Ginger Bisquite

Lifestyle, DIY, Family & Food

Tag Archives: style

Creating a garden office

May 23, 2014 by Jenni Clutten | 3 Comments

We are still in the process of creating a garden office as a new and productive space for us to inhabit.  Our plans began when we bought our house and inherited 2 sheds.  One is quite large and with a little TLC we knew it would be a perfect way to give us an extra room without resorting to an extension.

A lick of paint:
It is quite amazing what a quick lick of paint can do for a place.  I painted our shed before winter set in last year and after just one lick of paint it was already looking unrecognisable!  And why stop there?  By painting the inside you can create a light and bright environment too.  Don’t forget to raid your local community repaint scheme.

Get wired up:
If you don’t already have an electricity supply, then I’d invest in having one installed.  This way you can work without fear of your battery running low or even work away long in to the evening.  A power supply is vital for sewing machines, lighting and turn an old shed into a executive office space!  For internet access, you may find your wifi extends as far as the shed, but otherwise a wifi signal booster may be required.
Keeping Warm:
Insulation heating and flooring are a must.  With minimal expense they give that homely feel to a place as well as ensuring that .  I am a big fan of vinyl flooring, which is easy to lay, warm and looks luxurious.  There are a few ways to insulate a shed but for the long run, foil bubble wrap works well with plasterboard over the top.  To keep warm I’ve also bought a fan heater which will enable use to keep the chill off in the winter and works as a fan in the summer.

Personalisation:
Pictures, posters and soft furnishings all transform a space to make it unique and a joy to work in.  A garden office should be comfortable and inspiring, a place where you actually want to spend time!  I just love the idea of adding beautiful curtains, practical as they will keep the drafts out but adding a chic tone too.

Disclosure:
Post in collaboration with Carpet Right, all thoughts, words and opinions my own, unless otherwise stated.

First Time Wallpaper’er

April 11, 2014 by Jenni Clutten | 4 Comments

wallpaper,beforeafter.TEXTI have an admission to make – despite lusting over many a design, I have never actually hung wallpaper.   Many times have I admired it, shared it and dreamed of it but never had it graced my walls.   I was a first time wallpaper’er.

That was until I moved into a house with floral wallpaper all over my sons bedroom and no time to remove it.  That’s the thing with wallpaper isn’t it, it’s so personal.  I wonder if anyone has ever moved into a house and kept the previous owners wallpaper long term.  We’re planning to live here for many years to come so when decorating our house I’m going for designs I really love without giving a second thought for resale potential.

I tested the ground of wall patterns when I installed cloud decals in the nursery and I absolutely loved the fun look they gave to the room. So, on with the wallpaper show!

You will need: (I watched the video tutorial on the  channel before I started)

  • Wallpaper Paste
  • Bucket
  • Stirrer
  • Wallpaper Brush
  • Sharp Knife
  • Scissors
  • Wallpaper
  • Microfibre Cloth
  • Ladder/Step Stool
  • Tape Measure
  • Spirit Level
  • Pencil

hanging wallpaperSONY DSC

 As novices, it seemed best to start with some inexpensive paper as a trial run.  This wallpaper is called Brooklyn and I got it on clearance in B&Q, £5 for 3 rolls!  We originally got it for our bedroom but I realised it would look great in Nye’s bedroom.  It’s paste the wall wallpaper so we mixed the wallpaper paste to its thickest setting and applied it straight to the wall before lining up the wallpaper. (And no, we didn’t remove the old wallpaper or start in the middle).  In the end we used about 1 1/2 rolls and it was easy to line up because it has a very busy repeat pattern.

In terms of timing, this first wall took us about 2 hours.  Because it was our first time with wallpaper we double checked all the measurements and then had to rehang the paper after I got a bit snap happy and trimmed too much off the bottom of the first sheet.  (At that point I was pretty fed up, but carried on regardless).  Despite this, in the evening we decided to hang our Marimekko Kippis wallpaper in the dining area (A cheeky Ebay purchase for £30).   Because we still had a huge amount of wallpaper paste lying around unused and all the tools still out it seemed sensible to continue.  The dining room wall only took an hour, as we already had a good wallpaper work flow worked out.
SONY DSCThere’s still much to finish off in the bedroom and dining area but I’m so pleased to know that we’ve at least started to put our own stamp on the house (and learnt a new skill).  They’ll be more to share in the next few weeks as the rooms start to take shape.

