Day two of chandelliers

For Valentines day this year I was lucky enough to be whisked off to a beautiful Cow Byre (Small converted barn) on the estate of Temple Guiting Manor in the Cotswolds. It was built out of golden Cotswold Stone and had a small landscaped garden, complete with topiary trees shaped like animals!

Inside the Byre, there was a beautiful chandelier hanging over the open plan kitchen/living area. The chain had a piece of rope attached to it which really added to the rustic charm, and helped the chandelier match its surroundings. 

Next door was the fabulous Temple Guiting Barn by Sophie Conran which we were lucky enough to have a tour around by the estate manager. The barn is built in a L shape with a courtyard garden to the front which leads on to...

a formal garden beyond.

I wasn't able to take any of my own photos of the interior (which was amazing) except for this sneaky shot of the living area.

The above room looks like this when taken by a professional! Look at the beautiful chandelier! I love it!

The bedrooms were no let down on the Chandelier front either...

The Sophie Conran barn would be such a lovely place to have a friends & family gathering. The kitchen would be the perfect place to eat, drink and be merry. It is a narrow room with a wall of glass that opens out onto the courtyard. It's really unusual as it totally goes against the open plan, huge square kitchen trend, but it is such an effective idea. The kitchen itself had ice white units with thick brilliant white Corian work surfaces.

Anyway, back to reality...I'm not sure we will ever be able to afford to stay in the Sophie Conran barn, but the Cow Byre was perfect and very romantic. We were able to eat, drink and be merry in the little kitchen area of our cozy barn, which had a smaller brilliant white Corian topped kitchen of its own. It was perfect for cooking a lovely lamb roast dinner while Mr. Cooper watched the rugby. Yum, yum!

Photos by me, Mr & Mrs Smith and Country Life.

Chandeliers

I have got my heart set on having an antique chandelier in our bedroom. I think that they add a romantic touch. I really love the chandeliers at The Vintage Chandelier Company. We went to a gorgeous light shop in Harrogate at the weekend for a peek at their lights, but they are too shiny and new for me. I love restored chandeliers like the one below, which have a little bit of history and are unique.

I'm still looking for the perfect chandelier for our bedroom, but when I find it and have it fitted (by my dear dad - he is so good), I am going to hang a large mirror above the fire place in our bedroom so that it's beauty and light can be reflected. I love the picture below, it's a retro and cool room with a hint of romance and history thanks to the Chandelier. I'm so excited for finishing our bedroom! 

I LOVE chandelier chain covers too!

Ooooohhh, and a Chandelier for the en-suite would be nice - this could get expensive! Ssshhhhhh...don't tell Mr. Cooper! 

Images - Vintage Chandelier Company & Living etc

Goodbye Flat

It's hard to believe that it is 4 months since we sold our lovely flat and left London!

My favourite room was the living room. It was a big, sociable, square room that I painted using Farrow&Ball's Cornforth White. (Check out this babies nursery for another example of Cornforth White - my favourite grey).

My dear old dad and great friend Dave also built a shed in the back garden. Inside was an extra bedroom that Dave lived in for 2 years!

Dave's Room!

The bathroom was tiny!

 The kitchen opened into a...

dining area. The chairs are french antiques covered in Designers Guild fabric.

Above is a picture of the master bedroom. The window was actually a glass double door that opened into the garden. It was  a really peaceful bedroom - a haven away from the hustle and bustle of London. 

It felt really weird when all our things were gone. I cried.

The day after this photo was taken we got the keys to our new place, and I was happy again!

All photos except the last one (which was taken on my i phone) were taken by the estate agent, Finlay Brewer.

Meet Wilf

Wilf is our Spanish Water dog. Here he is as a bundle of fur, aged 8 weeks...so cute!

For the first few months he lived with us in our tiny 3rd floor flat (not ideal), but at least the beautiful beach was just across the road!

He came with us on our honeymoon...

And when we moved back to London, where he had his first hair cut 

(so funny)!

But he seems happier than ever now we have moved to the country. He loves the garden :-)

All Photos by me!

Weekend Escape

It's raining. It's cold.

I wish we could run away for a weekend and snuggle by the fire, watch TV, read the newspaper and eat good food...would be sooooooo good!

My favourite weekend escapes are:

Tuddenham Mill

Tuddenham Mill is such a beautiful hotel set in the Suffolk countryside. I'm a bath girl, and the huge double ended stone tub which comes with Jo Malone toiletries is just bliss! The hotel also has a great restaurant that does amazing breakfasts. Yum, Yum! We have stayed twice. A third time would be great!

Another place we have been many times is 98 Island Wall, a beautiful fisherman's cottage in the seaside town of Whitstable. The bonus - it is only 90 minutes from London. The Shangri-La Thai Restaurant and  the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Restaurant are both worth a visit.

Tuddenham Mill pictures by me, all Whitstable pictures Christina Wilson

A new bed would be nice!

I love the Snuggle bed by Aiveen Daly shown below in blue and mushroom.

Living etc

Aiveen Daly 'Snuggle bed'

I am also a big fan of the Julep Scoop bed pictured below in the Designers Guild store on King's Road in London. I would love to have one upholstered in a grey brushed wool fabric.

Wallpaper

This is the wallpaper we have ordered for our spare room. It's a Colefax and Fowler paper called Darcy and the colour is Pewter.

T

We stayed at the lovely Moorland View Cottage in Devon for our first wedding anniversary in May. The bedroom was really relaxing, and we loved the wallpaper so thought we would have a go at recreating the look in our spare room for our friends to enjoy when they stay.