DEN
fresh ideas for affordable living May 2011 | Issue one | ÂŁ2
design inspiration take a look through the keyhole at two stylish homes
12-page special second hand interiors shopping from furniture restoration to antiques do it yourself creative projects to personalise your space
LIVING | FEATURED | HOW TO | MY DEN | DEN LOVES | GARDEN
welcome home Think of this page as a doormat, as you step into the first edition of DEN. This is the interiors magazine that will help you transform your house into the home you’ve always dreamt of. DEN will inspire you with step-by-step guides and creative projects to help you personalise your favourite spaces, from the living room to the bedroom and everything inbetween. DEN understands times are hard, so we aim to bring you the best budget buys and teach you to do it yourself, rather than paying a hefty price tag for something from the high street. In this issue we focus on alternative ways to source or create one-off items, to transform the whole look of a room. We learn about antiquing, try our hand at carbooting and meet a lady who furnished her cottage without stepping foot in a store. And, if you fancy getting your hands dirty, we have six easy steps for renovating furniture. Or, if that seems a little bit too ambitious, why not get started with some simple no-sew fabric wall art that will brighten up any magnolia room. There’s also a knitting pattern for a cushion cover, and our resident dad shows us how to hang a picture, avoiding any mishaps with the hammer and nails. We hope you enjoy it, and begin to believe that interior design can be both aspirational and achievable. Good luck! The DEN team
DEN
CONTENTS
MAY 2011
10
My DEN
Sarah Bagner
DEN LIVING 4 6 16 34 42 43
Interiors blogger, Sierra Marker, explains her passion for sewing Expert feng shui tips for a happier, calmer home Bespoke furniture master Tim Rinalidi explains his craft Discover the art of patchwork quilting with Lindsey Foster Interior designer Abigail Ahern on design and decorating blunders May’s coolest decorating theme: blues, greens and greys
DEN FEATURED 18 Update your room with an item of restored furniture, Wendy Walker tells us all 21 Janis Stone proves that your local tip can be full of hidden treasures 23 The DEN team hit the car boots to grab a bargain buy 27 Pre-loved furniture is more afforable than you think. Neil Scholes introduces us to the world of antiques
DEN LOVES
MY DEN 13 Greg Menzies explains how he personalised his rented room to his eclectic taste 31 Artist and photographer, Caroline Barratt shows us how she uses space in her small room
Our pick of the best from the high street and beyond 10 Selling unique items quite literally off the wall, Sarah Bagner encourages us to embrace our creativity when it comes to our homes
9
31
DEN HOW TO 5 12 29
30 37
A handy guide to make hassle free fabric hoops An easy knit cushion cover – the perfect homemade touch DEN’s resident dad makes picture hanging easy in his stepby-step guide Frame a flower for a decorative feature We dabble in candle making and tell you whether it’s worth all the effort
DEN GARDEN 39 Enjoy your garden with this month’s best buy 40 How to have a little piece of paradise indoors
twitter: denmagazineteam | e-mail: denmagazineteam@gmail.com | website: denmagazine.wordpress.com 3
DEN | LIVING
the
simply sewing chick
Above: Sierra combines her sewing and family life.
Internet blogging sensation, Sierra Marker, uses her sewing skills to not only entertain herself but also to make others happy, by selling her carefully crafted goods online. Hobbies can become much more than just a pastime, as Sierra Marker found out. She began sewing when she was just a young girl and eventually put her passion for darning on the net in a blog filled with tutorials and custom made items for sale. She says that people have always been confused as to why she, at the age of 26, enjoys a hobby usually associated with older generations. She thinks that it is sad that today’s society is more used to browsing shops than making their own clothes. Her blog, Simply Sewing Chic, is based in America and although Sierra does take orders she also enjoys having it as a place to showcase her lasting work. This includes dresses made for friends and tutorials for small, crafty projects. She also posts pictures of her revamped daughters’ bedrooms, as well as showing off some of the items that she sells, which she actually uses daily in her own home. Sierra started sewing at school and admits that she wasn’t a natural to start off with: “I wasn’t very good in the beginning, but I grew to love it more and more.” She promptly started practicing and studied fashion design at school where she began making clothes of her own. As an aid her father bought her a sewing machine when she was 14-years-old, that she still uses every day even though she is now married and has three children of her own. Sierra feels this adds a touch more sentimentality to her work that just doesn’t come from perusing the shop shelves.
Now with a family, which has shifted her priorities, she still finds time to sew thanks to the versatility of not only her job but also her hobby: “You have the ability to make anything from items for your home, to gifts to clothing. It’s extremely practical and what I enjoy most is that it’s quick, time efficient and I’m able to do it while caring for my children.” A lot of her items that she makes and sells are related to the stage of life that she is at, so her blog consists of nappies, seat covers and custom bedding for cots. She still has her thirst for experimentation that she developed at high school and she has made dresses and pyjamas from pillow cases. As well as her blog Sierra uses Etsy, a web community of people who hand make a variety of products and then sell them online to people from all over the globe. Her realxed way of business and dealing with customers allows her to have some space to breathe and not be working herself into the ground when other things come up. Recently she took time off when her daughter was going through cheerleading competitions. She can also break for holidays whenever she wants. Yet no matter what life throws at her, and the number of roles she has, she will always have her sewing to rely on. “It’s so easy to put yourself on the back burner as you become a wife, mother, soccer team mum, but when I’m sewing, I’m able to do something I enjoy, while also being all those roles. It’s such an amazing craft to know, even the basics of it,” she says. “Sewing has offered me so many opportunities to really hold onto ‘myself’ as a person without losing what makes me ‘me’.”
“ It’s such an amazing craft to know, even the basics of it. ”
Visit Sierra’s blog at simplysewchic.com
DEN | HOW TO
quick wall art Sierra shares her how to guide with DEN for a fabulous non-sew decoration. Perfect for beginers, this fabric hoop doesn’t have a stitch in it and can be made using things you can find around the house.
1
Start by choosing a fabric, and cut out enough to allow you to fold it around the fabric hoop.
3
Put the fabric over the hoop and line it up.
5
Stretch the material as far as desired and then trim any excess.
2
Choose a backing fabric to develop the design and make the fabric hoop more secure.
4
Flip the hoop over and gently stretch the fabric between the rings.
6
There you have the finished product. Hang it easily in any room.
the kit A fabric that you like Fabric hoop Scissors
5
A
DEN | LIVING
happier,
calmer
home
Seven years ago, feng shui was at the height of fashion and Paul Darby was the go-to man when programmes like Big Brother to Richard and Judy wanted to feng shui their sets. Now, using the training he received from a Chinese master, Paul Darby shares the 6,000 year old advice to provide DEN with 10 quick-fix feng shui tips to help align the energies in your home.
1
Empty or spare rooms can suck the energy out of the rest of your house. This is the perfect excuse to turn a room in to a shoe storage space, walk in wardrobe or games room. If it stands empty as a guest room, set radios and lights on timers to help keep the energies moving.
2
You may not think that your front door has that much of a bearing on your home, but it can. Keep your front door well lit with artificial light so that when after dark, the lights keep the natural chi energy lifted and flowing later into the day. This will provide more energy and increase positivity to make you feel better about life.