How about you?  Been lusting after some gorgeous wallpaper prints? Are you a pro or a first timer like me?
Love Chic Living and Love Your Home

Teal Bedroom Ideas

December 30, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 15 Comments

The Teal Bedroom
The Teal Bedroom sources
My wonderful friends Ally and Ben recently bought a house and have been painstakingly renovating it from top to toe.  I’m talking moving doorways replumbing, knocking down walls and installing central heating amongst many many other things.  As things near an end,  it’s time to start thinking about how to finish off the rooms to turn this house into a home. starting with some teal bedroom ideas. 

DESIGN BRIEF:
 Magnolia Walls
 Teal Feature Wall
Ikea Pax wardrobes
Maroon Bedding
 Oak Bed


MY DESIGN:
 Ally wanted to use some of the items they already had and had been given (the bed, the magnolia paint, maroon bed linen and the wardrobes)  She then decided she wanted to add a bid of colour with a teal feature wall and I have used this brief to design the above mood board).

With this colour scheme I think you have two choices, to carry on with the sharp zingy modern feel or choose some more calming tones.  I’ve highlighted this with two options of alternative bed linen, one more modern design from Ikea and an alternative more neutral set from Dunelm Mill.  I also think this teal design will go well with their already owned maroon set, and if Ally decides to keep their old stuff (house renovation is an expensive business), by simply adding a few maroon trinkets this will pull everything together.

With the thrifty theme in mind, I was also thinking about a few low cost pieces of art that would really personalise the room.  As Ally has a geography degree and is currently training as a geography teacher I love the idea of creating something to hang using maps.   I love the options below and all only require a frame (easily picked up from a charity shop, car boot or IKEA) and items you would have in the cupboard at home.

map art diy

Mid Century Dining Room – Stylish Sunday

November 17, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 4 Comments

So now the nursery is finished and off my radar I have moved my attentions towards the kitchen / dining room and Neil and I have decided that we would like to go for a mid century style.  Our new house has a lovely big kitchen dining room that is furnished in a inoffensive neutral way.  It was a shame to move out of a house where we have designed every inch of the kitchen but this one is far bigger and feels somehow more grown up.  Of course there are things I would love to change but at the moment we are trying to personalise it decoratively rather than splashing out on new tiles, kitchen doors.

Here is the a picture of the kitchen as it was on the day we got the keys.  I failed to take a picture of the other side of the kitchen (on the right hand side of the picture).  It is purely an empty space with a cream wall and grey floor tiles just the same at the kitchen.

Kitchen Before

We started thinking about how we wanted the room to look when we realised that our previous kitchen table and chairs were too big (and getting a bit rickety) i.e we lost a screw from one of the legs…  When I eventually gave in to the idea of a new table and chairs we immediately agreed that we would love a mid century dining room.  I was quite surprised that we agreed so quickly on the style we would like, especially as it is dramatically different from our previous country kitchen look.  The good thing is, I knew that we would be able to get a lovely solid table and chairs for a reasonable price either on Ebay or at an auction house.

Mid Century Dining Room

In the end we won a lovely extendable teak table and 4 chairs on Ebay for less than £30 and I used the wonderful Shiply courier service to get them here. All together it came in under £100 which I don’t think is too bad for a set of solid and stylish table and chairs.  When I put my moodboard together on Polyvore I tried to find something similar to show the kind of look we were going for and the table alone is over £1000!  So after we got the table we found some Marimekko kippis wallpaper on ebay for £30 and I’ve designed everything around that for now.  We’re still deciding on the colours but I think I good lick of bright white paint will be a good starting point and a marked improvement on the lovely shade of cream we’re currently living with.

Mid Century Dining

The first job we have to do is to recover the cushions on the dining chairs as they are far from Nye proof.  I am planning to cover them in a child proof vinyl, but still on the search for something that compliments the wallpaper.  So far these geometric triangles are my favourite but I haven’t committed to it just yet.  There are loads of tutorials for recovering dining chairs with vinyl online.  I’ve pinned lots for inspiration on my Board as well as lots of other nick nacks and gorgeous style inspiration.

What do you think of the look so far?  Got any dining room renovation plans of your own?

