The Fantasy Decorator

The Retro Decorator - 50s bathroom, Basildon Park

2013-04-16T11:06:00.001+01:00

The miserable weather that characterised the British summer last year meant we didn't get out and about as much as we might have liked, and as a knock-on effect we didn't really use our National Trust membership to its full potential. This year, however, we're determined to get the most out of it, and we recently visited the lovely Basildon Park in Berkshire.

From the outside, it looks like a lot of similar Palladian mansions built in the 1700s:

Basildon Park facade

However, it has a slightly more unusual history in that it was never fully completed, and had a number of different owners with varying financial difficulties - including the government, which used the house as a barracks during the Second World War. (Interestingly, the house was almost completely dismantled and shipped to the USA at one point, and a large number of interior elements have been stripped out and can be found in various public buildings in the US).

The house was rescued from ruin in the mid-1950s by Lord and Lady Illiffe. They set about trying to restore the house until it was left to the National Trust in 1978. As well as some very grand state rooms, the house also contains a number of original 1950s "mod cons" that make for interesting viewing, and which is how this makes it into a Retro Decorator post!

The 1950s kitchen is currently undergoing some restoration, but it's the bathrooms that caught my eye...

I've always stated my preference for a clean, modern bathroom, but anyone who has followed this blog for a while may remember that conversely I also have a particularly nostalgic love of a black and pink bathroom - and these ones are probably as grand as they come:

Who wouldn't want to bathe in this?

Very Hollywood screen siren, I'm sure you'll agree! (And if the house looks familiar, it's because it has been used in a number of films and TV productions...)

Bit of Admin

2013-03-28T10:03:00.004Z

So, Google reader will soon be no more. For those millions of you that follow using this method, you might like to know that I'm setting up a bloglovin' account. I really have no idea what I'm doing, but apparently I have to paste this into a post:

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

So I have. x

Cyprus holiday apartment update

2013-03-19T11:20:00.000Z

It seems Cyprus is the hot topic of conversation at the moment for all the wrong reasons. I therefore thought it might be nice to give it a bit of positive publicity and remind ourselves that it's still a fabulous holiday destination despite all the financial problems!

As a quick reminder, you can find the back story and my interest here.

My parents have just come back from a quick stint in Cyprus, and have done a fantastic job in getting some more of the basic furniture in that will allow us to spend our first proper family holiday out there in August (including air conditioning - a must in the heat of the summer!)

There is still a long way to go towards giving the apartment a "wow factor", but at least we will have somewhere to sleep:

...as will the children...

and we'll have somewhere to sit in comfort (note air conditioning unit on wall - hoorah!)

...as well as cook and eat, even if at the moment it is on outdoor furniture for the balcony only.

It's frustrating being so far away and being time constrained each time we do visit - it does limit us a little bit in terms of what we can do each time, and what is available to us. Hence why there is more IKEA furniture in the apartment than I probably initially would have liked. It seems you just can't beat them for instantly available furniture wherever you go - plus, I guess you know what you are getting, which can be reassuring if you don't know where to shop and where to avoid.

Our next bigger job will be to get some fabric into the place to deaden the echo - a couple more rugs, and window hangings, and add a few pictures to the walls to try and brighten it up and pull it together. Still with five months to go I think it's fair to say I've got plenty of time to do some more fantasy decorating in the meantime...

Simple hallway lighting

2013-03-13T10:16:00.000Z

It's no secret that I've got a terrible magazine habit. I love flicking through them to get ideas, marvel at other peoples' homes, and generally get inspired. However, it has been a long time since I bought a specific item that I've seen in a magazine.

I was looking at the July 2012 edition of Ideal Home magazine, however, and came across this...

The strange thing is that I'm neither a huge fan of the "country" look, or of the colour green..why, therefore, could I not get this picture out of my mind?

It wasn't the picture itself, but one of the items in it. Something about the light grabbed me. I just liked its simplicity, especially against the rest of the "country" look. I tried to dismiss it, yet somehow I became obsessed with it, bookmarking the page in the magazine and visiting and re-visiting the page. The light was available at Bailey's home and garden. I stalked their website, umming and ahhing.

My husband of course, couldn't understand my obsession. "It's only a light" he'd say, "and quite a plain one at that!". By October I was determined. I knew exactly where I wanted the lights (yes, I needed two!), namely to replace the ornate pink affairs in our hallway left by the previous owners. I'd always felt they detracted somewhat from our beautiful Victorian flooring and cornicing.

