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Colourful interior inspiration from a retro + boho Berlin apartment
Get inspiration for a happy, vibrant, mid-century interior from this apartment tour of interior designer & artist Melanie Mahrhold’s retro, boho home…
Get inspiration for a happy, vibrant, mid-century interior from this apartment tour of interior designer & artist Melanie Mahrhold’s retro, boho home…
If you’re planning a party for New Year’s Eve, why not make it a retro one? Step back in time to the 70s and recreate the cocktail cabinet that all mid-century housewives wished they had. We’ve styled up this G Plan Fresco cabinet with vintage barware and snacks so here’s
Here’s some of the personalised and retro gifts I’ve picked up for my husband this year, and I hope they’ll help you get your gift list in order too…
If you’re planning to entertain over Christmas and New Year, it’s a great idea to have a cocktail cabinet ass a place to serve delicious drinks to your guests. Here’s how to make your own DIY retro bar from an old display cabinet…
This week’s DIY project is a little different to my usual kitchen renovation posts; I’m turning some printed tea towels into framed art work for my kitchen alcove. Here’s how I did it, step-by-step…
Today I wanted to update you on our bedroom decorating project and share a quick review of my new duvet. You may remember that I’ve been waiting for my bed to be delivered and it has finally arrived! I spent the weekend with a screwdriver in my hand, assembling my
Ever since I stumbled upon my first orange LP case at a vintage record market I knew that this was the pattern I wanted to base my entire living room on. I loved the vibrant colours and the crowded floral print epitomised everything I loved about 60s and 70s design. I’d already been searching for
I’m quite picky about the brands that I feature on this blog – I only ever talk about my favourites – and as a thrifty retail kinda gal, the products I share need to be the best bargains around. So when the lovely team at MyOptique got in touch with
Ever since I framed up a selection Christmas quotes and hung them on my living room walls during the festive period, I’ve been thinking ahead to the new year and what I could replace these seasonal posters for the rest of the year. I’ve already made the holes in my
It’s raining. It’s cold. The mornings are dark. And there is condensation on my windows. Yes, I think I can officially claim that it is autumn. I know I’ve been banging on about the season for the past couple of weeks, but I’ve not really been feeling it, because it’s
Just a quick photo today of the lovely bunch of sunflowers that hubby brought home for us this weekend. These bright yellow sunflower heads bring a much-needed injection of sunshine into our retro living room for autumn now that the weather is turning grey. The flowers are arranged in our chunky Hornsea storage tub which
A couple of Fridays ago I shared my first attempt at making cake-pops with you and I hope you’ve since had a go at making them for yourselves. I did the stick-two-halves-together method of cake-pop making, using a silicone cake-pop tray from Dunelm Mill. If you remember, I had to
If you’ve been following my interior design series for my mid-century modern living room over the past few months, you’ll know how keen I am on retro design and how I am trying to recreate a swish designer look on a budget – check out some of my previous articles
If you’re looking to create a welcoming, stylish and homely look in your living room, giving your home décor a retro twist is a great place to start. The versatility of the retro look means that you can make your interior design as subtle or as all-out as you want.
Now that we’ve entered British Summertime and now that the weekends are finally getting warmer and the weather is ever-improving, I’ve started to feel like its time to dust off the old picnic equipment and get out there for some al fresco dining. And what better excuse do I need
After putting up my retro pattern wallpaper, I thought I had nearly completed my retro 60s/70s-inspired living room, but I don’t think I’ll ever really be finished, especially when there are so many vintage bargains to be found in the charity shops and at car boot sales. This week I was
You may remember this blog post that I wrote when I found my first record box from the vintage vinyl fair at Southwold last year. I have never loved a record box, or any storage for that matter, “at first sight” but this time it was different. Because it was orange.
You may remember that I was contemplating a rather massive decision at the start of the year – which wallpaper to use to finish off my retro-inspired living room. Although I’ve looked a quite a few garish colours and loud patterns, I settled on a fairly muted beige and brown base
Having nearly finished my retro-inspired makeover of my living, I am now looking at the other rooms in my home to see which needs attention next, and my out-dated bathroom is definitely near the top of the list! I was discussing this with fellow blogger and my twitter friend Helen
I hope you remember that, for most of last year, I have been working on the decor of my living-room of my new home, and although its taken ages (due to limited funds and time-consuming bargain hunting!), its nearing completion. Here’s the link to my mood board if you’d like
I’ve been doing a mini-makeover on the living room of my new home this year and you may have spotted my previous blog posts about my retro-inspired interior design choices. This post is kind of about a few more retro items that I’ve picked up recently – a couple of
Now that I am at the stage of adding the finishing touches to my retro living room, my attention has turned to lighting and I wanted to get a couple of lamps and shades that would compliment the 50s and 60s style that I’ve used throughout the room so far.