Nursery Reveal

November 15, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 1 Comment

Nursery Reveal

I am very pleased to finally share our baby girls nursery reveal.  It’s less than a week to my due date now and I am gradually working my way through my to do lists (catching up on blogs I need to write being one of the items on my list).  I’d be happy for the baby to arrive any time now but equally I am not feeling so uncomfortable that I am getting irritated.  Who knows how long I’ll be feeling calm, but as the baby moved further down I am feeling more able to breath and eat!

Nursery Reveal

As you can see above, when we first moved in, the nursery was a beautiful shade of pale pink.  Perfect for a baby girls nursery any normal person might think. ( Truth be told, it is such a pale colour I hadn’t even realised it was pink until I got the keys.)  Needless to say I wouldnt normally be one to choose pink for a baby girls nursery anyway.  So, initially thinking the walls were white, I set about finding the perfect paint colour for the room and was set on having a light turquoise. (I wrote about my ideas for the nursery a while back.)  It didn’t occur to me that a blueish tone would be odd for a girls nursery but as I hope you can see I think it has worked out beautifully.  In the end I chose a gorgeous colour called Lucy Locket made by the Nursery Paint Colour.  I find choosing paint colours really difficult and daunting so I trusted that a company that makes paint for nurseries would narrow the choice down for me, whilst also meaning that I could do the painting myself as the paint is VOC free.

Nursery Reveal

The room is quite a small one so it has been difficult to give an overview of how things look altogether but I hope that the details will show off what we have been able to do.  Realistically I think having a small room as a nursery is nice as it can be cosy and compact, but it is much smaller than Nye’s room (which I am yet to tackle style wise).  Even this small room allows us plenty of storage, including a changing table, nursing chair, cotbed and bookshelf.  We have re-used lots of things that were Nye’s when he was a baby but also added a few new things to add the finishing touches and give it a more feminine touch.  All the furniture apart from the shelving we already owned.  One of my favourite items have been the vinyl cloud decals that I bought on ebay.  These ones are inspired by toy story but I personally liked them because each set had 2 sizes of clouds to give a bit of variation.  I was going to measure them out so they looked nice and neat but in the end I arranged them horizontally by eye and so far lots of people have thought it was wallpaper so I obviously didn’t do a too bad job.

Nursery.6

The clock is from Ikea although they don’t seem to sell it online anymore, I wasn’t sure about it at first but I really love the contrast between the blue and pink, especially as it works so well with the print we were kindly given as a wedding present by some friends.  I also love how fantastic the curtains look in this room, I actually bought them about 6 months ago in a charity shop hoping I’d have somewhere to hang them once we moved house.  Thankfully I then found out we were expecting a girl and they have brought such a unique vintage feel to the room.  The curtains themselves arent lined but are the perfect length for the window (that’s fate for you.) We’ve also bought a blackout blind to make sure we can create a nice space for naps in the day time.  We’re yet to hang it, but I really loved the owl pattern and the blue and pink colours should bring everything together.

Nursery Reveal

Ta-da that’s our big nursery reveal.  We are finally at a point where everything is organised, the nappy bucket is deep cleaned, the re-usable nappies have been stacked and the blankets have been laid out.  We can’t wait too meet you little one!

Source List:

Cotbed – Freccycle (originally John Lewis)
Changing Table – Freecycle
Cotbed Matress –   Coir and Wool Mattress
Expedit Bookshelf – Ikea
Pine Shelves – Wickes
Blue Paint – Lucky Locket by The Nursery Paint Company
White Paint – Crown, Pure Brilliant White
Pink & White Pom Poms – Ikea
Pink Clock – Ikea
Floral Storage Baskets – Ikea
Love is All You Need Print – Not on The High Street
Crochet Blanket – NCT Nearly New Sale
ABC Pillow – Primark
Floral Curtains – Salvation Army Charity Shop
Bunny Mobile – Flensted via Ebay
Cloud Vinyl Decals – Ebay
Felt Lampshade – The Modern Baby
3 Plane Storage Boxes – The Modern Baby
Cloud Mosquito Net – Ikea

This gallery contains 6 photos

What to wear after labour

November 11, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 0 comments

Post Labour Outfit
Sources for What to wear after labour.