And so it came to pass that I got my way and I got my lights. Out went these:

...and in came these...

...and very pleased I am too!

The Retro Decorator - 1967 Living Room

2013-02-13T11:48:00.001Z

Another tumblr find this time, and while admittedly dated, there are a few things to pick out about this room, namely the lovely wood coffee table, the exposed stonework and the classic, simple lines of the furniture.

via

With orange on the catwalks and blues in the home, I could even transport the throw and the cushions to the modern day. I'd probably ditch the mustard rug though.

Moroccan Style Meets Scandinavian Style

2013-02-06T11:04:00.000Z

I've made no secret of my love of both Scandinavian and Moroccan style in the past. Up to now, I've always thought they were probably kind of contradictory...

Until, that is, I came across this:

via 79ideas

...and it instantly grabbed my attention.

I love all-white interiors, and although it seems like an easy thing to do (no colour matching involved, after all), in a lot of ways it can be tricky to get right, and avoid making it look too cold and clinical. This combination uses the laid-back, pared down Scandinavian feel, but with the pattern and interest of a Moroccan scheme, minus the rich colour!

If I had a room to do it in, I'd be tempted to give it a go with some fabulous Scandinavian and Moroccan accessories....

1) Broste Malin lantern bamboo large at The Scandinavian Shop

2) Sparkle Glass Tealight holder at The White Company

3) Warehouse Industrial White Metal Dome Pendant by Alexander and Pearl

4) Moroccan Flower Ball Ivory Pendat at Dove Mill

5) Adriana White Floral Mirror at Graham & Green

6) White Cord Chair at Tartan & Zebra

7) Large Scandinavian Tray at Nordic House

8) White Woodbag Firewood Holder at Artic Design

9) White Moroccan Leather Pouffe at Moroccan Bazaar

Achica Valentine's Wishlist - Creating a Romantic Bedroom

2013-02-01T12:33:00.001Z

sponsored post

Happy February! We all know what February means, don't we? Yes...Valentine's Day...

First off I should probably confess that I'm an old cynic that hates the commercialism of Valentine's Day. If you're going to be romantic, be spontaneous and unexpected about it, don't wait for a certain day! Having said that, the lovely folks at Achica have been all kinds of spontaneous and unexpected, by asking me if I wanted to compile a wishlist on their site in exchange for some lovely store credit. It seems only fair to show them a little love in return by going for a Valentine's-inspired theme.

Achica describes itself as a member-only luxury lifestyle store, and runs daily shopping promotions which last around 72 hours. The items that I have picked throughout this week therefore might not be available any more, but I'm sure other lovely things will be!

First of all, you'll probably want to declare your love with a few words:

Jan Constantine cream Love cushion
+
The Nostalgia Wall Measure of Love plank style wall plaque

If all goes well, you'll hopefully be moving things along to the bedroom, and if you want to woo your beloved, you must have some decent bedlinen. Therefore you can't go wrong with some silk blend sheets:

However, the key to a romantic bedroom, in my opinion, is all about creating the right mood, in which case I'd probably add either a scented candle, or a Moroccan style tealight holder for both aroma and subtle lighting:

Kenneth Turner 5 wick candle
+
Garden Lantern Co Morocco tealight lantern

Finally, if you are lucky to have a fireplace in your bedroom, a roaring fire can warm even the most die-hard Valentine's bah-humbug-er. In the interests of safety, I'd add a fire guard evoking the eternal city of Rome:

Whatever you choose, I hope you'll get hearts racing!

Today I'm Loving...Wall and Ceiling Stickers

2013-01-28T12:11:00.000Z

I admit it, I got lost down the rabbit hole of Not on the High Street recently. I don't know about you, but I go on there for one thing, and end up branching off and finding all sorts of things I never knew existed.

I couldn't even tell you what I was originally looking for, however, I ended up buying this:

via Not on the High Street

...with the justification that a) it would look great in our Cyprus flat (and easy to put up - no tools required!), and b) it mentioned gin and tonic.

Anyway, maybe I'm terribly behind the times, but I've never really thought too much about wall stickers before, but I ended up spending a happy half an hour browsing their entire range and mentally sticking all my walls full of them. However, what especially caught my eye was not a wall sticker, but a ceiling sticker. We are lucky enough to have original Victorian ceiling roses in two rooms of our house, but I thought these might be fun for where we didn't, or in a modern house that fancied a bit of ceiling rose grandeur:

via Not on the High Street

Caselio

Are you stuck on stickers?

