Tuesday 11 October 2011

Make it a feature...

Decorating over a fireplace ultimately sets the mood for the room and adds a welcoming touch.

We wanted the fireplace to be the focal point of the living room  - a cozy spot to unwind after a long day but also be an ideal space to showcase personal objects and quirky finds. A stage for displaying favorite pieces of artwork and antiques.

A vintage wooden set square is a quirky talking point

An antique meter stick, simple floral display and nostalgic family photo
When we found this mirror in the antique shop, it was a horrible gold colour! It cost £9!

 I had always thought that animal heads above a mantlepiece was a real statement but being an animal lover, a real head just wasn't an option for us...

This is where paper mache animals heads come in...

I discovered these beautiful heads in a book. They are hand made to order by The Stealthy Rabbit. I fell in love with their quirkiness and real life details. http://thestealthyrabbit.blogspot.com/

But on our tight budget we couldn't afford £200...not just yet anyway....













So after much searching, I managed to locate some cheaper heads which are made in Haiti and sold by anthropologie.eu/en/uk/
 We decided on the Savannah Story Bust, Gazelle which has certainly been a talking point of visitors so far...
Layers of re purposed cement bags are covered with vintage French book pages to create this regal, papier mache animal head
 The mantlepiece so far...
Next...to find a clock and some art!

Sage in your cooking - Sage on your walls...

We have also been busy decorating the kitchen and have had our fair share of dramas along the way..but I'm happy to report its beginning to take shape!

Before...



 
After...












Water and Fire...the worst and best of natural resources!

First there was water...

The time has arrived!...we have a beautiful, real fire!! The day we had it fitted, which happened to be Ste`s birthday, also happened to be the day that the insurance people were coming over too (more about that later!)

It was like appearing in an episode of changing rooms..I wonder which one of us was Laurence Llewelyn Bowen!? Ste and I were flitting from one person to the next, one situation to the next!

Before we bask in the glorious glow of the stove, I will tell the story of the insurance visits! On the Tuesday night, I was finishing brushing my teeth when the cat jumped up at the tap and started to drink...so I left it on...not thinking....with the plug in! Then we slept

At 7am in the morning I was awoken by Ste, "Jo. we`ve had a disaster!"  So I followed him to the downstairs front room...

It really was like it was raining indoors! The water had ruined our hoover, sander and drill (among other things!) - all of the things that we have been needing so much lately! As well as soaking the ceiling, floors and sofa.

So back to the chaos of the fire fitting day...we had two lovely guys "the chimney pot men" fitting the fire in the back room and two different insurance companies, who began to argue about whether the front room ceiling needs replacing or not, in the front room!

There is a dehumidifier in the room right now trying to dry everything out! 

Then there was Fire...

So...here it is! After months and months of waiting! We are delighted with our decision to have a real stove fitted, it totally transforms the room - sure does make a house into a home!

The stove is called a Little Wenlock and fits perfectly into the space!

The antique Jersey potato container we store our wood in.





Now our house really is a home!