Before & After: How I Designed The Shared Home Office

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I'm so happy to be able to finally reveal to you the home office revamp that I have been working on since the start of the year! As I've mentioned in previous posts, me and my husband share this work space in our home and it just wasn't working for either of us. It was the only room in the house that remained decorated by the previous owners, and although the statement red chimney breast and biscuit coloured walls were inoffensive, they weren't exactly great either. Our artwork had been randomly hung all over the place just on the hooks left by the old owners; and with me and my husband working daily in this room, storage was a problem. As you can see in the pictures below, there was no-where to put anything and stuff had just started to build up until it was a TOTAL mess.

BEFORE:

Before: biscuit walls and beige curtains, art hung randomly, stuff EVERYWHERE!

Together with my husband we agreed on the below mood-board. The brief was a contemporary, masculine room which was also appealing to me. We already owned the walnut desk, plain rug and Ellie Vandoorne artwork (available from Rise Art - an ace online art marketplace selecting emerging and established artists), so we decided to choose colours that complemented these existing pieces.

The agreed final mood board for the room.

My husband really likes blue, so I decided to paint the chimney breast and the opposite wall in 'Railings' by Farrow & Ball. I'd been wanting to use darker colours in the home for a long time, so this was the perfect opportunity to use this dark navy blue hue. The colour on the chimney breast really made the Ellie Vandoorne artwork pop with its yellow background. While on the opposite wall, it was used as a background for a gallery wall to display all the artwork we wanted up in the room in a coherent manner (unlike how they were randomly hung before).

AFTER:

The colour on these walls is 'Railings' by Farrow & Ball. This is the Modular set with ash base from LSA International.

I did not want the room to be completely dark, preferring the chimney breast and gallery wall to be a 'feature', rather than blending in with all one colour. Instead, I painted the far end wall where the desk was placed in 'Clunch' by Farrow & Ball, which is a white that I prefer to others as in our house it always comes across more as a soft grey, rather than a yellow-white.

In the small space that existed on this end wall, I placed a really cheap shelf ladder that I also painted in Railings to blend in. On the shelves I put wire storage baskets for all my paint samples and documents to be tidily contained in one area! To DIY this gold mesh wire notice board click here.

These bowls with beech handles are part of the Disc Collection by LSA International.

In the shelving alcove I pasted in this Cole & Son Hicks Hexagon Wallpaper. This created an extra dimension in the room, as well as being a cheaper way to introduce designer wallpaper as this alcove used less than one roll. The black/gold/white colours of the paper tied in with the Railings, Clunch and gold notice board in the room.

With the left over Hicks Hexagon I covered old filing boxes and magazine holders that were going to be used in the room, to keep the room consistent.

Another budget DIY that I carried out to keep costs down was to dye the beige curtains with fabric dye. The existing curtains were in absolutely fine condition, they were just beige and didn't match the new decor. Ideally, I'd have opted for thick, opulent, dark velvet curtains, but I couldn't spend that sort of money when I had perfectly good quality lined curtains in the room. Instead, I brought some navy fabric dye from Hobbycraft and dyed the beige curtains dark blue. The curtains had a polyester stripe in the pattern which did not dye, but the cotton part and the lining dyed perfectly! I was really happy with the outcome.

This is the Axis Vase Trio with Ash Base by LSA International that I am using to store my multitude of gold paperclips!

To keep the room masculine, I used a lot of stationary containers by LSA International made of material such as glass, leather and wood. These LSA pieces not only look beautiful to be on display, but are totally practical! I found that by using 'display-worthy' storage on shelving units, you could fit a lot more in one place and it looked tidy and stylish, not chaotic and cramped!

Amazingly, me and my husband now have a work room which suits both our tastes! Craft items co-exist with music equipment, and thanks to choosing the right pieces it all works.

What do you think of our new he-she office? Leave your comments below!

* Huge thank you to Farrow & Ball, Cole & Son, LSA International, Rise Art and Sainsbury's who gifted items featured in this post. Please note that this post also contains some affiliate links, which basically means if you shop this look via this post I'll get a small commission.

Style Challenge With The VITA Copenhagen Silvia Mini Create

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A little while ago my lovely friend Jenny from the award-winning Seasons In Colour blog got in touch and said "You're crafty, fancy a styling challenge in collaboration with the VITA copenhagen Silvia Mini Create?"

