My Garden Project
You may look at some of the pictures of my garden before I started this project and wonder what possessed me to purchase the property in the first place.   There was actually no garden to speak of, just a long yard with an outbuilding which was the garage/workshop but as usual I had the foresight to see the potential.

  As you can see there was a lot of work to be done.  I came to an agreement with my neighbours to demolish the brick wall and recycle the bricks to make block paving and in it's place we installed some nice wooden fencing with concrete posts and base.  The cleaning of the bricks was painstakingly slow but well worth it in the end.
So I set to with the help of my father every weekend to chip the mortar and paint from the bricks.  I decided that because the garden was long and narrow the pathway leading to the top needed to be curved to add interest and detract from the length.  This made the job more complicated because the bricks had to be cut to adapt to the required shape.    

The pictures below show the site once the garage was demolished and the block paving work had begun.  I was already excited at the transformation.   Once the block paving was completed I painted the brickwork cream to match the rear of the property.


The garden is still evolving and there is still further work required to bring it to completion but I have a nice collection of containers for my herbs and plants purchased on my travels including an old tin bucket, bath and belfast sink and I am always on the lookout for items that will add interest.  I can honestly say it was worth all the hard work because I now have a garden to enjoy during the summer months, a far cry from the dingy back yard inherited with the purchase of the property.

Lounge Refurbishment update 
I have been a busy bee over the past few weekends making some new curtains for my lounge.    I decided it was time for a change and the swags and tails of 8 years had to go. Down they came and much to my amazement I sold them on e-bay, and am happy to say that they went to a new home where they will be appreciated for years to come.


Being on a tight budget I scoured the shops for some ready made curtains that I could adapt.  I eventually found some with a lovely Art Deco design at the top and matching cushions, which suited my style perfectly.  I purchased 2 sets of curtains at 66" wide by 90" drop, now I had to get my thinking cap on because the actual finished drop required would be 115".  Not to be deterred I purchased a further pair of curtains in black of a similar weight and matching colour and dismantled them, cut them into four pieces and stitched them to the bottom of the new curtains to bring them to the desired drop.  I made a pair of tie backs for the centre drapes from ribbon and added a tassel trim.


The curtains were slid onto a new pole fitted some weeks ago, wow what a transformation.

Before with Swags and Tails

After Swags and Tails were sold

From shabby to chic in 3 weeks 
My lovely sideboard which has stood in my dad's garage for years has finally had the opportunity to be brought back to life.   I would never have let this lovely piece of furniture end it's life in the skip and it has been on my wanted list for years.    It finally arrived at my home approximately 3 weeks ago in a rather dilapidated state and I started work on it immediately.  First I gave it a quick sand down and then painted specific areas with petroleum jelly before painting with the first coat of paint.     I have used Ivory eggshell finish paint from the elements of colour range by Fired Earth.

The sideboard was coated with 3 layers of paint in total then I proceeded to rub it back with sand paper in specific areas to reveal the dark wood beneath and give an aged effect.  The shelves inside , the inner panels of the doors, the base of the drawers and the top have been finished with wallcovering in "Lilac" dark linen by Laura Ashley.  Once dry the wallcovering was treated with 2 coats of clear varnish to protect it from everyday wear and tear. 

 The final addition was a set of pretty black ceramic door knobs.  The sideboard now forms part of my new scheme in the lounge and has also given me the opportunity to display my set of Art Deco cards and pictures that I have been collecting and framing during the course of the past few months.
I am certain that my grandparents would be very proud if they could see their piece of furniture brought back to life and being put to good use in my own home.

Work in progress - my lounge

Some time ago I introduced you all to the commencement of  renovation work to my lounge, when I removed the old blue carpet and cleaned and stained the floorboards.  Four weeks ago I placed an order for a new sofa and advertised my two old terracotta sofas for sale.  Here I am four weeks later with old sofas moved on to a new home and a gorgeous new sofa and tub chair now in situ.   I did have second thoughts about ordering cream furniture but now it is in place I definitely think I made the right decision.

