Yesterday was bonkers, bonkers I tell you. Meetings then a quick trip to the store turned into an epic one (deliveries of new stock) including amazing rope dogs, life size at that. My phone died so I couldn’t take a picture but I will over the weekend they are out of this world. Flowers everywhere, Gem was in house and making up bouquets for restaurants, online orders and people popping in – crazy day. I should just say Gem is in over the weekend both days so if you are in Islington and want her to make you up something pop by, she might kill me for saying that as she has quite a few to make already, but anyways I’m on call I can always run in and work the till (not quite sure how the till works) but that as they say is a whole other problem!
Got home, sat in the chair in my coat (didn’t even have the energy to take it off) and thought about taking the top 3 floors of the house off and creating a bungalow as stairs, coupled with tiredness coupled with a bad knee are not a good combo!
Enough already – today is another day its actually Design School day, which I love. We are packed more than packed today with people coming from all over which is exciting. I need to whiz over the house and straighten a few things, tripped up a bone in the dark this morning and Mungo had re-arranged the laundry pile down the stairs it seems as there are socks, tops and god knows what else all over the place.
Without further ado I thought we might talk about the loo, or powder rooms as they say State side. You know those tiny rooms housing a loo, a sink and that is about it. Same goes for tiny bathrooms generally neglected I find painted ivy, cream or white, barely accessorised they have to be the most boring spaces on the planet. Why can’t the loo be as cool as say the living room. I get its tricky with little space, but painted out in a hue you wouldn’t normally go for, or wallpapered, or accessorised with a few bits and bobs takes it to a whole other level. Ours is about as small as they go, its bijou with no natural daylight so I decided to wood clad it, it cozied it up no end. The great thing about such spaces is because they are so tiny you can afford to take big risks – they are easy to return to their original state if you mess up. So push the colour wheel, push the wallpaper spectrum and dare to be different. Add the odd bloom, maybe a scented candle, the odd bit of art and you’re done, simple as that.
A few examples below – a wallpapered (check out the ceiling to) powder room by Nate Berkus and below that an image I use all the time because I love it, craft paper used as wallpaper in a tiny bathroom. Genius
Before I go just I wanted to say thank you to you guys, the stats on the blog and our new website have gone crazy of late. Not sure what I have done or am doing but thank you all for following, commenting buying and adding such a great dimension to my life.
Have a lovely weekend x
Ha ha, I know how you feel! I could literally crawl under my desk now and take a little nap!!
I so love that craft paper picture, if you find any paper like this please let me know as I am definitely doing this in one of my bathrooms.
Back to my little nap! if only.
x
We did our very small guest loo/cloackroom in F& Ball “pelt”, a dark purple aubergine. I certainly make is look boudoir and very original. But note: DARK hues from their F&B bathroom paint range is very sensitive to splashing, not good for full on bathroom. That was disappointing to say the least and they heard from me big time!
How odd! I am painting three rooms in my house – very much homage å la Ahern – just decided on bedroom (darkest forest green) and sitting room (rich brown) but am in a quandry over the bathroom (and I’ll be doing the loo too) so I said out loud just now ‘lets go and consult the oracle’ – so here I am haha – the oracle has spoken! ; ) – I’m thinking of doing the bathroom eau do nil all over, with a burnt orange sink unit (it’s currently grey with a pink unit) but I’m lovin that malachite wallpaper! I think I’ll mix up something from all the test pots (my fave way to find colours) for the loo – as you say it’s a small space, so you can do that with paint, unlike with a bigger room. Here goes!! I hope you recover your energy xx ps: I only have a couple of days that I can take off work, so I’ll be doing SPEED decorating!!
Hope it goes well your revamping of the loo the colours sound lovely, let me know how it all works out x
I think your stats are up because you write so well and seem like a ‘real’ person, plus I’m sick of all the ‘rules’!
(btw, I have just painted our ‘grown-ups’ telly room a really dark coppery brown and it’s love!)
Thank you, loving the sound of your coppery brown btw
Oh dear the drama has been in the bedroom (but not in the way I’d like ; )…well the dark green that looked so good in the sample (and ahem in that fab Rue cover you posted – I should know not to copy mag pics too closely) looked abysmal! I kept hoping it would look better if I painted a bit more, but it didn’t!! It was just too masculine, and looked like racing green – a colour I don’t like. Lost decorating mojo completely, in haste went and bought a big tin of a colour very like London Clay, and re-painted in that. I’m still not thrilled with it (like I was with the deep greeny blues I started off with) – it’s chic, and channelling Biba and Studio 54 like mad, but it’s a bit chilly and doesn’t lift the spirits. It’s like you say Abigail – trust the gut – choosing both those colours was an intellectual decision, and I should know better!! I’m ploughing ahead – can’t face a third coat, and I have a 5 yr old – the house is a tip and need to move on…it does look very cool with all my bright pink and yellow bits though…As for the bathrooms – on back burner for now. Have a good week all x
I’ve done the same thing with paint colours so you are not alone, the big thing is to somehow in a little while get back on the wagon and go for it which I know is easier said than done but if it helps I’ve done it myself – willed a room to work even though in my heart as soon as I’ve stood back and taken it all in have hated the colour.
Yes, thankyou, wise words. It’s typical that I should be stuck on the bedroom, because it’s been needing attention for so long now. I did the house up to sell, so painted everything light colours, and my bedroom was always the last room to get tlc – it’s been looking tatty and cold (it’s north facing). Now I’m trying to give it time, but (and this is why people stop decorating too soon I think) I just can’t take the chaos any more! I’ll have to leave it dark brown for a bit and just have a think about it – I need to get onto other rooms, I’m trying to sandwich it in between work and all the other commitments of life. The room looked better as soon as I’d painted the floor and windows – it gives it real conviction. I love your post today – I have had that Roman and Williams book in my shopping bag on Amazon for ages. I also find that stopping looking at interiors can be a big help – it can get a bit incestuous…I go to a museum or an art gallery and get some mental fresh air – note to self ; ). Likewise when I worked in fashion I used to get fed up with looking at clothes – my antidote was New Scientist!! My mum’s an interior designer, and she said (about my colour woes) ‘I always find I come unstuck if I try to be too clever” I think that’s kind of what you’re saying? x
Very wise words of advice
Did you take all the aweseome photos with your handphone?
No they were all shot by a professional photographer Graham Atkins Hughes
Oops I mean AWESOME