A pretty bedroom (sage and gorse again)

{Sean Fennessy for The Design Files}

I still can’t get enough of this colour combo so this delicate bedroom scheme immediately caught my eye. There’s more of this vintage-inspired home at The Design Files.

House tour: butter factory turned toasty home

Originally built as a butter factory and most recently used as a candle maker’s workshop, owners Greg Hatton and Lucy Marx had to melt an inch-thick coating of candle wax from the walls of their future home with boiling water before their renovation could begin. And I thought stripping wallpaper was bad…

{all Tara Pearce for EST magazine}

Maybe the interior is a little too rough and ready for everyday living, but as a place to visit I think this home looks idyllic. I love the relaxed vintage vibe and the way the patina of the building has been retained in the peeling plaster and chipped tiles, not the mention the dream vegetable plot and homemade honey.

Not sure I’ll be copying the marrow centrepiece idea though!!!

House Tour: not your usual Finnish home

For reasons I won’t dwell on, I spend a lot more time than the average Brit reading Finnish interiors blogs. Despite having  the most incomprehensible language imaginable, I can usually spot them from a mile off because they almost all the homes have a remarkably similar style. Black, white, big Marimekko prints and a hit of bright yellow.

So when I came across Maria’s blog Diagnoosi Sisustusmania (Interiors Mania) I was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming vintage vibe of her lovely Finnish home.

Maria’s blog mainly tracks the restoration of her house and her flea market finds. I like the relaxed, non-try-hard vibe, mixing vintage bits with inexpensive high-street accessories like the cushions from H&M home. Her style feels achievable and real somehow. Styled, yes, but not contrived.

Maria’s clearly a dab hand with a paintbrush and there are some really cool things going on with the floors in her house. Check out the checked floorboards in the living room and this pattern in the hallway. If I’m lucky enough to have original boards in my new flat I’d love to have a go at something like this…

Upstairs the bedrooms have that magical mix of warm and inviting and fresh and calm.

And tell me… what teenage boy wouldn’t want to have an old VW campervan embedded in their bedroom wall?

{all Diagnoosi Sisustusmania}

Follow the renovation diary and soak up more inspiration by clicking through to the Diagnoosi Sisustusmania blog.

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!

Beautiful boro textiles

I’m fascinated by folk crafts – wherever you go in the world you find art born out of necessity and hardship. It seems that it’s an innate human desire to beautify and embellish the things we have around us, however functional and humble their origins.

I recently stumbled across the tradition of Japanese Boro textiles and I think they’re as interesting as they are beautiful.

In the years before WWII many people in rural areas of Japan lived in extreme poverty. Boro means ‘tattered cloth’ and is the term given to heavily patched and repaired indigo cotton – mostly bedclothes, futon covers and fisherman’s jackets. Some have been repaired so many times that the original material is barely visible.

Women would sit down to sew in the evenings when the men returned home, and the hands of the makers are traced all over each piece of cloth. This kind of running stitch is called sashiko and had both a practical and decorative purpose – as well as joining the scraps and adding simple embroidery, the fabric was also made stronger and warmer as the layers built up and up over the years.

{all Siri Threads}

After the war, boro cloth became a sad reminder of the desperate times people wanted to leave behind, and using or wearing the fabrics was something to be ashamed of. More recently though, collectors have recognised their beauty and importance and original pieces now fetch hundreds of dollars.

Owning one of these would feel like owning a little piece of someone else’s history and I’d love to feel I had a little of this sad and inspiring story woven into the fabric of my home.

Join The Room Debate!

Morning all – welcome to The Room Debate!

I have a rather vintage candidate for your delectation today – judging by the single bed I’m guessing this is a child’s room or maybe a guest room. I’ll leave that for you to decide…

As always, it’s easy to get involved. Just have a good look at the room photo below and leave a comment with your answers to these two questions:

One thing I like most about this room is…

One thing I like least about this room is…

{via Down and Out Chic}

I guess the question is, would you have liked this to be your bedroom growing up, or would you like to stay in it while visiting a friend?

Looking forward to hearing what you think! Have a lovely weekend.

DN xx

House tour: vintage and global Melbourne home

Paula Mills is one well-travelled lady. She grew up in Cape Town where she studied commercial art before moving to London to work as an art director. After eight years she left Britain to travel the world, have children and eventually settled in Melbourne, where she now lives and works as an illustrator.

Paula’s home is filled with collections old, new and far-flung. The nicely distressed fireplace was thrifted from the roadside and the mantle is the perfect spot to display an assortment of silver sports trophies. By coincidence, Paula stumbled across one inscribed with “Woman’s Netball Association won by P. Mills 1950” at a local flea market! I’m strangely drawn to religious imagery and really like the various postcards and posters scattered across the walls in this house.

Pink 1950s melamine table. Yum.

I love the mix of shiny white gloss and rough wood in the kitchen, and the little splash of red is a hit with me.

One day I’ll get sick of exposed bulb lights… but not yet! This home office is where Paula works on illustrations for her shop, Sweet William.

{Photographs Sharyn Cairns for Homelife}

The fresh white backdrop shows of Paula’s Vintage bits beautifully, with just one blue painted wall in the living room to cosy things up a bit. Blue interiors have really been growing on me recently, and this home illustrates the lovely warmth it can add to a room. Check out Paula’s living room before she painted the wall here and compare…

The art (and politics) of laundry

I’ve used Flickr a lot less since Pinterest came along, but it’s worth remembering that in addition to photos, Flickr is home to some incredible archives. I recently came across the Boston Public Library photostream which contains scans of the most amazing historical artwork, ephemera, advertising posters and photography.

You can spend hours getting lost in the collection but I picked out this little selection of nineteenth century laundry adverts. Feminists are advised to look away now!

{all Boston Public Library}

Dare I ask who does the laundry in your house?!

House Tour: amazingly austere American farmhouse

Sometimes trends come along and, although you might like them, they take a bit of effort to embrace. Others  just slot into your natural way of doing things and feel like they’ve been around forever… to me, those ones are undoubtedly the best.

The emerging trend for all things uncomplicated connected with me straight away – probably because it’s not really a trend at all. Valuing authenticity, cherishing history and making the most of the simple things in life taps into the nostalgic yearnings we all share. It just feels right. I came across this incredible home on Pinterest and it so completely encapsulates this mood I had to share it.

{all Phoebe Troyer}

Phoebe Troyer‘s Ohio home is so uncomplicated you might call it sparse – maybe even austere. Its simple style has such an air of authenticity I wouldn’t be too surprised if the owners were fresh off the Mayflower! Every single piece of furniture has been chosen so perfectly that there’s not one item that jars or feels out of place. The design is so apparently simple, but there’s an incredible skill in the way the rooms have been put together.

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen a house like it and I’m completely in awe of Pheobe’s style. If you’re as drawn in as I am, there are lots more photos of the house its beautiful garden on her Pinterest boards.

Simple pleasures: blue and white china

It’s a funny feeling when you catch your own tastes changing.

I used to be a white bedding and white china only girl but recently I’ve found worn striped and floral bedlinen calling me and a taste for fussy willow pattern crockery has been creeping up on me for a while now. I think it was Lobster & Swan‘s lunch photos that started it and now Michelle’s car boot stash has got my vintage-hunter’s fingers itching again.

{both Michelle Young / MYCreative}

I really like how Michelle’s styled the simple blue and white china on such a boldly patterned and contrasting fabric – not an obvious choice, but there’s something rather appealing in the clash!

Check out MY Creative for more photographic goodness – this recent farm shop jaunt is one of my favourites.