Needs...Well Maybe Wants

here

While I have been spending a lot of time in my office of late I have come to realise what it is that I need to make this reasonably new space of mine work for me.

1. some white shelves

2. old worn wooden crates

3. white jugs for my masses of brushes and tools

real living

4. an awesome work light just like this

5. some more letters, cause I don't have enough already ;0)

6. more twine, cause I am nearly out

7. Hydrangeas...well I have them, but you can never have enough right?
here
8. Beautiful old bookcase

here

9. Awesome, huge industrial letter salvaged from an old building. An 'N' please =0)

10. French doors with chaise outside

Then I would work with out any dramas all day =0)

might have to work on that list.

Ness xx

Somethings Missing...

I adore this print (anyone know where I can get it?)
Something is missing from my design space, and our home actually.
An awesome statement piece which is functional. One with storage, style, quirkiness and timeless appeal, complete with beautiful vignette on top =0)
Something particularly like the first image
...but I would take any of them
Which one do you like?
Ness xx
all images - content agency

The Method In The Office??

This year our littlest Man goes off to School and with it brings alot more time for me in my office amongst my vintage fabrics and loads of sewing bits.

So, the aim is to pretty this space up a little and I plan to start with these prints I have here. There are some others which I don't have frames for yet, but I really want the images to inspire me.


You remember I did make a start back around Christmas time with this mirror makeover?

Well I am planning to build on it and see where it takes me...kind of using my own "Method". The approach that I take to making my cushions.

Lets just hope it works for inspirational spaces!!

Ness xx

PS- Thanks to everyone for the wonderful support I received from my post the other day about The Method and my little diversion. I spent yesterday sewing so many cushions which you had ordered, enquired about etc trying to keep the shop stocked with them, but I had to admit defeat. I couldn't keep up...so thank you xx

Roadside Find...

So today I said I would show you my roadside find. It wasn't exactly a 'roadside' find, more like a out-the-front-of-a-shed find!

I also wanted to show you the Ampersand that my Dad made for me from a sketch I done onto MDF board. You can see it here on my 'new' desk, which was the find mentioned above.
Firstly a closer shot of the Ampersand. It is unfinished at the moment, but I plan on having a go with the grey paint I done the mirror with from yesterdays post and build up on it. The & is
huge and my Sister has had me trace the & so Dad can make her one when he gets back to Sydney!!


...and here is my find. The desk.

I seen it outside one of my haunts and wondered why it was outside in the rain. It had a sign on it "Take away for a gold coin donation". I mentioned it to my Mum, who stopped in there on her way home and she checked it out and sent Dad and I out to pick it up in there little car in the pouring rain may I add!!

It wasn't going to fit in the car so Dad and I used brute force to pull the legs off so we could get home out of the rain. Which worked well as Dad re-built it on the veranda and voila! A gold coin donation desk for my 'new' office!!!

It has flaky varnish on it and needs a makeover too, but I will get to it when I can. It works and the desk top is huge so I am content

...for now!!!

Ness xx

-my Mum and Dad left for Sydney this afternoon so this is just a short post as I have a thumping Migraine from the goodbye and need to sleep....night =0)

Mirror Makeover...

Yesterday while the sun was shining in full force I thought I would clean up my new office after the aftermath that was Christmas, except I was sidetracked with this mirror which has been above the fireplace in here for a while waiting to have a makeover.

Finally I done the makeover!


The reflection now looks much nicer with my own mix of French greyand picks up the lovely colour o my vintage Botanic prints Mum found.

This was the look prior to the makeover - bronze and gold and far too dark and heavy for me and my 'new' office.
...very happy with the look =0) The details look better with this soft grey now.
and now works with my little bird house that my dear Dad made...what do you think?
Now I am planning to paint my big Ampersand that my Dad also made for me on my desk there in the same colour.
There is still alot to do in here, but at least I have made a start now I am not so busy.
I will show you my free road side find tomorrow, its come in very handy.
Ness xx
all images - Me

Tools down on the bathroom today while I play Nurse!

