s most definitely not as simple as that! Thankfully, Alison was really encouraging and always on hand to share her 25 years of experience. Even though I was far from a natural, I fell in love with the challenge and it was hard to tear myself away from the wheel at lunchtime. The little bowl above right was my first attempt… unfortunately it kind of went downhill from there. Here’s a couple that didn’t make it!

By the end of the day we all had five or six pots of varying size and shape to show for our efforts. They’ll be glazed for us in the next few weeks and hopefully some will survive so I can show you the finished articles.

{all Decorator’s Notebook}

I definitely want to go look into doing a longer course and have to admit I’ve been searching for secondhand potters’ wheels on fleabay. I’m hooked!

10 dreamiest vintage bathrooms

When I move out of my flat in a few months time, I’m really going to miss my bathroom. Even though I much prefer showers to baths, there’s something about the freestanding tub that really adds wow factor. I think it will probably be a long while before I own such a lovely bathroom again, but I’ve still been collecting lots of vintage bathroom inspiration recently and thought you might like to soak up (boom boom) some of my favourites.

{William Abranowicz for The New York Times}

So, a mirror above the basin might’ve been a more practical choice but I completely respect the owner of this East Village apartment for taking the aesthetic option. The colours in the painting highlight the reclaimed brassware perfectly. I love it.

{Jason Busch for The Design Files}

If I was staying in my flat I’d definitely have a go at painting the outside of my bathtub. This metallic, slightly plummy grey looks really sophisticated, but I love the idea of adding a bit of punch to my pale grey walls with a vibrant coral or pretty rose pink. Maybe the new owner will decide to have a go!

{via Remodelista}

It’s the bathroom tiles I go mad for here. These patterned Moroccan tiles are perfect proof that just a little of something really luxurious can go a long way.

{via Lantliv i Norregård}

You’ll definitely have spotted the trend for using building materials like plywood and OSB in interiors at the moment, but I haven’t seen corrugated metal used as a splashback like this before. Unusual… but teamed with the bare zinc tub and part-stripped wood I think it works.

{Gardener & Marks}

I appreciate that rust isn’t usually a desirable feature in a bathroom, but I can’t help liking the faded grandeur of this beautifully battered rolltop. I’m not sure how much I fancy bathing on stage, but everything else (especially that dresser) looks great to me.

{via House of Bliss}

Now, if I’m ever lucky enough to get my dream Provencal farmhouse, this is the bathroom I’d love to have there. Restful, vintage and fresh. So lovely.

{via Country Living}

Space for a freestanding bathtub is obviously a luxury, so I wanted to include this tongue and groove panelled bath to show you can still create a vintage smart style room without one. I hadn’t thought of painting window frames in off-white paint before but I think it looks nicely subtle against the pure white tiles and soft grey painted bath.

{Country Homes & Interiors}

There it is, that calamine pink again. I think I actually prefer slipper baths like this to double-ended tubs… maybe it’s those feminine curves (or the fact you don’t have to share!)

{via Remodelista}

I’ve seen a lot of non-bathroom furniture used as washstands recently (including this ingenious IKEA hack). I think adapting antique pieces lends a warm ‘living-y’ feel rather than looking completely sleek and bathroom-like. If you know what I mean!

{sorry, unknown}

Finally, what looks like the typical London ‘bedroom into bathroom’. The dusky blue painted linen cabinet, fireplace and painted floorboards with warm rug are gorgeous.

Which is your favourite?

If you’re looking for more bathroom decorating ideas, my Pinterest board is a good place to start.

House tour: light and airy French apartment (with just a little colour)

Do you remember a while ago I posted some gorgeous details from Le Dans La? Recently photographer Melanie Rodriguez did a photo shoot there and the resulting pictures give a wonderful insight into how Aurelie’s home looks as a whole.

The windows in this place are amazing. It looks like it might be a converted factory or something. Yet another home to get me dreaming of loft living!

The more I see it, the more I like this dusky pink wall colour. Not something I thought I would say in my adult life. It looks rather like Calamine by Farrow & Ball. One of my personal favourite paint names… every time I think about it I can smell that smell!

Very pleasant use of dark grey in this home, don’t you think… and there’s something really quite cool about the group of paper lampshades hanging from the wooden beamed ceiling too. A touch of fun, but  in a grown-up way. The children’s bedrooms are really very grown-up too. A little too much perhaps?

