Home Sweet Home

I was prepared to be in mourning upon moving to our new build flat. Because I’m a sucker for a period flat, I sincerely thought that giving up our large sash windows and original wood floors would leave me with a feeling of loss. The view of the BT Tower and pretty church square mere yards away too, made the thought of moving bittersweet.

Silly me.

Turns out, double glazing, underfloor heating, and having actual storage was enough to make me question where my loyalties lie. Taking a shower in a bathroom that doesn’t feel like the north pole is certainly underrated.

So now that we are settling in, I thought I would share what the space is like now, although there is still so much to be done.

 

In the corner are the shelves and curtain rods that both need installing.

Below is a pulled out shot for context. Warning, it's a mess.

The dining room table will go behind the sofa, where the chandeliers have be balancing perilously for the last 2 weeks. The electrician did try to hang them, but unfortunately his ladder wasn’t a tall enough. The boxes are full of books, which will go on shelves once they are secured to the wall.

Here is the kitchen on other side of the room.

The novelty of having a full-sized fridge (my first in about 7 years!) has not yet worn off, even though we are having some trouble actually filling it.

Just to the right is a laundry/storage cupboard. Yay for no longer feeling like we're under a plane when the laundry is spinning!

Just off the entry hall is a small water closet. It’s size makes it a challenge to photograph.

Upstairs, the bedroom is the very definition of bland at the moment, but here is what I have planned for the space. The wardrobe to the side will be curtained off eventually.

Just off the bedroom, the ensuite is probably the only space that I don’t intend to make many changes to. I will probably hang a few photos in here and keep it simple.

So as you can see, it's still a bit of a mess. The priority at the moment is to get the shelves and curtains up. A coffee table wouldn't hurt either.

One day at a time.

Let the Games Begin

The design process is so exciting that it can easily consume one's life. It may be because I'm a perfectionist...or simply because I'm a tiny bit obsessive compulsive*, but once I get started on a project I just cannot get it out of my head. 

After drawing up the existing plan for our flat in all its 392 sq ft glory, I found myself unable to turn off my brain, especially in the middle of the night. I was constantly making "to do" lists in my head and knew I needed to organise myself. So, I created a furniture plan, in order get my head around what we would actually need to purchase. Off the top of my head I knew we would need a TV console, mirror for above the fireplace, shoe storage (for the entry) and a plant (no room is complete without). I added the generic furnishings to the plan to get a feel for the space.

Then came the fun part: furniture sourcing. Lets just put it this way, I probably spent a total of 5 consecutive days searching the internet - nonstop.

You name it: Ikea, Gumtree, Muji, Zara Home, even Amazon. I'm an equal opportunity shopper. I came across so many accessories I decided to document everything that caught my eye in a sort of inspiration mood board. It included a lounge chair that I thought would fit neatly in the corner once we had settled into the flat, and also a pair of wall hung fish bowls. The bowls were the subject of much debate - animal cruelty, using creatures as art, you name it. I just thought they were cool. Sue me.

In the end Ikea reigned supreme thanks to its affordable, clean line (yet ubiquitous) pieces. I selected the PS Cabinet, palm plant and white shoe cabinet from the flat packed giants and a lovely carved wood mirror at TK Maxx, UK equivalent of the American version TJ Maxx (How they decided the distinct difference in name is one of life's great mysteries.) I also coveted the new H&M home collection and added a few throw pillows that I had my eye on to complete the neutral scheme.

I then amended my plan to 3D, stripping the room of its asymetrical mismatched shelving (leaving the shelves up only on one side of the fireplace), replacing the old short curtains with new drapery and blinds (to be chosen at a later date) and built the furniture in 3D as selected (excluding the lounge chair for the corner, which was just a tad over the immediate budget).

It was after this full that I was finally able to sleep through the night without brainstorming mid dream.
**I'm actually MASSIVELY obsessive compulsive!