Plant or table?

Slightly digressing from our house, for something a little different, is this ...

No, it's not a plant. It's a living, breathing table.

How cool is that?

Images via Contemporist

It's called Plantable (nice) and is designed by London-based JAILmake Studio.

What do you think of this idea?

We're In!

I can't believe it - we're in and we survived! It was a day of contrasts last Thursday: I think it was probably the more organised move of the nine we've done in the past 15 years but it was definitely the most chaotic at the moving in stage.

Think: painters still painting when removalists arrive, cleaners trying to clean when removalists arrive, curtains being hung when removalists arrive, electrician fixing lighting when removalists arrive! It was a menagerie of beavers beavering away and we turn up with a ton of boxes and furniture on the pretext of moving in.

Perhaps we were mad but then, again, I'm loving being back despite the amount of work still to be done and the things we've discovered that haven't been done when they should have. But we have flushing toilets, an amazing view and beds to sleep in so what more could you want?

Instead of taking photos of what is yet to be finished (ie study joinery, more painting, more blinds, shower screens, bathroom mirrors ... and that's just the inside!) I've taken a few snaps of the good bits (in fact I've taken quite a few so I'll post them over two blogs).

Entry hall table

Entry - view from the top of the stairs

Entry stairs with paintings, yet to be hung, by my dad of our old dog and our new one, Ruby

At the top of the stairs you get to the dining area

... and the living space

... and the kitchen (don't look at the missing dishwasher and cupboard doors)

More to come over the weekend, folks!

DIY Project: Foot stool

I started a small DIY project over Christmas and thought I'd better finish it! We inherited a foot stool with a colourful printed base and cushion when bought the Bach but it now doesn't go with our decor and it needed a little TLC.

I thought I'd paint it white for starters.

Then I took off the old base fabric and replaced it with part of the leftover hem from ready-made curtains from Freedom. And my 12-year-old daughter (with not much help from me!) made a new cushion cover with the leftover fabric from Yardage Design used for the cushions on the cane chairs.

Now it all co-ordinates beautifully and I feel quite chuffed as it was my first dabble in upholstering (which was quite easy, really) and I had to delve back 20 years to remember how to sew a zip into a cushion!

All Dressed Up!

How cute are these?

Korean cuteness by design studio Kam-kam. These are part of their Dressed-Up Furniture series.

The designers say: The theme of “Dressed-up furniture series” is to combine clothes and furniture. It will make you feel fresh by mixing the familiar elements of normal actions like fastening a button and daily furniture like stool, storage and bench.

It's like opening a Christmas parcel!

{Images via The Contemporist}

Queen Ruby and Chesterfield Sofas!

Who could resist this?

Our big one-year-old puppy decided to make herself at home on a newly purchased Chesterfield sofa. (Hey, just because I was sitting there doesn't mean ... you know ... that you can push me off!)

But no guesses who was keen on this wee Union Jack number to reside in our new rumpus room ... yes the Pommie man of the house! But I'm thinking it's going to look quite good with a backdrop of the original exposed brick, my grandfather's old trunk and a pool table.

And, just for the record, Ruby isn't allowed on the furniture!

Enjoy the weekend folks!

Rockin' Rocking Chair

You may remember I mentioned my Mum's old rocking chair which was passed on to me several years ago that I loved but was looking a little worse for wear? Well, my friend Camilla of S.H.E furniture has waved her magic wand and spruced it up for me. Unfortunately I didn't take any 'before' photos but you can see how lovely it looks now ...

When I say 'waved her magic wand' she actually spent about 10 hours sanding it back to get rid of all the staining (there was lots apparently and it was beginning to peel), and fixing up the back leg ends that had been chewed by my old dog! She then put Estapol - a special polyurethane wood finish - on it to give it a lovely matt sheen and make it look brand new again.

They also made me a cushion in Cloth fabric - one side to match the mid-century chairs they 'upcycled' for me.

And the other side to match the other chairs I have up at Hardys Bay.

Mum reckons the chair is at least 45 years old, if not more. So now I reckon it'll easily last another 45, especially as Camilla thought it well made and in good condition despite the stains and chewed ends. Maybe one day my girls will sit in it and rock their little children on their laps as my mother did with me and so on down the generations ...

