I first chatted with Claire many MANY moons ago when I wrote about her fantastic projects for Reloved magazine. Since then, I’ve been an avid follower of her blog Pillar Box Blue and have often been inspired by her DIYs so I thought you’d like to see her projects too.
If ever a home could be described as unique or eclectic, this is it. Every room in Claire’s house is full of her colourful projects, each of them handmade by Claire and complete one-offs.
In fact, you probably won’t find a space in the house that DOESN’T contain an upcycled piece or one of Claire’s hand-sewn fabric designs. Just look at that patchwork denim throw above and the padded stags head below – fantastic stuff!
I love the way Claire uses denim to create fabric projects, including this storage pocket wall hanging below. Denim is such a durable material and we all have old jeans that are ripe for upcycling – it just goes to show that you should never throw a pair away!
I’ve long admired Claire’s use of maps in her decoupage projects – if you’ve seen my Map Geek category on my own blog, you’ll know how much of a map fan I am. So, you can imagine how exciting it is for me to log onto Claire’s blog and see another upcycling project featuring vintage maps.
I especially love the way that Claire uses colour in her home. Although the walls are kept fairly neutral, the wallpaper designs, patterned textiles and vibrant colours she uses in her upcycling projects inject an eye-catching dash of colour.
Decorating an interior in neutral hues and then changing the furnishings to create a new colour theme is one of my favourite money-saving decor tips. I love to completely update the look of my white rooms with a change of sofa cushions or the addition of a colourful lampshade.
Another idea to be inspired by is using a bright primary colour when upcycling furniture. There’s no need to restore something old to its ‘original’ look when you can give it a modern makeover with a bright pop of cherry red!
What do you think of Claire’s vibrant home? It’s such a lovely idea to personalise your interior with your favourite colours, patterns and textures – it makes for a much more interesting interior, that’s for sure!
One last project to mention is this pineapple side table below. It was featured in Reloved magazine and it’s one of my favourite upcycling projects that Claire’s competed, I love the traditional-meets-tropical look!
For more inspiration for unique sewing and upcycling projects be sure to check out Claire’s blog Pillar Box Blue and follow her on Instagram for regular updates @pillarboxblue.
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