Knock Knock: Who's There? Awesome Antique Door Knockers

Knock Knock

Who's there?

Awesome antique door knockers, that's who. 











Heart











Ancient











Serpent.  I'd be scared to touch this one!











Almost creepy!











Rooster











Figural













Snail.  Might be a doorknob, I'm not sure.











 Lend a hand?















Gnome











Very old knocker











 I think I'll knock on the

Wardrobe makeover in Aubusson and Duck egg blue

I am proud to finally present to you the result of my £20 wardrobe makeover! Got it months ago from Banchory's Box Room (great for finding old furniture) and I eventually painted it and did it up. I love the combination of the blue and the brass hinges. It is now baby's first antique piece - holding all its baby grows, cute little cardigans and mini socks.

I painted the inside of the wardrobe in Annie Sloan's duck egg blue chalk paint and the outside in her Aubusson blue shade (with a layer of duck egg blue underneath which shines through after I lightly sanded through the corners and edges). I also stuck some blue-green retro fabric against the inside back panel of the wardrobe. My sister, who has been helping me finish the nursery over the past few days, put in an extra shelf (which she made out of our old bed slats!) and we got some useful storage boxes for underneath. She also saved me some money by suggesting using an old broom stick as a clothes rail and painting it in the same colour as the wardobe. Neat!

I'm very pleased with the result - hope baby likes it too when I show it its room for the first time next month ;-)

The broom stick clothes rail and bed slat shelf!

My hard working sister 'handy An' - :-)

Wardrobe makeover in Aubusson and Duck egg blue

I am proud to finally present to you the result of my £20 wardrobe makeover! Got it months ago from Banchory's Box Room (great for finding old furniture) and I eventually painted it and did it up. I love the combination of the blue and the brass hinges. It is now baby's first antique piece - holding all its baby grows, cute little cardigans and mini socks.

I painted the inside of the wardrobe in Annie Sloan's duck egg blue chalk paint and the outside in her Aubusson blue shade (with a layer of duck egg blue underneath which shines through after I lightly sanded through the corners and edges). I also stuck some blue-green retro fabric against the inside back panel of the wardrobe. My sister, who has been helping me finish the nursery over the past few days, put in an extra shelf (which she made out of our old bed slats!) and we got some useful storage boxes for underneath. She also saved me some money by suggesting using an old broom stick as a clothes rail and painting it in the same colour as the wardobe. Neat!

I'm very pleased with the result - hope baby likes it too when I show it its room for the first time next month ;-)

The broom stick clothes rail and bed slat shelf!

My hard working sister 'handy An' - :-)

A new obsession: antique Hungarian pine benches

We love being in our kitchen. It's spacious and it has a large dining table in it where you can sit and read the papers for hours, drink tea and generally potter about. A lovely addition to our beloved table we think would be a big old wooden bench, antique, painted and with cushions scattered on it. Now, where to find one? I always do a search on eBay and quickly I came across the type I like best: the Hungarians! Church pews are nice too, but I don't think they're very comfy to sit on in the long run. The Hungarian ones however have a deeper seat and a back that isn't as upright as the pews. They also often have storage space underneath the seat. Very handy. Hopefully we'll have one in our kitchen very soon... I'm on the hunt! Do let me know if you know of any place in the UK that deals in them. Thanks!

Image: Ravishingly Rustic

 

A new obsession: antique Hungarian pine benches

We love being in our kitchen. It's spacious and it has a large dining table in it where you can sit and read the papers for hours, drink tea and generally potter about. A lovely addition to our beloved table we think would be a big old wooden bench, antique, painted and with cushions scattered on it. Now, where to find one? I always do a search on eBay and quickly I came across the type I like best: the Hungarians! Church pews are nice too, but I don't think they're very comfy to sit on in the long run. The Hungarian ones however have a deeper seat and a back that isn't as upright as the pews. They also often have storage space underneath the seat. Very handy. Hopefully we'll have one in our kitchen very soon... I'm on the hunt! Do let me know if you know of any place in the UK that deals in them. Thanks!

