The Vintage Suitcase: A Homage

(Errr....I feel I should add that this is intended to be taken as a parody....)

Vintage suitcases, how do I love thee?

 Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of everyday's

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with a passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

Images: The Style PA, A Beach Cottage, fclo, az central, This Next, skcnis, Elite Choice, A Beach Cottage, House Beautiful, Poetic Home, Luxist, sfgate, The Passionate Home, unknown, 1st Dibs

Poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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Bed: The Modern Country Style Way.........

I've had so many emails asking for details of our Modern Country bed linen that I thought it was worth posting about. I LOVE getting emails from you so I've answered all the enquiries separately but this one's going out to all you shy ones.....

All the bed linen is from The White Company who do *the* best home wares ever. Their bedding is so gorgeous that words (nearly) escape me.

The throw is quilted velvet and bordered with silk. It's so lovely and soft and warm and heavy.

The bed is made with two big square pillows at the back, propped up, and then two rectangular pillows leaning against them.

It makes me feel like the princess and the pea with all her layers and layers - eeerrrr......except there's no pea.....

I couldn't believe the number of emails I had from people telling me about their uncomfortable beds.

I will name no names but...............

Come on, girlies!!

You spend a third of your life (although I like to think I could potentially up this to two thirds, given half a chance....)  in your bed.

The choice I present to you is an easy-peasy one: comfy or no? Luxurious sanctuary at the end of a hard day or bed-springs in your back?
 

I had the very exciting honour of guest posting  at utterly gorgeous Jami's Freckled Laundry yesterday.

Thank you SO much to the lovely, generous Jami, an American sweetheart, for having me. I loved every single second of it.

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Modern Country bedroom Inspiration....

Having had four littlies around for the last ten or so years, I was determined for our bedroom to be an absolute haven. Not from the littlies themselves so much, but from the stresses and strains of being in demand all day every day.

I wanted to make it a sanctuary for Mr Modern Country and I to sink into at the end of each day.  A place where we could brush the cares of the world aside and be together...

just me and him....

My perfect bed is......

 laden with pillows.....

a place to read.....

gorgeous even when unmade.....

a little bit glamourous....

good for a family midnight feast.....

surrounded by restful colours....

soft and snuggly.....

soporifically soothing....

my favourite place to be.....

Images: The White Company, The Modern Inventor, The White Company, Modern Furniture Sets, Colling Photography, Rosemary Sleigh, Paul Massey, Red Cover



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Modern Country Style Cupboard Reveal!

So.....I left you last time with this sneak peek of our Modern Country Style Attic-Chic cupboards in our Master Bedroom.

Quite a few of you asked me about fitting free-standing furniture up here. Let me quickly take you back to the horror that was there before. See the odd hole in the wall on the right of the photo below (images of before we moved in)? It's a cupboard that's been buil lt over the stairs but hadn't been finished properly. We wanted to tie in the doors that we were going to put on the front of that cupboard with whatever else we chose.

Then look at the rest of the space. It's Awkward (notice the capital A? That means VERY awkward indeeeeeeed!)

There's the beginning of a slopey roof,  and  an alcove, not to mention that the floor is totally wonky!

We did toy with the idea of various freestanding options but fitted cupboards seemed to fit in better with the look I had in mind AND seemed to fit the space better too.

Once I'd looked at all my inspiration images, and then looked again, and again....I began to form a plan of what I liked and didn't like .

I wanted:

•  solid wood painted white cupboards;
• skirting board running along the bottom;
• detailing at the top;
• an extra row of little cupboards at the top for storage but I didn't want them to go right up to the ceiling (too 'fitted');
• Shaker style door fronts with beading to match the main door of the room;
• large wooden door knobs.

Basically, I wanted a freestanding look but with the all convenience of fitted.

I want....I want....!! Picky? Me?!!

