WIRES!!

As much as i enjoy myflat being filled with technology thier is one unsightly disadvantage....WIRES!I hate nothing more than a tangled web of ugly wires behind my television or a single wire running up my wall to my beautiful table lamp. While i would love to be able to get rid of them completely i think i might just be happy to settle for these clevely cute Wire Blooms from Mocha. These little cable clips will definatley turn my unsightly wires into a pretty addition.

BE YOUR OWN CURATOR

Adding art to your home does not have to be expensive. I have been looking for some art to go above our bed and because I am on a fairly tight budget I have been scouring the internet for some prints. There are some great companies out there that offer art on a shoe string budget. The V&A have a great online shop with a huge choice of prints (my favourite? a series of prints by Edward Lear called ‘Six Coloured Birds’)

The Future Mapping Company offer an alternative to the normally drab and geography classroom style maps that we are used to.  Their fabulously bright maps not only educate but add a colourful splash of style.

Another online store which has a huge variety of art and prints is Notonthehighstreet.  I love the sentiment behind this silence is golden print.

Hrmmm now all I have to do is choose........this may take a while!

TIP OF THE HAT TO YOU

Today has been a day for online window shopping. While perusing the Heal's website I stumbled upon these eccentric lights. They look particularly Alice in Wonderland and would look fantastic grouped together or by themselves. These playful, eclectic lights have a mysterious quality about them and remind me of Rene Margritte's famous painting 'The Son of Man'.

Image from Heal's website.

Image from Heal's website.

Margritte's 'Son of Man'

SQUIRREL & DOVE

Sandersons is internationally renound for it's quintessentially English style. This year they are celebrating their 150th aniversary and to mark the occassion have introduced the 'Vintage Fabrics' range. The Gem of the collection has to be the 'Squirrel and Dove' print. It was Originally created by C.F.A Voysey (a close associate of William Morrice) in the 1890's and is very much inkeeping with the Arts & Crafts style of the time.

Image from Sandersons website

Personally i am in love with the Teal/Red colourway which i am desperate to use somewhere in my home.......bedroom curtains? blind? scatter cushions?!

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

My favourite designer of the moment Abigail Ahern creates truly enchanting interiors. She is a stylist, interior designer and author who has an amazing eye for mixing the old with the new. What is most impressive about her spaces is that they effortlessly exude glamour without looking forced or contrived.

The dramatic pink of the coffee table juxtaposed against the moody grey creates a surprising and interesting space.

One of my favourite rooms of hers- combination of soft greys and lilacs anchored with crisp white is fresh and luxurious. I especially love the fun ostrich lamp table which gives the room a humours and relaxed edge.

Click the link and check out more of Abigail's unique interiors.

HAVING A GO...

....at some upholstery.

I have recently joined an upholstery class with the hopes of turning this Parker Knoll Froxfield Chair which currently looks like a nursing home chair into something more spectacular. The shape of the chair is great, very elegant and lady like, however the nasty, dusty, salmon pink fabric must go...pronto!

Its a 10 week course...and if tonight's class was anything to go by the first half will be spent removing millions of staples. However it's so interesting to take apart something and really get into the guts of it and understand how it was put together. By learning how to upholster and understanding the process that furniture goes though I hope to be able to give clients the best knowledge and advise that I can on fabrics, designs for soft furnishings...

....and hopefully along the way I might get a stunning chair for my living room!!

MEASURING TAPES AT THE READY

Since I posted about my curtain making I thought that I would also give a little how to on measuring your windows for curtains and also for fabric quantities.

When measuring your window for curtains always measure the curtain track or pole and not the window width.  Ideally your pole should sit approximately 15cm either side of your window.

Tip- If you want to make a small window appear larger fit your pole up to 30cm either side of your window. When your curtains are hung this will create the illusion of a bigger window.

Curtains can fall either to the sill or to the floor. Personally I feel to the sill is a very dated look and that the overall look is very skimpy. I vote to the floor every time.  Ideally your curtain should fall 1cm above the floor. 

Tip- Always measure the drop in 3 different positions, especially in older properties as windows and floors are rarely level. Use the shortest of the three measurements for your finished length to make sure that the curtains do not drag on the ground.

Your curtain drop will depend upon the type of curtain heading that you use. In my case I used a wave heading. (this would be the same if I were using the more common pencil pleat heading). Measure from the underside of the curtain pole ring to where you want the curtain to finish.

If you are using an eyelet heading then measure from the top of the pole to the floor.

Now here comes the maths.....

Like me if you decide make your curtains yourself you will need to calculate how much fabric you need. First you need the following information.

Heading type- Wave

Pole Length-220cm

Finished Length-300cm

You will also need to know the pattern repeat of your chosen fabric (if any).

First you need to calculate the number of widths of fabric you need.

·  Width of curtain pole: 240cm

·  Multiply by 2(this is the fullness required)for wave: 480cm

·  Divide by fabric width of 137cm: 3.503

·  Round up to the nearest whole number: 4

So in this case 4 widths of fabric is required. Different types of headings require different fullness of fabric, the most common are pencil pleat which is a double fullness or an eyelet which is a 1.5 fullness.

Next you need to calculate the length of fabric required.

·  Finish length of curtains: 300cm

·  Add hem allowance of 10cm to the top and 10cm the bottom:300cm

·  Add pattern repeat of 37cm: 337cm

·  Multiply the finished length of 337cm by the number of widths            which is 4: 13.48m

Now you know how much fabric you need your ready to create some beautiful curtains.