WALKING IN FIELDS

A walk in the fields near our house.

PUMPKINS

Stopping for a breather from kitchen renovations, 

it gives us a chance to realize that it is Halloween today.....

baked miniature pumpkins for tea.

 and if you look closely, 

there is a sneak peek at the concrete worktop in the newly restored kitchen!!!

BLACK PENDANT LIGHTS FOR THE DINING ROOM

We're turning to the dark side........

and going blacker in the dining room.  

After buying nine chairs for the dining room at the local auction a few months ago, we've now restored them with black paint and upholstered the seats with old grain sacks that have a coordinated black stripe running through the centre.  It made perfect sense to then add two black pendant lights above the table that the chairs were to sit at.

Returning from Swinderby Antiques Fair today, we were so lucky to have found the exact light fittings we were after. (above) These are the two rather lovely enameled black industrial lights, 'hot off the press' salvaged from France yesterday. With no time for cleaning, the sellers rushed them to sell today. 

The one on the left has been washed and scrubbed by myself.  It shows the black enamel which is in perfect condition. The one on the right shows the underside of the other light which once washed, reveals the white enamel. It also shows the original light fitting, which we will have to adapt to English electrical specifications.

(above) The underside of one of the lights, in the sink being washed and cleaned.

A top tip for cleaning these enamel lights and anything like them  ...... is to use Fairy Snow washing powder.  It has magical properties, that seems to shift any amount of dirt. I'm forever grateful to the friend who suggested using it in the first place.

I will update this post, when these lights are in position above the dining room table. Fingers crossed, that should be soon.

CLOAKROOM TOILET (UPDATE)

We had a room called a 'boiler room' when we moved into our house.  It housed the huge monstrosity that heated the house and gave us hot water.  The boiler was very old and on its 'last legs'.  

After numerous call-outs from the plumber, it was decided that we had to replace it with a new and efficient one.  This then lead us onto what to do with the room.  We decided there was enough room to make two rooms from the existing one.  We finalised on a downstairs toilet and cloakroom for coats and shoes.

(above) The boiler room before we renovated it. 

The floor needed raising to add waste pipes for the sink and toilet.  We added a reclaimed pine wooded floor, walls and beams were painted Timeless white, new double glazed wooden window and recycled door with frosted glass as well.  

To keep with tradition and in the style of the house, we chose the sink and toilet from Burlington.  Taps are silver plated from Beaumont and again a traditional shape. The mirror came with us from our old house and fitted in so well with the colour scheme.  My lovely sister gave us the twig heart for a Christmas present.

Stepping back out of the toilet room, there is a door to your left.  This opens into the small but very useful cloakroom which now has the original coat hook that was originally in the house when we moved in. Sanded and painted in white, has given it a new lease of life.

INSPIRATION FOR OUR KITCHEN/UTILITY ROOM

I'm a big fan of Paul Massey's restoration and renovations projects.  His style is a bit shabby chic mixed with a muted restrained palette, lots of white, soft browns and grey. It's a combination of aged vintage pieces softened by crisp white... something that I would like to achieve for our house.

The photos below are not from houses that Paul has renovated (well I don't think so) but are very much 'in keeping' with his style.  It is a style that I would like to draw inspiration from for our kitchen/utility room especially the bottom left image.  White walls, grey cabinets, shelves and white Aga....gorgeous.

AWAY TO NEPAL

The final day is drawing closer. We've been a bit preoccupied this early part of the year with the departure of our son to Nepal.  It's tomorrow that he leaves.....one more 'sleep', then we head off to Heathrow airport to say our goodbyes.

He'll be travelling to a remote village near Burtibang on the Western side of Nepal to help teach school children how to speak English.  This has all been possible with the help of Educational Volunteering Charity, Project Trust. 

All his luggage is laid out on the spare room bed waiting to be folded neatly into his rucksack. He'll return in 7 months - probably the longest 7 months I'll ever experience - with such a fantastic experience behind him.  We'll have to busy ourselves in his absence to make time pass quickly. The kitchen/utility room renovation and restoration is our next challenge.  Maybe it could be finished before he returns.

THE MAIN BATHROOM

The sun has been shining today and has cast a wonderful light over the main bathroom.  

