homewares

Weekend Project: Upcycling a 1960’s Bar Cart

| blueskygirlie

I have wanted to buy a bar cart for our lounge for some time but was put off by the prices. Even a basic one from somewhere like West Elm or Oliver Bonas was over £150 and I just couldn’t justify that kind of cost for what is really quite a frivolous item. I should also add I am 100% teetotal and have been for many years but that still doesn’t stop me wanting to make cocktails. It does however make me want to find a cost effective way to have a drink trolley in the house…

I couldn’t believe it when I was pottering in our local Emmaus charity furniture store and lent up against the wall I saw a 1960’s drinks trolley. It was a bit dirty and had onyx effect shelves which wouldn’t go with anything I own but it was a great size and had a fantastic gold coloured frame.

And the best bit? The man there sold it to me for just £5!!!

Once I got it home I started planning how I would upcycle it and decided a black version of the onyx effect shelves it had been designed with would look the best. The iconic Blue Peter staple – sticky back plastic (now rebranded as self adhesive film) – is an amazing way to change things as it is cheap, easy to use and comes in a huge variety of colours, patterns and sizes.

So, how did I do it?

What you’ll need:

Getting Started:

Firstly I cleaned the entire trolley making sure it was clear of dust or anything that would stop the film sticking. I then measured the surfaces I wanted to cover, loosely cut out the film I was going to use and then in stages adhered it to the flat surface working slowly and methodically. Every couple of inches I would use the scraper to make sure there were no air bubbles and the film was nice and flat.

Once the whole surface was covered I used a Stanley knife to cut into the carts metal edges and carefully removed the excess film. Top Tip: If you do get the odd air bubble take a pin and make a tiny hole in it. Then go over it again with the scraper. It will then disappear.

Once the top was done I repeated the process all over again to cover the bottom section.

A quick wipe down and a final hard scrape of the film to make sure it was well and truly stuck and I had finished my weekend project! And here is the finished item – I have styled it with a mix of 1960’s vintage and some new items and with the stylised mid century trolley design it makes for a great retro vibe…

Cocktail shaker/Dunelm Mill, bar tool set/Sainburys Home, smoked glass items/vintage, swizzle sticks/eBay

Fluted 1960’s glasses/Vintage, clear hi balls & tumblers/Amazon

Cocktail shaker/Dunelm Mill, bar tool set/Sainburys Home, smoked glass items/vintage

I’m really pleased with the way it turned out. What do you think?

The best bit is I have a real 1960’s version of what I wanted which fits in to my home perfectly and have also upcycled a piece of unwanted furniture which might of ended up at the dump otherwise.

I can’t wait for it to take pride of place in our lounge when it is redecorated. Now, who wants a drink?

#AD Living in Electric Dreams with Order Electric Blinds.co.uk

| blueskygirlie

Made to measure blinds are one of those things that sometimes can seem a bit stressful to buy. Because they are designed to fit a specific space and room they might look fabulous but the idea of the measuring, the ordering and then the installation can be a bit daunting for most of us.

Enter Order Electric Blinds…

BEFORE –
The large window in our kitchen was looking pretty uninspired. An area of our home that doesn’t get much light, we inherited a wooden venetian blind when we moved in and had just stuck with it. The wooden slats were dust catchers and showed every splash of water from the sink, and the dark wood finish made it that even less light got through into the kitchen.

I wanted something that was both effective and stylish yet still subtle. Theres so many different colours and patterns available on the website and I was tempted by a bright orange which I think would of looked really great but decided on something a bit more neutral. In the Essentials range I went for the beige Electric Wire Free Blackout Roller Blind* as I thought it would be the best match to the paint colour in the kitchen. If you are in any doubt about choosing a colour, Order Electric Blinds can send you colour swatches so you can get the perfect shade for your room which I think is a great way to take some of the stress out of the made-to-measure process.

The Essential collection of electric roller blinds are a simple and effective way to dress your windows – included in the price is a power source, single channel handset and the made to measure blind. This collection of blinds is available up to a maximum size of 200cm wide by 170cm drop and all of the fabrics they use offer thermal insulation as well as blackout making them great for bedrooms and children’s rooms too.

Theres lots of information on their website from how to measure your windows to how to install your blind once you receive it, plus tons of youtube tutorial videos to help too. I’m a real worrier and found the whole thing really easy and stress-free.

The blind arrived really quickly and came with all the fixings required, a motor, controller and in our case a plug too. These blinds run off of amazing battery operated motors but can be plugged into a power source too if theres one nearby.

