Let's talk simple home DIY's today. The turquoise cabinet has taken on a life of its own since posting here. I thought it's only fair to share its story along side another of my favourite ways to get colour into your home without spending a fortune. Starting with the cabinet...
Here it is, all sad in the secondhand furniture shop but with a bargain price tag of £35, I couldn't resist. I fell for its curvy details large shelves and handy drawers - it's perfect for housing my best china (yes that's what a grown up I am) and tablecloths.
The walls in the dining room are a soft turquoise (Farrow and Ball - Pavilion Blue) so I wanted something with a bit of life to sit along side. After much deliberation I went with Little Greene - Greene Vertider . I outsourced the painting to my mum as I was busy ripping up carpets. Her tips for painting are; prep the surface with a thorough but gentle sanding and apply thin coats, she did three. I have since used a Little Greene to paint a wardrobe and can verify that it is gorgeous to work with and the colours are really vibrant. I used a small roller which gives a really smooth finish so will only use rollers in the future.
The second DIY is this framed vintage Uzbekistani wall hanging I picked up in Turkey for about £10. I only ever buy pieces that I love so this is where you have to use your own taste and judgement. I know what colours get me all a flutter (yellow, pink, turquoise...) so bought knowing I'd find a place for it one day and it just happened to work perfectly with the wall and cabinet.
To frame I purchased a standard Ribba frame from Ikea, after much searching this was the best price and quality I could afford. I cut a piece of foam board the exactly the same size and the fabric, stuck it to the frame mount with as much double sided tape as I could use and then pinned the fabric to the board. I love how the metal discs and edging hang free.
To stop everything look so borrowed I found this great light from Habitat with 25% off, which made it under £20! I think the yellow ties everything together perfectly. If you're looking for well priced modern lighting then head straight to Habitat they have some great pieces at great prices ( I can't wait to show you my kitchen lights).
I know painting furniture is nothing new but when you're on a budget it's such a great way to get a bit of life into a room without spending a fortune. The same goes for framing fabric, I have framed a really pretty silk hanky in my bedroom it's totally unique and adds colour and texture for under £20 which is amazing.
All the details
Cabinet - secondhand - try Gumtree
Frame - Ikea
Textile - vintage Uzbekistani bought in Turkey but try this place online
Lamp - Habitat
Soda bottle - found in a flea market Barcelona
Basket - gift from South Africa
Fabric bobbin - India via Anthropologie (last Christmas)
Vase - Anthropologie
Wall paint - Farrow and Ball - Pavilion Blue
Cabinet paint - Little Greene - Green Verditer
PS - The chair and fringed shawl are both charity shop finds. The chair was £45 and shawl about £12.
WoW! love love love love! The colours are fab & I adore that wall hanging x
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Sarah-Lou! I've been a bit scared to share my home with so many wonderful home blogs around. I do love this corner the colours make me so happy!
DeleteCharlotte, this is so gorgeous! I've loved your turqouise cabinet since the bloggers at their desks post and now I know it was relatively cheap to upcycle I want it even more! What a find. :) Leanne x
ReplyDeleteThanks Leanne- It was a real bargain but I hope it shows with a little imagination you can so easily transform pieces of furniture.
ReplyDeleteI love your turquoise cabinet so much. What a bargain and your mum has totally transformed it. It looks great and perfect for your room x
ReplyDeleteSo pretty! Love the framed fabric as well. I have a beautiful silk hankie I never know what to do with. Think I need to find a good frame and put it up!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this, I'd love to decorate my home for a bit less than usually, your tips are real money savers. And so is microsoft 365 pricing - I got it for my company a while ago and it's working great!
ReplyDelete