The new scheme is now starting to take shape.  I have a new black chandelier to be fitted, and  new curtains which are soon to be delivered.  I can't wait to bring an old sideboard from my parents house which I will be renovating to blend in with the scheme.  Future plans also include the purchase and fitting of a fireplace to create a focal point in the room.  The fireplace and chimney breast wall were removed many years ago by a previous owner.


I will keep you all updated on future developments as work progresses, in the meantime thanks for dropping by and watch this space.

My Back Garden    
I find myself taking advantage of the nice weather we are having nowadays and have taken to planting out some new herbs, rearranging existing ones and setting seeds in unused pots and containers.

I even recycle old containers for use in the garden.  As you will see from the attached pics I have used an old Belfast Sink which is bursting with thyme and I have recently planted some parsley in the same container.  I have also made use of an old tin bath and bucket in which I have planted mint and chives.   My plants and herbs appear to be thriving at the moment due to the warm climate.  Today I have made use of some aluminium cans which would have gone to recycling, I made some drainage holes in the bottom and I have planted out some chilli peppers and basil.....watch this space.

After

Transformation of an outdated bathroom 

Before

This is another large project undertaken on my home, the task involved removing the old out of date burgundy bathroom suite, blocking up the back door to utilise a wasted passageway and to install French doors leading out to the garden, this would also become my new back door.  

The project required new plumbing in the shower room and plumbing for the washing machine, which was to be relocated from the kitchen into the utility room, a new partition wall to separate the shower and utility rooms and new lighting and sockets,  plasterwork and tiling.  It was only a small area and it was important to utilise every inch of space to the maximum.   I decided on grey slate tiles for the flooring, grey emulsion paint and a colour called Lime Sorbet as a contrast colour with black tiles in the utility area and white tiles with black trims in the shower room.  The shower room has been finished with chrome accessories and a beautiful 1920's figurine print.   Grey and black striped curtains add the finishing touch in the utility room and I am sure you will agree it has all come together well.

The shower room   

The utility room   

My Boudoir         
One of the rooms in my home that has barely been touched apart from a coat of paint, some new wallpaper on the chimney breast wall and new soft furnishings to complement the colour scheme.  I am rather proud of this room but there will be a lot of work to do once I decide to start the renovation process to match the woodwork to the rest of the rooms throughout the house.     

I have a selection of trunks and hat boxes which make great storage for handbags, scarves and costume jewellery and these have been collected on my travels.  I also have a collection of Theatre Programmes from shows that I have seen over the years and some of these are displayed together on one wall.

                                                        I am happy with the look of this room at the present time considering that it has had minimal decoration work carried out on it.  Think I will leave it for the moment but I will keep you updated should I make any changes.

 Before

After

A Story of Restoration
My Lounge floor
I have finally managed to complete the floorboards in my lounge.  What a transformation.  I am so pleased with the final colour and finish and it now blends in nicely with my Dining Room.   There is still    more work to do in this room so keep watching for future updates.

Bringing original floorboards back to life

Last section of blue carpet

I have lived in my Victorian property for 10 years now and I could not bear to look at the horrid lounge carpet that I inherited any longer, it had to go.  A few weeks back I proceeded to remove sections of carpet to reveal the original floorboards beneath, which appeared to be in a reasonable condition and just required some care and attention.  There were only two damaged boards which would need sections replacing and I just happen to have salvaged a few pieces from previous projects around the house.

Floorboards revealed

The floorboards just required a good clean because they had been covered with floor-covering.   I used Nitromorse and course wire wool to clean deep into the grain of the wood then followed this with hot soapy water and a scrubbing brush and the boards came up to a reasonable standard for staining.

Cleaned floorboards

Working in sections and around the furniture situated in the room I have started the process of staining the floor with a coloured varnish and stain in antique pine.   There are
still a few hours work left yet to bring the
floor to the required standard and each section
requires 3 coats of stain with 16 hours drying
time between coats.  Below is a picture of where
I am to date and it is my intention to complete 
the whole project during the course of the next
week, so watch this space for the finished product.

Staining begins