Rag Rug

This summer I have started to make a rag rug!

I love Kirsty Allsopp and have taken inspiration from the TV show Kirsty's Home Made Home. I am really happy with the result...it's taking ages but I am hoping that the result will be worth it! Rag Rugging is so easy to do. I found a fantastic vintage rag rug tool called a bodger on ebay and bought 3 different fabrics from the remnant bin in a local shop. My neighbour gave me a piece of hessian for the back which meant I was ready to go! It is very addictive! I'll keep you updated with my progress!

Fireplace Update

The stone fireplace in our snug was a huge dirty space. Mr Cooper and my dad chipped away at it for hours to clean it up and then fitted a stone shelf for our new woodburning stove to sit on.

I love the finished fireplace. The woodburner that we chose is from The Stove Collection at Chesneys. Ours is the 4kw Barrington in a cream finish. I am really pleased that we were brave and painted the room in Downpipe by Farrow and Ball. I love the interior designer Abigail Ahern and our room is totally inspired by her. Our snug is turning into the perfect room for snuggling on cold, dark winter nights. Our new sofa comes in the next few weeks. I'll keep you updated!

Kitchen Love

The next project we are going to tackle is our kitchen. The plan is to remove a wall and create a spacious, social space. I found this kitchen on the fantastic 1st Option website. I love the simplicity and low key glamour. A local bespoke kitchen company called Clarity Arts are currently drawing up some ideas for our space...I'm really looking forward to having a peek at their designs.

Pottery Lane - W11

I love this cute little mews house in Notting Hill. It's for sale with Foxtons for £799,950. It looks like a really relaxed space to live in...fingers crossed for a lottery win soon!

Images: Foxtons

We are Abigail Ahern-ing our snug!

A couple of weeks ago we started decorating our back reception room. It is north facing, so doesn't get much light. We have been using the room as an office, but we have decided it would be best suited to being a warm and cozy snug. Taking inspiration from Abigail Ahern, we are painting it dark using Farrow & Balls 'Downpipe'. The ceiling and cornice are Farrow & Balls 'Cornforth White'. It's really exciting! Here are some 'before' and 'during' photos...I look forward to posting the 'after' shots really soon!

The next step is having a woodburning stove fitted next week. I can't wait!

Kitchen Ideas

I love the diner-style seating used in this dining nook. It's a cozy and intimate area set to one side of the open plan kitchen, which looks like a fantastic family friendly space.

Images - 1st Option

VW Campervan update

The first holiday that Mr. Cooper treated me to was a tour of Devon in Battenburg, a 1962 splitscreen campervan from O'Connors Campers. It was July and it rained all weekend, but we had SO much fun! How exciting is it to have a peek at the new Campervan concept which is electric (zero emissions), and has a removable i pad on the dash board? Woohoo! It would be amazing if they actually put the van into production and we could have a new generation of VW campervans!

Here are some of our holiday snaps. What great memories of a really fun filled weekend!

Images from: yahoo cars and me!

Cozy Weekend

It's almost 2 years since...

and to celebrate our second wedding anniversary I'm hoping to find a cozy cottage or hotel to snuggle up in for the whole of the bank holiday weekend. The Crown in Woodbridge, Suffolk describes its rooms as having a 'relaxing riverside colour scheme of whites, soft greys, light blues and pale greens'. It looks dreamy... 

Photos: The Crown

Progress!

Good bye old light...

Hello new Norm 69 lamp shade!

Goodbye old blocked up fireplace (see above)...

Hello opened up fireplace...

and finally HELLO the finished log stack.

This week our bedroom window also needed a final coat of paint because...

Hello wooden shutters, you have finally arrived! I am in LOVE. 

We used the New England Shutter Company who were fantastic. I can't stop smiling! After 6 months of no curtains, blinds or shutters we finally have something up at our windows! Woohoo!

The finished room, minus a new bed...one day soon I hope.

And the spare room also has shutters...PROGRESS!

Poor Wilf has an ear infection so is wearing a cone to stop him itching. He keeps wandering off for a snooze and look where I found him...he obviously approves of the shutters and some privacy from the neighbours at last!

PROGRESS - WOOHOO!