Showing posts with label makeover. Show all posts

Pine Wardrobe Makeover



It wasn't so long ago that my bedroom caught the grey bug.  I loved it for a while, but then, like always, I just had to go back to mostly white with blue accents.

Garden Makeover - Part One



A glimpse of the work so far - A lot of grey 

The Summer has been busy with school holidays and our wonderful once in a lifetime visit to Florida, so the garden makeover has not moved along as quickly as I might like.

New tap, part two - mini bathroom makeover



Who doesn't love to win a competition !  I do, but my hubby might not agree.  I recently won a bathroom takeaway, instagram giveaway for a gorgeous tap.  You can read the post here.  This resulted in a mini makeover of the  bathroom.  

New Tap !


I'm not a great one for entering competitions but I have a bit of a problem when it comes to beautiful taps!  When I saw the gorgeous Waterfall Tap over on the Bathroom Takeaway instagram page was up for grabs, I thought no harm in entering.

Garden Makeover Plans

Photo : ATGStores.com

After twelve years of living in our home we can finally turn our attention to the garden renovation.  The winter is a perfect time to sit and plan how we would like to makeover the garden.

Thrifty bedroom makeover


My bedroom has always been a bit of a dumping ground for laundry, stock and generally stuff that I just didn't want to look at.  I have tried over recent years to regain some order, especially as I am often sent bedroom related items to review.  

The boys bedroom before & after


As the Bank holiday Easter weekend was mostly rained off, we managed to finish the makeover of the twins industrial style bedroom.

The Industrial look Boys Room




Sharing a room when you are twins will always have its ups and downs.  Least of my boys worries though, is the decor. They really don't care.  Although their own personalities have crept into each of their personal spaces, they are happy for me to decorate how I see fit, Result !

Front Door Makeover


How long have I been married ? and blogging ?  and how often have I reminded my husband to PLEASE take before photographs if he is going to embark on some DIY when I am out !

Back to Grey (or thanks for the free paint Helen)

One of the perks of people knowing I upcycle and paint furniture is I am often offered items they are throwing out and on one occasion two massive pots of virtually unused paint !  The paint in question is not your ordinary everyday kind of paint.  Oh no!  Its the top of the range Dulux Trade Diamond Matt in the colour of the moment Dove Grey.  This paint has superior durability, covers like a dream, as hard wearing as they come, can be wiped clean and most  importantly has a matt finish. (so works well if you like a chalk paint kind of finish).

Normally out of my price range I was thrilled to receive the paint from the very lovely School mum friend and set to work immediately on dark wood items that needed a solid undercoat.  Just about to start a commission for a customer, it was also a perfect colour for the job!

Once I completed the commission and still only halfway down the pot of paint ! (goes a long way does quality paint) I looked around for more items in my own home requiring a lick of paint.  With the twins away at Grandma's and No 1 son away on his holiday in Turkey, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do some decorating in the house.  Time to change the staircase (AGAIN).

AFTER




Newly painted staircase.  Intend to put the stencil back on them again and still toying with the idea of putting a white stripe up the centre but I'll wait until hubby finishes the new wallpaper before I decide.  Also think I might fill the very tall wall with bits and bobs I have collected on my thrifty travels.

Next I headed to the bedroom to start on the cupboard which houses my linens and has stared accusingly at me for the last few years.  A lovely piece of stag furniture in its day it just had to have a paint job I'm afraid.

                                                                               BEFORE



 AFTER




 Sorry about the dress dummy, I use her to display clothes I sell online and she wears this beautiful silk nightie and dressing gown to remind me to try and stick to a diet for my holidays !


 I even found these gorgeous grey candles on a recent (rare) trip to Ikea.




I am really pleased with the result.  It still needs a bit more wax and a buff, but thanks to Helen's paint it transformed this piece of furniture and really brings the rest of the bedroom furniture together.

 I picked this rocking chair up at a bootsale last year for £10.  I nearly passed out when I saw it and virtually ran over to the stall holder.  I have done nothing to it except clean it and absolutely LOVE it in all its chippy grey painted glory.



Found the grey slip ons in the Next sale for £14.  Not normally a shop I go into these days, but was pleased I did on this occasion.




Mirror found on Ebay about 6 years ago.  Paid very little for it.  Grey and white designer throw on the bed purchased for £30 from TKMaxx.  Silk (look) curtains purchased for a song in the sale at Dunelm mill.  Bedside cabinets found in the recycling centre, pair for £10 and painted in Helen's perfect Dulux paint.

There you go, amazing what one tin of paint can do.  Thank you again Helen ! 


Some Kitchen pics

I am duplicating this post from my All About The Boys Blog  as it shows how my kitchen looks now.  A detailed post on the before and after will come soon. 

I still think they sent me the email by mistake and will at any minute realise and withdraw the invitation.  Those who know me will know that cooking is not my *cough* strong point or rather something  I can, but prefer not to do.  I blame years of being waited on in the Army Mess.

Anyway until I'm thrown out of this exclusive and rather imposing club I will continue to masquarade as someone who cooks and reveal my kitchen as requested.


Can you spot whats missing ?



There it is !  The essential cooker and hob.  Apologies for the microwave, we really don't use it that often .  If you look closely you might spot the Marie Claire cookery books ontop of it, never use them, just bought them because they have pretty cover pictures that match the colour of my kitchen.   The sign on the wall ?  Says it all really : Coffee, Tea or ME !



I love vintage and thrifted household items.  Here are a selection I have out on display.   You can follow the progress of the renovation of our home on this blog with a post on before and after transformation coming soon.


So there you go.  My kitchen. Take a minute to pop over and like the WORLDFOODS fusion of flavours facebook page and you will also be able to follow us as we cook (or attempt to) our way to Asian cooking heaven !

The Twins room

It's taken a while, but the twins finally have a room to be proud of.  It combines my love of light and bright but is also still boyish enough to please them.  As this house only had three bedroom, we decided to give the twins the biggest room.  We knew as they grew they would inevitably need the extra room to have a sense of their own space.

These pictures show their room the day we moved in.









When I look at the above photo's I wonder how on earth we coped.  Every room was full to bursting with our stuff, we had six month old twins and a 10 yr old who sulked and hated the house not understanding why we had left our previous large, beautiful home for this filthy house ! 

This is how their room looks now :

The view through through the twins bedroom door into their room.  The blue cupboard is the white one you see in the first photograph.  



On the wall where the fireplace was my husband built floor to ceiling storage shelves


My husband also made the wooden letters spelling out the twins names



The twins "reading Corner"  bookcase made by daddy and cushions an absolute steal from Primark. Blinds and chairs from IKEA



New white bunk beds from Ebay, wonderful luxury childrens red and white gingham bedding generously given to me by my sponsor Mel who owns babou and a makeover for an old chest of drawers, along with a fantastic vinyl sticker clock from the wonderful Etsy seller chocovenyl complete the look.