Ticked this off my list today....

mari eriksson

Inspired by beautiful storage cupboards the last few weeks had lead me to open our pantry and decide it was time for a clean out.

A few boxes of charity items later and a good clean out with Peppermint oil left me with a clean slate.

(It is Mouse season here in the country and they don't like Peppermint)

Our island and dining table looked like an ironstone sale!

This side of the pantry used to hold cookbooks, candles, Cd's and loads of 'stuff'. It always annoyed me.

Now all of my white serving ware have a nice home.

Ah! Much better.

One day this old 70's pantry will get a paint job on the inside, but I kind of like the wood against the white

...for now.

So, I finally ticked that off my mile long 'to do' list =0)

I hope you all have a safe and happy Holiday break, whatever you may be doing.

Lolly Shop...

Hi all. What a fabulous idea for an old piece of furniture and easy to do. Some white linen, old locker numbers and chalkboard paint.

From the ever inspiring Country Living.

It reminds me of an old hardware/lolly shop piece.

Hope you are inspired!

Ness xx

Re purposing storage

Looking through some of my files and some of my favourite blogs for bathroom inspiration, I have found some wonderful cupboards and drawers that could be re-purposed into vanities and linen storage. This one above from Tricia Foley I saved for the worn wood on the top of the unit. I would love to have a top like this sealed with an organic bees wax that water just beads off.
This one I found via My Lovely Things and would make great linen storage don't you think?
Imagine it filled with loads of vintage Irish, French and Belgian linen pillow slips and crisp white sheets...nice. I do like the chairs in here too.

So cute!

I cant remember where I spied this image, so I am sorry. However, this is something I could really do in our bathroom. Although I would love pressed tin panels painted white behind the taps.

and finally this gorgeous set of drawers I viewed over at Shannon Frickes blog this morning from Anthropology. I would adore something quirky like this against all the white beaded board, except we would need four drawers...one for each family member. I guess my drawer would be '2ND'.
This is high on the list for a vanity replacement!
Ness xx

Cupboard Dilemma!

Ever since we moved into our home over 6 years ago, I have been dying to paint our Kitchen cupboards all white. When we began to renovate our 133 year old home the kitchen started off with open shelves either side of our window...it didn't work with the space, made it heavy and they had to go. Now I see photos and think "I wouldn't mind having some place to display my collection of white ceramics and ironware", but I don't want open shelves. I have been thinking for a while now that when the cupboards get painted (sooner than later) I would like to change one of our double pantry cupboards into a wire fronted display piece and have the other one in chalkboard paint...but now I have added our little chalkboard on the side of the pantry, I think that an all blackboard pantry would be too dark....sigh!


So, now I have become obsessed with cupboards and how I can pretty our Kitchen doors up with out spending a bomb doing it...this I can do!

I have thought that maybe I could tear off 2 of the doors and have some shelves exposed and maybe a gorgeous skirt (like Brooke has done here in her Chanel Islands home)...but that would mean a major configuration of the other pantry which is attached and lots of $$$ - not going to work.

..maybe we should rip that side out and have a freestanding unit in its place - no, then it would mean re plastering the wall and we would still have to re configure the other pantry...argh!


...bite the bullet and take off all the doors and have some wonderful colour splashed onto the back of the cupboard to highlight my collection? What do I do with ugly tins of food?
I would just love to have a huge Armoire that I could fill with beauty, open when I felt like it, shut if it was a little messy and be done, but no...an old house is never going to play your way!

So, I am back to the idea of painting the cupboards all white, maybe cutting some panels out of two of the doors, filling with mesh (so you can see the collection) and keeping the other two doors intact to hide everyday food items and dressing the doors with some nickle bin pull handles on the drawers and nickle knobs on the doors.

How much can I pull this off for? I am going to do the math and try to shock you when it is done...do you think I can do it on a shoestring? Any tips??

Ness xx

image #1,3,4 Country Living, #2 Brooke Giannetti,

#5 via Modern Country

Scrubby Cupboards...

Pale & Interesting
Old cupboards and wardrobes are something I always love to include in rooms, especially our own house with it's 11 foot ceilings. The scrubbier and well beat up ones are perfect pieces in my opinion and this one is lovely, adding tonal interest to this creamy room.

Country Homes & Interiors
I also adore the industrial type with big glass front for displaying stock, and in this case crockery and glassware. The fact it is in a weathered grey and worn paint just makes it more appealing to me.

Country Homes
Ones with doors are great for linen, like here, or in the kitchen as a makeshift pantry...at least if it is not as orderly as the one above, you can shut the doors!!

via Mimi Charmante

This one actually has a little angled side part to it. What an awesome find if you had dead space to fill under some stairs, or an attic space.

Tomorrow our littlest boy is off to Pre School for 3 hours and while he is gone I plan to re-organise our own old cupboard which was originally used as a Medical cabinet at an Ambulance station. When I am done I will show you photos.

I hope you all have a wonderful day,

Ness xx

Statement Pieces - Old Shop Fittings

A statement piece is something that should not be hunted for, in my opinion, because you will never find what you want. It is only when you happen to be in the little country old wares that such pieces will find you...and that's just it - they find you!!