Random Hotel Room of the Week - 20 Nevern Square, London

2013-01-21T12:09:00.000Z

We recently spent a lovely weekend in London (some more about which I'll blog about separately - got to squeeze more than one post out of it, after all), and I had to share some pictures from our favourite hotel.

This was our third stay at 20 Nevern Square - originally chosen purely by location, due to its proximity to a friend's place.

We were lucky enough to be upgraded to the "Sheherazade Suite", which meant that we did not have to suffer the one major drawback of this hotel, which is that the rooms do tend to be on the small side. However, we've always found that the general atmosphere and attention to detail have made up for the lack of space:

...and the Sheherazade suite didn't disappoint!

...although I'm disappointed to say that the bathroom did contain two out of four of my bathroom pet hates ;-)

Still, I think we'll forgive them...

Bathroom design "features" guaranteed to annoy me...

2013-01-14T10:27:00.000Z

There was a water leak in the local area last Friday that has meant very low water pressure all weekend. A highly frustrating experience when you're trying to take a shower and not much more than a trickle comes out that turns cold at inopportune moments!

While I was shivering in the cubicle with my hair full of shampoo, I decided there was little worse than a pathetic shower, and from there my mind started wandering to what other pet hates I have in the bathroom:

1) Second only to a pathetic dribble of a shower for me is the "Rain Shower". You know the ones? The ones designed for you to stand under to be drenched in something akin to a waterfall?

source

"What?!" I hear you cry - "surely that totally contradicts your previous statement re little dribbles?!" Well, yes, and no. Here's where I have a confession to make - I don't wash my hair every day. I have long hair, it takes a long time to dry, and (more importantly) style into something vaguely presentable and I honestly don't have the time or the inclination to go through the hassle every day. However, confront me with a rain shower and I frankly don't have a choice as to whether I get my head wet or not. I either have to wear an industrial-strength shower cap, or contort myself by trying to hang outside the torrent of water trying to wash my body and keep my hair dry at the same time.

Plus, sometimes you just want to clean certain body parts - your feet, say - and the only way you can do this is by doing a handstand and pointing them at the jets of water coming from the ceiling.

Finally, not having a hand-held attachment must make it incredibly difficult to clean the cubicle?

2) Mixer taps (lack thereof)

A peculiarly British plumbing dilemma, and popular with the more "classic" bathroom design.

source

I like my water a certain temperature. Not scalding hot, not freezing cold, and I don't have the patience to mix it in the sink (which to me always seems slightly unhygienic anyway). Need I say more?

3) Roll top baths

While we're on the subject of "classic" bathroom designs - roll-top baths have no place in the family bathroom. Go on, admit it - I bet you've been seduced by pictures like this in the past:?

source

It looks great, doesn't it? Look closely, however, and you will notice one thing about the position of this bath - it's in the middle of the room. Not squashed up against the wall in a bathroom the size of the one in the average British home.

We have a bath like this. It looks fabulous. Or rather, it probably once did....

Notice the floor? That's what happens when you bath children in a roll-top bath. They splash. Ruins your floor. Granted, that can happen with any bath. Most baths, however, are attached to the wall. You don't get water sploshing down behind the bath. Where it is impossible to clean up. You also don't have to clean underneath it. Which is why roll top baths don't belong in family bathrooms. And nobody can convince me otherwise.

4) Outward opening shower cubicles

So you've managed to find a hand-held shower with decent water pressure. You wash, push open the door, and step onto the mat outside, and promptly have all the water that has accumulated on the door of the shower cubicle pour onto the floor with you.

source

I understand a door that opens like this is all about ease of access. However, we have the most minute shower cubicle that has a perfectly adequate folding door that keeps all water inside the cubicle where it belongs. Surely it can't be that difficult?

So there you have it, my top bathroom gripes.

Go on - I'd love to hear yours!