Now the VITA copenhagen Silvia is quite iconic. The fanned 'leaves' create that globe artichoke effect that is unmistakably Danish in design. VITA copenhagen have manifested this design from it's original white form to also be available in a choice of metallics and a 'mini' version for table/floor lamps. The latest version is a DIY project, whereby the leaves are made from watercolour paper that can be drawn or painted on to create your very own lighting design.

So, how could I resist Jenny's offer? Apart from being convinced she will wipe the floor with me in the styling challenge (the woman just oozes style and creativity), this was right up my street. You can find a link to Jenny's creation at the bottom of this post!

All the parts of the kit to get started - the shade, table stand and VITA lightbulb

VITA delivered to my door everything I needed for my Mini Create - the table lamp base (which just clicks into place easily in seconds), a VITA bulb, and the Mini Create itself, which was packaged as an adorable flat carry pack. Inside the pack was the shades structural elements, along with the leaves that you popped out of the watercolour paper. You get extra leaves in the pack in case some leaves go wrong or you decide to start again. You can also buy a new complete pack of the leaves for £39 if you decide to change your lamp later further down the line.

As I had recently decorated my living room blue with elements of pink, I decided that I was going to create an ombre pink effect on my Silvia Mini Create. This would mean my lamp would fit in with the scheme of the room, while the ombre effect was a bit modern (I've been wanting to ombre my hair for ages but chicken out as I think I'm too old now to pull it off!)

I purchased a rose pink watercolor from my local craft store, then set about testing how I would ombre each leaf.

Using a small brush, I added a tiny amount of the pink paint to the tip of a leaf, then gradually added water, working the paint upwards so that it got lighter and lighter and the top was a very pale pink. I repeated this for all the leaves, which I was actually relaxing and enjoyable to do. Perfect for a lazy, crafty Sunday.

While my leaves were drying I put together the structure of the shade, which was a simple slot-in process.

I then slotted in my ombre leaves as per the instructions. This was also simple and they held perfectly.

So this is my pink ombre DIY VITA Copenhagen Silvia Mini Create! It is quite effective in front of the blue walls, and is totally bespoke as it has been created by me!

If you like the sound of the Silvia Mini Create, but don't feel completely 'crafty-confident', you can download ready-made templates from the VITA copenhagen website which you can then print directly onto the watercolour paper and then colour as you wish. There are a number of patterns available from geometric triangles to doodle designs.

So that's mine, come on Jenny show me yours!

* I was gifted all the items to make up the Silvia Mini Create by VITA copenhagen in order to write this post, to which I am super grateful! Massive huge thank you to Jenny from the continuously brilliant Seasons In Colour for letting me be a part of this challenge with her, and for always supporting me and this blog.

How To Reupholster A HeadBoard & Create A Tufted Effect With Buttons

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My mother-in-law recently asked me to cover an old headboard in her guest bedroom and add in tufted buttons (that trick which creates the plush diamond pattern effect). I'd never upholstered a headboard before, but spurned on by how well my pink velvet bedroom bench came out, I watched a few YouTube videos made by an American upholstery company, made notes, then went about sourcing the items required to do the job.

This wallpaper is called Azul by Harlequin.

To upholster a headboard you need the following:

• Upholstery fabric big enough to cover the front of the headboard and be wrapped around the back (around 10 cm from the headboard edge.)

• A staple gun and staples

• Self-cover buttons. I brought mine from Hobbycraft.

• Scissors

• Tape measure and ruler

• pencil

• Really strong thread (not cotton thread).

• Large needle

• A drill

The headboard it in it's original form. The colour was nice but the fabric was old and stained.

How the headboard looks now.

First off I laid my fabric face down on the floor, placed the headboard upside down on top, then made sure that I had enough fabric to pull round the edges to the back of the headboard.

Pulling fabric over onto the headboard so that it's taught, I used the staple gun to staple it in place:

Once the fabric was stapled in position, I checked for any loose areas of fabric and pulled and stapled them down so the headboard looked tidy. Double check there are no loose or lumpy areas, then cut away any excess fabric:

Turning the headboard face-forward, I used a tape measure and a ruler to mark where I would like the buttons to be positioned to create the diamond tufted effect. I measured the headboard length-ways from the top of the headboard where I wanted the buttons to start, then divided the area in half. I then marked where the 2 buttons would need to sit and worked down the headboard. The key here is to get your measurements right. Each button should be the exact distance apart, both side to side and up and down from each other. The best way to imagine this is as if to place a grid over the headboard:

Work in a grid pattern when measuring where to place your buttons. Each button should be the exact same distance apart. Please note that this image is an example of how to think about spacing your buttons rather than pattern choice (you can choose lines or a diamond pattern).

