Apartment Apothecary
Make your home feel better

DIY Home office

Yesterday was so much fun, seeing the first of the Styling the Seasons posts and photographs. Thank you so much to everybody who is going to take part (remember, you can share your styled surface on any day during September) and I hope that it has already helped you take a bit more time to reflect on the change of month and how to refresh your home – sometimes a jiggle around is almost as good as redecorating, I find.

That being said, I have done a rather large ‘jiggle around’ of what was our guest room/home office and I would like to share the results of that with you today. The room used to look like this…

Home office makeover 'before' | Apartment Apothecary

I never invested a huge amount in this room, mostly because I had run out of money by the time I had bought furniture for the other rooms in the flat. Therefore, it was always more functional than anything else. However, I always hated the carpet, I can’t bear staring at a wall when I’m working and the bed didn’t get used enough to justify taking up most of the room. So, I have done a DIY makeover with a budget of £300 (excluding the shelves, which Jules bought me as a present):

Budget

Floor paint – Farrow and Ball ‘All White’ £94

MDF desk top – £25 bought from a timber yard and cut to our dimensions

Four desk legs – Ikea £32

Pendant light – The Gifted Few £90

Cabinet makeover – £62 click on this post to see how I changed it: Furniture Makeover Challenge

Pegboard – Amazon £16

TOTAL: £319 (I also sold the bed for £150)

In brief, we sold the bed, ripped up the carpet, painted the MDF floor, removed everything from the left hand wall and cut the existing desk down to 150 x 70cm. We then bought another piece of MDF, exactly the same size, and painted it white to make a double desk. Neither of us wanted to face straight at a wall so I decided to place the desk in the middle of the room, which also means others can sit at it and I can use it as a very easily accessible sewing table and for pattern cutting. It is also good for taking photographs on from every angle. We had two trestle legs on the old desk, which we have kept and we have one each, and then I bought four more legs, which don’t take up the extra space trestle legs do.

My desk chair is from the wonderful Out There Interiors and Jules has had his Herman Miller chair for ages. I slotted the cabinet in next to the window and it has sliding glass doors, which is perfect for the space and it’s where I store all my sewing bits. Find out more about it and the pegboard in my furniture makeover challenge post. The String shelving was a massive indulgence but is such a flexible shelving system that can broken up or added to (I want the cabinets and drawers) and can be moved to other rooms – I hope one day to have a whole wall of it). I have left the wall behind my desk completely blank so that I can take photographs against it and there’s also a set of drawers, that were in the old guest room, next to the door as you enter the room where I can leave on-going craft projects or take photographs.

I hope you like the end result…

Home office makeover | Apartment Apothecary

My home office makeover by Apartment Apothecary

Did you see my first Styling the Seasons post yesterday that focused on my new String shelving?

My home office makeover by Apartment Apothecary

I love this Double Merrick print, which I used as colour inspiration for the room.

My home office makeover by Apartment Apothecary

I have hung three clipboards on the wall for inspiration – pages of magazines, fabric samples, photographs etc.

My home office makeover by Apartment Apothecary

The drawers are stuffed with craft supplies and the top of the drawers is a good place to leave on-going craft projects or to take photographs. During the makeover, I smashed my Original BTC clip-on lampshade – I HATE the feeling of breaking something! I had to buy a very expensive replacement shade 🙁

My home office makeover by Apartment Apothecary

I love these baskets that I bought from Tea and Kate. One is full of fabric and the other with my wrapping paper and wallpaper stash. I still need to find a new home for the phone.

My home office makeover by Apartment Apothecary

I used Mini Moderns Peggy wallpaper to line this cabinet that I bought from eBay. See more on my Furniture Makeover Challenge post.

My home office makeover by Apartment Apothecary

I’ve added my Little Dane lamp from Loaf to this room because the colour works really well with the new pendant light and it’s nice to have a really soft light sometimes rather than task lighting, which the pendant provides.

My home office makeover by Apartment Apothecary

The cup is from Tea and Kate and the jadeite tumbler is from Liberty.

My home office makeover by Apartment Apothecary

Totally in love with Rifle Paper Co notebooks that you can buy from Liberty.

Home office

The vase set is from The Hambledon. I think I am going to buy a big plant in a terracotta pot for the centre of the desk – partly so Jules and I can’t see each other and therefore there is less chance of distraction!