Above: Paul Darby practices feng shui to improve his own lifestyle and happiness
“ Turn down the VOLUME in the bedroom
”
Above: The bedroom should be a sanctuary of peaceful colours.
3
Most arguments that happen in the home begin in the kitchen, and the sharp angular implements are part of the cause. Try and minimise the amount of sharp items and corners on display – put knives into blocks and angle spotlights at work-top corners to soften the energies bouncing off them. Displaying round pots of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme on the windowsill can also emit soft, positive vibes.
4
When faced with a set of stairs, energies in your home drop. Adding an up-lighter at the bottom, or an evergreen plant for a cheaper and more eco-friendly approach, wil help push the energy back up.
6
Dining tables have lost out recently to TV dinners. To reconnect the relationships within the home, eat together around a table. Opt for a wooden table, fresh fruit and evergreen plants to give off positive energies, which you will then
5
The bedroom is a place to relax and, for good feng shui, your colour scheme should reflect this. Colours such as lemon, peach and grey ‘turn down the volume’ in the bedroom, to make it protective and restful. For balanced relationships, the bed should never be against a wall or underneath a window. Each side of the bed should also be matching – with a lamp and bedside cabinet for each of you.
absorb whilst eating. 7
7
DEN | LIVING
In the living room, you need to create the most energy. Reds and yellows produce strong vibrating energies to lift your mood, and red in particular is good for being sociable. This doesn’t require walls to be repainted in red and yellow; just small touches of the colours, like a picture of poppies, can have the same effect.
Even exterior energies can affect feng shui.
feng shui the low down Feng shui is the practice of making changes in the environment to better align energies so surroundings work alongside you, rather than against you. The ‘energies’ are vibrations given off from everything in your home – from colours to ornaments and structural elements. There are various approaches to feng shui including the form method (using shapes and symbols)
and the compass method (using compass directions) Feng shui literally means ’wind’ and ‘water’ – two of the strongest elements The practice is at least 3,000 years old, but the philosphy dates back 6,000 years. The Chinese first used feng shui to choose the best locations for tombs. Visit fengshuisociety.org.uk for more information.
9 A garden should incorporate as many bends and curves as possible to slow down the external energies entering your home. If you have a balcony and live near a busy road or train station, rounded window boxes and plant pots will curb the energies so they are less disturbing to your environment.
8 Seaside themed bathrooms, whilst a popular design choice, drain the energy from your home, affecting your mood and emotions. So replace green and blue paint and starfish and shell ornaments with earthy colours such as chocolate and toffee. These colours retain energy and create a warm grotto-like room that keeps energies high.
10 Alcoves and corners store stale energies that do nothing for your mood. Don’t be tempted to place your favourite seat here. Instead, repeat the up-lighter and evergreen tricks you would use for the stairs.
DEN | LOVES
DEN loves The DEN team’s favourite home picks from around the web
Charlotte Reid “This cushion is fab because it reminds me of the television series Miranda, as her flat is filled with neat little accessories like this.” You can buy this Union Jack chocolate cushion from Amazon for the comfortable price of £5.95
Rachael Connelly “I love this rabbit screen print by Verity Keniger. Not only is it a limited edition, but the fresh mint green colour makes it the perfect focal point that is guaranteed to brighten up any room.” An unframed print costs £30, and is available from designsupremo.com
Natalie Littlewood “These wall stickers come in loads of different designs and can be used on most surfaces. I love that you can have striking wall art without needing artistic skill! And, they're easy to remove when you want a different look.” Wind tree wall sticker, £12.50, available at stickerswall.com 9
Since launching her online store, Supermarket Sarah, last August
Sarah
Bagner
has gained a reputation for her vintage and eclectic delights. Rachael Connelly finds out about the concept and style behind her success and how this translates into her home.
Offering a range of quirky merchandise and one off pieces, it is easy to see why Sarah Bagner’s online store, Supermarket Sarah, has become the new destination for those in search of an iconic item for their home. Merchandised on themed walls format, which have been based on everything from colours to patterns, customers simply click on the items they wish to buy. This innovation has seen her business grow from a simple portfolio site into a boutique off Portobello Market, and more recently a concept store in one of Britain’s biggest department stores, Selfridges. Selling a mixture of individual pieces carefully selected from markets and second hand shops by Sarah herself and a collection of up and coming designers, Supermarket Sarah has truly created a new shopping experience for the internet savvy and style conscious. It is a platform that Sarah says is very different from anyone other in the market. It encourages people to derive entertainment from shopping again, inspiring them to get creative in their own homes with the way she carefully executes her walls. She says: “Online stores can be clinical and sterile in terms of the way their products are displayed.” “I wanted to move away from that and create a site that would be inspirational and not presented in that very dull Westfield’s ‘I have to buy something’ style, because buying something is a luxury. I think that’s the difference with the wall
platform, that it gives people a voice and a way to get creative with design” Sarah first started to explore the idea for her store in her West London home. Because of this, her own den now has a special place in her heart, although she admits her walls now bear the scars of this successful venture: “My home is like a big studio, I enjoy putting things up on the wall and playing around with them,” she says. “I literally just work with a hammer and screws, so my walls at home have lots of holes in them!” But for Sarah, creating a home is all about introducing small personal touches and moving away from the generic designer culture that she believes is currently spreading through high street stores. As a result, she argues that we need to be braver, and have faith in our ability to create a distinctive look in our homes. “It’s about being really personal and letting your personality shine through, rather than taking the advice of what other people think… I definitely believe that not being cool is cool – that you should embrace your weirdness, and if you do like something odd, buy it and enjoy it.” She builds upon this idea, encouraging people to have the confidence to experment with layout and design before settling
DEN | DEN LOVES
Previous page: top – Sarah Bagner is the woman behind Supermarket Sarah. Bottom: an example of Sarah’s walls. This page: top – another
“ PLAY
example of Sarah’s imaginative walls. Bottom – Sarah’s quirky living room.
is a big element in my home, and I think that’s what is missing from most peoples homes.
” on a scheme for a room, as it costs very little money but could make a big difference to the end result. She says: “I think that’s where people go wrong. They are too scared of artistic design in a home because they are not experts. But to be honest, experts just make things look really 90s and dull.” It is because of all of this that she suggests what is really lacking from our homes today is a bit of plain and simple fun. “Play is a big element in my home, and I think that’s what is missing from most people’s homes. I mean, you don’t need a lot of money to make things personal and to look nice, it just takes a bit imagination.” Visit Sarah’s store at supermarketsarah.com 11
DEN | HOW TO
the perfect homemade touch An easy to follow knitting pattern for a cosy cable knit cushion
Knitting pattern provided by Spins and Needles boutique, Lincoln.
the kit
4
One pair of knitting needles size 3.25 Approximately 350g Aran weight yarn Cable needle
Row 1: purl 4 (knit 8, purl 4) to end. Row 2: knit 4 (purl 8, knit 4) to end. Rows 3 and 4: repeat rows 1 and 2 Row 5: purl 4 (cable 8 back, purl 4) to end. Row 6: repeat row 2 Rows 7 and 8: Repeat rows 1 and 2 Continue to repeat these 8 rows until the work measures 40cm
1 2
Cast on 104 stitches
5cm. Row 1: purl 4 (knit 2, purl 2, knit 2, purl 4) repeat to end. Row 2: knit 4 (purl 2, knit 2, purl 2, knit 4) repeat to end. Repeat rows 1 and 2 for 5cm.
