Dresser makeover in the pipeline

I recently bought a dresser for the Suzy Gaby and Maud premises. I will be using it to display china, glass and decorative objects. I'd like to paint it in a different colour, at the moment it is pale blue with a dark wax over it in places.

I do enjoy giving some pieces of furniture a fresh new look. I have a few ideas but haven't quite made up my mind yet about the final look. I had better decide soon though as I am starting on it tomorrow!

Miss P's carpet was fitted on Wednesday and here it is:

Miss P is so pleased with it. Just how she wanted her room to look.


Over the past few days we have been transferring furniture and decorative bits and pieces into Miss P's new bedroom. Her glass light looks perfect in the disused fireplace.

A lot of painting and work in the unit over the weekend but I am looking forward to it.

I also have a lot of photos to take for my new website!

Have a lovely weekend.

A bientôt!

Isabelle X

Sometimes you have to compromise...

I know that all I have been posting about lately is the move to the new unit. That is all we have really had time for apart from also getting Miss P's new bedroom ready now that I have vacated it. It has been pretty much work, work and work recently. We have not had a day off for a while!

My choice of colour for the workroom room was a calm off white colour by Farrow & Ball called "Pointing". It is a shade that I have used in other areas in the house.


Miss P had very different ideas on how it should be decorated. The emphasis was on getting rid of the "boring old" vintage look and the floorboards! Miss P knew exactly what she wanted, two walls in electric blue, two walls in pink and a bright green carpet.

Being in to vintage and favouring more subtle colour schemes I was somewhat apprehensive at the thought of such bold and bright colours and having a bright grass green carpet instead of painted floorboards. I'll be honest, I was not too enamoured by the idea.

However, I recognised the importance of children having a room that they can feel is truly theirs and reflects their personality and tastes. It would be all to easy for me to go in there and turn the room into my vision of the child's vintage bedroom but it would not be fair on Miss P. It would be what I liked and not what Miss P liked.

I have seen many dream vintage looking children's bedrooms in magazines, books & websites and wonder how many of those children had a say in it?.... Do those bedrooms reflect the Mother's tastes or the child's?


Miss P adding her personal touch


This is fun!




After a first coat and I have to admit that it is looking better than I imagined.

I will post the final look when the green carpet has been fitted on Wednesday.

It is Alan's birthday tomorrow and we will be having our first day off in ages. I am looking forward to taking him out for a much deserved lunch at a nearby pub.

Have a lovely weekend!

A bientôt!

Isabelle X

Painting update & Textile deliveries

I had hoped to post sooner but other things took over. I've had a few deliveries this week. As many of you probably know by now, I love textiles (vintage mostly)


This 1950's Italian Riviera fabric, I really love! I bought it online from Donna. The colours and design are so beautiful. It captures a time when the Italian & French Riviera were so much more glamorous and chic than they are now.


Bought on Ebay

Discontinued Laura Ashley fabric, so pretty and fresh.

Onto the lounge now...
This used to be Alan's office, in that little area under the stairs. However, a few months ago we decided that it would be nice to get rid of the desk & for Alan to share my workroom/office upstairs. This would make the lounge free from work related things and a good place to relax. It was not esthetically pleasing either to be honest... as I'm sure you'll agree... Not very vintage looking....

So we cleared everything out back in August/September


Looking better already!
And this is what we did to it last weekend..

After... much better.
The next job is to make that area look pretty and cosy. This weekend I'll get on to that and will hopefully finish that corner.


Sneak peek at painting in progress... I had to repaint it as the first time around the paint came out darker than I had expected..I am yet to find the backing that I like. Still looking for that perfect wallpaper or fabric... I will post the finished result as soon as it is all finished!

Have a lovely Valentine's day on Sunday!

A bientôt!

Isabelle X

Furniture for the lounge - BEFORE

This is the piece of furniture we have bought for the lounge. Although I do like the colour (Bluey green) and wallpaper inside (discontinued Laura Ashley), unfortunately it doesn't quite go with the rest of the room. . On these photos the paint looks more grey than bright bluey green, I can't seem to capture the colour!

So it will be getting a new makeover. I will be putting a different wallpaper in the background, perhaps slightly less busy looking as I will have a mixture of vintage decorative items in the foreground on the shelves. I need to play around with a few wallpapers before deciding which one will look best. I am still looking around for the perfect one, vintage ideally! I have something in mind in my head but am yet to find it....






Also saw this little shelf as I was leaving
and...

this stool. They just had to come back with me too...

A lot painting to be done on Sunday, the stone wall that you can see behind the stool is going to be painted in an Ivory colour, the work room will also be getting some attention as it is nearing completion...Hooray at last!

Thank you to all of you who keep visiting my blog despite me not having been able to visit many of yours of late. I do read and appreciate all your comments and look forward to catching up with your blogs soon. There has been so much going on of late, one of the reasons I have not yet shared with you..but I will soon. ;-)

I wish you all a really good weekend!

A bientôt!

Isabelle X

LOUNGE MAKEOVER - Almost there!

At last, we are getting there...


Come and take a look at some of the changes..


Well there certainly was plenty of this and


plenty of that going on

Alan & I began the process of decluttering the lounge, pieces of furniture were taken away for good including the red armchair. Everything else had to be moved towards the window so that we could start painting the floorboards


Before


After...
The walls were painted with Endurance Durable and Washable Matt "Timeless" by Dulux & the floorboards were painted with International Polar White Matt floor paint.


Work in progress


and after....








The watercolour painting above the fireplace is one of my favourites.












The windows also had a makeover. The dark wood had to go! The frames are painted in Jasmine White by Dulux







Vintage curtains: Petronella by LIBERTY. A couple of years ago or so, Laura Ashley brought a very similar design, almost a replica of Petronella by Liberty fabric which no longer exists.

Lilly enjoying a spot of sunshine by the window






At last a spot of relaxation....This side of the room is more or less finished, just adding a few more decorative bits here and there. However, on the other side of the lounge there is still a bit of work going on. As soon as completed, more photos will follow...


A bientôt!

Isabelle x

Hampshire stop & some thrifting

Last Saturday, Alan and I had to go to Hampshire. On our way back, we stopped in a village called Odiham which is within a mile of Fleet. We were recommended a pub which would be a nicer alternative to the Fleet services (M3 Motorway)


The Waterwitch Pub - Odiham


Inside the pub



The pub backs on to a canal

After a lovely lunch, we decided to have a walk around Odiham before heading back to Somerset. It felt very quiet for a Saturday, a few shops were open. There are several pretty houses throughout the village.
























A much nicer way to break up the journey back home, it certainly beats Fleet Services...

I haven't had much time for thrifting of late, too busy re-decorating. Besides, we need to have some of the rooms finished before I can contemplate adding any more to them! Having said that, I recently popped in to my nearest town and couldn't resist going in to a couple of charity shops to have a look around. Needless to say, I came back with a few things.


I love the blue of this tea set





On Wednesday, I popped in to Wells and bought these beautiful glasses from The Laundry, a pretty boutique selling clothes, jewellery and other gifts. Unfortunately they don't have a website. You can find them at 58 High Street, Wells, Somerset.

They were just £9.95 for 6 glasses, there is a matching jug too which I may well get too!


Yes, a peek at the newly painted floorboards!


Wood panels on one of the walls, they need a third coat of paint and that will be it on the painting front. It's getting there....

Have a great weekend!

A bientôt!

Isabelle x