Order Electric Blinds only use Somfy motors in their blinds – Somfy are the market leaders in window blind motorisation. Every motor operates on RTS technology which means you can use the same handsets and timers to control a variety of products within your home including roller blinds, wood venetian blinds and roman blinds. Sounds pretty cool, right?

Now I’m no motor expert but my partner is an engineer so pretty discerning when it comes to these things. He was very impressed with the quality, the ease of fitting, set up and use (he fitted and programmed it) and the motorisation. Me? I liked the motor is very quiet, unobtrusive and makes me feel like I’m living in a boutique hotel!!!

AFTER –
And here it is! I am thrilled with the look but mostly its the quality and the ease of use that has really blown me away. We have set it to three heights (completely open, dropped slightly to stop the sun, closed) and each setting looks great. We’ve also wall mounted the controller nearby for ease of use.

Overall I couldn’t be happier with this blind. The quality is great, it works brilliantly and looks so contemporary and stylish. Not having rods or chains makes the whole look so much cleaner and the automation via the remote controller feels so luxe. Any decent DIY’er could put it up especially using the battery motor option and the website has so much information any question you could have can be easily answered. Prices start at £90.00 – and find the rest of the Order Electric Blinds roller blind range (including an amazing Orla Kiely range) here.

*this was a gifted item but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

MY STYLE: The Kitchen/Diner

| blueskygirlie

My fiancé and I are currently in the process of doing up our home but one area that is done is the kitchen/diner. Whenever I share images of it on Instagram it always gets a great reaction and in todays blog I show some of the styling in more detail.

The Diner:

Two rooms have been knocked through and the diner part of the kitchen is all about curves. An original 1960’s Arkana tulip table and chair set takes pride of place (I had the seat pads reupholstered into a more child friendly brown vinyl) and a curved statement lamp provides focused light with inset ceiling spotlights providing the general room lighting. Many of my favourite posessions sit in this space together including a lot of pieces by the designer Piero Fornasetti which I collect…Table & chairs / eBay,  Side table / eBay,  Lamp / Marks & Spencer,  Gazelle head / Marks & SpencerLarge artwork & frame / IKEA, Black & white canvas artwork / Primark Home, Vintage robots / eBayFornasetti upholstered chair / eBay, Fornasetti cushion / eBay,  Black & white cushion / Primark HomeVintage vases & bowls / eBayFornasetti ‘Themes and Variations’ plates / Selfridges, Liberty, eBaySet of drawers / Matalan,  Balloon dog / The Range,  ‘Endless Style’ trinket box / Wilkinsons

The Kitchen:

Looking back from the diner into the kitchen the main focal point is our orange Smeg fridge/freezer. This is a strong design statement but luckily the kitchen itself is all simple white gloss with no visible handles which the previous owner had installed and I, miraculously, liked! (the worktops, like the cupboards, were here when we moved in and not my ideal worktop choice but until I can afford granite they will have to stay…)Fridge / Smeg, Toaster / Dualit,  Kitchen roll holder / Alessi, Canvas art / WilkinsonsDish rack / House of FraserStorage jars / Alessi,  Spoon rest / IKEA,  Utensil pot / Homebase, Utensils / Dunelm Mill, TK Maxx, SainburysJuicer / Alessi, Salt Mill / Matalan, Pepper Mill / SainburysHello sign / Primark

We are working through the house one room at a time but this area is one that I just love to be in. And the next area of attack? We have the finishing touches to add to the master bedroom and then a big project – to create a utility room, cloakroom and study in a space that is currently derelict!!! Watch this space…

Find my previous blog on what we did to the hall, stairs and landing here.

The thing I fell in love with this week

| blueskygirlie

AFAW Rug : £45.50 – La Redoute

I first saw this rug on Erica Davis’ (the-edited.com) Instagram feed and immediately loved it. I love her style and I assumed it was a £300+ Morrocan number which would be way out of my budget. When she blogged about where it was from and now much it was retailing for I couldn’t believe it! We had just finished decorating our bedroom in a rather dark and dramatic teal colour and were looking for light accessories to add to the room and it was absolutely perfect.The quality of the rug is really good. Its is a shaggy Berber style rug and looks much more expensive than it was.Its really soft too and makes the perfect little chill out spot… This is the smaller size at 120cm x 170cm (its in a bedroom) but they have 2 other larger sizes and the same design in an inverted colour scheme – a black base with white pattern and also a cream and brown. Photo – La Redoute

Find it here – be quick though it is 40% off in the sale and La Redoute sale pieces sell out fast! For the full range of clothing and home check out the website – www.laredoute.co.uk – its definitely one of my new favourites.