3
5
Knit 4 (purl 2 together, purl 1, knit 2, purl 2 together, purl 1, knit 4) repeat to end. Rib rows 1 and 2 as in step 2 for
Knit 4 (purl 2, make 1, knit 2, make 1, purl 2, knit 4) to end (124 stitches)
6 7
Cast off in rib
Make a second square using this same pattern to form the back piece of the cushion.
8
Put the two pieces together and sew three edges up. Use press stud fasteners or velcro for the fourth edge.
psst... an explanation of the techniques To cable 8 back Slip 4 stitches onto the cable needle and place at the back of your work. Knit 4 stitches from left needle. Knit 4 stitches from cable needle To make 1 stitch Pick up loop before next stitch and place on left hand needle. Knit into the back of this loop
DEN | MY DEN
my
DEN
Greg Menzies’ room is a masterclass in effortless creativity, and proof that a distinctive look can be achieved in any room. He talks us through the personal touches that make his rented room a personal, inviting space.
13
crafting a collage I think that the focus of the room is the big, colourful collage that spans the wall above my desk.You see it as soon as you walk in the room, and the fact that it is above my desk is really inspiring, because when I’m working I can look up and get a colour, image or style to inspire the work that I’m doing. It is made up of photos from holidays, artistic prints, flyers and postcards. It’s really easy to put it together, and it is growing all the time. I don’t plan where I put things or where they will fit in – I just stick them up. It’s one of my favourite things to do to a room. It looks really individual and bright but its really cheap to do. I pick most of the things up from public buildings or museum entrances for free. You just have to have the imagination to think how they could look on your wall.
mismatched and individual On the walls and around the rest of the room, the pieces are mostly souvenirs from my travels. There are photos taken from a trip around Europe,a statue of the Eiffel Tower and a few New York related things like a wooden miniature model. There are a lot of things that remind me of my family and friends. For example, there’s a keyring brought back as a gift by my friend from China and a beaded gecko from my sister’s time in South Africa. Another big part of the decoration in my room are the artistic pictures and prints of images that I like. There are some things that I have made myself, like the display of my university work, and a brass butterfly that I made last summer.
Previous page: Greg gets inspiration from the collage above his desk. This page: top – a model balloon adds 3D interest. Bottom – rugs and blankets warm up the rented room
Most of what I have in my room isn’t planned or thought out. The only thing that really matches is the set of Yoko Ono pictures lined up in identical frames on the top of the chest of drawers. That is about the only thing that isn’t haphazard in the room!
DEN | MY DEN Even the furniture in the room doesn’t match. It is a blend of different styles, and all of it is borrowed from my family. I don’t particularly like much of it – with the exception of the side table that my grandad passed down to me – but I can’t afford to buy anything new at the moment. I think the fact that it is all different – there’s a dark mahogany wardrobe and a melamine desk – is what saves it. The pieces all have their own stories, and it looks less uniform and a bit more individualistic and interesting. So it is less important whether each piece is exactly to my taste.
a question of taste I don’t really have a specific taste, I tend to like a lot of things that are quite pointless and unrelated! I suppose you could say that I like anything that I think is interesting, or I think other people will find interesting. I like eclectic and retro styles, and if I like something, I put it in the room. There is no uniform style to the look and I like that because it means I can throw anything into the room and it will still look good!
I spent ages hunting down this perpetual calendar!
I do like the look of the room overall – I’ve used rugs and blankets to cover some of the parts of the room that I can’t change. There is a good balance in the room as it is relaxing and calm but at the same time there’s always something to look at. Having everything on display lets me remember where I was at that time and what I was doing, so it is very personal to me.
From top to bottom: Yoko Ono prints – bought in Norway and framed in Ikea frames, vintage perpetual calendar – The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair, paper New York model – Muji, selection of books and Warhol mug - gift from a friend, collection of vintage tins – eBay and antique shops, Eiffel Tower model – Paris 15
DEN | LIVING
beautifully
bespoke
Tim Rinaldi had entered the real world with just one aim – “not to work in an office”. He began studying for his A-levels but stopped as he says the two of them “didn’t get on”. After that, he luckily happened to find an apprenticeship in hand crafted furniture that just looked interesting to him. After years of designing, creating and fitting kitchens Tim got to a point where he found his job was no longer as rewarding and again found himself unsure of what to do next. He found himself in Lincoln studying for a degree in furniture design and manufacturing. He did not expect one day to be making a living from creating individually lovingly hand crafted pieces of bespoke furniture. But after he graduated from university he received many requests for furniture from his friends and realised “hang on I could do this as a job”. With that revelation he set up a workshop in Lincolnshire, which he says was relatively easy. Bespoke furniture has one key selling point – it is popular as people are becoming tired of seeing the same designs in living rooms across the country. “It is the fashion to get individual pieces made.The
“
Bespoke furniture is not a luxury that everyone can afford, but it is one worth aspiring to. Charlotte Reid meets furniture designer Tim Rinaldi, to learn about his life and masterpieces.
economy isn’t helping, but people are definitely aspiring to be able to afford it.” Bespoke furniture can be expensive, with prices for Tim’s work vary radically depending on what they ask for as he can make individual pieces to a design for an entire kitchen. It certainly is an experience at Tim’s workshop, as every part of the process is undertaken there. From talking through the design ideas to the finishing touches, when it comes to commissioning there are a lot of different approaches that customers take as some want to be involved in all areas of the design and others just expect Tim to fill in the blanks for them. “Some people do like to have their say over every element of the process, and say what wood they want to use, what it should look like. Others just know that they would like a piece of furniture. So I have to act like two people, as some people just need me to make the piece for them and others need a designer.” Tim is proof that people can buck the trend. All it took was a man who knew that he did not want to be trapped behind a desk. Yet he has turned out good and has turned out some spectacular one off pieces.
It is the fashion to get individual pieces made ”
Visit rinaldifurniture.co.uk for more information.
Above: Tim with a selection of his furniture.