I then carefully used a drill to drill a hole through the headboard where each button should be. You have to take great care here to apply pressure right away so your fabric does not get caught in the drill and tear.

Take a snap button, remove the top and then cut a circle of your headboard fabric a few millimetres bigger than your button head. Fold and tuck the fabric around the button head, then snap on the base. Push any loose pieces of fabric into the snap button using the tip of scissors. You can find detailed instructions on doing this here.

Thread your needle, then push your needle through the drill hole you have created on the headboard. Put your finger on the button and slightly push it down, pull your thread tight with your other hand, then staple the thread in place at least 3 or 4 times with the staple gun. I zig-zagged the thread as I stapled it to secure it better. Repeat this for all your buttons!

Ta-da! One reupholstered headboard with tufted buttons.

Upholstering this headboard was actually quite easy. Next I'm thinking of trying a chair. Have you re-upholstered with success? If so let me know in the comments section below....

My Home At Christmas (+ How To Make This Fireplace Garland)

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I've gone all out this year with a real flower fire surround garland!

Welcome to my house at Christmas! If you are joining me as part of the UK Blog Hop from We Love Home, an extra thank you for joining me here! I'm so chuffed to be part of the first ever UK Home Blog Hop, courtesy of the lovely Kimberly of the ultra-fabulous Swoonworthy. In my Hop, you'll find some crafty Christmas DIYs and tips on having a handmade Xmas. So come on in, help yourself to a mince pie and let me show you around.....

Even though I'm a fan of more contemporary decor the rest of the year, at Xmas I prefer a traditional look (reds, golds, greens, fir cones and berries). However, I like to go BIG! BIG tree, BIG flower displays, LOADS of table decor.

Earlier this year at a Red magazine event I attended, florists had decorated the mantels over fireplaces in the room with these huge pink summer flower garland displays. It was really effective, so there and then I decided I was going to do a festive version in my home this year for Xmas. A few oasis blocks and a few bunches of flowers later, here it is in my living room. It's perfect as a striking decoration if you are throwing a party over the festive season - and at a total of £32 to make (£24 on flowers, £8 on oasis) it looks a lot more expensive than it is! To learn how to make this garland yourself, scroll down to the guide at the bottom of this post...

Putting together the table decor is one of my favourite parts of Christmas. I make flower arrangements a couple of days before (usually with foliage I've cut locally, like holly and rosemary), then go to town with candles and red and gold table wear. A few years ago I made these gold leaf pear place name holders after seeing the idea on a Kirstie Allsopp Christmas craft program. They went down pretty well at a dinner party that year, so this year I've made them again:

This fruit bowl is the LOTTA glass and ash base bowl from LSA International.

For tree decorations, I'm all about glass and birds! I bloody love a faux-bird on my Xmas tree. Joining the pheasants, robins and peacocks this year will be a 2016 interiors classic - a flamingo! (A purchase I made in October when I stumbled across him in John Lewis.)

I brought this peacock decoration in Liberty. I pimped him up for the top of the tree by sticking on real peacock feathers from Hobbycraft on the back.

I also love real glass decorations which I make by filling with feathers, pom poms and glitter. You can find out how to make these yourself here.

These glass and feather tree decorations are easy and cheap to make.

I always make my door wreath for Xmas. Learn how to make this wreath here.

Once boxing day has passed and we move towards New Years Eve, I move away from traditional Xmas decorations to something more fun and colourful. Having a child and getting old means I hardly go out NYE anymore (no-one wants to babysit NYE, and I now baulk at the extra charges for a drink/cab), so NYE is usually spent at home with friends. I'll therefore change up my decor to something like this fun pom pom indoor wreath!

These super pretty bird and butterfly decorations are from Pom Pom & Twiddle

I handmade this Pom Pom garland for a guest post on the Mia Fleur blog which is coming soon!

For my top present wrapping tips click here.

HOW TO MAKE THE REAL FLOWER FIREPLACE GARLAND

You will need:

• Oasis blocks and an accompanying tray. I measured the length of my fire surround and discovered that I would need 5 blocks of oasis to make a garland the required length. You can buy oasis blocks in craft stores for around £3 for a pack of four. Alternatively, a local florist will sell you single oasis blocks. You will also need an oasis tray to keep topping up your oasis with water if you are going to have your garland up for a good while. These trays cost 80p each from my local craft store.