Image: Ravishingly Rustic

 

Treasure hunting at lunchtime: one enamel teapot and two vintage spice jars

People kept on telling me about this place but I never got around to visit... The Box Room in Banchory, Aberdeenshire. Yesterday lunchtime I finally had time to pop down and have a look. My oh my, what a great spot for treasure hunting! Hidden away on a small industrial estate and packed full of second-hand furniture and just...well, stuff. Chairs, tables, cupboards, bed frames, mirrors and lots of cups, vases, decorative things and of course your fair share of hideous kitsch-y pictures. Cheap too, that was the best bit! £10 for a chair, £20 for a table. Not all great pieces, but there are some real gems with potential. I feel I should really keep this little secret to myself and not shout it from the roof tops but most of you live far enough away not to all of a sudden raid the place, haha ;-)

I will definitely be checking here for furniture once I'm ready for my next DIY project, but yesterday I was a good girl and only came home with one lovely blue enamel teapot and two cute mustard yellow spice jars... Had to be strict! "No, Nina, you can't have that chair - you gotta finish your other one first!!" Can't wait to go back though, they told me they get new stuff everyday...

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Treasure hunting at lunchtime: one enamel teapot and two vintage spice jars

People kept on telling me about this place but I never got around to visit... The Box Room in Banchory, Aberdeenshire. Yesterday lunchtime I finally had time to pop down and have a look. My oh my, what a great spot for treasure hunting! Hidden away on a small industrial estate and packed full of second-hand furniture and just...well, stuff. Chairs, tables, cupboards, bed frames, mirrors and lots of cups, vases, decorative things and of course your fair share of hideous kitsch-y pictures. Cheap too, that was the best bit! £10 for a chair, £20 for a table. Not all great pieces, but there are some real gems with potential. I feel I should really keep this little secret to myself and not shout it from the roof tops but most of you live far enough away not to all of a sudden raid the place, haha ;-)

I will definitely be checking here for furniture once I'm ready for my next DIY project, but yesterday I was a good girl and only came home with one lovely blue enamel teapot and two cute mustard yellow spice jars... Had to be strict! "No, Nina, you can't have that chair - you gotta finish your other one first!!" Can't wait to go back though, they told me they get new stuff everyday...

---

Copenhagen day 2: design, explosions of colour and a stuffed polar bear

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Day two in Copenhagen and I am all shopped out! (No, I'm not!) Tomorrow's another day and another neighbourhood to explore. I must say: if you love good design and have never been in Copenhagen, put it on your to-go-list. People say it's expensive, but apart from some restaurants and hotels I find prices very similar to the UK. Best of all, I have been totally inspired by everything I've seen so far. And the people are very friendly too!

I started off this morning at the Danish Design Center with wonderful exhibitions of furniture by the grand Danes Arne Jacobsen, Poul Kjaerholm, Hans Wegner and others, as well as everyday Danish design products such as coffee pots and bicycles. Functionally made with the user in mind, but beauty not forgotten. Superb place.

Then, walking via the impressing 'Black Diamond' library on the waterfront, I strolled back into the city for lots of shopping. Popped into some weird and wonderful places including an auction house with the most beautiful art and antiques (and a stuffed polar bear!). I suddenly remembered again why I decided to get that degree in History of Art, long time ago (because of art, that was, not because of polar bears). Couldn't afford any of it though, so swiftly moved on...

I ended up finding some wonderful items in more affordable shops such as Notre Dame, Gronlykke, Tiger and Sostrene Grene: cushions, colourful rugs, felt coasters, ceramic door knobs and Japanese cups and plates. Last but not least I went to the Marimekko store and bought a meter of black and white fabric for that £12 chair I got at the auction the other day. In the sale! You can imagine, I am a very happy bunny.

My feet are sore now, so maybe I will rent a bike tomorrow for my next adventure. But first... time for the sauna & spa, complimentary of my hotel. Yay! I am having such a great time - can you tell? ;-)

Here are some pictures of my day. They may be a little fuzzy due to taking them on my iphone. Oh yeah, I didn't shoot the polar bear (pardon the pun!) - so please take my word on that one...

