The kitchen;

 

 

Although our kitchen is absolutely tiny, and really only temporary, it's one of my favourite rooms.It is split into two parts, the original tiny kitchen scullery and then a wooden added on part that we now call 'the laundry'..the other bit where the fridge and tumble dryer are kept.The open shelves were put up as a necessity and I like them so much I'm going to have them in our 'proper kitchen' when it's done. The old sink will be staying too, I love these old China sinks unfortunately though you do tend to chip your best China in them! Every kitchen we have had has had a sink-skirt, I think they give a room a vintagey feel, and break up the monotony of fitted cupboards..and you can change them when you like for a different splash of colour.

Hall:

 

We wanted to give the hall a really English look to it. The colours and fabrics were matched up with two parrot pictures that I bought before we moved here. I love the locally made 'Roger Oates' stair runner.It was a custom dyed colour  that had been a special order cancelled by a customer, so we got a unique wool carpet for a fraction of the original cost. We have a set of original 1930s carpet clips to add at some point. The front door was bought from an antique warehouse to replace the original totally rotten one and the brass and oak dolly light switches were the nearest we could get at the time to replace the old Bakelite ones.

Lounge;

 

This room, like the hall is what I would call a 'grown up room'. All very sensible in pale colours and floral patterns…a bit boring really! The old battered leather chairs were bargains from a posh hotel that was being re-furbished.The cushions are made from a vintage linen, which I love. There are the odd quirky touches here and there,like the leopard print lampshade and cushions but it's such a small room you could easily go a bit over the top!

The dining room

This is the one room I'm never happy with! It changes almost weekly and nothing ever seems to look right, yet its the one room we use the most..eating, computing, reading, sewing. One day it will be part of the kitchen, it's a bit of a mish mash until I decide whether I want it kitsch or classic or a bit of both!

 

Bathroom;

 

We tried to make the bathroom as close as possible to the original art deco one that needed replacing, it's the one room that hasn't really been changed since we first started decorating the house eight years ago..I love the pastel colours and girliness, I wanted it to look like a 1930s bathroom that had been redecorated in the 1950s..if that makes sense!

Although the layout is totally wrong..the shower ended up in front of the window…we'll need to change that at some point!

 

My favourite oil painting is in here,your view from the loo..a huge nude study of a girl in the 1940s, its quite a talking point with young boys!

Bedrooms;

 

The 2 main bedrooms have the original fireplaces which were one of the reasons we bought the house,we just love original details. This bed was an absolute bargain on eBay as was my vintage stockman mannequin. It took a lot of courage to paint the Victorian pine furniture but we like the lighter look it gave the room and decided it can always be stripped back again to wood!

 

I always have far too many cushions on the bed whose covers change with the bedding and there is always an eiderdown or blanket on it!

 

My sons rooms are not really your typical everyday teenagers modern bedrooms.I found it so difficult decorating in a vintage style for older boys,they quickly outgrew the 50's cowboys and sailing boats I had previously used so we compromised on a paired down vintagey look..an old painted desk and Victorian pine chest of drawers, French cafe chair and iron bed..I really like the roman blinds made from a roll of antique mangle cloth..modern blinds made with a vintage fabric seemed to work better than curtains.

 

My other sons room is tiny, we customised a hideous modern orange pine chest by painting it white and adding label holders as older furniture was just too large for the space.His Victorian brass bed was another eBay bargain, now painted white. His fisherman's lamp was also sprayed blue. I love Harry's red cupboard full of old tin robots, cars, and treasures. He's quite into the vintage look….along with his bike posters!

Where do you find inspiration for decorating your house?

 

My grandparents houses,remembered from childhood visits, heavily influence my decorating choices. Both lived in homes decorated in a very English, chintzy style with polished antiques and flowery curtains. They were both very keen gardeners too and loved old fashioned flowers and roses. I find I still look for things that I remember in their houses,like old eiderdowns and  Barbola mirrors.One grandmother had a very similar pink,green and black deco bathroom with chintzy rose curtains at the windows.

I grew up in a house that was permanently under going work, a 'Gentleman's Edwardian residence' which used to be the village Dairy,complete with coach house and a very shabby cobweb-filled stable but unfortunately I also grew up in the 1970s..an era of 'modernisation'  and the terrible sight of all those original features being replaced with new. I'm a stickler for a house's history and original features now..I hated having to replace the rusting ,rotting metal and wood windows in our house and even now I cringe when I see the new ones but it was an unfortunate necessity.

I also buy far too many house magazines!..my absolute favourite being 'The English home'

 

 

How do Vintage things play a role in your rooms?

 

Without all my vintage 'clutter' I think my house would be soul-less.

It's all these strange,colourful and often tatty, bits and bobs that hold it all together. A certain colour on say, a vintage tin, might influence a whole room.The walls are kept plain so that all the pretty stuff can show off on its own!

Creating my look

 

I'm a great bargain hunter,I've had to be.This house has been decorated on a very tight budget. Everything has been either bought in a sale, found on eBay (a lot has been found there) been given to us,made or thrifted. Don't be afraid to ask, people are often only too happy to let you have something sometimes..and the worse they can say is 'no'!

Don't rush into buying the first item you see, be patient,you can bet one the same will turn up on eBay for a bargain price..I love Laura Ashley shops, but I will only ever go there in the sale..you can get some great bargains that are ex-display too.

I never consider a house to be 'finished', ours always seems to be evolving and still needs lots of work done on it.I'll find something and it inspires me to paint a wall ,a piece of furniture or even just move rooms around! Above all else..only have things you love and your style will evolve naturally..don't follow the latest home fashions to the letter or your house will look like a mail-order catalogue rather than a reflection of your personality and life!