• A selection of flowers and foliage to make up your garland. For my garland, I brought two large bunches of eucalyptus, 20 red roses, 4 stems of cotton flower and one large bunch of thistle. I brought my flowers from Columbia Road Flower Market and it cost me a total of £24 for everything! Flower markets are great for getting a large choice of cut flowers. Go later on in the day and you'll also get yourself a bargain as they slash prices to clear stock.

• Some garden secateurs, a plastic bag and some protective gloves to go foraging with! To bulk up the display, cut greenery from hedgerows and evergreen plants. There are loads of holly berries around this year as well as snow berries. Take a few cuttings where you can!

Start by filling a bucket/the sink/bath with water and submerging your oasis blocks in it for about 15-20 minutes so they suck up loads of water. Remove them into the oasis trays and put them in a line across your fire surround. 

Start with your eucalyptus/chosen foliage and stick it in the oasis blocks, concentrating on creating height. Stick your tall eucalyptus sticks towards the back of the oasis blocks, saving the front for your floral display.

Place some shorter, single eucalyptus sprigs at the bottom of the front of the blocks so it creates a trailing effect over your fireplace.

Start to add in your other flowers at the front, larger flowers first, leaving smaller flowers like roses and berries until last. Position them evenly across the garland.

Once your brought flowers are all used up, use your foraged greenery to fill in any gaps. The aim is to not see the oasis blocks or have any gaping holes in the garland.

My garland took about 30 minutes to put together and was easier than I had anticipated. My top tip is just to shove it all in! If it looks bad in places move some stuff about, cut away anything that looks too long, have fun with it!

So that's all from me, and Bowser my King Charles Cavalier (doesn't he look so happy being made to wear a doggie Santa hat for this post??) Thank you for taking the time to look round my home at Christmas - we've loved having you!

You can find all my Xmas DIYs here if you want to get crafty at Christmas this year. Otherwise, hop on over to Fresh Design Blog tomorrow from 11 am to continue the Hop! A full list of other bloggers’ houses from the week can be found below - just click on the links! There have been some great posts this week full of crimbo inspiration, so enjoy! And Merry Christmas!

Make Your Own Traditional Christmas Door Wreath

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The Christmas wreath, for me,  is an integral part  of Xmas decor.  I  take  huge pride  in  my   Christmas wreath,  as  everyone sees  it when they  pass  your  home.  It's also the  first  thing  guests  see  when   they  arrive  for  celebrations!  The  thing  is,  a  pretty  Xmas  wreath  can  often  cost  more  than  buying  the  Xmas  tree!  Go  to  a  florist  and   you'll  be  looking  at  £100+  for  anything  detailed.  Even  local  flower  markets  charge  a  good  £30-£40  for  a   basic  'real'  wreath  base  with no  frills.  Yet with a  bit  of prep,  a  bit  of  foraging and  a  glue gun,  you  can create  a  really professional-looking,  real  Xmas wreath for  less than  £20.  

Every  year  I  make  the  Xmas  wreath  for  our  house and  I  find  it  really  enjoyable.  I  whack  on  the Xmas   music,  pour  myself  a  (large)  sherry  and  it  gets  me  in  the  mood  for  Xmas  like  nothing  else!

PART 1: ITS ALL ABOUT THE PREP

DRY  OUT  SOME  SLICES  OF  ORANGE

You  can  buy  dried  orange  slices  in  craft  stores,  but  they  are  so  easy  to  make.  After  you've  turned  the   oven  off  one  night  after  cooking,  slice  up  an  orange  thickly  and  lay  the  slices  on  some  baking  paper  in   the  hot  (but  turned  off)  oven  and  leave  them  overnight.  In  the  morning  take  the  slices  out  of  the  cold   oven  and  leave  them  on  the  side  for  24  hours.  What  you  will  have  at  the  end  are  hardened  orange  slices.

Slice oranges about 1cm thick.

DRY  OUT  SOME  HYDRANGEA  HEADS

If  you  had  a  hydrangea  plant  in  your  garden  over  summer,  go  outside  and  cut  off  the  now   red/green/brownish  heads  and  hang  them  over  your  cooker (or  on  a  bright,  dry  window  sill)  for  a  few   days.  The  heads  will  dry  out , but  won't  crumble  and  shouldn't  lose  their  colour.  

Leave cut hydrangea heads to dry out for a few days on a window sill.