I’ve already blogged about finding vintage fabrics and making some unique retro cushions for my 60s-inspired living room design, but here’s a post on the rest of the soft furnishings in my living room, including throws and curtains. I am looking for clashing patterns and, of course, lovely orange shades to
I was lucky enough to find this set of vintage RSPB placemats and coasters in almost brand-new condition at the Shakespeare Hospice Furniture Shop in Stratford Upon Avon and although I loved the autumnal bird design straight away, I wasn’t sure what I would do with them. I don’t often need placemats and I already
On a (British) holiday earlier this month, I had my first ever Sno-kone! And it has quickly become my new favourite. I found this classic American treat in a retro sweet shop called The Sweet Hut in the seaside town of Felixstowe in Suffolk. It’s the kind of kooky shop
As you probably know by now, I am slowly but surely funking up my living room to create a kitsch 50s/60s/70s look and, as Lego was invented in 1958 and was the must-have toy of the time, I’ve looked into getting some bright & plastic-y Lego accessories. This Lego-brick CD
I am pleased to say that I’ve got another freebie for my retro living room design project – an armchair that was on its way from a vintage furniture shop to the dump. It didn’t exactly look like this when my hubby brought it home to me; it had a cream
As many of you know, I’m collecting together a few pieces of furniture, amazing art and lovely soft furnishings to create a retro-inspired, if a little garish, living room interior design project. If you’ve not yet seen my mood-board here it is again: And how’s this for a pretty similar sideboard
At a record fair that I went to recently, I was browsing the music when the record boxes caught my eye – there were a couple of wooden orange ones, that I thought would be a lovely addition to my retro living room ‘theme’. Luckily, my sister-in-law knows about my penchant for
I saw this funky retro-inspired photograph when I was recently browsing on artist Mable Tan’s website Happee Monkee and instantly knew it would be perfect for my 50s, 60s & 70s interior design project (here’s my mood board). You may remember that I shared an interview with Mable Tan on my blog recently and
As you probably already know about me, I’m quite thrifty and I like to get a bargain but this one takes the biscuit – I got this lovely retro table completely free! I was pretty lucky with this one, as it was sat outside a house nearby (I was just
I needed a couple of cushions to chuck on my sofa that would tie in the retro theme (here’s the blog post) that I’m working on for the living room and I’d looked everywhere and couldn’t find the kind of thing I had in mind. But luckily enough, I spotted
If you’ve got grown-ups to buy for this Christmas, here are some fun, creative and interesting present ideas that they’ll enjoy unwrapping on the big day. Check out this selection to get your shopping sorted at the start of December…
Teenagers are possibly the trickiest age group to buy gifts for. Who knows what’s cool or not – especially when trends change from one week to the next? Here are some fun presents that’ll delight any teen when they unwrap them at Christmas…
When a home feels a little too cold in winter or a bit too warm in summer, the windows are often part of the reason. These 8 small upgrades can make a big difference without the need to stretch your budget too far…
When it’s cold outside and the days are short, it’s tempting to hunker down inside our homes until the spring arrives. However, for your health and wellbeing, it’s important to spend time outdoors and creativity can help with that. Here’s how…
If, like me, you love mid-century modern furniture but don’t want a home that looks stuck in the past, here’s how I’ve created my own ‘modern mid-century’ office in my 1950s home, plus the first steps of my DIY makeover…
If you love to save time and money, it’s likely that these handy life hacks will be helpful for you. From home to health, food to fun, here are some low-cost yet effective solutions for cutting the cost of your everyday expenses to help you better your budget…
If there’s a birthday, anniversary or celebration coming up and you want to give that special someone a gift that’s not only ideal for them but is also a frugal option, here’s how sending a selection of treats is the ideal solution…
Step inside the untouched interior of this stunning South Carolina house, filled with mid-century modern details and lovingly restored by Sarah Nielsen. Prepare to fall in love with 1950s design and decor…
Whether you’ve just launched a start-up or have an established indie business, here are some ideas to help you streamline some of your work-related operations to become safer and more sustainable…
Rising energy prices are putting serious pressure on small businesses, making it harder to control operating costs. So how do you stay profitable if you’re running an independent business? Here are some actionable ideas for cutting the cost of your business bills…
Managing your family finances can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t need to be overly complicated. By implementing a few simple strategies, you can take control of your finances, save more effectively, and even find new ways to make money…
While home maintenance isn’t the most glamorous of tasks, it’s key to keeping your house in excellent condition and to help you avoid costly future repairs. Here are 5 tips you should tick off your DIY list right now…
When it comes to fashion, there’s an age-old debate between quantity and quality. It might seem like the latter option is more expensive, but investing in high-quality pieces can actually save you money in the long run. Here are a few reasons why it’s okay to spend your money on
