Slowly slowly - the gradual evolution of a home

When you move into a new house, especially one that requires a lot of work, a lot of thought and a lot of inconvenience, it's tempting to want to rush through the process as quickly as possible so that it's liveable and homely.  I think it's a natural impulse to want things to be 'sorted'.  I also believe that if your house is in chaos, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and disorganised in other areas of your life so that it is tempting to bury your head in the sand and try to forget how much work is required.
I am sure that in many ways it is a lot less stressful to move into a house that is completely modernised and finished but that just wouldn't work for me and it's not really my cup of tea.  If you look at it from a different perspective, there are definite advantages to renovating/decorating a home gradually and letting it come to together in a fluid way rather than forcing and rushing the process.

Firstly if you focus on one area at a time and in smaller chunks it's less stressful and easier to focus on what needs to be done.  I find that making lots of lists is key and if you break them down and tick them of it feels more achievable.  When you aren't living somewhere and trying to decorate everywhere in one fowl swoop it is easy to overlook key details such as where plug sockets are most conveniently located and which way doors should swing.  When you are living somewhere and getting a 'feel' for the environment, you realise that things that seemed like great ideas in theory are actually impractical and just don't work in the space that you are inhabiting.

This is a before and after of the kitchen/dining room and apart from the kitchen (which was fitted in one go) it has all been done bit by bit and still isn't finished as yet. Everywhere had to be plastered and rewired first.

Before

After

                                                           

Secondly by doing things gradually you get more time to really think about whether items that you are purchasing are things you love and whether they will work for longer periods of time. You can go home and really give it some thought rather than buying things for the sake of it and never using them.  Over time you may buy things you really love and find ways to fit them into the scheme of your house.  I have a number of items I have bought and don't know where they are going yet, but love them and know I can make them work somewhere.  In this way, each item is carefully considered rather than purchased hurriedly to serve a purpose for a limited period of time.

Finally there is a continual sense of achievement when you gradually do things, bit by bit.  You appreciate it more because you have saved hard for it and really thought about it.  It's lovely to see somewhere gradually come together and it takes longer for the novelty to wear off.

The thrifty bit:

• When we pulled the carpet up there were original floor boards underneath but they had a layer of white paint.  Rather than strip this off  I decided to go for a vintage/Scandi look.  This is actually very economical as you only need paint for the floor and a bit of patience.  If the floor becomes scuffed over time, you can either touch it up or leave it to look weathered.
• If you have a focal point in the room such as the table pictured you don't need lots of furniture, which can look cluttered anyway. The table was £170 from a charity shop with 6 chairs (not all pictured as they still need to be painted). My mum helped sand all the top and then we applied two coats of wax for protection.  We also used Annie Sloan chalk paint on the legs but you can find cheaper options in Homebase.  It's much quicker and does not require much prep or any sanding, which is one task I hate most in life,

• Since the walls are all white we created a focal point with the chimney breast wall.  The wallpaper was far from cheap but since it's only one wall and savings were made elsewhere it was possible to splash out a bit here. 
• The fireplace was salvaged and cost nothing.  It does need a surround though.
• Because the room is white it is possible to inject colour with accessories, which can be changed and updated when you feel like it.  That's the next thing to do in this room,  along with finding a sideboard for extra storage.

Vintage Birmingham - The Electric Cinema

I have noticed in my numerous internet searches recently that there are many vintage guides to various cities in the country.  You can find out about events, cafes, shops, historical places to visit etc. They are really useful and interesting if you are into that sort of thing and don't want to spend hours aimlessly looking for somewhere unique and special to retreat to.  There aren't many such guides for Birmingham.  Like anything, if you are looking you can certainly find places, but I thought I would do a bit of research and unify some of those places in one spot!

I thought I would start with one of my most favourite places in the world, let alone in Birmingham. It represents all that is fantastic in independent cinema, and has so much more to offer to the giant starry lights of some of the larger enterprises that screen our films: Ladies and Gents... The Electric Cinema.

'The Electric Cinema' by Tony Hisgett CC2.0

First of all, I know some people who live in Birmingham who have NEVER been here.  I have to say I think these people should feel ashamed of themselves! Well not really... but we are seriously privileged to have this place and we should bestow lots of praise and money upon it.  The Electric is the oldest working cinema in the UK.  That's amazing in itself.  If you are thinking that the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill is older, you would be wrong.  The one in Brum is actually two months older. Screw you London!  It actually opened in 1909.