DEN featured Every month DEN presents a collection of features centred on one topic. This month the spotlight is on SECOND HAND INTERIORS SHOPPING a surefire way to add some old fashioned charm to your home.
you never know what you might find... FURNITURE RESTORATION TIP TREASURES CARBOOT SALES ANTIQUES 17
faded elegance Tucked away in a wooden shed at the bottom of her garden, Wendy Walker, owner of Peeling Paint Furniture Restoration, busies herself renovating distinctive furnishings back to their former glory. As a self-proclaimed treasure seeker Wendy, along with her husband Paul, search high and low for any discarded furniture they believe could be given a new lease of life. “Our furniture is sourced from anywhere and everywhere. From the smartest antique auction rooms to, literally, the side of the road,” she says. “Furniture hunts are one of the main highlights of our work. We have many regular haunts that we visit from flea markets, car boot sales, charity shops, house clearance warehouses and auction rooms to the good old internet. Many of our pieces are given to us... we love the worn discards of others!” Wendy first started dabbling in furniture restoration alongside her father, more than 20 years ago. Since then her hobby has developed into a passion that saw her launch her online shop, Peeling Paint, last May. Wendy has spent many years researching and practising her craft. However, she is keen to point out that it is not beyond the realms of possibility to learn the techniques. All you need is a bit of imagination and the ability to see potential in a run-down piece of furniture, as even those in the worst condition can be brought back to life. “Handles can be changed, old drawers planed to run smoother, hinges oiled, broken parts replaced. Any treasure can be brought to the workshop for a revamp,” she says. All the furniture Wendy deals with goes through six distinct processes from hand painting, which can take up to five coats, to the actual distressing and ageing of an item. It is painstaking and time consuming work “All of our pieces are one-offs and although we use the six
“
Wendy Walker, owner of Peeling Paint Furniture Restoration, is an advocate for re-inventing unwanted and discarded furniture. She talks to DEN about the hard graft and the great rewards of reviving original keepsakes back to their former glory.
stages every time, the techniques applied differ for each piece depending upon the furniture itself and our mood.” Taking her inspiration from French, Scandinavian and coastal American interiors, Wendy has managed to re-create simple and elegant designs that would be the perfect centrepiece for any home. She says that her appreciation for this style is down to its appearance, which is less perfected than in the UK. “Whenever I would look at images in books or magazines for inspiration I was always drawn to the beautiful choice of shabby chic style furniture from these countries… I admire their celebration and lack of fear with regard to faded elegance.” She believes that people here are starting to pursue this element too, as we do away with cheap pieces in favour of timeless classics, which will last a lifetime if treated well. “More and more people are moving away from mass produced and flat pack furniture to the reclaimed, re-invented and revamped – embracing nostalgia and bringing it into the 21st century,” she says. Wendy passionately believes that there is a positive ecological consequence of buying reclaimed furniture, heralding it as a great way to source a statement item with a contemporary twist. “The preserving and reviving of vintage, antique and reproduction pieces brings out the best in them, with the least impact on the environment. It's the original green option that allows you to bring something quirky, unique and very special into your home.” Despite all the hard work involved, Wendy still has a sense of humour, especially when it comes down to encouraging others: “My advice to anyone who is interested in reclaiming their own furniture would be to make a huge flask of good coffee, don some comfortable footwear and go find your treasures. It's so much fun and you never know where your adventure may lead.”
It's the
ORIGINAL
green option that allows you to bring something quirky, unique and very special into your home.
”
Admire Wendy’s work at www.peelingpaint.co.uk
DEN | FEATURED
Above: a vintage chest of drawers, lovingly restored and distressed by Wendy and her husband Paul. 19
DEN | HOW TO
RESCUE ME Wendy Walker talks us through Peeling Paint’s easy six point guide to furniture restoration. Restoration I think of this stage as getting the piece of furniture ready for a new life, where it will be loved again. It is all about making it user friendly and workable in the home environment. So at Peeling Paint we look at things such as whether there is any damage to the item or general wear and tear that needs fixing before we start. It is more about assessing the foundations and forming a basis for the rest of the work that needs doing, which helps us to develop an idea of the finish we would like to achieve.
Preparation The key word we are looking for at this stage is smooth, as we need a clean smooth surface for the undercoat. In the past, this took a lot of hard work to achieve, but now there are a lot of new products out there. For example, we use natural Annie Stone chalk paints, which have a very high pigmentation, and prepare the furniture for the undercoat with little effort.
Undercoating The undercoat is a high pigmentation paint that acts as a blocking system from whatever dirt and grime lies underneath, allowing for the final coats of paint to stick to surface. I normally use one to three coats of undercoat, depending on the quality of the piece of furniture. For example, an item crafted out of new pine that is in very good condition would probably only require one coat. But something like a heavily varnished sideboard that has been loved to death could need up to three coats.
Hand painting If you are on a budget you can use any water based paint on furniture, though I would suggest that this is something that you should splurge on if possible. Opt for a better quality paint as it will affect the finish of an item.
Distressing and ageing There are several different techniques that you can use to distress the furniture. We mainly use an electric sander with different grade sanding disks to establish the level of distress we are happy with. Then we finish this by hand with sandpaper or wire brushes. I have known people to get quite physical with it as well – as you can hit the furniture with whatever is at hand to create a more lived in look.
Protection The matt varnish finish gives the furniture an added protection from modern day lifestyles, where coffee can be easily spilt or sticky marks left. The matt look is also becoming increasingly popular amongst our clients as it provides a sleaker and more modern finish.
DEN | FEATURED
top tip
treasures Every year in the UK we throw away 10 million pieces of furniture, three million of which could be easily reused or repaired. As the pressure mounts to be increasingly environmentally friendly, local councils are selling items of worth back to the public. From settees to plant pots, Rachael Connelly discovers that one woman’s rubbish can be another one’s treasure.
Above: A visit to your local tip could prove more lucrative than you think.
21
DEN | FEATURED
S
ynonymous with rotting garden waste and old junk, your local tip is certainly a far cry from the well merchandised glamour of the high street. But when it comes to grabbing a bargain for your home, the tip may be the place to go. Although it is probably not the first destination you would want to head for on a Saturday morning, I find mysellf pulling up to my local refuse centre. Pleasingly, it is immediately obvious that there is a unique range of unloved items on offer, which have been rescued from the plight of the landfill. Organised into sections, which include everything from large furnishings to fabrics, it is a rummager’s dream. It is also quickly becoming the new environmentally friendly way to source one-off items as it helps to save the energy associated with manufacturing new products, which has an enormous positive impact on reducing C02 emissions. However, this is not the only draw to the local tip, as the scavenge also proves to be lots of fun. At one point I even enter into a scramble, racing someone to a lost treasure that I’ve spotted out of the corner of my eye. Unfortunately, I lose the battle for the vintage bedside cabinet, but I still manage to leave with a simple glass vase for the princely sum of 50 pence. I’m not the only one to pick up a bargain from my local tip, as I find out when I meet Janis Stone, 34, from North Devon. She loves the hunt so much that she decided to source all the furniture for her three bedroom cottage from her local recycling centre in Ilfracombe, for a total of £150. Her bargains include everything from a settee to wardrobes, none of which set her back more than £5. For those prices, you would be forgiven for thinking that the quality would be somewhat lacking. But as Janis explains, that’s not always the case. She does warn though, that it may take a few visits to the tip to find exactly what you’re looking for. “Obviously I only bought items that were in good condition or that I knew I could do up to a higher standard. It is really surprising what people throw away and some weeks you can be really lucky and find some good quality furnishings for little money. You have to be prepared to be patient, as it may take a few trips to find what you have in mind.” To help determine what items you want for your home Janis says it is useful to write a list. This can aid you when searching through the wide range of furnishings available. “It does help if you have a plan of the things that you are looking for, even if it is just the key pieces you want in the room because then you can just simply accessorise around them whether that be with lamps or pictures.”