If you want to make a splash with a new decor scheme this year or are even a bigger renovation project within your home, here are some affordable ideas that’ll help you achieve the look you want whilst sticking to your budget…
Many people find the first few months of the year really difficult – with grey days and cold weather, this season can feel very demotivating and drab. However, there are lots of fun things you can do to stay happy during the winter – here are just a few…
If you love a bit of Christmas crafting in the run-up to the big day, here’s a cute crochet project that’ll help you to make your own string of fairy lights to add a fun retro vibe to your festive decorations…
If you’re looking around your home and thinking it might be time to move – wait a moment. Perhaps there are a few updates that would make it into your dream home? Today I’m sharing my own plans for some interior upgrades that will make all the difference…
When you’ve got teenagers to buy for at Christmas, it can be tricky to find something they’ll like or that suits their interests. So, here are some interesting tech treats, arty items and thoughtful gifts that a teen will love…
With the evenings drawing in and the weather taking a turn, all those outdoor meet-ups or after-work beer garden gatherings are off the cards. Here are some alternative ideas for activities you can do with friends during those autumn evenings…
If you’re hoping to make savings on your wedding, one easy area to cut costs in on the accessories and jewellery – yes, even your wedding rings! Here’s how to stick to a frugal budget when planning outfits for yourself, bridesmaids and groomsmen…
Take a tour around stylist Katie Rowe’s late-Victorian terrace and get inspiration for creating a chic interior that combines retro design, simple Scandi style and classic mid-century modern furniture.
If you want to inject a dash of personality into your big day, a few well-thought-out touches can make all the difference. Plus, if you include the things you love, it can help you to feel more comfortable, too…
Having your own personal space is a huge deal, especially when it comes to homes. Ensuring privacy for your family gives them peace of mind and a calm feeling of safety. Here are some simple home improvement ideas that’ll help…
If your home heating needs a refresh, don’t wait until the winter to get it up to speed. For a thrifty upgrade, you need to be sorting out your system in the summer – here’s why:
Summer style is synonymous with lightness, comfort and trends that can handle the heat while delivering lovely, fresh looks. In this guide, I’ll explore how to make the most of your existing wardrobe to get it ready for the sunny season…
A fellow Picquot Ware enthusiast recently got in touch with me to share their experience of revamping their own teapot. Here are some handy hints that you can try yourself…
We all want our homes to look and feel like a space we can be proud of. However, to really achieve this, we need to spend money. But what happens when you can’t afford to dip into your savings right now? Here are some each home hacks to elevate your
Although there’s plenty of spooky fun to be had at this time of year, I thought it would be handy to suggest some alternative activities that kids can enjoy during the rest of the school half-term holiday…
Auctions and estate sales offer opportunities for thrifty folk to get great deals on all sorts of amazing items. If you’ve always been interested in this scene, but never had the courage to actually get involved, here’s an introduction to all you need to know to start your thrifting journey…
If you’re travelling with children over the school summer holidays, here are some ideas for compact games that you can take with you to play while you’re waiting for transport or when you arrive at your destination…
When a wedding is on the horizon and you’re sticking to a budget there are countless things to think about, so take the catering off your list with these handy tips to help you cut the cost of feeding your guests…
As a new homeowner, finding innovative ways to store your belongings is essential for maintaining a clutter-free and organised living space. Here are my ultimate space-saving storage ideas…
While the prospect of getting engaged can set happy butterflies bumbling around your stomach, the feeling often gets tempered by the thought of having to pay for all that this entails. Here’s how to save money on your engagement…
If you’ve got teenagers in your family or just want to treat your friends, I’ve come up with this guide to Easter gifts that adults and high-school age youngsters will love.
As the clocks spring forward this weekend, I thought it would be the perfect time to figure out how to minimise the effects of the time change on our brains and to make sure we can still get a great night’s sleep throughout BST…
If you’ve been finding it hard to get going in the morning, feeling sluggish in the afternoon or heading to bed earlier than usual in the evening, don’t worry. At this time of year it can be difficult to maintain your energy levels so here are some tips to get
It would be nice to enjoy a bit of family time over Christmas but, these days, it’s more likely that each member of the family will be glued to their own phones or devices rather than spending time together. Here are a few suggestions to get your family to spend
Why not turn an old piece of furniture into a drinks cabinet so that you’re ready to host plenty of fun parties this festive season? Here’s a step-by-step guide to DIY a funky bar from any kind of old writing desk or bureau…
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