Mid-Century Recliners

It's been more than a week since I mentioned the impending arrival of my two S.H.E Lifestyle chairs and side table (not requested - but couldn't resist!).

Covered in fabric by Cloth, they are true retro - mid-century recliners that have been spruced to perfection and look and feel brand new. And it's all thanks to the girls at S.H.E, Camilla, Nicole and Sarah.

As you can see the colours pick up those on the ducks at Hardys Bay that inspired me a few months ago.

I'm afraid my photos don't do the chairs justice at all - which is more to do with the poor lighting at our new house that is very dark even during the middle of the day. I really needed a big white studio backdrop, studio lights and a photographer's assistant. I tried to fiddle with the exposure and colour on Picnik which helped a little but they still look weird. Never mind, you get the picture, so to speak!

Had them next to my self-dusting ostrich feather light by Haldane Martin but have since realised that something wasn't quite right and they didn't go together - maybe it was the long silver stem ..? Anyway, a new light is now in its place.

I did enjoy colour-coordinating my books and popping some crysanthemums in my new vase - a Coke bottle! Who would have guessed? Or maybe you did but it looks pretty good, I reckon, and think I might start collecting them. Except I don't usually drink Coke ...

I've also sent off my inherited wooden rocking chair that must be at least 40 years old, if not more - Mum, perhaps you can verify? - to the S.H.E girls for a bit of reno. It had been in storage and I'd forgotten that my old dog had nibbled the ends when she was a puppy and I'd never done anything about it. I virtually grew up on this chair - progressing from my mother's lap to sitting in it myself through my teenage years, until Mum gave it to me when they moved house. It's a sentimental old thing and should look great once it's buffed and newly cushioned.

French Antique Key Necklace

I'm very excited as I've just had a peek at two mid-century chairs that my friends at S.H.E Lifestyle have been upcycling - sprucing and upholstering and waving their magic wand over - for me. And they super-kindly gave me one of their French antique key necklaces which looks pretty cool and is fun to wear.

I love the blue velvet ribbon which picks up the teal that is in the fabric by Cloth they have used for my chairs. They discovered a bunch of these keys on their travels which apparently came from a French farmhouse cellar and each end is shaped a different number!

You'd have thought having this around my neck this afternoon would have helped me remember to pick up the 'new' house keys I left on the hall table as I was leaving after dropping off some stuff. But no. I locked them inside!!

Thankfully, hubby reminded me that he took one of the spare front door keys in the event of such forgetfulness (I have been known to do this before). Phew - more than once!

But getting back to the chairs - they're being delivered on Monday so I'll be able to show you their beautifulness and S.H.E's craftmanship then. In the meantime, have a happy weekend ...

Distressed Cupboard

Dear readers, this will be my last blog for a few days as our time at The Bach ends and hubby and I have a long weekend in Melbourne on our own, sans children (thank you grandparents!). In the meantime, I would like to leave you with a purchase I made at The Lovely Shop in Woy Woy which I had passed many times and always wanted to have a nosey around. It is a pre-loved/vintage furniture and bric-a-brac shop that, as it turns out, is quite divine and very reasonably priced. There was dinky china, a cute sky blue sofa, lamps, buttons, upcycled furniture, vintage bits and bobs and pre-loved knick knacks.

Then I spotted this distressed cupboard/cabinet with four drawers and shelves inside that I thought would be perfect in an empty corner of our bedroom at The Bach.

So I snapped it up!

And here it is, with my newly limewashed mirror.

The all-white, shabby chic look is coming along quite nicely.

Adieu - until next time when I might have some interesting finds from Melbourne.

Coffee Table Makeover at The Bay

I'm back with my second DIY job these hols!

This many-times-painted coffee table that we inherited with The Bach was looking very worn and tired and in need of a sprucing. While this photo doesn't give justice to quite how worn and tired and discoloured it was looking, believe me, it was and annoyed me every time I sat down on the sofa.

So ... I decided to use up some leftover white spray paint I had from when I 'did up' a chipped wicker table a while back. I took it outside in the sun and started spraying. Despite the wind and my inept ability and, no doubt, technique, after a few sprays it started to look quite good ...

... although the grass was a bit worse for wear!

But it ended up looking so much better and now it sparkles in the living room - helped, no less, by the  yellow flowers I picked from a tree in the garden and popped in my el cheapo white jug.