“ It is far more
INTERESTING than buying off the shelf in Homebase or Ikea, because anyone can do that. ”
Janis also argues that shopping in alternative ways places an emphasis on the necessity to recycle such items, and to be more environmentally friendly. This will help ensure that some items can be reused rather than ending up in landfill. “It is a shame that these items end up there [the tip] in the first place, as there is normally nothing wrong with them and some only need a little TLC. If anything, I would say that by buying furniture from your recycling centre you are more likely to get something that has a little bit of character about it, because it has a history.” Although some items may need a bit of elbow grease, Janis believes this only adds to the enjoyment of shopping there, as you can be proud of the end result because you have worked to achieve it. She says: “When you restore an item of furniture, you get a great sense of satisfaction because you can manage to create something different to what is displayed on the high street, as the items you pick up in these places are more likely to be unique. As a result, you have also got more of a chance of making something individual and that suits your character, which is far more interesting than buying off the shelf in Homebase or Ikea because anyone can do that.” As I place some flowers into my rescued vase, I must agree that the whole experience has been far more enjoyable than I had ever imagined, and that secretly I’ve now got the bug for treasure hunting. To locate your local furniture recycling centre visit the Furniture Reuse Organisation, letstalklessrubbish.com or Furniture Reuse Networks, frn.org.uk.
bootylicious The hours may be unsociable, but your local carboot could be just the place to find some new homewares. The DEN team sacrificed their Sunday lie-in and went looking for a bargain.
Above: carboots offer all sorts of weird and wonderful home accessories 23
U
p early on a Sunday morning, the DEN team hit the carboot, armed with nothing more than a fiver each – because we're sure that's all it takes to a bag a bargain. After a shaky start – driving to one carboot site only to find that there isn't a sale held there anymore – we arrive at another site. But this one, we can see, is lined with tables that are overflowing with tat and treasures. The thing about carboot sales is that they can be a bit hit and miss. Get the wrong sale at the wrong time and as much as you hunt, on some occasions, there won't be anything worth having. But a lot of the time it is a very different story, and this Sunday was one of those days. Most stalls offered desirables like retro mugs, oversized clocks, and more ornaments than you could shake a porcelain stick at. The plates, cups and full table services, were the best bargains – we found a stack of china side plates being sold for £3. A full dinner set might be hard to find, but a mix of several different styles can soon add up to one eclectic set. For a bigger buy, there was plenty of furniture – from a 1970s bubble chair to solid wood side tables. One table that caught our eye was just £25. Bric-a-brac started at £1 on some stalls, the equivalent of a vintage poundland. Amongst the every-day items there were also some very different pieces. The out of the ordinary accessories were some of the best – a refreshing change from the popular styles and colours that modern pieces tend to have in common. One piece that stood out was a Chinese teapot, with its vivid colours and intricate detailing. We had a task on our hands to decide which pieces to choose. After much debate we had each spent our £5, or less in some cases, and left with a new addition for our homes. This carboot was especially fruitful, and we could easily have spent over our budget. But the best buys aren't always easy to find. It can be hard to spot whether a particular piece could ever look tasteful or stylish in your home when it is surrounded by bric-a-brac, so an open mind and a bit of imagination is a carbooting essential. Equipped with these and a desire to rummage, you might find pieces that are elegant, smart and just what you were looking for.
“ Most stalls offered
DESIRABLES like retro mugs, oversized clocks, and more ornaments than you could shake a porcelain stick at. ”
carbooting words of wisdom .
Avid carbooter, Christine Chapman explains the dos and don’ts of the sales The early bird catches the worm Go early because things sell quickly. Once it’s gone it’s gone – it isn’t like a normal shop where they bring out more items.
The essentials Plenty of change and a carrier bag are a must have for any bargain hunter.
Be prepared to rummage Make sure that you look properly, don’t just walk past each stall, as some people don’t display their boots very well.
The first price is not always the best price Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount – they can only say no.
A good eye is useful but not essential It is handy if you have a good eye or a knowledge of what brands are in the shops, as you will be more likely to find that bargain!
DEN | FEATURED
what we bought From top left: brown teapot with gold detailing, £5; letters, various sizes and finishes, £3 – £5 each; retro floral cups and saucers, £3 each or four for £10.
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‘I ’m like every girl,
I love a good bargain!’
Helen Bird, 31, from Chichester is a regular on the carboot scene and has sourced many items for her new home by being an early bird at the sales. She talks to DEN about why she enjoys this alternative shopping experience, and the thrills of finding a good bargain. What do you enjoy about the experience of carbooting? I think it is the buzz of never knowing what you are going to find and the fact that you can pick up some really good bargains. But it is also about the banter and the rapport you develop with the stall holders, generally everyone is really friendly and they like to have chat with you about what they are selling. So you do end up meeting some really interesting people, especially the dealers who really know their stuff.
How did you find out about your local carboot sale? I think a web search is the easiest way to find out where your nearest car boot sale is. There are a lot of these events, which cover a variety of areas in the country that are easy enough to find. You also get to know by word of mouth, especially when you have been going for a long time. You get to know stall holders and learn which ones are particularly renowned for certain items.
Why do you choose to go to a car boot sale rather than shop on the high street? It is just so much cheaper and there are lots of quirky and original pieces, which may not necessarily be one-offs but are far less generic and more unusual than what you might pick up on the high street. I’m not saying that I don’t shop on the high street, but by going to a carboot sale you can pick up items that create a mix between being really contemporary and a little less modern. It gives your home a more personalised, quirky look. Everyone can walk into Argos and order from page 74, but if you love design then going to a carboot sale and picking up one or two key pieces can change the whole room. I’m like every girl, I love a good bargain!
Above: Helen BIrd loves a good deal.
When you go carbooting, what sort of items are you looking for? Anything that happens to grab me! At the moment my husband and I have just moved into our first home, so we are very much looking for things for the house. These types of sales are a very good place to start if you have an item in mind and only a limited budget to spend.
What has been your best buy? I have so much stuff that it is hard to choose. I think that it would probably have to be my dining room table and chairs, which cost me about £50 and are handmade war time pieces. They would have cost me about £1,200 if they were brand new from a shop.
Do you have any advice for first time carbooters? I think that there are two ways to approach a carboot sale. Either you get there first thing in the morning and go prepared to rummage from the moment people open their car doors and be prepared to pay mega bucks, or what is mega bucks in car boot terms, for the items that you love. Or, you can go towards the end of the day when people really don’t want to take things home with them so you get them cheaper and perhaps even for free.
think
DEN | FEATURED
outside the
flat pack
box
Natalie Littlewood delves into the world of antiques with store owner Neil Scholes. He explains why buying old furniture can be better than buying new and reveals that antiques are more affordable than you might think.
