Growing Spaces

Is white bed linen really the only option?

Is white bed linen really the only option?

I can’t remember the last time I had bed linen that wasn’t white (or the lightest grey). I’ve been a firm believer in white bed linen for as long as I can remember, but when I posted about this recently, the very lovely Clarissa Hulse dropped me a message setting me a challenge to give something else a go. I’ve loved Clarissa’s colourful screen-printed patterns for a decade – she even treated me to a go at screen-printing my own cushion cover a couple of years ago – but I’ve never taken the plunge and tried any of her designs on…

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Creating a reading nook with Sharps fitted furniture

Creating a reading nook with Sharps fitted furniture

When I first visited the Sharps flagship showroom on Baker Street, there was an empty space between the two spacious fitted wardrobes in the Henley set. With the window above, we decided it was the perfect spot to build a window seat – extra storage with drawers below, and a comfy seat on top (upholstered in the same fabric as the headboard). Reading nooks are big news in interiors right now – little cosy spots to snuggle up with a good book – so that’s exactly what I wanted to use the window seat for when I gave the bedroom a relaxed country…

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Modern garden makeover

Modern garden makeover

It’s been a real labour of love, but finally our garden makeover is finished and I can share some proper pictures. We have an odd, L-shaped garden and the bit we’ve focused on is an awkward area that runs along one side of the house. It’s a tricky space as a lot of it is shaded, plus it’s an access route through to the side gate, and it’s where we keep our dustbins. It also had dirty and broken concrete paving slabs, and a large and ugly 1970s concrete screen wall. I guess I’d better show you what it looked like before, although…

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My top tips for open-plan family living

My top tips for open-plan family living

Time for some honesty. These pictures of my home aren’t the best I’ve ever taken, but I’m currently wallowing in a bit of blogger’s block, and I felt like I just needed to move forward and write a post in order to try to tackle the impasse. Work has been really busy recently, so I haven’t had much brain space for the blog, or time to potter at home, with the result that everything feels a bit neglected and unloved. Sometimes this is just the way life is, and I think I have to find a way to accept that…

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DIY black and white painted pillowcases

DIY black and white painted pillowcases

  1. Project via Go Forth I almost got rid of a load of plain white pillowcases in my recent decluttering drive, but instead I bought myself some black fabric paint, with a printing project in the back of mind. Then the pillowcases and the paint got put aside and have been cluttering up my craft cupboard ever since. In the hope of kick-starting my crafting mojo again, here are a few DIY pillowcase crafts that inspire me. Now where did I put that paint again… 2. Project via Sinnen Rausch 3. Project via Wimke 4. Project via Butik Sofie…

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