---

Copenhagen day 2: design, explosions of colour and a stuffed polar bear

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Day two in Copenhagen and I am all shopped out! (No, I'm not!) Tomorrow's another day and another neighbourhood to explore. I must say: if you love good design and have never been in Copenhagen, put it on your to-go-list. People say it's expensive, but apart from some restaurants and hotels I find prices very similar to the UK. Best of all, I have been totally inspired by everything I've seen so far. And the people are very friendly too!

I started off this morning at the Danish Design Center with wonderful exhibitions of furniture by the grand Danes Arne Jacobsen, Poul Kjaerholm, Hans Wegner and others, as well as everyday Danish design products such as coffee pots and bicycles. Functionally made with the user in mind, but beauty not forgotten. Superb place.

Then, walking via the impressing 'Black Diamond' library on the waterfront, I strolled back into the city for lots of shopping. Popped into some weird and wonderful places including an auction house with the most beautiful art and antiques (and a stuffed polar bear!). I suddenly remembered again why I decided to get that degree in History of Art, long time ago (because of art, that was, not because of polar bears). Couldn't afford any of it though, so swiftly moved on...

I ended up finding some wonderful items in more affordable shops such as Notre Dame, Gronlykke, Tiger and Sostrene Grene: cushions, colourful rugs, felt coasters, ceramic door knobs and Japanese cups and plates. Last but not least I went to the Marimekko store and bought a meter of black and white fabric for that £12 chair I got at the auction the other day. In the sale! You can imagine, I am a very happy bunny.

My feet are sore now, so maybe I will rent a bike tomorrow for my next adventure. But first... time for the sauna & spa, complimentary of my hotel. Yay! I am having such a great time - can you tell? ;-)

Here are some pictures of my day. They may be a little fuzzy due to taking them on my iphone. Oh yeah, I didn't shoot the polar bear (pardon the pun!) - so please take my word on that one...

---

Creating an eclectic interior: add the Wow-factor to your home with a reupholstered chair

OK everyone, it's time for the second episode in the Creating an eclectic interior series... I thought I talk a bit about how to create the 'wow-factor' in your home by adding a totally unique reupholstered chair to it. Think about it: you can get a chair for next to nothing at an auction or even through Freecycle, you go and pick your favourite fabric and get the chair restored and recovered back to a perfect new state (or do it yourself if you're handy). You may have to spend a couple of hundred pounds on fabric and restoration, but just remember how much a chair like that would cost if you had to buy it new. The good thing about antique furniture is also that it was built to last, on solid wooden frames - unlike a lot of furniture in the high street stores these days.
And hey - you won't be able to find a chair like that anywhere else!
Design*Sponge is always a joy to browse for its inspirational Before & Afters. It is absolutely amazing how furniture gets a complete transformation just by covering it with new fabric and giving it a lick of paint or oil. Here's a few stunning make-overs:
 



Drop-seats on dining chairs are very easy to recover yourself with some foam, a staple gun and a beautiful piece of fabric. I love how this chair looks with the black paint and recovered seat (as featured on the blog Frilly Details).


These were recovered in antique coffee sacks (via Faded Plains).


Choice of fabric and how to avoid a bad headache caused by bold patterns
 It may be pretty obvious for most of you, but not everyone (including my husband!) can clearly imagine what a bold reupholstered armchair will look like in their home and some may be afraid that it won't go with what they've already got.
Here are some guidelines:

1. For the easy & safe option: pick a fabric in the same pattern/colour as the rest of your furniture, if you want it to be matching and 'calm on the eye'. I know, not rocket science, but it's worth remembering if you get carried away in the fabric department.
2. For the Wow-factor: pick a very contrasting pattern or colour to draw the attention to it. Even better, combine different fabrics on the same chair. This can create a real statement. If you want to use the chair in your living room, make sure the colours still make a good combination with the rest, even though they are standing out. Tip: take a couple of pictures of your room on your phone before you head out to buy fabric, just to remind yourself of your colour schemes.
3. For a focal point: to make a recovered chair really stand out, place it away from your sofa and armchairs, perhaps in a reading corner, the hallway or next to a dresser against the wall.
4. If you are combining patterns: unless you want to create a very busy living room I would keep patterns to a minimum, and not use various busy patterned chairs in the same space (or it may give you a bad headache!). If the rest of your furniture is plain, one bold patterned chair makes a great addition - or two of the same. If you have a patterned sofa already, going for a plain fabric is probably the best-looking option (but hey - it's all up to you!). Combining it with a different pattern but in the same colour scheme could however also work out ok (i.e. black and white stripes combined with black and white dots).
Here's an example of how one bold patterned bench is combined with plain upholstered furniture. See more photos of this interior on Apartment Therapy.

