Sloping ceilings and mezzanines

So the weeks march on and I still don’t have the keys to my new flat. As much as I understand that there is a lot of paperwork and procedure to go through, I am starting to lose my patience with it all. Everything just seems to take days and days and there are so many stages to it.

Anyway, in the mean time, I am trying to plan as best I can for my new space.

Part of the reason I fell in love with the flat is because it is so far removed from some of the boring modern boxes I had seen. However, the character of the flat does make it harder to furnish!

Dad has been a lifesaver - going in and measuring up for me. We did some space-planning this weekend; planning furniture around every low beam, sloping wall and low ceiling. I have been watching George Clarke’s amazing spaces for inspiration. I figure, if they can create such awesome living spaces in caravans and narrow boats, my two bed flat should be a breeze.

I think storage is the main thing that will be a problem in the flat, and with relatively little space, I need to make sure I make the most of every nook and cranny. This has meant sacrificing some of my initial favourite pieces of furniture for alternatives that work better in the space.

For example, I really wanted the large Hemnes 3 door Ikea wardrobe to go with my day bed in my second room. The problem was the room layout, as I also needed to fit the day bed, a desk and a chest of drawers in there, and with a low sloping ceiling, this was a tough task. However, by choosing a smaller wardrobe with sliding doors, I am using the alcove space, allowing for a bigger chest of drawers and more storage elsewhere in the room.

In the master bedroom, I have gone for a bed in which the whole mattress pops up to reveal storage underneath. I think this will be ideal for bags, mops, brushes and even and ironing board – all chunky bits and pieces that have no home without a store cupboard.

Finally, the mezzanine was also perplexing me. It is such a lovely space, and I think it is the thing that really gives the flat that “wow” factor. However, it is obviously awkward to furnish as it is in the slope of the roof. It was also tough to decide what to use this space for. There is no protective rail at the edge of the space to stop people from rolling off, so not ideal for sleeping.

My solution is to use Kallax shelves from Ikea. They should sit perfectly along the back wall of the mezzanine and can then be filled with books – creating a stylish shelving system and allowing easy access to my many books and DVDs! If I can put a rug up there too and maybe even a beanbag or low chair, it will be perfect as a little reading/music den. I am also considering hanging my guitar on the wall up there, so it becomes a great little creative space.

Anyway, I will stop rambling on now. Needless to say, I am really rather excited about getting my keys, and have all my plans in place to transform my lovely little Chorlton flat! Now I just need those keys...

Animal inspiration

On my many online travels to various interiors shops, I have noticed a somewhat startling pattern emerging...one with animals on it.

I think it is a good job I have noticed this early so that I don't end up with a flat that resembles a zoo.

Never the less, I have already settled on a few animal gems for my flat, including table mats in these very sweet designs. I got these from a very cute shop in Devon but have seen them online in a few places since then.

In my bedroom, I also really fancy one wall of wallpaper.  I think this is the only place I will have wallpaper in the flat as I am hoping it will give it more of a homely feel. Anyway, needless to say it has animals on it - birds in fact. This is from liveliketheboy.co.uk.

I am still trying to settle on a colour scheme for my own bedroom and this is actually proving quite tough. I was working towards a grass green and deep purple mix, but I am not sure how well it will come together in reality. Anyway, there is still plenty of time to sort that out!

In the meantime, I also found this gem of a cushion which is the height of hilarity and sophistication from ohdeer.com. I am in love :)

My addiction

My name is Sarah and I am addicted to Pinterest.

Since my last blog I have been whiling away hours creating moods and themes for each of the rooms in my new flat. It is hugely moreish, but also really helpful as my plans for each room are starting to take shape.

The lounge in particular, I have been agonising over for a while but I think I have cracked it with these beautiful Ritchie sofas from Made.com (A.K.A Mecca!) and an amazing coloured "bubble rug" courtesy of my parents.

I am planning on using the multi-coloured rug to create a fun and funky feel and then use the sofas to define the two key tones in the room - grey and pink. I absolutely love this suite - the coloured buttons add a real element of fun and the fabric looks pretty hard-wearing which will be good with the cats.

I had a little bit more interiors-porn today too, in the form of ReStore - a beautiful little shop in Dartington, Totnes that specialises in upcycling donated pieces. I found myself looking for a  real life Pin It button for these little beauties...

Needless to say, I will certainly be coming back when I have done the space planning for my flat.

