Hello hello,
Those who follow secretgardenhome Instagram might have noticed that our hallway has benefited from two new hooks.
I got these two stag head hooks at Homesense a while ago, so was happy to find home for them. They look happy in our hallway, don’t you think?
Have a lovely weekend.
Every week I write about a new inspiring place/website from an interior perspective.
This week I would encourage you to visit Battlesbridge Antiques and Craft Centre.
I tend to go there every 2 months is search for unusual home accessories. The centre is spread across many buildings and spaces, and it forms a good size antiques’ village.
You won’t leave disappointed. You can even pick up interesting garden ornaments there.
The centre is open 7 days a week, and has got few lovely cafes, so make a day of it.
Have you ever been there? Do you visit antiques centres in your area?
Hello Everyone,
Hope you are enjoying today’s weather after yesterday’s downpour.
I forgot to share with your our ebay find.
Our kitchen is almost complete, but was missing a table. I envisaged having a round wooden extendable table to accommodate our friends and family.
We managed to secure a beautiful table on ebay for less than… Ready! For less than £30!!! And who says you can’t find real bargain if you really looking for it.
I’m planning to paint the table’s legs and the chairs in one of Annie Sloan’s chalk paint colours. I’m currently considering Old white, Paris Grey and Paloma.
Have you upcycled furniture before? Have you used Annie Sloan’s chalk paint? Any advice you’d like to share?
Enjoy Bank holiday Monday!
Hi All,
Hope you had a great weekend soaking up the sun.
A quick note from me to show you how the kitchen transformation is progressing.
We managed to secure an excellent carpenter who was working very hard to make our dream kitchen come true (if you live in Essex, and looking for a carpenter, get in touch).
We still need to paint the room and sort out the electrics, but we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel…
I’m going to start looking for a wooden extending round table, which I could restore.
What do you think of our new kitchen? Any advice about the wooden table?
Every week I write about a new inspiring place, website, shop, gallery etc. . This time is about craftsmanship.
I came across this furniture workshop years ago when taking a walk from Brick Lane to the Columbia Road flower market. Unto This Last takes pride in ‘offering the convenience of the local craftsman’s workshop at mass-production prices’ (read: good quality at affordable prices).
Unto This Last is the title of a book written in 1860 by John Ruskin who advocated a return to the local craftsman workshops, having a few doubts about the human cost of the Industrial Revolution.
Please have a look at my favourite pieces of furniture created there.
Unfortunately, they are only based in London, but if we support them, they hopefully will grow and duplicate their lovely workshop in other locations.
Let me know what you think.
Image source: Untothislast
Last Sunday I went to my local Debenhams, and was impressed by a beautiful collection of home accessories designed by Matthew Williamson.
Butterfly Home is full of inspirations, and affordable (they’ve got a sale on).
Let me know what you think.
I’m going to be away for a week, so shall see you around Friday next week.
Images of accessories were taken from Debenhams’ website.
In a moment of insanity, we purchased a design lampshade. The design has been created by Guillaume Lyons educated at Goldsmiths College, University of London.
Since his graduation, Guillaume has been working on a new style of design he called Kaigami, which can be described as the art of bending flat flexible sheet material to create three-dimensional functional items, in this case beautiful pendant shades.
We fell in love with the shade below. It’s exactly what we were looking for our newly decorated front room.
Source: kaigami.com via secretgardenhome on Pinterest
However, for some bizarre reason, I didn’t realise it’s going to come in a flat pack, so all the fun with putting it together belongs to us. Time for some origami…I mean kaigami. Watch this space!
Happy 2013 to All my Readers! Hopefully it’s going to be kind to us! Wishing you lots of great creative ideas and interior inspirations!
Our New Year’s resolution is to finish the house! I couldn’t be bothered this year to write any personal resolutions as I know I won’t have time for anything apart from redecorating and sourcing interiors. But you know what, I love it! And I love telling you all about it!
A quick round up of what we did in 2012:
What else we’ve got left to do:
1. Finish living room
2. Repaint the main door
3. Second reception room/library
4. New floors downstairs
5. Utility room
6. Bathroom
7. And the kitchen
The last two are going to be the most expensive and will require lots of research.
As soon as we finish the heavy DIY, we’ll be able to focus on more pleasurable part: hanging frames, getting accessories and general interior styling. Can’t wait!
Wish us luck!
What are you planning to do in your home this year?