I have found many wonderful, and cheap, pieces this way. The following beautiful pieces make statements for all sorts of reasons.

inside out
This gorgeous old ex shop fitting, which is in the current Inside Out magazine, is something on the top of my 'statement piece' list. This owner travels a lot as the make up master for YSL, and doing so has been extremely fortunate to have found 2 in the best condition!!!
We have an old Ambulance cabinet in our hallway that is as close to this beauty as I have ever found...and no where near as whimsical as this.

home beautiful

This one is so quirky and looks brilliant against these crisp white walls alongside the red chairs and stools. I don't think we will look at the shop fittings of our era with the same love...all plastic and minimal.

Cupboards like these can do well in any room. It goes with out saying that the first place you would think to put them would be the kitchen and/or dining, but I think it would do just as well in a bedroom, office, porch or kids room.

pottery barn
Forever I have loved the apothecary drawers. Although this one is new, it still has the aged appearance of something from the old corner store...
marie claire
...but you can't beat the real thing. Especially if they have original handles etc. My Dad has a beautiful set of sage green ones in his woodworking shed. Every time I am there I shudder that it is holding nuts, bolts, sandpaper and the like instead of MY silk ribbons, twine, stamps and thread. He has promised to bring them down to me next time they visit...can't wait.
via Reece & Marie
How could you not ask the owner where they have scored such a piece from and what it was originally used for? The applications of old shop fittings are enormous...an old cupboard can become a entertainment unit without too much fuss.

via Brooke Giannetti
Now, I don't know if this stunning piece actually came from an old shop, but I would love to imagine that it was in some stunning Ateliers store with stunning old lace Wedding and evening gowns hanging from the doors. In the drawers would be feathers, jewels, crystal etc and through the stunning reflection a Fairytale Princess would be made...that's my take anyway!

So, next time you think I would love an old shop cupboard to put over there, don't because it will have to find you. Happy hunting!

Ness xx

Editing Collections With Style...

I love a collection as much as the next person. What makes me cringe though is when the collection becomes consuming in the space and down right cluttered. I have seen homes where you cant even get up the stairs because hoards of teddies, dolls etc are on each riser....really!!

So, I thought I would show you a home and some examples on how to edit and use your collections to make them stylish, and work in your space...

I am a lover of old signs and this owner has loads of them. Instead of shoving them all in the one area, she has scattered them through out the home which makes all the areas relate and flow. That way each sign takes on a new personality depending on what and where it is hung. The collections of small drawers are also scattered throughout the house as well.
If you buy what you love and it relates to you or your family, it will work...just don't have everything out at the one time in the one space.

Try and collect items that have a similar tone, from the same period maybe or of the same topic. Like these old Dog prints in a sepia tone. They are all framed in a similar sized frame, which have a similar tone to them. The little dog on the table is the same natural tone too, which makes it all relate. You could have botanical prints from the same artist, old text from a Theatre or old yard sticks...the possibilities are endless.

Here are some more of the signs from the owners collections. These are all related to the kitchen and make a great feature of an otherwise unused wall and also soften the pine panelling. Notice that they are all the same type of lettering and all white with black.

The queen of editing a collection would have to be Atlanta Bartlett. Here she has used shells of the same type and tone to create a very chic grouping. I know that a lot of collectors think that every piece should be displayed, but...if you put say half or more of it away and change it around all the time, I guarantee you will look at it more and more people will notice your collections instead of secretly thinking...."this place is a dust magnet"...you know you all do!

Some kitchen collections can be used as art like the pie tins on the wall above the oven, the white ironstone pitchers, which you could have some blooms in too- or some antique silver cutlery, or natural coloured hand thrown plate collections. They don't necessarily have to be kept in the kitchen either...I have even seen a collection of well grouped soup tureen lids (all white ironstone) which were hung above the toilet!! Looked great though.

I love this collection of old washing boards...and because they are above eye level the masses of them doesn't overwhelm you like they would if they were on a lower shelf. I actually noticed the sign first and the old pie safe, then I seen the boards. They all relate through the tin, wood and age...and the fact it is the right room for them. Old prints from washing powder or soap ads would work well in here too.

Here you can see that this owner has loads of collections, but it is all related in tone and size and she has been very careful with the way they are featured and the amounts that are on show at any one time.

You want to make you collections seem full, not cluttered and to add some personality to the space...not to choke it and make it look trashy. So, if you have a collection, take everything down look at it from a designers eye and group by colour, type, size etc...then place one thing back at a time, stand back and look at it become a stylish display...and don't be afraid to put some away for a while. Trust me it works wonders!!!

Ness xx

all photos from Country Home except #4, Atlanta Bartlett

Number 8...

This awesome UK vintage shop, No. 8 is a constantly evolving store as they update their supplies from Markets, vintage finds and designers. They aim to please with a range from French, Scandinavian, modern to the coastal style. I found some lovely things. Here are a few.
This beautiful dressmakers form isn't on of the items for sale sadly, but the lovely long handled market bag is. I can imagine Ciabatta and Sourdough loaves and fresh veggies and farmers honey in here on a Sunday morning....and that form in my home - oh well. This bakers stand is so me. Mic and I had a stand, not as beautiful as this, in our first home which followed us to a few more before our move to this house. Now I kick myself for getting rid of it as this house is the best suited for it. I will have to keep my eye out...Mum can you look too?

I really love this little cupboard. I know it doesn't fit with my usually decorating suspects, but I would have this in my office. It would be great while I sew to jot down measurements etc.

What a beautiful piece. The wallpapered back is a nice touch and I love the aged yellow.

My favourite is this console table in wrought iron. It would look so good in our hallway with it's marble top and Fleur De Lys at the bottom.

There are so many more beautiful things for you to look at HERE.

I'm off to look some more,

Ness xx