My vintage buy of the week

| blueskygirlie

Welcome to another of my new semi regular blogs! As you may know I run a business on Etsy selling vintage items and often end up keeping things I fall in love with.

In these blogs I will share what I’ve bought and why (hopefully) it was a good buy! 

Currently I am adding the finishing touches to our bedroom re-vamp and am on the look-out for unusual and quirky pieces to add an ‘Anthropologie’ (the shop) vibe to the room but at a more realistic price. So far La Redoute and TK Maxx has been my friend but those good old charity shops are providing some unique touches too.

So say hello to this little fella! I love owls and this 1950’s/60’s French porcelain trinket pot is a great collectable.  Nice quality pieces like this are always a good investment and sell very quickly when I have them in my Etsy shop, plus – well look at him, he’s adorable!

And here he is, in position in the bedroom. I do love mixing different types of vintage storage together for a eclectic look and best of all my huge jewellery collection is almost getting organised!



Owl trinket pot via Cancer Research charity shop

What bargains have you found recently in the world of charity and vintage shops? I would love to know…

To shop my Etsy Shop click here
To shop my eBay shop (where vintage clothing ends up) shop here
To follow my Instagram (where most of my buys get shared first) follow me here 

Look out more more vintage buys in coming weeks…

The thing I fell in love with this week

| blueskygirlie

Initial cushions £5 each via George Home

They are smaller style cushions – on the website they are described as 30cm x 30cm but are smaller in reality. I’d say more like 20cm x 20cm but very plump. I have to say though, I liked them even more smaller as they dont look too over the top style-wise.

The quality of these cushions are great – I was expecting a printed design but the fronts are a type of needlepoint with plain backs and removable inners so they can be washed.

And here they are! One for Sarah and one for Russ – as you can see I sleep on the left side of the bed 😉Find the whole range here – as well as A- Z there are numbers, a heart, hashtags, ampersands and a question mark!  

I’ve not seen these in store (I would imagine thats because theres so many different versions to display) but you can order them in to any local Asda store with a click and collect service for free to save on delivery charges.

Do you love these too? Look out for more things I’ve fallen in love with coming soon…

My vintage buy of the week

| blueskygirlie

Welcome to another of my new semi regular blogs! As you may know I run a business on Etsy selling vintage items and often end up keeping things I fall in love with

In these blogs I will share what I’ve bought and why (hopefully) it was a good buy! 

Todays buy may be small but it holds its own! A minature 1960’s blown glass vase it was the perfect colour to add to a grouping of glass I’ve been adding to in our lounge. Isn’t it cute?


Highly collectable and growing in value its a great little buy. Plus I ADORE retro glass!

And here it is in its new home…


1960’s mini vase via RSPCA charity shop

What bargains have you found recently in the world of charity and vintage shops? I would love to know…

To shop my Etsy Shop click here

To shop my eBay shop (where vintage clothing ends up) shop here

To follow my Instagram (where most of my buys get shared first) follow me here

Look out more more vintage buys in coming weeks…

Easter Bank Holiday Weekend Inspiration

| blueskygirlie

Happy Easter! What ever your personal beliefs, this weekend in the UK is a double bank holiday weekend for most of us that we can spend with our families, hopefully seeing some sunshine, having fun and treating ourselves to lots of naughty food.  I’m a great believer in seizing any free time I have and making the most of it while creating some great memories at the same time. However that is easier said than done – in todays blog I share some things I do to acheive just that. 

Start the day right

Make a healthy breakfast exciting using boiled eggs (well it is Easter!) and some carefully chosen egg cups – I love this stylish cutie by Buddy and Bear or try Etsy or NotOntheHighStreet.com for similar contemporary designs. For a more eclectic look, seek out vintage ones and create a mismatched set.

 photo Buddy and Bear via EtsyUK 

Or maybe choose not so healthy… Creme egg stacked pancakes, you say? Easy to make (one egg per stack was enough sweetness for us) and very, very indulgent.  Yes it’s laden with calories but for one day over Easter it makes an amazing treat! 