Dear Readers, time for a new column on this blog. From now on, every Tuesday, you can expect a new post about areas, shops, hotels, pubs, websites etc. that, in my opinion, are likely to inspire you and help you create your ideal home. I’m hoping to provide you with lots of new design ideas and inspirations.
The very first one is going to be about Warsaw Praga, Poland. My grandma used to live there, on the 11 Listopada street. Ever since I remember, it was a rough part of town. The forgotten place, inconvenient for some and full of people society didn’t want to remember or was scared of. Numerous drinking dens, ‘meliny’, stinking of homemade vodka and kids with dirty faces swearing their hearts out put visitors off for years. Walking along the streets of Zabkowska or Brzeska one was sure to hold their belongings tightly in case a cheeky young lad jumped out of a doorway to claim one’s purse.
On the other hand, Praga was always full of charm with its pre-war architecture (it was not demolished during the Second World War), beautiful buildings and flats with high ceilings and far more living space than the communist blocks. Owing to its bad reputation, the cost of living was much cheaper than on the other side of the Vistula River. Cheaper rent attracted creative types i.e. designers, artists, musicians, and as they flooded the area, the night entertainment industry boomed. Step by step, cool, shabby chic and artistic premises became a real alternative to central Warsaw’s commercial night scene.
Warsaw Praga can be compared to London’s Shoreditch and Bethnal Green or to Berlin’s East End. It’s for people who are into art, simple pleasures and unrestricted fun. You don’t need to dress up to go out there; it’s not pretentious. A real mix of subcultures, the place to chill out as well as dance till the morning light. It’s up to you what you fancy doing. The local community tolerates the foreign, to them, artistic crowd.
The first time I went out there it must have been back in 2007, and since then I discovered several places worth visiting based not only on a price of alcohol (cheap), but also on an eclectic décor, packed with old furniture and nostalgic items most of us can relate to. If you visit Warsaw, make sure you explore W Oparach Absurdu (In the Mists of Absurdity) and Sklad Butelek (Bottles Warehouse). Both places are decorated with mish-mash of old furniture, pictures and mirrors probably found at relatives’ houses or a flea market. I love it. You instantly feel like at home. The staff are friendly, and you are welcome to sip your drink admiring the surroundings for as long as you like .
The pictures were taken in December 2009. You can see my beautiful Polish friends.
Wondering where to stay in the area, I would highly recommend Hostel Fabryka situated in the hub of Warsaw Praga nightlife, 11 Listopada 22 (a minute away from Sklad Butelek, Hydrozagadka and Saturator ). The main bit of the hotel is kept in simple Scandinavian style. However, you can also rent the whole apartment. High ceilings, beautiful wooden parquet floor in the main living area, and a glamorous bathroom with its black and white floor, and an old armchair in the corner. Don’t be put off by the entrance.
With my friend Tomek, we organised there a fantastic Halloween party this year, as well as showed a few pieces from the collection of photographs, mainly street art, taken by S or Stephenpickart.
Let me know what you think of Warsaw Praga. Have you ever been there? What were your impressions? Do you think you might go there in the nearest future?
Bests
Mon
I regularly receive Made.com newsletter (my daily inspiration), so I was very happy to find out they set up a showroom in their headquarters in Notting Hill Gate, which is 5 mins walk from my office.
I went there on Wednesday after work, and was not disappointed.
Looking at the building from outside, you would not even suspect that on the 9th floor you can view their cool design and furniture, and, what is the most important, you can sit on it.
You need to sign in first to get a code for the lift. The showroom is fairly big with amazing views over West London. I went there when it was getting dark, so I found the lighting a bit too dingy, but someone else might have found them ‘atmospheric’.
The staff was approachable and friendly. They were keen to answer all the questions you had.
There are fabric samples of most of their sofas and armchairs, so you can pick your favourites and take them home before you make a purchase.
At the moment, we are looking for a leather sofa for our living room. As the Chesterfield is not going to happen (we don’t have enough room buu), we need to find something equally stylish that won’t break the bank.
I’ve seen a few sofas that I like. Just need to convince the bank to pay for it.:)
Hendrix 2 Seater Sofa, Saddle Brown Premium Leather (very comfy)
Scott 3 Seater Sofa, Vintage Brown Premium Leather (beautiful)
Let me know if you go there. I can’t wait to hear from you about your impressions.
Have a good weekend.
Mon
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