Fabulous DIY fabric headboard

This gorgeous headboard idea comes from design*sponge this week. I've love these fancy headboards but covering them in funky fabric like this takes it to a whole new level of loveliness. I have been looking for a way to make my own headboard for the spare room which doesn't currently have a headboard on the bed. This seemingly simple DIY could be just the trick.

Fabric wise I think I'll go for a pattern to contrast with the plain walls. Here's a good (simple?) step-by-step guide to recovering a headborad from eHow.

Decorating diary - week five

It's nearly over! The kitchen is practically done, and now that we have a work surface (white Corian, mmmmmmmmm) it's really looking like an actual kitchen :)

The Corian (well, LG Hi-Macs to be precise) worksurface was not cheap, but I think it is worth it; it looks so much better than laminate, and it's lovely and warm and soft feeling to the touch. I might have to restrain myself from just sitting in there, stroking the counter top all day long :)

Remaining bits to do include fitting the ceramic hob, installing the downlighters and finishing the fridge freezer door - oh, and re-painting the splashback. But I am loving the electric blue. Counting down the days 'til we can wash up and even COOK in there!

Stylish Christmas decorations

Christmas decorations can easily stray into tacky territory, but I found these fantastic ideas while strolling through Flickr today. This beautiful Christmas tree by ATLITW is perfect if you don't have enough space for a real tree in your living room - and I love the way it uses up all those pretty-but-I'm-not-sure-what-to-do-with-it bits and pieces you know you have stashed away waiting for a time to use them. Oh wait, is that just me?

I love this non-traditional Christmas tree and stocking set-up. What a great way to decorate a mantepiece.

I often think Christmas trees look a bit boring in traditional green/red and white but a hodge podge of bright colours can look tacky, so kudos to Boopsiedaisy on Flickr who has made such a fun, candy-coloured display. Love it!

See more of her Christmas pics here.

Finally, the talented swallowfield has inspired me to make this stunning bauble wreath. I really like the slightly clashing red and pink colours. To make the wreath I'm going to start with gardeners oasis wreaths (about 12" diameter) and then thread the baubles onto wire and push them into the oasis in a circular pattern.

I'll post pics to show you the steps if it works out!

Decorating diary - week 4

Slowly but surely, it is definitely coming together! After a week or so where nothing much seems to have happened to the kitchen, it feels like we're making progress each day again. We painted the walls white last weekend (Charlie's first attempt at painting above!), the rest of the units have been fitted and the splashback has been painted bright blue.

When they fitted the cooker hood, they fitted it at what seemed to be a ridiculously low height - the kitchen fitter claimed this was 'standard' but I kept hitting my forehead on it (and I'm 5'4"!) and Charlie could look down on the top of it, smashing his chin on it!
Thankfully this week they have raised it up to a more normal height.

I'm now wondering if we should paint the bannisters blue too - or maybe that would be too much?

We have an oven!!! How exciting...

Free advent calendar from Mibo

I have mentioned striking Mibo graphic products before in this blog, but I can't help mentioning them again! They have just launched this gorgeous advent calendar, available to download from their site for FREE - what a deal!

Download it from the Mibo.co.uk website.

Decorating diary - Kitchen units are in!

It's really starting to look like a kitchen... bit worried I won't be able to reach the top wall cabinet shelves, though! Oh well, I just need to find a stylish step I guess. That's what happens when you're only 5'4".

Decorating diary - week 2

Oops, there goes another wall...


Hit a slight snag in the kitchen renovations this week... having measured the room three times the kitchen design wasn't quite right once the wall actually came down, so we had to knock another wall down, too! Hey ho, whats a stud wall between friends? The benefit will be an extra window in the kitchen, and more space. I think I'm beginning to understand what they mean by "a money pit"...

Cute Christmas

Yesterday I blogged about the luscious new Mibo calendar. Today I couldn't resist sharing these cute little Christmas creatures from Mibo too - a nice throw back to the days of 'make-it-yourself' decorations. These would make such a great project to make with kids over the Christmas holidays. Get that pritt stick out!

Ready for new year

I love calendars and cool stationery so was extra pleased to get the news that the new Mibo calendar for 2010 is available. The monthly illustrations are so beautiful, you'll want to frame them when the year is over and for less than £3 it's an absolute bargain.

Decorating diary - week 1

Week one we knocked down the chimney breast load-bearing wall in the kitchen, and started to move the plumbing for the sink and the boiler.

Say it with beards

An oldie but a goodie. Who wouldn't want to speak beard? View the full alphabet font at Design Milk.

Gorgeous greys

With a whole flat to decorate (yippeee!) I am suddenly totally stumped by paint colours. You'd have thought after reading Domino and Living Etc religiously for the last 5 years I'd have it all planned out, but somehow the reality of actually having a real room to plan is a bit overwhelming!

Until today that is, when I saw this stunning 'sneak peak' on one of my fave design blogs, design sponge. The shades of grey in this beautiful home are exactly what I had in mind (sub-consciously)... now all I need to do is find a UK equivalent paint colour to the lovely shades in these pics.

Decorating diary - Renovations start here!

We finally bought a house! Well, a flat - but it has it's own front door which in London is something of a luxury. It's an Edwardian maisonette in Chiswick, nice and spacious with a garden at the back. The things which sold it to us were the greqat big windows in the kitchen looking over a park, the high ceilings and the SPACE! The downers (there's always some, right?) are the fact that it's on a main road and the kitchen needed totaly renovating.

We've started renovating the kitchen, and I'll post pics of the transformation as it happens...
Kitchen before!