Ok, I realise in just writing this post that I probably sound ridiculous, thinking about what I am going to look like on leaving the hospital.  I haven’t even gone into labour yet and I’m already worrying about what to wear after labour, or so you must think.  But, I’m writing this post not really because I’m focused purely on  looking good, but more about regaining control of myself after giving birth.  It truly is the most physically and emotionally draining experience.

 After my last long and somewhat traumatic time in hospital when I gave birth to Nye, I am willing to give anything a try that might make me feel rapidly more human. This time I’d like to feel brave enough to leave the baby with the midwives and have a bath.  I must admit when  Nye was born I felt very vulnerable and naturally very emotional, some of this is to be expected because having a baby is not an easy thing.  This was not helped by a massive loss of blood that left me initially unable to even stand up without collapsing.  Last time I recall staying in the hospital gown for days and I really don’t think that did me any favours.  I became less confident in my ability to make decisions, as I continued to feel more and more weak.  When you have a new born baby it is so easy to flounder without everything else feeling a mess as well.  It made me feel like a patient, not like a new mother ready to take on the world.

I know it sounds nieve but I had no idea long it would take for me to feel comfortable in my own skin after giving birth.  I kind of assumed that once the baby arrived I’d be back to myself, not at all aware of how totally shell shocked by what had just happened I would be.  After being induced for several days it seemed I’d almost become a piece of the furniture in the labour ward, until suddenly, (I mean eventually,) Nye arrvied and then I’m off to the postnatal ward,  We waited days and days for blood test results and assessments.  Of course I have no idea what will happen this time, I can only hope we will have to stay for one night and I do think I’ll naturally feel more confident as I have already got one child at home.  Some of what I felt last time I’m sure stemmed from the fact that I was seen to be young and therefore my judgment and feelings were a little disregarded.  That may just be how I felt at the time but I can only hope this time I will have a better experience.

Since I put this post together I also found a great post on the guardian on postpartum outfits.

What to Wear After Labour

Breastfeeding Ready?
At first I found breastfeeding so difficult, especially whilst I was in hospital trying to get to grips with latching a very hungry baby (and dealing with some very unhelpful midwives).  I never realised I’d need a whole wardrobe of stretchy vest tops to provide food at a moments notice.  The first few weeks I had it relatively easy, but the requests for food only increases month by month.  Be prepared to put the high neck tops and dresses on hold.  Last time I got by on a selection of vests from Primark, Marks and Spencer and H&M, these are a must have.

Comfy Clothing
 I did not believe how sensitive my body would be after I gave birth.  Anything that was tight around my waist in any way was truly intolerable to wear.  I thought this time that a nice baggy dress with an adjustable neckline would provide style as well as practicality.  If it were warmer I wouldn’t need anything for my legs, but in November I think high waisted leggings will be great (avoiding pressure on the stomach area).  I’ve also  invested in some new converse so I don’t have to walk to the car in my slippers this time and I think they should be roomy enough for the swollen feet I will no doubt be sporting.

Treat Yourself
 There is something to be said for wearing lovely familiar things, but I also think it’s nice to feel special by treating yourself to something new.  Last week Neil surprised me with this gorgeous Neils Yard mother and baby set which I have already been enjoying.  I’ve had the stretch mark cream out at the ready in the evenings and I just adore the relaxing fragrance of the bath and massage oil.  I have also been wanting to get a necklace to commemorate my two children.  I am certain that I only want two children so I have been looking for something meaningful which I will be able to keep forever.  I originally wanted a locket but I’m yet to find anything that I love that I think will last a life time of abuse.  I have been admirning the work of Alex Monroe, especially the Mr & Mrs Bird Necklace.

 Do you have any post labour tips for getting back to normal?  Feel free to add any suggestions in the comments box below :)

 

Keep Warm Style – Stylish Sunday

November 3, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 0 comments

WHOOPS, I forgot to post this keep warm style post up last week.  Never the less, it is only getting colder and I am more and more in need of a stylish way to keep warm.  I like to think of this as the perfect bonfire night outfit.  All I need now is a hot dog and some mulled wine!

keep warm clothing
keep warm style Sources.
I am so in love with the Joules jumper, but I shall await for my body to shrink back down once my new arrival is here before I start splashing out.  I remember from my last pregnancy that I was in strap tops and low cut jumpers for some time as I got to grips with keeping a hungry baby contented.  But, I can still stream of suede heels, cream jeans and gorgeous necklaces until then.I must admit even though it is getting colder I am quite enjoying snuggling up on the sofa, pulling the curtains shut and unwinding with a steaming cup of tea.  Sadly tonight is the last night of half term which signals Neil’s return to work.  The first day back to work after a holiday is always a weird one for me as I remember just what it’s like to be the sole carer.  And of course we are on baby countdown too! How exciting this November is likely to be.

