Having had a day off today I fancied a bit of a clear out.

Now living in a flat with minimal storage space can be a bit tricky when it comes to clutter, so a good clear out is essential now and then.

Sadly my storage problem means there is zero chance of becoming a hoarder which I admit I could probably become an A class hoarder given the chance!

Any who enough rambling! In my clear out I found an half empty can of tester paint that I had used on my coffee table a couple of months ago.

Now this paint needs a good primer and top coat to stay in top condition I however did not do this and unfortunately will have to sand down and redo the table again.

 (Don’t take shortcuts! Otherwise you will have a number of cup/plate stains all over your table)

Staring at the can for a good ten minutes I contemplated repainting the top of the coffee table before fighting off that urge and deciding to use it on something that will not get much wear and tear.

Having seen something similar on pinterest, I decided to just paint the legs of my table and leave the top unpainted.

Taking a break from my clear out I laid down a nice layer of magazine in the kitchen, and put on my crummy sweats I keep for painting and lazy days and got a paintin!

The before's 

 Now I just did one coat as I didn't have enough to do a second, but I’m going to leave it for a week or so and if I feel I need to redo it I will.

However I like the finish I got from one coat it isn't to sheer.

The after's         

As I haven't sourced any dining room chairs yet it is going to be my little desk for now.

For spur of the moment DIY job I don't think it worked out to bad.

                               what do you think?

Have you done any DIY lately? leave me a comment I would love to have a

look.

Ellen 

xxx

First home haul/tips

Having recently moved into my first home i have discovered that this means a new phase in my life.

Now surely I cannot be alone, once you get handed the keys to your new home it snowballs from there you think about it constantly everywhere you turn in your new place sparks more of it.

I am talking about my interior design phase!

now I went through the time before having my place walking through shops thinking about all the things I could do with my own space, this did help a lot when it came to bringing things together but until your stood there looking at it seeing what colours work and what doesn’t, I really recommended not buying any expensive or as I have started calling it "forever furniture" as my style has done a complete 360 already!

I have now spent many a night scouring pinterest for ideas of do it yourself guides as decorating a home can get pricey and googling words such as modern-esque, shabby chic, and minimalist.

My two peices of advice are,

Go room to room: decorate one room at a time don't do all at once, your vision for one room gets muddled together with all of them 

Give it time: even if you don't like something to start off, leave it for a bit and you might grow to love it or you can always take it away!

I still don’t know what direction I’m heading in but I do know that I have found some pieces that I’m loving and thought I would share.....

The glass frame I picked up from cargo for £6 originally I hung it on the wall but I looks far better sat atop something.

The candles are somewhat of a novelty gift that was given to me (most would probably throw them in the bin)

They are real wax vanilla smelling remote controlled candles, crazy as it sounds they actually look quite nice and you won’t have to worry about setting anything alight if you a have a little snooze on the sofa.

The air freshener sticks were a Christmas gift from a brand that I just can’t remember, however I highly recommended the Zara home sticks as an alternative. They smell amazing and last for ages

 

http://www.zarahome.com/gb/en/fragrance/black-vanilla-c1274029p5111381.html

Wine boxes that I was fortunate to get for free are perfect for dvd and book storage, I varnished the outside a dark brown ( you can see the original colour on the inside which I have decided I will varnish as well)

I loved them so much integrated them into my tv unit and once I have more will replace the cheaper looking middle unit.

 A pallet box I found outside a shop ready to be thrown out became perfect dvd storage, only slight downside to this excellent find is a cannot for the life of me find another!

I bought these from my local pound stretcher (one of the big ones that have everything) those French doors let a bit of a breeze through in the winter so these are ideal for keeping the living room toasty

£10.99 

At the back are two tinned wall mounts/signs (not to sure what they are called)

I picked these up for £5 each in Camden market, there was a lot to choose from and I will definitely being going back for more as not only do I love these but the market had a lot more variety than your local shops have if you want to take your decorating slightly more unique.

I found this in tk max (excellent home section) it was £6.99 

It was an absolute bargain and I’m going to have to go back and get more trays like this because they are just so handy for organising things, I know if I put my pen in this tray it will not go missing!

(This tray normally sits on my coffee table but I am repainting it so it has taken up residence on the side table for now)

I love this chalkboard perfect for writing down notes and day to day things 

I tried it on the wall but it just didn't seem right, so I have taken it down for now until I switch a few things up.

Tk max £16.99

Thanks for reading

Ellen 

xxx