First Together Home.

Moving in together is really exciting! of course there's all the important things to sort out like bills, and sharing the washing up! BUT then there's all the awesome parts, making your first little nest together! Being passionate about interior design made the process even more fun, even when working with a budget. I wanted our first home to reflect us and be a place we could really relax and enjoy our relationship as we grow together!

 In the living room we created a desk corner for Ryan as he has a whole bunch of technology (his passion!) and turned it into a feature wall by adding a shelving unit in the same colour, and filling it with all of our interests! On the top shelf we have jars of sand we have collected from different trips we have been on together. On another wall I framed 3 photos we have taken from various 'adventures' of our feet! We bought the t.v unit from Ikea and the baskets for it from Tiger, it's really practical but not bulky like a lot of units you find. Our sofa is bright pink and secondhand from a project that rehabilitates ex-drug addicts (something close to my heart - working within mental health). The rug is Turkish and was borrowed (stolen!) from my parents as they had a bunch they weren't using! The pouffe was from a charity shop and is covered with a blanket from Primark. The lamp is from Ikea, we fell in love with it! The small side table we found and up-cycled for the room by me. Lastly the fireplace which I up-cycled before we moved in so it doesn't match the other themes but I love it! We still need a few more bits and bobs for this room; cushions, an armchair, coffee table, candles, artwork, pot plant etc. But i'm really happy with what we have achieved so far! It's so personalized and comfy!!

The kitchen is great it's so modern lots of space and everything you could ask for in your first little home! We of course stocked the cupboards with pots and pans etc. and then displayed some ceramics on the windowsills from countries I have visited! We used our small up-cycled bookcase to have our record player on. And I displayed some of my postcard collection on the wall to add more colour!

The bedroom really is a place you can just relax! The furniture was a bargain from Gumtree, and the mattress a great deal from Wowcher (it's SO comfy) the artwork is from China, the duvet cover from Primark, and the rugs from Ikea. To finish this room off I think we need some photos on the walls or some more art and maybe a few bits to go on top of our chest of draws, oh and a snugly throw and cushions for the bed!

The hallway is so useful we have space for shoes and coats! I put down a colourful rug from Tiger and a key bowl I bought from a trip to Turkey! I finished off by using train tickets from our 'adventures' together to decorate the walls! We also have the garage and a small garden which is such a bonus in our first little home - and for me to do projects in!!

Lastly the bathroom, like the kitchen it's super modern and perfect for what we need! It's filled with the usual bathroom 'stuff' but I also framed some of my own photographs and hung them on the wall as a finishing touch (I guess bathrooms can be pretty too)!

 I can't wait to see what else we do with our home and all the memories we make here, i'm now looking forward to the last part of the year where we get to decorate for Halloween and then Christmas!! K.

Up-cycled Side Table

So about a month ago me and my boyfriend Ryan got the keys to our new flat!! Our very first home together, which was SO exciting!! we both had a few weeks left on our old tennant agreements so we didn't move in straight away (aside from an obligatory first night sleeping on the floor) so that we could cut down costs somewhat because... the flat was unfurnished! Of course being in love with interior design the thought of this was exciting and the rent was a lot cheaper BUT as a nursing student the thought of having to fill a home sounded expensive and scary! But we were determined to  make it ours (quirky and cool obviously) on a budget! I scoured secondhand shops and Gumtree for weeks and after two stressful trips to Ikea we are now pretty much finished, with just a few cushions and 'when we have more money items' to get! I absolutely love it, and can't wait to add more personal touches to it as we live here, in our first 'together' home! 

Naturally I wanted to make some furniture for the flat to give it that personal touch and bring all the design concepts together! We had found this side table a few months back, someone was chucking it out so we snatched it up (intending to up-cycle it and sell it) but I fell in love with the shape of the legs and when it was one of the only pieces of furniture we owned when we moved in and decided not to get a dining table it became SUPER handy so it stayed as part of the family! I changed the design numerous times, but settled on this I used matt paints and varnish, and chose a heather colour which I darkened to a grey tone for the top to match our room and white legs as most of our key furniture is white to make the room look bigger! I decided to leave a stripe of the original wood sanded down on it to pay homage to its origins! I love it and it looks great in our living room! I'm looking forward to making lots more pieces now that we have a garage to use as a creative studio, and my new electric sander!! K.

Up-Cycled Fireplace

I bought a fireplace on Ebay for 99p for my student house, carrying it all the way from Long Eaton to Nottingham on the train and tram!! 2 years later I finally managed to up-cycle it, and its all floral and pretty!
I used wood paint in a soft blue, and then decoupaged pictures of flowers and leaves into a design on sections of the fireplace. Then set it with varnish.

Up-cycled Small Shelf Unit

Me and my boyfriend up-cycled this little shelving unit to use as a bedside table. We were inspired by Rorschach's ink splodges, and so printed some onto the sides using baking parchment to transfer our designs!

Beauty Corner

     For my sisters Christmas present I turned a small alcove in her bedroom into a beauty corner (with a very small budget).

     I used a floating shelf for the station, and created acrylic make-up shelves (like the pros have) using individual shower shelves from the pound store and taking the suckers out of them to affix them to the wall. I brought a cute mirror and a little seat (Total: £25). I arranged her make-up by putting her brushes into a cleaned jam jar (here's how to clean a labelled jar: http://craftingagreenworld.com/2012/06/19/how-to-another-way-to-remove-labels-from-glass-jars/).

     Then I used an old toast rack for her make-up palettes and added a cute cactus for that finishing touch. Since Christmas we have added some more storage to the side underneath for straighteners and hair products, and have added a cool flexi-lamp for better lighting. My sister loves it!

BEFORE

AFTER

Small Home Library

  I turned a storage (DUMPING!!) room

into a small home library, because

we had SO many books, but nowhere

to put them!

I spent £50 on paint, curtains, some extra 

shelving, a cushion and picture frame.

Everything else was up-cycled and 

re-purposed!!

              

BEFORE

AFTER

Up-cycled Penguin Lamp

This is another piece I made for the small home library I created. This was an old disused lamp-base that I had, which I liked the shape of. I used the Penguin icon and created a graphic pattern using my computer. I then printed it out onto normal paper.
















I cut the patterned paper to fit the base, and then
pasted it on with PVA glue. Then I set it with a
matte varnish.















To finish I fitted a new shade onto the lamp, I used one from another old lamp I owned, but would eventually like to buy a new "jazzier" one.