Funny old weekend I had. Mungo ran home from the park crossing two busy roads, a woman found him and called me, where upon my heart just about stopped. I wasn't walking him (the person who was is now dead)!
Spent Saturday pottering, gardening mostly as this week is bonkers. Paris for 3 days at the end of the week/weekend with Gem for another buying trip, a night away in the country in the week and a schedule that is giving me a headache. Talking of which had the worst one on Sunday and could barely move from the sofa, although it seems better today thank goodness.
Lets talk budgets, boring as hell I know (I personally can't stand them) from decorating budgets to buying budgets but we all have to realistically buy within our means. When you are starting a room from scratch it can feel a little daunting, where do you splash the cash where do you save - some tips below:
Make a list. I love lists I have the longest to do list EVER for this house. You can drill down further and separate it into wants and needs but then I convince myself that my wants are my needs so that is a bit useless, for me at least. The big thing is to prioritize For example I need to re decorate the school room as I've pinched most of the stuff from there for my studio, rugs, chairs that sort of thing so rather than concentrate on finding some cool accessory the big stuff needs to be found first. Like the table! Its the essentials first, you can live with things being a little bare and minimal. Â Hey when I first moved in I blew the whole budget for furniture on one concrete chair that was all there was to sit on for a year, other than the floor.Yes its more fun buying flowers, vases, cool accessories than say a bed or a big table but the foundation pieces affect the overall scheme. I splash cash on the stuff that I think will last a lifetime like my sofa for instance or a mattress, the big stuff the other things can wait.
Go vintage. I've found some amazing pieces at antique markets, auction houses and by throwing in a bit of vintage not only do you get more bang for you buck you're actually creating a scheme that has an interesting narrative. For me (obviously this is personal) having a room that is purely contemporary or purely traditional is way to one-dimensional I want to mix things up. So I buy high street, vintage, classic it helps the budget and it makes my spaces look and feel intriguing!
Have patience. I don't have any. I want things now, instantly I don't want to wait (waiting is boring) but whoever said 'all good things comes to those that wait' has a point, sort of. You can't decorate in this eclectic kind of fashion and nail the look from one store, it takes time. That sense of achievement you get when a room is finally nailed is second to none â and a part of that is because its taken time its not decorating by numbers!
Buy the big stuff first, the details are the easy part.
Add a dash of vintage, it adds patina, tells a narrative and gives you an interior that no one else has!
Right then I have to go and give Mung's yet more kisses since he ran almost home he has been cuddled and kissed continually. He kind of looks at me sighing almost saying 'mamma enough already, I'm a boy, I'm tough, I don't this kind of fussing'!