The brilliant thing about the Electric is that it shows mainstream films, classics, foreign and independent films.  Not only this but the setting is magical and reminiscent of the Art Deco Era (originating in the 1920's).  The screens are small enough to have an inclusive feeling but large enough that you don't feel like half the population is kicking the back of your chair, munching food in your face and generally placing their large alien sized heads in front of you.  Forgive me, but I am only 5"2 and this happens to me a loooot.  Standard seating costs £7.80 compared with £7.25 at the Odeon.  I really think this is an easy choice to make for the sake of an extra few pence.  I have saved the best till last though.  If you pay a bit more you can hire out a whole (very comfy) couch and access the 'text waiter' service.  You then text the bar and they will bring you whatever you order from the menu. They have a license as well, which means you can get all sorts of goodies bought to you whilst you sit back and relax.  The nibbles and snacks are really delicious, I have sampled many of them and long may this continue.

'My week with Marilyn' - Pratachai CC2.0

Two of my favourite experiences here were watching 'My Week With Marilyn' and 'The Great Gatsby'.  It really does feel like a special occasion.  People even get married here, it's that well loved and treasured and I for one don't blame them.

Photo used with permission -  Anna Hardy

Please support the Electric and all independent businesses.  

Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my own.

Bedroom Project - Part One

So everyone loves a room makeover don't they?  When we moved into our modest two bedroom terraced house, the previous owner had divided the master bedroom into two rooms with plyboard nailed together.  It was a real mess.  Once we had removed all of that, it was possible to see that the room had potential. Good dimensions, solid original flooring and the light coming through the window was lovely.  Once the room had been replastered, rewired etc, we could get down to work designing it and making it more comfortable.

I really do believe it is possible to decorate and furnish a room within a budget.  I don't see the point in spending a small fortune when styles, tastes and the function of a room are likely to change. I see it as a challenge to make a room look lovely for less.    I am a massive fan of vintage decoration and style but I don't like a lot of clutter so I wanted the room to reflect both of those preferences.  We painted the room wide, which allowed us to view to room as a blank canvas and made it appear larger and more light filled.  The accent wall was painted a medium/dark toned grey, as a backdrop to display some pictures and art.

One of the things I knew I wanted was a shelf above the bed to hold some of my favourite pieces of art.  I had my eye on this ribba shelf from ikea for a while as it has a ledge so that you can display books with pretty covers, art and ornaments.  It also means you can change the items on the display when you get bored! Sorted.
7

The fireplace is the focal point of the room on the opposite side.  I scrubbed this to within an inch of it's life, as it had all sorts of grime lurking in the crevices.  Then it was painted with a black metal paint and looked much better.  I considered putting a mirror above the fireplace, but got freaked out at the idea of seeing my reflection in the black of night.....

Part two of this makeover to follow soon.........

Bill's Loft

So, like many people St Ives is one of my favourite destinations in the UK.  As a child I often visited and felt like the place had some strange sort of magic attached to it.  It is a beautifully picturesque place and there is lot to see and do in the area.  Last year, I was looking through some photos on google and happened to see a beautiful converted retro loft/apartment. You can't really mess around with booking for St Ives due to its popularity, so I snapped it up and booked for the April this year. So glad I did!

A hearty breakfast was needed for the long drive!

The loft is an open plan living place with retro furnishings and the attention to detail is amazing.  The bubblegum pink and pastels hues may not be to everyone's taste but for mine it was perfect.  The novelty factor alone makes it worth a visit.  Did I mention there was a jukebox?? let's not forget that part....

Bill's Loft is compact, but it really does have everything you need and would be perfect for a couples get away, hen nights and trips with your mates.  Hell, any occasion is an excuse in my opinion. My friend came down for the first part and then my parents and partner.  The sofa bed pulls out into a double bed so you can accommodate more bodies! The total price is £535 for the week but this was at a peak time and was split between five of us in total, making it an extremely economical break indeed.  Here are a few more snippets....

The welcome gift was also lovely. Locally baked bread, Cornish butter and Brie, Olives and a bottle of Merlot (milk might have been useful as well to be honest!).  There was also a Cactus plant, which is now sitting on my kitchen window ledge....they say its hard to kill Cacti... we'll soon see.