All New Shabby Chic Thread!

MrsMoo2U · 13 May 2010 at 9:06PM

jcr16 wrote: »

t
so chuffed my gisela graham chicken salt and pepper pots arrivrd this morning , they stunning.

Oooo. Mine havent arrived yet. I am so excited to start with but hearing that makes me even more impatient.

Thanks to all you lovely ladies for all the tips on free samples. So far I have ordered Cath Kidston samples and wallpaper samples. I am going to be a busy bee.

I go away to work for two days and I am now trying to catch up on all the posts and blog updates. Not sure when I will fit in my crafty work and updating my blog but I will get there.

keep up the good work ladies :T

tara747 · 13 May 2010 at 9:13PM

lostinrates wrote: »

Yes, I'll send you some as soon as we exchange! I'm going to take some better ones this weekend....we have taken mainly ones of things like big ominous cracks, and dropped lintels :rotfl: I had my heart in my mouth most of yesterday as more drama unfolded.

We have a mixture of sash and casement windows, and at the front old brick while the back is mainly rendered (very well) and freshly painted a very un shabby chic but neat and bright cream, the wrong sort of cream if you know what I mean, but that is staying for a long while! So your greeny/creamy colours are on the right track to compliment the brick. I'm even thinking a sort of putty (like f&b bone sort of shade.

I'm so impressed at the idea of growing bluebells on a windowsill! I've never thought of bringing bluebells indoors as anything but a cut flower!

edit: tara, your inbox is worse than mine for always being full

Er... my bluebells are picked and in a glass jar with water.

I saw some dried lavender sprigs at last!!! Not sure who else is looking for them but I recall someone else wanting them too. L'Occitane is selling them for £4.50 a bunch, I'm going to get some tomorrow yippee!!!!!!!! :j:j:j:j:j:j Cheaper than anything I've seen online (delivery charges are a joke on some sites).

Kaz2904 wrote: »

I'm with tara on the pale sage green for the windows. Mind you, I do like the sound of a putty colour (is that a bit like stone?). TBH though, I think your best bet would be to rip out all of the windows and replace with a nice white UPVC :eek::eek::eek::D.
10-15 years is qiute a slog for getting it done so you'll need to have some sort of action plan and create a haven for yourself somewhere. If you are able to do the garden quite cheaply then it may be an idea to do that, or if it's large (which it sounds like it could be), maybe just a little secluded area so you don't have to sit looking at a money pit all day every day!
We've been at our house for 5 years now and it's still not done. Hopefully it'll be done within the next 2 years and then I can get my garden all prettied up properly.

Right, I'm off to ebay to look for a dressing table (chest type) for my bedroom. DH still won't let me have a compactum so I'm at a loss as to what to do for storage.

Maybe you lovely ladies will have some idea,
space 8"4 high, 4"2 wide. DH wants the wardrobe in there. It has to hold all of our clothes bar what will fit in my dressing chest and DH's bedside cabinet. I have long dresses which need to be hung, DH has shirts etc. He's 6"3 so his clothes are big. I can't see how we'll fit everything into that space even though I'm minimal with clothes. Any ideas?

Eeeek that space for both of you???? :eek::eek::eek: I can't help, sorry - I have so many clothes that OH has one wardrobe and I have two.

LIR's suggestions are good though.

hart44 wrote: »

Thank you everyone for the great links :j and I just love the things you are doing :T

I think Im destined never to finish my chest of drawers as I work evenings and help out at school I only have wkends and it keeps raining but today I thought yipee I dont have to do anything and its nice out I will get on with it but no not ment to be, my friend turned up for a coffee and she's not one for standing outside being covered in dust and paint
Oh well there is always this wkend and I promise to post a pic when its done :rotfl:

Awww shame! Next time be a bit more selfish, make her a cuppa and let her chat to you while you work. (((hugs)))

Loving all the photos and links ladies! jcr16, your terracotta pot looks fab! :T

Kaz2904 · 13 May 2010 at 9:19PM

Thanks LiR, you're right we don't need masses of hanging space but we do need a lot of drawer space. We had an ikea pax wardrobe before and it was filled with DH's clothes and a couple of my dresses but the drop below his stuff was wasted. If we get a compactum then it solves all of our storage woes in one piece of furniture but he won't consider it because he want's the wardrobe in the small space- gah!