So far, I am trying to fight the temptation to buy anything for my new place. I am scared to jinx it and so keep telling myself to wait until I have exchanged. However, I have started a rather sad spreadsheet which has links and costs for all the items I would like, so that I can budget and digitally stash the bits and pieces I am after. Organisational winning! :)

I did invest in one little gem today as it is not strictly speaking for my new flat. I bought a wonderful little book called Sew La Tea Do by Pip Lincolne. I have had my eye on it for a while as I have read great reviews. It includes a collection of patterns for some ace projects, including a tunic dress, cushions and bean bag and a wrap skirt. Really excited to get started on them!

Chorlton Arts Festival - Part One

Last night I visited the World Peace Cafe to attend an event entitled "The Art of Meditation" as part of the Chorlton Arts Festival.

As a complete novice to meditation, it is safe to say I was a little apprehensive about going along. But I was absolutely blown away.

I must admit the offer of a free drink and slice of cake as well as a talk and mediation session, left my Western mind looking for the catch...

However, it didn't take long to see that I had stumbled across something really special!

The Kadampa meditation centre offers sessions throughout the week and the teachers and volunteers were all extremely helpful and welcoming.

The World Peace Cafe operates out of the same centre and has a similar ethos of calm and kindness. It's a vegetarian cafe that uses only organic, fairtrade and locally sourced ingredients with all profits dedicated to building world peace. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to visit a cafe with a conscience!

The session itself was fantastic and mindfulness meditation is something I am so excited to learn more about. The meditation room was simply beautiful (a former artist studio) and the taster session was a real breath of fresh air.

I left the session feeling so much calmer and at peace with myself. As our teacher said, people have been practising meditation for over 2000 years, so there must be something to it!

I feel very privileged that I will soon have this place on my doorstep and will look forward to going back.

All things bright and beautiful

So the birthday fairy also bought me a few other little gems...literally!

Eclectic Eccentricity has to be my absolute favourite place to buy jewellery. It is a great brand that draws inspiration from weird and wacky places and creates some truly beautiful pieces.

Each items tells a little story and I love the personality and scarcity value of the jewellery. Safe to say, I would buy almost all of their treasures if money allowed. So, when I got given some birthday money, I treated myself to not one, not two, but THREE new necklaces, all of which I am utterly smitten with...oops.

As you can see, until I exchange contracts and can start buying accessories for my flat,  I am just buying them for myself!

The other little wonder that appeared on my doorstep this week is Bright Bazaar - a book I have been hankering after for a long time.

I love the Bright Bazaar blog and this beautiful coffee table hardback did not disappoint.

The book gives basic tips on using bright colours (as the name would suggest) and then goes on to suggest come great combinations, as well as the secrets of choosing a palette for each room in the home.

Author Will Taylor, a self-confessed "gentleman hooked on hue",  gives a great little guided tour through bold and bright interior decor and his "colour cocktails" make amazing mood boards as they are.

Definitely worth a read and a give his blog a follow too!

Out and about on Beech Road

Today I had a wonderful visit from my best friend James and took him to see Chorlton Village - I think it is safe to say he was a fan!

We had a lovely brunch at The Laundrette and then wandered down the street exploring the shops and cafes that Beech Road has to offer.

My favourites so far are the stylish clothes and accessories at Nood, the stylish interiors shop Loop and the gorgeous Creative Recycling Gallery. This lovely little place is a not-for-profit organisation and they run a series of craft activities including paper quilting, glass recycling and even glass fusing. No doubt I will be getting involved with some of these courses ASAP!

They also offer a range of beautiful prints, including this one, which I have my eye on already for the new flat...

After experiencing the sites and sounds of Beech road, we had a fresh fruit milkshake at On The Corner - the perfect end to a Chorlton day.

We also picked up some information about the Chorlton Arts Festival which is taking place next weekend. Should be a great way of finding out more about the place...I will keep you posted.

Cheers for now :)

Sew sew

For my birthday this year, my parents bought me a gorgeous purple sewing machine from John Lewis.

It is a pretty little thing and hope it will be just what I need to get me started.

Now whilst I am embarking on my crafty mission, I should issue a disclaimer: I have never sewn before. So I really am starting at the very beginning...

Anyhoo, I got some fabric from Busy Bee Arts and Craft centre in Kingsbridge last time we were down in Devon, and a little starter kit from Hobbycraft and I was away.

My first project was a tote bag and I followed a simple YouTube tutorial from Stitched Up and just about managed to keep up.

The hardest thing was working out how to thread the needle and the bobbins. I also got a little confused with which way round my stitching should go to give the outside of the bag a neat finish.

The finished product looks like a bag but it is certainly not perfectly formed. It all adds to it's character though :)

So here it is, my first sewing creation...