To give a chair the focus it deserves, place it away from other chairs and sofas. A stunning patchwork armchair (from House to Home):


This gorgeous reupholstered vintage chair (featured on Kristopher K) would look great on its own in a bedroom or hallway.

A great combination of a plain sofa and two of the same patterned chairs, creating a very stylish room (image: Studio Nouveau's Flickr):


Have you done something amazing with old furniture? Do share a link in the comments below - I would love to see it!

Creating an eclectic interior: add the Wow-factor to your home with a reupholstered chair

OK everyone, it's time for the second episode in the Creating an eclectic interior series... I thought I talk a bit about how to create the 'wow-factor' in your home by adding a totally unique reupholstered chair to it. Think about it: you can get a chair for next to nothing at an auction or even through Freecycle, you go and pick your favourite fabric and get the chair restored and recovered back to a perfect new state (or do it yourself if you're handy). You may have to spend a couple of hundred pounds on fabric and restoration, but just remember how much a chair like that would cost if you had to buy it new. The good thing about antique furniture is also that it was built to last, on solid wooden frames - unlike a lot of furniture in the high street stores these days.
And hey - you won't be able to find a chair like that anywhere else!
Design*Sponge is always a joy to browse for its inspirational Before & Afters. It is absolutely amazing how furniture gets a complete transformation just by covering it with new fabric and giving it a lick of paint or oil. Here's a few stunning make-overs:
 



Drop-seats on dining chairs are very easy to recover yourself with some foam, a staple gun and a beautiful piece of fabric. I love how this chair looks with the black paint and recovered seat (as featured on the blog Frilly Details).


These were recovered in antique coffee sacks (via Faded Plains).


Choice of fabric and how to avoid a bad headache caused by bold patterns
 It may be pretty obvious for most of you, but not everyone (including my husband!) can clearly imagine what a bold reupholstered armchair will look like in their home and some may be afraid that it won't go with what they've already got.
Here are some guidelines:

1. For the easy & safe option: pick a fabric in the same pattern/colour as the rest of your furniture, if you want it to be matching and 'calm on the eye'. I know, not rocket science, but it's worth remembering if you get carried away in the fabric department.
2. For the Wow-factor: pick a very contrasting pattern or colour to draw the attention to it. Even better, combine different fabrics on the same chair. This can create a real statement. If you want to use the chair in your living room, make sure the colours still make a good combination with the rest, even though they are standing out. Tip: take a couple of pictures of your room on your phone before you head out to buy fabric, just to remind yourself of your colour schemes.
3. For a focal point: to make a recovered chair really stand out, place it away from your sofa and armchairs, perhaps in a reading corner, the hallway or next to a dresser against the wall.
4. If you are combining patterns: unless you want to create a very busy living room I would keep patterns to a minimum, and not use various busy patterned chairs in the same space (or it may give you a bad headache!). If the rest of your furniture is plain, one bold patterned chair makes a great addition - or two of the same. If you have a patterned sofa already, going for a plain fabric is probably the best-looking option (but hey - it's all up to you!). Combining it with a different pattern but in the same colour scheme could however also work out ok (i.e. black and white stripes combined with black and white dots).
Here's an example of how one bold patterned bench is combined with plain upholstered furniture. See more photos of this interior on Apartment Therapy.

To give a chair the focus it deserves, place it away from other chairs and sofas. A stunning patchwork armchair (from House to Home):


This gorgeous reupholstered vintage chair (featured on Kristopher K) would look great on its own in a bedroom or hallway.

A great combination of a plain sofa and two of the same patterned chairs, creating a very stylish room (image: Studio Nouveau's Flickr):


Have you done something amazing with old furniture? Do share a link in the comments below - I would love to see it!