Antiques have never been so popular. As the love for all things old and pre-loved brings them back into fashion, quality antique pieces are a possibility in any home, and they’re more affordable than you think, too. Neil Scholes’ online store, secondtononestamford.com, sells everything from elegant chaise longues, Edwardian wardrobes and stylish sidetables for as little as £30, with prices rarely topping £150. “Over recent years prices of antique furniture have generally gone down,” he says. “Some dealers are still trying to sell items at the high prices that they used to sell for, but I try to be realistic when it comes to pricing.” Although they vary in price and quality, ‘like for like’ antiques
are generally cheaper than modern furniture, especially in the long run, as they may become more valuable over time. Each piece also has a story of its very own: “Antiques have had lots of owners and homes in their lifetime. Sometimes I feel I am passing on a piece of history to a new custodian, who will eventually pass it on to someone else.” Aside from the aesthetic appeal, older furniture is usually harder-wearing too. The average antique will see you through more house moves, redecorations and general wear and tear than any low priced piece of modern furniture. The reason for this, according to Neil, is that antique pieces have proven that they can stand the test of time. The badly made pieces, the equivalent to some of the modern flat pack furniture, have long since fallen apart, leaving only the best quality pieces to survive decades after being made. 27
DEN | FEATURED
some good old fashioned TLC Neil’s top tips to get the most out of your pre-loved furniture Clean it regularly and occasionally use a wax or wood oil to keep some moisture in the wood to prevent it drying out and cracking, especially on thin veneers like rosewood or walnut.
Above: antique furniture can be a great way to add a sense of history to new properties.
“Antique furniture is made from solid wood rather than chipboard, and it tends to be is handmade with real joints, unlike most mass produced modern furniture with cheap plastic fittings. Antiques are of much better quality than most modern furniture.” For antiques to be affordable, Neil suggests avoiding the most popular pieces of the moment: “As styles become more fashionable they become more sought after and the prices usually go up,” he says. At the moment, shabby chic light-coloured furniture and 50s and 60s styles are the most popular pieces. “Traditional dark coloured wood is out of fashion and as a result it is cheap. Many people are buying it and painting it to make it modern again.” There are many options for tailoring a budget antique buy into your ideal piece of furniture. “If it is an item of no great sentimental value or historical importance, feel free to make it
your own: paint it, strip it, make something look how you want it to,” Neil says.“It is better to paint a Victorian chest and love it than a live with a worn brown one that you hate.” Whilst there are good bargains to be had in antiques, Neil explains that if the deal sounds too good to be true, there is a chance that the piece may not be genuine. “There are lots of very good quality copies coming into the country that can fool the best of dealers. Even low value items are being faked, so whatever you buy, always check it thoroughly and ask questions to be sure that it is in good order,” he says. Whether approaching your first antique as an investment, or a piece to be loved and used, old furniture has a certain charm, history and taste to it that is lacking from some modern furniture. For the same amount of money, you could get something that little bit more exceptional, something “unique, genuine and stylish, that no one else can buy”.
“ Sometimes I feel I am passing on a piece of
HISTORY ”
Avoid placing furniture next to a radiator as the heat can dry the wood out, or next to a damp wall as it the moisture will cause the piece to rot. Keep furniture – particularly if red or brown coloured – away from hot, direct sunlight that can fade the colour of the wood. Put candle wax on drawer runners for a cheap way to keep them working smoothly. Oil locks and hinges occasionally with a standard three in one oil. If restoration is needed on a good quality piece go to a good restorer. DIY repairs can often do more harm than good.
DEN | HOW TO
DEN ’ s
dad
We all know that our dad knows best, or at least he thinks he does when it comes to DIY. DEN’s resident dad, Stuart Smith, is no different. This month he shows us how to hang the perfect picture.
thekit Pencil Tape measure Hammer Picture hook Nails Spirit level
2
Measure the distance between the string, when pulled taught, and the top of the picture. Go to the mark on the wall. Then measure down the same distance, this is where you will place your hook. Mark this point using the pencil. Then gently hammer your picture hook into this point using the nails.
1
Locate where you want the picture to be in your home. Think carefully about whether there will be any potential hazards such as water pipes and electrical cables. Place your picture against the wall where you plan to hang it and make a small pencil mark along the top edge of the frame, roughly in the centre.
3
Check the hook for security to ensure that it will not fall out when the picture is added. Hang your picture on to the fixing, placing your spirit level on the top of the picture frame to ensure that it is level.
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DEN | HOW TO
flower power thekit Petals Botanical paper A flower press or a flat heavy object Acid free paper Spray glue Picture frame
Above: pressed flowers make for a delicate and natural decoration.
The last time you pressed flowers, you were probably running around in little white ankle socks and making daisy chains. Now you’re all grown up it can be an easy and cheap way to create a piece of artwork for your home. Follow our step-by-step instructions to learn how.
1 2 3 4 5
Take a selection of petals from your favourite plant or flowers. Bright colours work best, as they will make the greatest statement when dried out. Place your petals in between two sheets of botanical paper, ensuring that you leave plenty of space around each one so they do not stick together. Get a large book and insert your paper between the middle pages. To ensure the weight is evenly distributed place several other heavy objects on top to add extra pressure. Leave the petals to dry out for appoximately four weeks. At this stage, the flowers will be very delicate, so handle them with care. To frame, arrange your petals on a sheet of acid free paper. Once you are happy with how it looks. use spray glue to stick them down. Leave to dry and then frame.
my
DEN | MY DEN
DEN
The best things in life come in small packages. Artist and photographer Caroline Barratt’s bedroom is no exception. With pretty flocked wallpaper and bohemian style floorboards, it is an inviting little haven. She talks about how she achieved this look on a shoestring budget.
inspiration I really like the vintage, shabby chic look so I tried hard to show that through the design. For example with my bed, although it’s new, I got it from the retro collection at Ikea. It has curvy cast iron legs which really adds something and makes it look like it hasn’t just been bought off the shelf. The whole design of the room was planned around the flocked wallpaper, which was a bargain from Laura Ashley at just £1.50 per roll. This formed the colour scheme of the room and I just simply tied in the darker wood and personal pieces to make it more homely. 31
a mix of contemporary and vintage Most of furniture that I have is secondhand or has been passed down to me by my mum and dad when they were throwing things out. So I have salvaged quite a lot of things which are sort of imperfect and have a bit of character about them, which fits with the theme of the room. Everything else has been sourced largely from the high street or Ikea – so they are both reasonable and accessible. Previous page: Caroline has managed to fit a double bed into her small room. This page: dark furniture adds warmth.
space saving
DEN | MY DEN
As my room is reasonably small I have tried to make it appear larger than it is by using light colours, which really open the room out. I was determined to have a double bed in there, despite everyone else being convinced that I wouldn’t fit one in. I suppose I have used that as a focal point and worked around it, utilising the space as best I could. Instead of a large wardrobe, which would have taken up a lot of room, I decided to use some under bed storage and vintage dark wood drawers.
budget buys Normally when I say that I am going to work to a budget, I never manage it. But this time I have. Obviously there are some items like the bed and mattress, which were quite hefty in terms of price. But it is important to bear in mind that they really work in the context of the room and that I will be able to keep them for a long time, reworking them in a variety of different ways, other than how they are currently laid out.
