Reading through this blog, you’d be forgiven for thinking we have a big, sprawling house. In fact it is pretty compact. The rooms aren’t huge by any means but we try to make good use of them. The children’s bedrooms double as their playrooms, the kitchen table doubles as their desk for homework, the dog… Continue reading A [Craft] Room of One’s Own
For as long as I can remember The Bavarian and I have been talking about adding a library or at least a library wall to our home. Long before we ever had a home of our own or even shared a flat, a library was one thing we agreed on that had to be part… Continue reading Planning Our Dream Library Wall
December is rushing past or, more accurately, I am letting December pass me by in a blur of meetings, appointments and planning sessions, almost all of which are entirely unrelated to Christmas. Advent, as I have mentioned here on this blog often, is a time of year I love. The anticipation, preparation and the weekly… Continue reading The December Rush
€100 doesn’t sound like much but it can make a hell of a difference if you spend it wisely. We’ve – ok I’ve – just done up our bedroom for less than that and it is like a different room altogether. Whereas before it was mismatched and dated, it is now bright and airy and,… Continue reading A Master Bedroom Makeover On A Small Budget
Before we set off on holiday two weeks ago, it was starting to feel like Autumn but the leaves hadn’t really fallen yet. Raking up and gathering the walnuts from our tree was our main occupation, outside of work and packing, in the days leading up to our departure for Holland. We wanted to get… Continue reading An Autumnal Table
For months and months I posted, wrote and talked about my sister’s upcoming wedding. Then it happened and you heard no more from me about it, which could lead you, dear reader, to conclude that it must have been a bit of a let down. Well, I’m going to have to put things straight. The… Continue reading A Glimpse of a Garden Wedding
A few weeks back I wrote about about the makeover I was planning for our guest bedroom. I say “I” rather than “we” as this is a pretty personal makeover. The Bavarian is happy enough that there is a bed for guests to sleep in . I, on the other hand, like to have things… Continue reading Our Guest Bedroom Makeover with Laura Ashley
One of my favourite things about shopping trips to Dublin as a child was going into the Laura Ashley shop on Grafton Street. I know it is a brand that many consider old-fashioned and terribly floral, but it has always been special to me. I used to go in with my mother. She had some gorgeous… Continue reading Planning Our Guest Bedroom Makeover
Points of view on home decor when you have a young family differ greatly. There’s the “why bother” camp, firmly rooted in reality, assuming that vases will get smashed, sofas soiled and walls vandalied by the little ones. And there are the parents who lay down rules, are strict about shoes in the house and… Continue reading Pretty & Practical Home Decor For Families
Last week I was looking at inspiration for the kidney table I rescued from being dumped. I told you about how its little dipped legs were the source of my inspiration for the final design. Today I am going to show you how my table has turned out. Before that though I’ll give you a… Continue reading Renovating a Kidney Table with Dipped Legs