Dress for it     

Spring means we can start dressing in pastels and cute prints again so lets embrace it. Spend Easter digging out some of your summer clothing and styling them up to feel and look great.  I love being able to get out of dark jumpers and boots and embrace something more joyful! Fingers crossed the sun shines too…        

Get crafty

More free time means more time for activities! I do like a project with the kids – for Roald Dahl day Reuben and I made this Mr Twit beard as seen below and this Easter I want to make some of these amazing giant origami rabbits that I saw on the wonderful Oh Happy Day blog. Find the tutorial here.   Photo via Oh Happy Day

Have an egg and spoon race

Want to get the kids off their games consoles/TV’s and out into the fresh air? An egg and spoon race is easy to do and you dont need to buy anything. We use plastic toy eggs (find race sets in most Easter seasonal aisles) but you can easily use chocolate or hard boiled versions instead.  On your marks, get set, GO!!!

 

Make and bake

If the weathers not so good, another great activity is to bake cakes or make some other special treats to share. We recently made homemade Lemonade as a family (à la Diary of a Wimpy kid) which the boys loved doing and often make cakes over Easter (see our 4yr olds nursery-made offering from this week below). This year we’ve made Spring themed fairy cakes together and I’m sure they will all get gobbled up soon. 

   

  
 

Go for a special day out 

Ok, it can be expensive to go on big days out but across the two weeks of the school Easter holiday we always try and fit one day trip in. Look for 2 for 1 offers, discount codes or free events – whether its to a theme park, zoo or just the beach or play area its perfect for making those special memories. And lets be honest – who doesn’t want to act like a kid again for the day?!?

     Do an Easter Egg Hunt

Easter wouldn’t be Easter without chocolate eggs but I do like my kids to work for them! Last year we hid them throughout the house and garden and our three boys had to follow clues to track them down…they loved it! We will do the same this Sunday, as well as give them a couple of their favourite chocolate bar eggs too.

 
Do some exercise

After all that indulgence some hard work is required to balance all those calories out…I know it’s boring but if you eat lots of chocolate and treats you have to exercise. As someone whos lost a lot of weight and now exercises regularly I will make sure, holiday or not, I’ll run my usual 5k run. As well as meaning you dont put on weight its great to de-stress, have some ‘me-time’ and clear your head and for me, Spring is THE best season to run in.

  
 

So make the most of those extra days of fun with the people you care for the most and make this Easter one to remember!

All photos via my Instagram unless otherwise stated. Follow me on Instagram for lots more here.

The thing I have fallen in love with this week: Hello Spring!

| blueskygirlie

Over the last few days it feels like we’ve finally left winter and slowly moved into Spring. Ok, its not totally here, but the suns been shining, there’s flowers blooming everywhere and Easter and all its sweet treats is on the way.  

I need some inspiration – I need bright. I need cheerful. I need cute!!!

In todays ‘The thing I’ve fallen in love with this week’ blog I share the things that are making me smile so far this March. I couldn’t pick one thing so I’ve gone for a few (I do love doing a flat lay!). Bright, fun and sweet is the name of the game…

 

Clouds zipped purse – Cath Kidston
Vintage coral necklace – Etsy
Purse and brooch – New Look
Nail polish – Superdrug
Hello Fashion Monthly – subscribe here
Pineapple dish – Debenhams
Vintage Mother of Pearl necklace – Etsy
Pineapple vase – Store TwentyOne
Scarf – Echo
Love Sick book by Jessie Cave – Amazon
Vintage glass dish – Etsy
Mike and Ike American candy – B&M stores
Mason Jar cup – Poundworld
Face pot stand and beaker – Tiger Stores
Twizzlers American candy – B&M stores
Clouds Gola trainers – Cath Kidston
Hand Food hand cream & Butter Me Up body butter – Soap & Glory 

 

Bright colours and cute designs lift my spirits. I love the Cath Kidston cloud design (well I am the blue sky girl!) and my new Echo scarf is perfect for Spring styling. The yellow Pineapple vase from Store TwentyOne was a bargain must have and ‘Love Sick’ by Jessie Cave is a book of her doodles on love and relationships and it is very funny and VERY relatable…

 

Regular followers of my blog know I love Hello Fashion Monthly (a bargain at £1.50 each month) and I couldn’t live without Soap & Glory products – I can’t shower, scrub or cleanse with anything else! If you like a jelly bean (as I do), it doesn’t get better than American brand Mike and Ike and when I saw that Pineapple dish in Debenhams I just had to have it…

I feel more cheerful already! So, what are you loving for Spring?  

For more flat lay product inspiration follow me on Instagram – here.