{Home of Aurelie Lecuyer by Melanie Rodriguez for The Socialite Family}

What a beauty. This home is just the right blend of calming and interesting for me. For more inspiration from Aurelie’s home have a look at her blog, Le Dans La.

//

Time for the picture round… a quiz!

I have a reputation amongst my friends and family for being the least competitive individual on the planet. They’re nearly right, except I love a quiz!

So I’m kicking off the week with a little treat for you (well ok, me). Litographs make lovely posters where the design is made up from the complete text of the book it depicts.

But can you work out which books these are?

Answers in the comments – or cheat and buy one of these for yourself by visiting the Litographs website.

Join The Room Debate!

Morning everyone – hope you’ve had a good week? Welcome to The Room Debate! Today’s living room has a colourful midcentury feel – it’s a look that’s been popular for a while now so I’d love to hear what you feel about it.

As ever, it’s easy to join in. Simply have a close look at the photo then leave a comment with your response to these two questions…

One thing I like most about this room is…

One thing I like least about this room is…

{via House to Home}

Whether you’re a new reader or a regular, everyone’s opinions are welcome, so I’m looking forward to hearing what you think.

Happy St David’s Day!

15-minute make: porcelain pen plates

Here’s a simple DIY using just two ingredients… a porcelain pen and a plain white plate. You could try out any design you want, but I really love the simplicity of this graphic pattern. It looks great and there’s no particular drawing skill needed to recreate it – just the kind of crafting I like!

Porcelain Pen Decorated Plates

Fire at home porcelain pen

Basic white plates

1) Read the instructions on your porcelain pen – follow those if they differ from mine!

2) Give the pen a good shake and press the nib of the pen down several times on a sheet of scrap paper to get the ink flowing.

3) Start drawing your design on the plate, starting in the centre and turning the plate as you work to avoid smudging.

4) Leave to air dry for 24 hours then bake in the oven for 35 minutes at 150ºC / Gas Mark 2. Once fired the pen should be dishwasher safe but I’d recommend hand washing your masterpiece to be on the safe side.

{Project and Photography Mormorsglamour}

Have a great weekend everyone. I’m getting behind the wheel for the first time in over 5 years… wish me luck!

Paint effects: they’re back and this time they’re on a roll!

I am a child of the paint effect generation and my Mum’s passion for rag rolling and scumble glazing was what sparked my passion for interiors in the first place. So when photographer Clare Bosanquet dropped me an email about her traditional Romanian paint pattern rollers, I was intrigued.

Clare stumbled across these patterned rollers in a Romanian market, where they’ve been used as a traditional alternative to wallpapers for around 150 years. She’s updated the patterns to suit modern tastes and adapted the roller designs for use on fabric or walls.

I really love this design with its little deer family. Clare’s decorated her whole Welsh cottage using her product and it looks great – and at £15 for each roller design they’re a bargain compared to designer wallpaper… although like wallpapering I bet there’s a knack to getting it right!

Interesting, don’t you think? Pop over to The Painted House for more ideas and tips or if you’re ready to have a go yourself, visit Clare’s Etsy shop.

My new favourite blog: Coffeeklatch

I stumbled across this blog beauty quite by accident and it’s immediately become a firm favourite. Think Freunde von Freunden meets the Brooklyn Makers Project, then transport to Belgium, and you’re just about appreciating the creative loveliness that is Coffeeklatch.

{Bart Kiggen / Coffeeklatch}

I wouldn’t have necessarily had Belgium down as a creative hub (mainly out of ignorance) but a few minutes spent exploring its homes, studios and workspaces and I soon realised I’ve been missing out on a whole country’s worth of design talent. This place in Antwerp belongs to artist Kati Heck – head over to Coffeeklatch right this second for loads more tours and interviews.*

*If you’re like me and haven’t yet joined the tech buffs using Chrome, you can paste the URL into Google Translate for a translation of the whole website.

I must be getting old…

…but does this trendy new paint effect look a lot like rising damp to you?

{Elle Decoration France}

Tonight I’m planning a quiet night in with an electric blanket and a sherry. You?

New builds on the bloc

Those clever girls at My Friend’s House have a fantastic nose for quirky design, like these diminutive skyscrapers popping up on the streets of Berlin.

 

{Photographs Evol / Yatzer via My Friend’s House}

Street artist Evol uses detailed stencils to turn drab city structures like telephone junction boxes, bins and concrete blocks into miniature buildings. I’m not usually a fan of street art (and I strongly object to graffiti) but there’s something so unassuming and appropriate about these urban sculptures I really like them.