No work on the bathroom today. I have two little men who are snuggled up on the sofa, unwell. So instead I thought I would get the office in order ready for the year. You may remember, I used to sit behind the desk, but I have moved it to the wall to make more room in the center for cutting fabric and screen printing and the like. The sewing machine has had a day off today and is now covered in a vintage embroidered linen cloth...it doesn't know itself!
I love this space and I love working in this space. The light from the French door is lovely and even in this photo which was taken early morning (the light doesn't come in here until at least 10ish am) it still has a softness to it. You can see my little 'file drawers' on top of the white cupboard...there are made from old wardrobe drawers and hold all my to do things. I am still using the cot side rail to drape all of the fabric that is ready to be sewn. It just works so well that I haven't found anything to replace it yet!

I have taken so much from my desk top (it was a shambles from the Christmas chaos and orders etc), but I did steal the grey pitcher from the bathroom for the shot. My white one was having a clean and awaiting new greenery.

Anyway, thank you all so much for your encouraging comments on my super mini budget bathroom makeover. I am hoping to do some more in there tomorrow, but for now I have a muesli slice to make and two little men to attend to.

Have a wonderful day wont you?

Ness xx

Flags and my office...

From my files - mag no longer in print

What is it about flags that have me hooked? Not sure, but I do know that I would love and old, faded, slightly tattered one to fill my office wall. This US one is fantastic propped against the wall and I have long loved this photo because of this flag in the frame.

This is my office at present and this wall is where I envision the tattered fabric. Being that I am of Scottish heritage (all my family were born there) and Australian (I was the only one born here), I think it would be fitting to have the St Andrews cross and an Aussie flag together...

unknown...sorry!

...or a Union jack which is an amazing design against white walls.
Now, I am not about to start a new redecorating project in my office..although tempting...because I have so much on at the moment, but I have been sitting here thinking 'I really want to change something...anything around!'. The fact I am in here makes sense.

Restoration Hardware
So some other things I would love in here would be some of these little destination signs, which I think I will have a go at myself...
Decorpad

...loads of shelves and white painted floors like we have in our bedroom. The current carpet in here is old and three different brown tones...eew!

Sarah Richardson
And to finish -linen and white covered books to fill the shelves. To think this all started with a photo of a flag!!.....
Ness xx

Office Saga Has Ended!!

Over the weekend we have been SO busy. Took Mum to the Airport and came home to re arrange the office...again! Only, this time to a different room!!

Now this has been an on going thing. Let me explain...

Those of you that have read M&L for a while would remember I started in this room above. The spare room that had a lot of everything else in it. I eventually got squeezed out when Slot Car Metropolis (Mics Slot Car table) took over 3/4 of the room...so I moved

...to the front room of the house. I did like this space. Loads of room and it only had my office/sewing/craft stuff in it, but it was at the other end of the house which made it tricky to do anything down there with the boys up the other end...so, after a bit of discussing...

Mic let me have the original office back!!!

I know, Days Of Our Lives! This time however, I have nothing in here but my things for the shop etc. I have long loved these Chalk walls and filled them with my old frame, which was my inspiration board frame in the last room, and some pictures I have long loved behind my desk.

Oh, and I now have a French door. Not painted yet (it leaks and has to be re glazed!!) but lovely all the same. I have a lovely view out to the boys playing and our old Sycamore Tree...

...and the light in here is wonderful. The other room only got morning sun, so I am so happy. This is also the room where our computer is and I am blogging from right now. Everything is at hand and I have been super inspired in here....look out!
BTW, thanks to everyone who has left comments for the Giveaway so far...Don't forget, you have until Friday night to leave one (Aust time). See yesterdays post for details.

Ness xx

Newbie and my Lamp...

I actually had a really lovely and productive weekend as we were rained in....torrential rain! We had a birthday dinner with the family on Saturday night (cooked by Mic..sort of), watched movies and I got lots of new items made for The Shop.Like this new cover. I really like this one as the sign is from a little Village in Britain and it is something different from the Bus sign covers. You can buy these new covers HERE!

I also realised I forgot to post about my lamp makeover from my office re-do, so...
This is it before. A bit bland, but has potential...(this photo was taken during the office change, so excuse the mess)

A tube of acrylic in Neutral Grey, paintbrush, piece of linen and were away. I just used the brush to work the paint into all of the grooves, then rubbed most of it off with the linen.
...it really showed the features up well. At this stage you can work some more paint into it if you want it a little darker, or maybe add a high light colour like silver or black....
I love how it looks like an old Architectural column...