The elephant was a gift from a friend – he brought it back from India .
finishing touches There are a few more things that I want to do, just to tie the whole design together and make it look more complete. For example, I would like to get a rug for the floor, because although I really like the floorboards they can be a little hard under your feet. But equally I wouldn’t really want to cover them up with carpet as they really fit with the whole unfinished look. I would also like to introduce a bit more colour to the room, particularly on the wall behind my bed, through some more pieces of artwork. Above, right: a selection of Caroline’s sketch books which take pride of place next to her uncle’s original 1960s record player. Left: some personal trinkets which stand on her dark wood chest of drawers and her under the bed storage which replaces a wardrobe.
33
your new
quilty pleasure Patchwork quilts have brightened bedrooms for years and they're showing no signs of becoming less popular, as groups all over the UK are getting together to create something unique and comforting for their homes. Natalie Littlewood spent an afternoon with a group of quilters and found that the process of making your own quilt is as pleasing as the finished product.
DEN | LIVING
T
he name of Lindsey Foster's store in Nottingham needs no explanation – it really is 'Quilting Madness'. A group of ladies sit and stitch their way through single, double and king size quilts, hidden amongst racks of intricately patterned fabrics and under the watchful eye of Monty the dog. Most of the ladies at the class had never quilted before they came to Lindsey's workshops, whilst others are such lovers of the craft that they have supplied quilts to family and friends and now make them just for the love of it. Lindsey has been quilting for 30 years and recently opened her Nottingham based shop firm in her belief that no home is complete without a homemade patchwork quilt, and spurred on by feelings that "quilting really seems to be making a big revival at the moment". The new quilters in the class love the peacefulness and satisfaction that comes from making their very own blankets. "It's nice to sit and relax and watch everybody rushing past and you're just calmly doing this," says Katherine Davies-Eyres, 60, one of the group's oldest members. "And we get tea and biscuits here as well!" The other benefit of joining one of these groups is gaining a new circle of friends. None of the ladies in Lindsey's group knew each other before they began taking classes, and now they chat away like old friends, deliberating how their work is taking shape. The ladies all started quilting at the shop by taking beginners classes. Whilst it is possible to teach yourself for
free through the internet or books, Lindsey advises joining a class if possible: "You can learn so much on your own," she says. “But you can only interpret someone else's instructions so far. When you actually go somewhere and get shown, you understand things easier. They can teach you shortcuts as well, so you get further ahead quicker.” By choosing a 'scrap quilt' design, that is made up of fabric cut-offs, the cost of making a quilt can be kept lower than a typical shop bought one. By reusing old clothes or fabrics, it can save the £20-£50 it would cost to buy fabric for a double quilt. It also creates something even more precious – a memory quilt made up of patches from prom dresses, favourite tops that no longer fit, a boyfriend's tie, or fabric from curtains that remind you of home. With little to no fabric costs, the only expenses left to cover are the wadding and the backing. Siobhan Smyth from Lindsey's group, found that the cost doesn't have to be steep. She says: “You can spread the cost because you can buy the materials to make the quilt in stages. It doesn't have to be £100 spent all at once.” During the afternoon, the ladies bring up what seems to be the only drawback of quilting: "It gets a bit compulsive,” says Katherine, "you can't help doing it". However, the nature of the craft, particularly if hand stitching, means that it can be slowly completed over time, as and when it's convenient.
“ It’s just nice to sit and relax and watch everybody rushing past and you’re just calmly doing this . ”
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DEN | LIVING
Lindsey says:“You can make them in a weekend, it can be as quick as that. It depends on how much time and effort you want to put into them. If you're hand stitching, you can spend three to six months doing it. But if you're using a machine it cuts your time down by about half.” The design possibilities for patchwork quilts are almost endless – the women at Lindsey's shop eye up plenty of new ideas in the course of the afternoon and repeatedly describe the store as their equivalent to a sweet shop. As the craft grows in popularity, designs and interpretations are new and exciting. Lindsey says: "You do get a lot of textile arts creeping into quilting. I like to do patchwork that is patched. Painting on a piece of fabric and then stitching it over is not, to me, quilting. But there are people out there who use leather, sweet papers, metal – they really go to the extremes of what they do.” By hand making your own quilt you can decide where on the creative scale you want to be for what best fits your home and style. But the fresh ideas and extreme versions ensure that not every patchwork quilt is old-fashioned or traditional.They can add edge and interest to a home, as well as some comfort and warmth.
Prices for quilting workshops range from £20 to £80 per session. For a full directory of quilting groups visit quiltersdomain.co.uk
practising your patchwork To get you started, these simple projects are easy ways to incorporate patchwork into your home 1. Bunting It’s back in fashion, easy to make, and only requires very small off-cuts of fabric. What’s not to love?
2. Bags and boxes Mundane pieces like laundry bags and storage boxes are instantly brighter with a touch of patchwork.
3. Wall art Frame your work and let it take pride of place on a wall for a custom made piece of art.
Above: The Quilting Madness group hard at work in Lindsey’s store.
DEN | HOW TO
burn baby
Above: yellow star candle made from a mold.
burn
Candles can be the perfect accompaniment to any room, setting that perfect romantic scene or creating a calm, relaxed atmosphere. It can be a confusing hobby to start with as you face the fear the idea that you will be handling hot, molten wax which can be dangerous. Courses can be found online as well as workshops throughout the country. But hese can be expensive and you also need to take into account the cost of materials and tutorials. As an alternative there are also guides and kits available on the internet that allow you to experiment with candle making from the warmth of your own home. Chelsea Strabala, from Peak Candles, a website that post tutorials and sells candle maiking supplies, says: “Making your own candles allows you to create any fragrance and colour combination, for decorative or aromatherapy purposes.” She explains that “when you buy candles at retail stores, you are stuck with the colour and fragrance of those candles, but making your own allows you to make them look and smell however you like”. Finding the right materials can be difficult but, they are inexpensive as 10 wicks can cost around £1.50 and a kilogram of wax costs around £5. There are also dyes and containers to consider, which are again fairly cheap but it can be hard to figure out if you are just working from an online guide. This is where we felt that a teacher or a expert would
Some home accessories are easy to make but candles feel slightly out of the realm of doing yourself, but is it worth it? DEN got creative as we endeavoured to find out if homemade is always better than shop bought.
have been helpful.Then prepare your container, which in this case is a basic glass container and a mold. So that you can light the candle you need to include a wick, which you attach to the bottom of the container and keep in place with a clothes peg. This way it won’t fall in the wax mixture. Also you should heat the container up so that the wax cools at a slow and gentle pace. Next is the crucial element – melting the wax. Peak Candles provides a list of safety precautions, which include do not leave melting wax alone as well as monitor the temperature of the wax with a thermometer You will need to use two containers, one filled with water and one to melt the wax in. Cheslea says: “Exercising caution and watchfulness, means the danger can be greatly minimised.” Peak Candles do recommend having a fire extinguisher nearby just in case. Chelsea adds “when these steps are followed, candle making is a breeze”. Once the wax is melted this is when you can add dyes and scents to personalise your candle even further. Then, excitingly, you get to see your candle taking shape as you pour the wax into the container or mold. It is rewarding to see it coming together. Chelsea says that it can become an addictive hobby with “candle makers always coming up with new and unique ways to personalise their candles, which is a great way to explore your creative talents”.