Choosing a new sofa

October 16, 2013 by Jenni Clutten | 2 Comments

Choosing a new sofa is hard. I know because we have just done it ourselves! There are so many things to consider, what size, what colour, what style?  And then, how long does it take for it to be delivered, how long will it last? And finally, the possible deciding factor… how much does it cost?

As part of the move to our new house we realised that we could really do with a new sofa.  The ones we have had for the past 3 years were 3rd hand from my step mum, and although they were lovely, we were finally ready for something of our own.  In theory this sounds exciting, but choosing a new sofa suddenly became a massively daunting task.  The idea of spending a massive amount of money on something that we would have to look at and sit on for many years to come was enough to get me very stressed.  This in addition to the fact that I didn’t really have time to traipse around 100s of sofa showrooms and many companies are now based mainly online.

As moving day got closer and I REALLY needed to make a decision before we ended up paying a removal company to take two useless sofas to our new house.  I am pleased to say, we did finally make a decision!  Here are some of the lovely options I found and some tips to make choosing a new sofa a little easier.

 

Choosing a New Sofa
Where to look?
 I started by using google to see what was out there, as well as asking twitter if anyone had any recommendations.  I then used online sites to populate a board on Pinterest which was a useful place to return back to for inspiration.Colour and Style
 We are in the process of replacing much of our furniture, so we didn’t really have a preference of colour and style.  I do think sofas can be a good focal point, but when you invest in something so expensive it is important to think about the longevity and adaptability of a piece.  I really loved the idea of a fantastically bright sofa, in a bright green or red and luxury of a corner design to help create a cosy feel.  Do you pick a colour, hoping you will love it until you need a new one? Go for something neutral?

Then there’s the actual size.  Ebay is full of sofas that people are selling because they are moving and the sofas don’t fit.  This was actually the case with us as a 2 and 3 seater sofa simply won’t fit in our new long thing living room without taking over. (We will be donating them to the British Heart Foundation.)  In the end I think it comes down to having a statement sofa or statement accessories.  The safe option is to go for the statement accessories that can be changed regularly and easily for little cost, but having a statement sofa can be a talking point for years to come!

Statement Sofa

Statement Accessories

Narrowing it down
 In the end the choice was quite stark for me. I really loved the luxury and classic Bluebell Right-hand Chaise from sofa.com or the more economical, yet stylish Ektorp 2 seater chaise from Ikea.  The bluebell corner sofa was going to cost at least £1,500 and I was unable to get to the showroom to see what it felt like to sit on.  After much deliberation I thought I would head off to Ikea just to get an idea of the quality and size of the sofas there, as buying something cheaper meant we could then also afford an arm chair.

Fit for Family Living
 The last sofa we had came with removable covers which for a family with a dog is vital.  I couldn’t possibly count the amount of times I have shoved them into the washing machine and they still come out really well, not loosing their shape or colour.  This was my biggest fear with the Ikea sofas as I could just imagine them sagging and fading quickly, and to be honest you cant really complain as their sofas are so affordable.  Having said that, I heard from two separate ladies on twitter that their Ikea sofas were holding up well under family life and this really helped me feel more confident.

Find a Bargain
In all my searching I did find two find some fantastic resources of high quality sofas at good discounts which i was VERY tempted by.

I’ve also seen Trade Secret and Home Brands recommended on the Money Saving Expert website but haven’t been to any of their outlets.

What did we go for?
 Yes, we gave into the temptation of Ikea.  We even went for a gorgeous armchair in the matching fabric.  Both pieces have so far been incredibly comfortable as well as looking stylish and having the sofa with chaise option creates a lovely family area to relax in, subtly diving the long room into a play area and lounge area.

Strandmon Wing Chair

Ektorp two seat sofa and chaise

 

Have you bought a new sofa recently?  How did you find it and what did you go for?

DISCLOSURE:
This is not a sponsored post, just something I put together on my own experiences of choosing a new sofa.

This gallery contains 0 photos