Green and white Christmas stairs

2012-12-10T11:09:00.000Z

I bookmarked the following picture on tumblr a while ago (sadly the tumblr that posted the original seems to have been deleted, so don't really have a link to the original image), as I loved the use of the empty white frames up the staircase - such a great and simple idea that could probably be done quite cheaply:

via

The fact that it was a Christmas-inspired picture was actually secondary at the time. However, I do love a bit of garland-and-wreathery at this time of year, so here are a couple more that caught my eye and keep the simple green and white theme:

via

house to home

The World's Easiest Wreath, Or; Why I'm Not A Craft Blogger

2012-12-07T10:43:00.000Z

Let me state up front that I've always been a bit rubbish at anything vaguely crafty. To be honest, I'm probably still slightly traumatised by my junior school teacher Mrs Woodcock, who I overheard one day showing some of my "work" to our headteacher. "She tries", went the conversation, "but it's not really her strong point".

Christmas, however, brings out the trier in me, for whatever reason. Combine this with my love of a simple wreath, and you have the only crafty thing I regularly attempt. I've bought wreaths in the past, but to be honest have always worried a little bit about them getting stolen (we live on a busy road that tends to get its fair share of Christmas revellers wandering back from the pub), so cheap and cheerful is a must.

You will need:

- A handy source of green foliage (in our case a massive holly tree that sits behind our house. It has the advantage of probably being the only holly tree that does not have prickly leaves, which is ideal! We normally have masses of red berries, but for some reason this year they all seem to have dropped off at the beginning of December, which is a real shame as the wreath won't be quite as colourful as normal).

- A ring and some ribbon. This ring is from a wreath I bought a few years ago, and have kept ever since:

Then simply:

1) Select your twigs
2) Arrange them around your frame
3) Wrap your ribbon around the whole thing
4) Adjust any stray twigs

Et voila. The world's easiest wreath, with that trendy thrown-together, home-made look!

Of course, if it turns out really rubbish, you can still cheat and buy one. I keep this one from John Lewis in reserve ;-)

If you're a wreath freak like me, then also check out this video on the Etsy blog that has got some absolutely amazing wreaths made from a wide variety of materials.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas, 1

2012-12-03T12:02:00.001Z

The start of December always feels like the right time to start getting a little bit festive, although I like to take things slow and steady, and build up to the fully decorated house as we get closer to Christmas. Our family tradition for a long time used to be that we didn't put up our tree and decorate it until Christmas eve (a Finnish tradition, from my mother's side). However, I confess that I can't normally wait quite that long these days. Patience has never really been a virtue, and to get a good tree (we like to get a real one), you have to buy relatively early, which means it sits outside tempting me until I give in or the children nag me into submission. We've booked in our tree shopping expedition for next weekend, so we'll see how long I last until I crack this year!

In the meantime, the first thing I love to do is get a few festive lights up, and these gingham and jingle bell fairy lights are a new purchase from lights4fun (no, this post isn't in any way sponsored, but I have got all my Christmas lights from them the past couple of years and they are fab):

They currently have pride of place on my daughters' bunk beds, where they are looking extremely pretty! I'm actually quite jealous...

Chesterfield

2012-11-14T13:07:00.003Z

I've never really been much of a fan of the Chesterfield sofa. I suppose I've always associated it with stuffy dark gentlemens' smoking rooms, very heavy, very old-fashioned. Yes, the leather is wipe-clean, but think of all those buttons that can collect dirt and fluff!

Source

But you know what? Slowly, but surely I think I'm warming to them, whether it's a velvet fabric version:

Source

...or whether it's a quirky modern twist on the traditional leather...:

Source

...or whether it's just a slightly more battered version of an original...

Source

Done properly, I'm starting to think they're actually quite perfect for my perfect mixture of old and new. Are you a Chesterfield fan?

Cyprus verdict....

2012-11-06T09:47:00.000Z

(...somewhat belated, for which I must apologise)

Well, the good news is that the apartment is still there and in one piece...and even better it's actually very lovely. Look at these views!:

The bad news is that there is still a lot to be done before it's fully operational, as it were. Still, we at least managed to find some beds:

...and while we don't have a hob to cook on, at least there is somewhere to put our pans when we do...

...and finally at least we have a colour scheme to work from!

...and we're off!

2012-10-16T14:39:00.001+01:00

Tomorrow we finally wing our way over to Cyprus to go and see the apartment for the first time. Unfortunately we probably won't have a chance to do much as it is only for a few days, but at least I'll be able to post a few more pics of the exterior etc.

Until then - σας δούμε σύντομα...!

via Visit Cyprus

The Retro Decorator - Osborne and Little, Then and now

2012-10-03T11:35:00.000+01:00

I've not done a Retro Decorator post for a long while, so I've been flicking through my collection of old magazines (mainly to see if I can find a "Greek style" retro decorator theme - still looking for that one though), and I thought it might be time I did another then and now post.