I am aware that these lists sound like a spoilt child's Christmas rant but I really have a thing about getting things perfect house-wise. It was a huge upheaval having this work done so I wanted to make sure it was right first time.

Mr Modern Country bears the brunt of my decorating weirdness. I'm sorry, my gorgeous lovely. x

We had huge fun designing our ideal wardrobe together with two full length mirrors facing each other so you can see your front and back at the same time (like magic), a shoe cupboard, a space for all our different clothes - and then extra cupboards at the top for paperwork, crafty bits and bobs, things to keep out of the way of little curious eyes, and miscellaneous rubbish. :-)

We got in quotes for having them built and they varied hugely. Nearly £5000 between the lowest and highest. We went for a middlish price with someone who'd been recommended to us and on the whole were really happy with his work.

Is it just me, or do you feel awkward making sure things are done really well when people come in to do work? There were a couple of times when I didn't think a shelf was fitted quite right or  I noticed a slight chip and wanted it done again. I feel really bad for asking but I know it will irritate me for ages if it's left.

I think it pays to stick with the standard you want (even if you drive everyone around you quite bananas!).  At least that's what I tell myself!! I am all ears if you think I'm sounding unreasonable.

I am sooooooo pleased with the result.

There's enough room for everything we need. No more clothes or shoes need to be on show. Hurrah!

Wait....what's that?

What do you mean you demand to see  inside?

Go on then....just for you.... :-)

So.....what do you think? I'm dying to hear....

Coming up next, I'll be sharing how I put this room together....

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Modern Country Bedroom: Cupboard Inspiration

What are the areas worth investing in when renovating? Storage has to be up there somewhere on your list. Don't you agree? It's one of the areas that's totally worth paying for: beautiful, good quality storage will last you a lifetime....and beyond.  I always think that you could have the most beautiful things in the world but if they're covered in clutter then the effect is lost.

I love the skirting continued around the base...

  

Clutter is the enemy of beauty.

Doors set into cupboards always spell quality to me.

 I am a girl who...ahem....likes her clothes. Shoes, jumpers, dresses, tops, trousers, skirts, underwear, shorts, jackets, scarves, hats, coats....... Not to mention Mr Modern Country's collection.

That's a lot of stuff to store!

Gorgeous panelling.

We were going to need a lot of cupboards!

I love the way this fits into an existing alcove.

The look I wanted in our Master Bedroom was Attic Chic. Yes, I made that up and I'm rather proud of it!!  

Big is beautiful!

I wanted to embrace the beams, the crooked lines, the wonky floor, the sloping ceiling of our top floor. It's what gives this room bags of character. I love the look of attic rooms that have original built in cupboards. It's quite common in Edwardian houses because very often the servants' quarters were on the top floor, and any other unwanted clutter was kept up there too. Hence big cupboards up were needed.

Our Edwardian house has had many of it's features removed over the years so it feels right to be putting something like this into the house. Even though they won't be original, they will be in keeping. 

I'm loving the extra top row of cupboards for all those extra bits and bobs...

After a good, long browse around, I decided that Shaker style cupboards, painted white, were the way I wanted to go with this room. 

I like a reclaimed look, don't you?

  

I found lots of inspiration pictures but it was actually pretty hard to find a picture of exactly what I wanted so I kind of pieced together the bits I liked from a hotch-potch of different photos. Although this was more work, it did give me the chance to design our cupboards more or less from scratch, rather than trying to squeeze someone else's design into our space, which never really works, does it?

Not fitted but oooohhh.....

And when I say that it was work for me, between you and me, that's not entirely accurate because it's this bit, the designing things just for us, that I love!

Which is your favourite?

The detailing around the top really inspired me...

Next time, I'll be posting up all the details, good and bad but, in the meantime, here's a little peek of what we achieved....

Images: Peter Hendewrson; Kate Madison; Mark Wilkinson; Peter Henderson; JB Joinery; Pics Digger; Salvo; The Marston House Antiques; River Antiques

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