Well at least your house is going to give you some nice little areas to sit and survey stuff from. I love the beginning of a renovation and am always so full of ideas. I am so calm and relaxed with our lounge now that it's decorated. There are still some finishing touches I'd like to do though.

Tara, what happened about the side board? Have you collected it yet?

I'm loving looking at everyones blogs (I'm so nosy lol!).
Bibbity-bob, I have stolen your idea for your hallway with the mirrors in it. DH's not overly keen, he said it's like a mirror shop but when I initially told him about it, he liked the idea. So I think it will be a case of having our mirrors spread further apart, maybe using our mahoosive mirror as a centrepiece.
Hark at me, I'm decorating the hallway and we haven't even finished our bedroom yet!
I'll catch you all later or tomorrow ladies....

MrsMoo2U · 13 May 2010 at 9:28PM

tara747 wrote: »

Er... my bluebells are picked and in a glass jar with water.

I saw some dried lavender sprigs at last!!! Not sure who else is looking for them but I recall someone else wanting them too. L'Occitane is selling them for £4.50 a bunch, I'm going to get some tomorrow yippee!!!!!!!! :j:j:j:j:j:j Cheaper than anything I've seen online (delivery charges are a joke on some sites:T

I love L'occitane - it is one of my few personal indulgences. Dont forget to buy via quidco for your cash back.

Have you seen their latest offer? I am trying to be so good and not look

http://ems6.net/a/?F=x5ut6huk6a998rnsgvhxp3tskks4wj25x3r9chkbth3k6852utm7wna-1531011

ragz_2 · 13 May 2010 at 9:57PM

silvasava wrote: »

Bathroom - ours will be white tiles floor to ceiling and white suite so I need to add some colour. Would love pink but have 2 boys and an OH so just me and baby to enjoy it lol so think I will not... any ideas? Thought maybe adding blinds would add colour to the walls

Ragz - blinds are good - especially in a strong colour with towels to match. How about a deep turquoise or if you can't get away with pink (dark fuchsia?) how about a dark red. TK Max are pretty good for strong colours .Whatever colour you choose you can pick up in some small accessories. you can change the look of the bathroom whenever you feel like it (or can afford!)

Thanks Silvasava, turqoise would be a great idea as the kitchen is painted turquoise and white (LL's doing but I like it!) so that would match. Not that they are nearby but it would add some continuity through the house and be a nice colour for towels. Maybe bath mats too... hmmm... [sneaks off to look in Argos catalogue that is oddly right by the sofa...:o]

Knithryn, I'd love a fancy bath and toilet but we're renting

am loving the plants idea though, I always forget about plants (then they die lol), they would add a lot of colour...). I guess the place just looks bare to me as it was empty when we viewed it. Seemed cold but I'm sure I can change that with the right accessories.

dogcat_2 · 13 May 2010 at 10:00PM

Hiya everyone...I don't normally come onto this board...but I 'lurk':D and love to look at all the lovely 'finds' and 'makes'. I notice that there were links to free wallpaper samples. I've had a look at them I can't seem to find the link to the Japanese doll wallpaper. . . . I would love a sample of that..I did look on the site but couldn't find that design. . . also, I can't seem to find the Cath Kidson samples that people were talking about...maybe I'm being thick!:o...If someone could point me in the right direction I'd be most grateful...Thanks in advance.:D

Kaz2904 · 13 May 2010 at 10:03PM

ragz, Asda sell fuscia and turquoise towel, flannels and mats. They're reasonably priced and wash well. HTHs

tara747 · 13 May 2010 at 10:08PM

cherisong, that basket is gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!

tara747 · 13 May 2010 at 10:09PM

p.s. the L'Occitane site doesn't sell the sprigs so I will have to go instore and miss out on the 7% cashback. Ah well!

crusty_toenail · 13 May 2010 at 10:11PM

Cath Kidson like material and table cloth (pvc) type at Dunelm Mill - can't find this on their website so here are the pictures I took in the shop: £6.99 per sq metre

seems to be cheaper than same range on ebay (clarke and clarke)...