Founded in the Swinging 60s, Osborne and Little started off with hand-printed wallpaper. Today they are known for a wide variety of fabrics and wallpapers. In the 80s, you could have found an ad for them that looked like this:

Osborne & Little ad, House & Garden, February 1989

...whereas their latest print ad looks like this:

Osborne & Little ad, LivingEtc, October 2012

Despite the 20-odd years that separate them, the feel and principles are still similar, mainly in that it is not immediately obvious what the ad is for, in both instances. They also have quite a heritage appeal (interesting considering their relatively short history). Where other companies might feature samples or interiors decked out in their patterns, Osborne and Little have chosen to use them to slightly less obvious effect.

Would you have guessed what they were for?

Favourite Upcycled Pieces

2012-10-01T12:25:00.000+01:00

I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time wandering round the lovely shops of Bath at the weekend. It's been a while since I last shopped there, and I was struck by the number of shops that seem to have sprung up selling homewares and knick-knacks. After a while though, I think even I managed to get overloaded by the distressed mirrors and the "home is where the heart is" signs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this style if it works for you, but I couldn't help thinking it was all looking a little mass-produced and unoriginal. Surely the original thought behind shabby chic is a certain handmade, thrifty quality, that I felt was lacking.

As an antidote, therefore, I've been looking up what, for want of a better term, I can only call "real" shabby chic - something a bit original, a bit upcycled, and, most importantly, made in the UK. I therefore thought it time to share a couple of examples from some smaller companies I've come across:

Firstly, a company based on a small farm in South West Scotland called Funny Old Furniture. As well as painting and restoring old pieces, they also incoporate fun items of decoupage in some of their pieces, as well as doing original decoupage artworks. My favourite item of theirs currently is this vintage oak decoupage patchwork dresser:

via Funny Old Furniture

If bright colours and decoupage are your thing, then also be sure to check out Viva Designs, who aim to cover just about anything in bright fabrics. This retro telephone would certainly make talking on it a talking point!

Viva Designs

Finally, if all that colour is a bit much for you, and you prefer a calmer approach, you could do worse than check out the new site from my old (*old in the sense of I've been following her for a long time in Twitter years, I hasten to add!) Twitter friend Karen, called The White Approach. I absolutely adore the glimpses into her gorgeous home on her blog, and marvel at how she manages an all-white home with four men in her life! The piece that caught my eye on her site is this old scroll chair that has been given a new lease of life with some snow white chalk paint:

via The White Approach

It's certainly inspired me to think about how I could add a bit of chic to some of the pieces I have in my home! How about you?

I've Got A New Look!

2012-09-25T12:04:00.000+01:00

I'm hoping you can't have failed to notice that things are looking a little different around here...

Yes, the fantasy decorator has finally had its own little makeover, courtesy of the lovely Liz at Violet Posy.

I think it looks a little more grown-up and stylish, and I hope you agree! I still have a bit of tidying up to do on some of the pages, so expect a few tweaks here and there, but hopefully nothing major. You'll see the design following through to my Twitter, Facebook page, Tumblr and Google Plus pages too, so hopefully I should now look similar across the web.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Cypriot Style = Greek Style?

2012-09-20T11:43:00.001+01:00

In my ongoing pursuit to find Cypriot style, I've come to the somewhat embarrassing conclusion that what I suspected all along may be true; namely that for my purposes at least, I'm going to be assuming that Cypriot style equals Greek style. And hell, Greek style equals Meditarranean style, which equals Seaside Style. So there.

Which is how I came to buy these books:

Again, however, things aren't that simple when you dig a bit deeper. What do you think of when you think Greek style? Even October's LivingEtc magazine is going down the classical route for bathrooms. A few statues, a Greek flag, job done - right?

It's all Greek to me

The problem, however, is that this look is very tricky to pull off without it looking like a cheap pastiche. Plus it often seems to involve a lot of gold, which we've previously established is not a favourite of mine. No, the Greek style I'm thinking of is inspire by the blue and white of the islands:

Santorini

source

Yes, it's probably just as much of a cliché as the urns, but it's a far simpler, fresher and modern feel - hopefully even I can't screw it up....

Cypriot Style?

2012-09-10T12:13:00.000+01:00

One of the things about owning an apartment in a popular holiday destination is that there are of course already a lot of similar apartments out there to plunder for inspiration and ideas.