BUY  SOME  CINNAMON  STICKS  FROM  THE  SUPERMARKET

You'll  find  these  in  the  aisle  with  the  herbs.  Group  them  together  in  bunches  of  3  and  tie  them  with   some  decorative  ribbon  or  twine.

Group cinnamon sticks in bunches of three.

GO  FORAGING  FOR  PINE  CONES,  STRONG  FOLIAGE  &  BERRIES

The  base  of  your  wreath  will  be  made  up  of  foliage  to  bulk  it  out.  The  trick  here  is  to  get  really  strong   foliage  that  won't  wilt  after  a  week.  A  real  Xmas  door  wreath  should  last  about  3 to 4  weeks,  so  you  need   foliage  that  will  stand  the  test  of  time.  I  can't  say  I'm  an  expert  when  it  comes  to  foliage  names,  but  look   around  and  see  what  foliage  has  thick  and  strong  leaves- nothing  that  'flops'  when  you  pick  and  hold  it   up  basically.  Ivy,  bay  leaves  and  holly  leaves  are  all  good.  Hedgerow  is  best  as  it's  strong  and  evergreen.

Pick strong foliage with woody bases that won't wilt for a few weeks.

Go  for  a  Sunday  walk  with  a  carrier  bag  and  a  pair  of  hand  shears  and  collect  your  greens.  While  on  your   stroll  pick  up  fir  cones  and  collect  sprigs  of  berries  for  decoration  on  the  wreath.

POP  INTO  A  CRAFT  STORE  AND  BUY  A  12"  POLYSTYRENE  WREATH  BASE,  A  HOT  GLUE  GUN,   SOME  XMAS  RIBBON  AND  RED  PRE-­‐MADE  BOWS  &  TWINE

You'll  need  a  wreath  base,  a  hot  glue  gun  and  some  decorative  elements  to  complete  your  wreath.  I   prefer  the  polystyrene  bases  to  the  wicker  or  twig  ones  as  they  have  a  larger  surface  area  for you  to   create  a  fatter  wreath.  A  polystyrene  base  should  only  cost  about  £2-­3.    

Add some twine to the top of your wreath before you start to attach the wreath to your door.

You  will  also  need  a  hot  glue  gun  to  securely  attach  all  your  wreath  elements  to  the  base.  I  use  a  mini hot-glue  gun that  you  can  buy  for  around  a  fiver. 

Pick  a  couple  of  decorative  elements  like  bows  and Xmas  ribbon.  I  find  the  red Xmas  velvet  bows  are   particularly  attractive  on  the  wreath.

PUTTING YOUR WREATH TOGETHER:

Firstly,  loop  some  twine  around  your  polystyrene  base  and  leave  enough  twine  at  the  top  for  your   wreath  to  be  securely  attached  to  your  door.

Glue down the base of the foliage stalk to attach to your polystyrene base.

Use  your  foliage  to  completely  cover  all  the  white  of  the  polystyrene  base.  Make  sure  your  foliage  all   flows  in  a  clockwise  manner  so  it  looks  tidy  and  professional.  Distribute  the  foliage  evenly  and  secure  it   to  the  base  with  the  glue  gun.  

Build up your wreath. Make sure the foliage is attached in a clockwise pattern.

Take  your  dried  hydrangea  heads  and  distribute  them  evenly  on  the  wreath,  facing  forwards.  Secure   with  the  glue  gun.

This now just needs decorative elements!

Along with your dehydrated orange slices and cinnamon sticks, use fir cones and red velvet bows.

Add  your  cinnamon  bundles,  dried  orange  slices,  fir  cones,  bows  and  berries  onto  the  wreath,  spreading   them  out  so  the  same  one  isn't  too  close  to  the  other,  and  there  is  a  level  of  symmetry. 

Once  you  have  glued  everything  on,  gently  hold  up  the  wreath  and  check  everything  is  glued  on   properly.  Hold  up  the  wreath  by  the  twine  and  check  it  from  every  angle - are  there  any  spaces  that   need  filling?  Is  there  any  of  the  white  base  showing?  Fix  any  problem  areas  then  leave  your  wreath  a   couple  of  hours  to  completely  dry.

Hang  your  wreath  on  your  front  door  and  enjoy  the  festive  appeal  it  brings  to  your  home!  Here  is  my   wreath  on  my  front  door  in  all  It's  glory.  It  is  so  much  more  enjoyable  knowing  you  made  it  yourself  and   it  cost  a  fraction  of  a  pre-­made  wreath  by  someone  else. 

What would you add on your Xmas wreath? Let me know in the comments section below!