 

 2 years ago, almost to the day, our bathroom looked like this.....

(above - before) The main bathroom when we moved in. Taken with my back to the window looking towards the hall. 

(above - before) Opposite view, taken with my back to the door into the hall, facing the window. 

  
(above - before) With carpet, wallpaper and radiator removed. We choose to keep the original airing cupboard that holds the water tank. The door into the hall is open into the bathroom.  This was sanded, repaired and repainted as well.

(above - before) New wooden window in place. Old tiles and bath removed.  Plumbing set out in position for new bath and toilet.

(above - before) Back wall and window surround newly plastered and waiting to dry.  The new tiles laid out on the floor.

 (above) The bathroom finished with bath re-positioned, shower installed and curtain added. We chose Timeless matt emulsion for the walls.

PAINTED WHITE PICTURE FRAMES

They're up at last.........

the painted white picture frames......

and proudly hanging in the hall on the landing to the spare room!!!!

These were the frames back in April of this year, waiting patiently for a little restoration, small repair and a new lease of life .  Having bought two of them in France at a brocante and the other two from a souk in Marrakech, I had plans for new glass, paint and some thing to put in them.

  

(above) These are the frames laid out on newspaper on the dining room table. Matt white paint was used, the same as on the walls.  I felt this was important, so that the frames 'melt into the walls' making the image more prominent. The detail on the frames won't be missed by being in white.

What to put in the frames? - well that was easy. My children have hinted that we don't have any photos of them around the house, so the wall in the hall will become a gallery of photos of them over the years.  We will need to buy (or find) some more old frames to complete the whole wall but excited to follow it's progress.  

CONSERVATORY - BEFORE AND AFTER

Conservatory details  - new glass replaced, wood repaired, new stone floor added and inside & outside repainted.

                                      (after)                                                   (before)

     (after)                                                                                                      (before)

      (after)                                                                                                      (before)

       (after)                                                                                                                              (before)

     (after)                                                                                                         (before)

UPDATE TO DINING ROOM

We've updated our table in the dining room.  This is it's christening - a weekend breakfast...

We chose a reclaimed teak table from Emily Readett-Bailey.  The teak comes from disused bridges in Java. It's very sturdy and will withstand a hardy family using it daily.  

We'll need to get some new chairs, as the ones we've been using are for the garden along with a couple from the local auction.  I'm thinking - high back with linen covers for the new ones.  

FROM AROUND OUR HOUSE

Some photos from around our house....

There seems a wintery, woody, natural theme running through these photos even though we're about to enter Summer any moment now.... It's the 1st of June tomorrow. 

We're hoping for the sun to shine this weekend as we have lots of jobs to do outside in the barn and garden.  

CHARITY DOG WALK

Photos from the charity dog walk....

A great time was had by all including the dogs!!

BARN

The barn set up for the Charity Dog Walk......

A choice of soup - roasted tomato with a hint of chilli or spicy sweet potato and chickpea with gorgeous bread kindly donated from Langar Hall.  

FIRST USE OF THE BARN

We're going to use our barn this week for the first time in 5 years. 

 (after)

(after)
With a friend, we're arranging a charity dog walk in aid of Project Trust.  
A £5,000 target is needed for our son Alfie, to go to Honduras for a year to teach English to under privileged children.
We needed a venue to start the walk from and to come back too where we'll have homemade soup, bread and biscuits.  Knowing our unpredictable English weather, we also needed somewhere that would be dry from possible rain. The barn was discussed.  This is what it looked like 2 weeks ago.....

(before)
Oh dear!  A major clearing and cleaning project was needed. Years and years of collected wood needed cutting and logging.  Tree trunks, branches, old doors, window frames, skirting boards, lots and lots of bits and pieces all now sorted and stored.  Any wood that we can't use is ready for a huge bonfire.

The barn now.....

(after)

(after)

We're choosing to keep the paint peeling rugged, rustic walls. These are details from the door on the right of the building.

It would be lovely if these buds on the climbing Clematis made an appearance on the day.

If you would like to give a donation, please go to www.justgiving.com/alfie-flewitt.  Thank you very much for your support.