This is it after and on my new desk. It throws off a lovely warm light and looks great with my white Geraniums. you can do this finish with terracotta pots, picture frames and anything that has a raised pattern to it. Whatever you try it on will look like a new piece.

Have fun!

Ness xx

Office Before & Currently....

Like I mentioned on Friday, I spent some of the weekend re-organising my office/sewing room. It was a huge mess and I thought I better not start with a before pic, cause it will hurt your eyes!!! So above is a little glimpse of my new table (more on that) and some of my wrapping paraphernalia. Here we go...to the sort out!
BEFORE
I told you...horrid! We had no where else to store all the stuff while the doors were being put in...except in here! This was the corner where I had my little table, which has become way too small. All of my paperwork, orders and sewing was done from this little table! It has been turned onto the other wall, and is now my wrapping station...I needed one.

A better view of what a mess it was. This is while I was starting to sort...and boy did I cull!

On Sunday, Mic, the boys and I went to Evandale Market and I found this lovely old Coogan's table. Coogan's is an old Tasmanian furniture manufacturer. It even has the old makers mark underneath. I got it for $35.00. The dealer turned out to be our towns second hand dealer, so he brought the table home the 60kms for me for free! It arrived this morning and I gave it a light sand to reveal the lovely wood on top, which will be waxed and the bottom will be painted white.

It now looks so nice with my made over lamp on it. I will show you during the week, the before and after of the lamp.

This is what you can see now as you look in the door, instead of a builders site! I was still in the process of vacuuming and organising at this stage, hence the cords on the floor. I still have to hang some artwork on the walls and tweak here and there

I love the table in here (even though it is not done). I recycled a rail off Masons' old cot for hanging my fabric from and for things in progress, which is leaning against the wall.

I am still planning a paint makeover for in here. I want the walls to be a moody, smokey brown and I am liking Murobond's 'Smoke' and 'Stone', Resene's 'Eight Mondo' and Dulux's 'Self-destruct'. Whatever I go with here will be offset by crisp white trim for the picture rails, chair rail, skirting boards, fireplace and the tongue and groove panelling. I am looking forward to doing something like this in here, as it is the office, I can be a little more daring than my palette usually allows. I think it will play up the warmth of the wood table as well. I will let you know what I decide here.

BEFORE
Eeew! Things that didn't go are just shoved anywhere. I haven't spent a lot of time in here recently...you see why! I didn't like seeing all of my lovely bits and pieces plonked just anywhere.
That little two door cupboard was one of my bargain finds. I got it for $5.00! The bird houses are my Dads creations waiting to be painted.
CURRENTLY
After a little clean up, it looks better. My new Keep Calm poster arrived on Friday, and until I get it framed for the wall, I hung it over my old mirror. It worked well as the frame has a tiny fleck of gold paint around the wood grain from a previous colour.

So, as I crack on with this I will show you as it develops.
Now I can't wait to work in my finally sorted space.

Ness xx

Summer Office Inspiration...

This little summer house is providing me with huge inspiration for re doing our outdoor shed thing that I want as an office. I would love to line it with fence pailings , painted white, white floors, some salvaged French doors for the front and very girly as I am surrounded by males.
Inside is beautiful. White floors bounce light about and the simple fit out of this hut is accented by the vintage inspired furniture and soft muted pastel fabrics.

Love the sofa, rocking chair and big trunk. I have all these, except the sofa...I can find one though..lol!

As our outdoor space, referred to as the 'woodshed' from its previous duties, has no electricity it will have to have a simple homemade looking chandelier. I would make this out of cut glass tumblers. We will have some sort of power for my sewing machine obviously.
Park benches turned into seating and paired with floral fabrics scream heaven. The addition of a Hydrangea stem just finishes this photo for me.
I could see a big white tressle table, stacks of linens waiting to be sewn, glass jars on shelves filled with mother of pearl buttons in white, wheat and greys, and loads of hurricanes lanterns all grouped together for the warm glow that only candlelight can give and wire vintage baskets filled with all of my orders waiting to be sent.
Once our little flowering Crab apple and Magnolia grow bigger, I hope our backyard to look as serene. Now to find some doors and get on to it!!!

BTW - I just found out that my clay tags were used in the April issue of Aust Home Beautiful as well....YAY!!! Thanks for all of your lovely words about my small, but rewarding feat.

Ness xx