The thing that struck me, however, was that a lot of similar apartments, while tastefully furnished, seemed a little soulless. Of course, an apartment that is merely being rented out for other people has to be relatively neutral, but I don't see why that means it can't have a bit of personality! One thing I noticed was that a lot of the apartments I saw could have been anywhere - there was nothing to tell you whether it was Paphos, Paris or Peterborough...

So one thing I decided fairly early on is that it should at least be obvious where people were holidaying. Cue a google search for "Cypriot style"...only it turns out that mainly brings up recipes involving yogurt...

Anyway, one thing that Cyprus is known to do pretty well is luxury hotels with spa. Perhaps I should use that as my inspiration? I therefore trawled the photo galleries...

Almyra hotel, Cyprus

Anassa hotel, Cyprus

Coral Beach hotel

Very classy, and very aspirational, I'm sure you'll agree...however there is still something "international" about all of these schemes, and for me personally I'm missing the "this is Cyprus" factor.

It was back to the drawing board...

No longer just fantasy decorating...

2012-09-06T11:13:00.002+01:00

While things in our own house move along at the usual snail-like pace (focusing on external maintenance at the moment, tedious, but got to be done), I do have another little project that is looming into view.

I will gloss over the detail of how we aquired it (as, to be honest, it's a painful story and it wasn't necessarily through choice!), but we are in fact owners of a holiday apartment in a small place called Tala, near Paphos in Cyprus. For various reasons, it has stood empty since being completed around 18 months ago, but finally we are in a position to start to think about getting it kitted out and hopefully getting some use out of it.

At the moment it is just an empty shell:

Kitchen cabinets

Open Plan Kitchen/Diner/Living Room

Living through to bedrooms

en-suite bathroom

...although kitchen cabinets and two bathrooms are "set".

We are off to visit the place in a few weeks, although there probably won't be time to do much, we will at least try and work out what will need doing in future (shopping!!).

In the next few posts I will share a few ideas and inspirations for the general feel I would like to create, as well as ideas for each of the different rooms. As eventually we might possibly consider renting out the apartment, I'd love to hear what other people think, so am always up for ideas and creative feedback!

What Time Is It?

2012-07-20T10:15:00.000+01:00

With our younger daughter now at school, and the older one working on digital vs analogue time, we realised it was about time we got a decent analogue clock in our house - the only ones we had that weren't digital were watches!

Personally, I'd have loved to get something unusual like either a design classic:

"Watch Me" by Normann Copenhagen

or maybe something like this?

Target clock by John Lewis

but sadly they both never made the grade due to not actually having any numerals on them...Roman numberals would have been nice, and would also have provided another teaching element I suppose:

Achille Castiglioni for Alessi

...but ultimately we wanted something simpler. I love all the different designs that Newgate Clocks do, and I'm sure this one would have focused the children's minds on the time!:

Newgate Clocks

However, ultimately I'm not sure we really could have lived with the pester power, and in the end it came down to cheap, cheerful and functional at TK Maxx!

Pride of place in the dining room!

Remember this...?

2012-07-17T14:30:00.003+01:00

Was it really over 18 months ago that I posted this plea for help?

Well, it only goes to prove how slow I really am at making decisions or changes in my own home to say that I finally updated the chair that stares at me every day...

It had a new dress in some "Lumimarja" fabric by Marimekko, and I'm so pleased with it that it's been promoted to our bedroom. I'm still in two minds as to whether to try and spray paint it white, but my husband has put his foot down for the moment (his very good point was that paint would probably only chip and look messy after a while).

Wall Envy

2012-06-20T09:20:00.000+01:00

One of the things about never getting around to doing any proper decorating is that I often fall into the trap of buying little knick-knacks in the hope that new cushions/a throw/some candles will detract from the dirty handprints on the walls and the peeling paint.

You'd think I'd have learned my lesson by now, and that really I might be better off with a lick of paint, rather than spending money on pretty things that catch my eye...however, I saw these prints at Wall Envy Art via someone on Twitter recently and I just fell in love. It's a set of three vintage French dictionary pages with a print and handpainted watercolour illustration of the weather. As my husband is half French, and I studied French at university, it seemed like the perfect combination of a bit of fun heritage and the British obsession with the weather!

All I need to do now is find a place to do them justice. At the moment they are on the mantlepiece in the spare bedroom, but I fear all that does is highlight how badly the fireplace needs restoring...