“ Candle making is a breeze. ”
37
DEN | HOW TO
Above: DEN’s homemade candle on display on the windowsill
the kit Wax Coloured dye Wicks Glass container Two saucepans Glue Fire extinguisher (just in case!)
1 2 3 4 5 6
Prepare the mold or container with the wick included. Keep it in place using some glue.
Wax should never be put directly onto a heat source. Instead put hot water in a saucepan, and the wax in another saucepan.
Leave to melt, stirring the wax occasionally.
Once the wax has melted take it off the heat and pour into your mold or container.
Leave the candle to set – overnight if you can.
Remove the mold carefully so as not to split the candle.
the verdict: It is a hassle, but it is fun. If you want the perfect candle then the shops are your best bet, but DEN recommends that if you fancy being creative then you will love to make a personalised candle that you will be proud of, even if it does end up as an imperfect blob.
garDEN
From luscious lawns to window boxes, garDEN is the ultimate outdoor guide for when time and space are at a premium.
buy of the month Raphia party lights set (pictured above) are available from B&Q stores nationwide or online at diy.co.uk for ÂŁ11.98.
With the weather getting that little bit brighter and several bank holidays approaching, it’s almost time to start making use of your outdoor space once again. These colourful lantern style lights will allow you to party long into the night and make the most of those summer evenings with friends.
39
green living Yearning to be a green fingered gal but worried that you have no space or time? Fear no more, as Charlotte Reid has been looking into alternative options.
You may think that you can’t have a garden if you live in a small apartment and have a busy lifestyle that means you may not always be home to diligently water your plants. But happily, there are a number of options available that vary according to budget, size and available space. One of the easiest options, and the most hands on, is a windowsill garden. Looking at your bare windowsill you may wish to use it to bring some life into the room, or even to help you be more resourceful in the kitchen. Penny Golightly, a bargain hunting journalist did just that. She fancied starting a windowsill garden herself because she found them to “be easy and accessible”. Penny also documented her windowsill garden on her website pennygolightly.com for her readers. Penny gives encouragement to others who are nervous about becoming green fingered by saying “just about anyone can start growing plants”. When Penny started her indoor garden she gave herself a
strict limit of £10, which forced her to look for cheap seeds and plants. This led her to buying exotic seeds online. Anything you fancy can be grown in a windowsill garden, such as flowers to brighten the place up or simple plants. Penny has decided to grow an ‘edible windowsill’. “It allows you to grow gourmet ingredients for a few pence, instead of paying a premium for supermarket packs, which go off before you can finish them.” But if you are worried about keeping plants alive and have a little more cash in hand then The Balcony Gardener could be perfect for you. It is a company that has a selection of ‘ready made’ gardens that they deliver straight to your door. They are quite costly as prices vary from £68 for a windowsill box to £565 for a whole prepared garden. Isabelle Palmer, who owns the company, says that “with the current popularity of ‘grow-your-own’ and many city property’s having limited outdoor space, container gardens are now becoming very popular”.
“ Just about anyone can start growing plants . ”
DEN | GARDEN The idea for The Balcony Gardener was developed after Isabelle, whilst living in London, was unable to enjoy a garden of her own. A lack of space and a time consuming job meant Isabelle was very busy. She says, given that “I didn’t know very much about container gardening, I started looking for a company that would provide a capsule container garden to start off with. But I couldn’t find this so hence The Balcony Gardener was born”. The container gardens change with the time of the year and are inspired by ideas from the The Balcony Gardener team’s travels which result in a variety of interesting gardens. But if even that seems too far beyond your responsibilities, then there are always artificial plants. It might be seen as the tacky look in hotels and shopping centres but could be the perfect way to finish a home, especially as there are some high quality products out there. Charlie Rutherford, from Office and Reception Planters, says they are a good hassle free option as they “need no up-keep, last for years and life costs are always less. All that needs to be done is make sure you dust them every few months so they stay clean”. So no matter how limited your space, time or budget is, or even if you worried that everything you grow could die, there are plenty of options available if you want a little corner of green to call your own. For futher information visit pennygolightly.com thebalconygardener.com and replicaplants.co.uk
Previous page: indoor gardens add life to a room. This page: top – an example of a container garden. Bottom – windowsill gardens are a nice alternative 41
DEN | LIVING
Abigail Ahern Interior designer and author Abigail Ahern tells all about good design, daring to do it yourself, and her book, A Girl’s Guide to Decorating.
What kind of budget does the book cater for? Is it quite universal in the tips it gives? I am a strong believer that style has nothing to do with money so a lot of the budgets are low but creativity is high. For example, spraying flea market finds in a glossy hue to give the piece a bit of a rock ‘n’ roll vibe or adding the wow factor through some fabulous coats of paint is all relatively cheap.
Do you incorporate the ideas in your book in to your own decoration? Most of the time I do indeed practice what I preach. In one client’s pad recently, we scoured flea markets and junks shops to find an assortment of old rugs and we layered the stairs with these mix and match remnants. The result was a multi layered, highly decorative, beautiful stairwell. You wouldn’t get that look by pulling items off the shelf.
What do you think limits people from creating stunning design in their homes? People lack confidence and that holds them back. It’s scary stuff embracing colour, playing around with scale or suddenly adding oodles of lighting to the teeniest, tiniest room. So you need a big dose of confidence.
What is the most common decorating mistake that people make? Top of the list is the fact that people tend to stop decorating too soon. You can’t create interiors that pulse with style that are dizzyingly multilayered if you don’t layer and add an assortment of finds – whether that’s art, textiles or objects. It is the details that add the interest and the intrigue. Lighting is also often under considered and yet it adds atmosphere and character – the very tools you need for an interesting interior.
Can girls do DIY just as well as men? Of course! It’s just that sometimes girls lack a little confidence. The DIY in my book is DIY in a lazy Sunday afternoon kind of way. It is pretty much achievable in an afternoon, or a day at the most. It gets addictive when you see just how easy-peasy it is to transform your pad into something fabulous. I have attempted to demystify the scary part of DIY in my book when you actually break it down it’s not that scary at all. You need very few tools, just a big dose of confidence.
What are the simplest decorating techniques that you can use to make the biggest difference in a home? Painting your walls, ceilings and floors in a palette of intoxicating hues is the single most transformative thing you can do to a space. Be mischievous add some unexpected finishes – paint the ceiling in a shimmering paint, for example, so the light dances off of it. And embrace colour because it not only transforms a faceless room into something spectacular but it can also change our perceptions of the shape and size. When decorating, what are the key areas to focus on? It’s so personal but with interiors being so open plan these days I would say the living and eating zones, since these are the areas you spend the most time relaxing and entertaining.
What makes good design? For me, good design should be thought provoking and also challenging. There should be certain bravery, a flirting with going over the top. But at the very same time there should be a pull back, a restraint, from going over the edge. A Girl’s Guide to Decorating, £16.99, is available from atelierabigailahern.com
DEN | LIVING
theme:
blues greens The best high street picks for the new colour palette
From top to bottom: table lamp, £24.99, Ikea. Mirror, £40, Laura Ashley. Waters & nobel charcoal tatiana oxford pillowcase, £9.99, Dunelm Mill. Blue country spot collection jug, £6.99, Dunelm Mill 43