I’m so happy it is finished and the light, bright feel of the room is so motivating. I had better get to work!

Katy x

 

Styling the Seasons – September

Yay! September is here and it is my favourite month of the year! It also marks the official start of our new monthly blog series, Styling the Seasons – hurrah! Too many exclamation marks!

I got back from Skopelos on Saturday night, so I am feeling relaxed, bronzed, happy and full of the promise that September holds. This month always feels like the beginning of a new year for me, unlike January, when I generally feel unhealthy, pale, hung over and overweight (a lovely combination). I am always full of energy and motivation and raring to go at this point of the year and never more than this September because I am beginning a new chapter, having given up teaching after eleven years.

All that being said, my styled surface had to represent all of my enthusiasm for new beginnings this month. So here it is…

Styling the Seasons SEPTEMBER by Apartment Apothecary

I have styled my new String shelving in my home office (the full home office makeover will be on the blog tomorrow). I have included some of the new stationery I have bought, which has become a yearly ritual since I was a child and something I always associate with September. As a child, we  often spent our summers in France and I remember that going to the hypermarche on the way back to the ferry at the end of the holiday was always a highlight as I was allowed to trawl the stationery aisles and choose my new pencil case, fountain pen and school bag (Benetton and Chipie were favourites – does anybody else remember those?) for the new school year. I have also added books and magazines, which are a constant source of inspiration, as I foresee September will be spent looking for a lot of inspiration to figure out what direction I am going to go in now that I have left teaching. The plants (I love the trays that attach to the shelving and I can water straight into them) represent how vibrant and full of motivation I always feel at this time of year, as though the slate has been wiped cleaned and I can start afresh. By the way, the two mint plants in the right hand tray not only smell delicious but are a lovely thing to have on or near your desk because you can add leaves to your water throughout the day, or the occasional iced coffee treat with fresh mint is delicious.

Styling the Seasons SEPTEMBER by Apartment Apothecary

So, there you go, that’s my September ‘shelfie’. I can not wait to see your styling and what September means to you. Hop over to Charlotte’s blog, Lotts and Lots, to see her beauteous September styling, too.

Share your photographs of your styled surface on any day this month – use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or your blog, if you have one. Please tag me and Charlotte and use the hashtag #StylingTheSeasons. You can also search the hashtag for styling inspiration from the other wonderful bloggers and creatives who are taking part and don’t forget that Charlotte and I we will be rounding up our favourites on our blogs at the end of this month.

Happy September styling everybody!

Katy x

Styling the Seasons monthly blog series on Apartment Apothecary and Lotts and Lots

Greek island interiors

I am off on my hols this week so taking a little bloggy break too – I will be back on September 1st with the very first instalment of our exciting new blog series, Styling the Seasons (remember, we’d love YOU to take part, just click on the link to find out more). Very excited to see everyone’s pics and what September means to you; it is, without a doubt, my favourite month of the year.

In the mean time, we’re off to Skopelos, a Greek island, for a friend’s wedding and making a holiday out of it, too. I want to share one of my favourite Greek island homes that is owned by hotelier, Costas Psychas, off the coast of Therassia, an islet in Greece’s Aegean Sea. It is a secluded, peaceful spot that is reflected in the interior that is quite beautiful in its simplicity. We won’t be staying anywhere quite as spectacular but the white and blue beauty of the Greek islands will hopefully deliver me home in September feeling refreshed and ready for new beginnings.

All images are from Elle Decor and photographed by William Abranowicz.

Greek island interiors by Apartment Apothecary

Greek island interiors by Apartment Apothecary

Greek island interiors by Apartment Apothecary

Greek island interiors by Apartment Apothecary

Greek island interiors by Apartment Apothecary

Greek island interiors by Apartment Apothecary

Greek island interiors by Apartment Apothecary

Greek island interiors by Apartment Apothecary

Greek island interiors by Apartment Apothecary

Greek island interiors by Apartment Apothecary

Happy holidays everyone!

Katy x

 

 

Styling the Seasons

I’m very excited about today’s post because I have joined up with the wondrously talented Charlotte of Lotts and Lots blog, to start a new monthly blog series, Styling the Seasons. This is doubly exciting because the series is about getting you, our lovely readers, involved!

Charlotte and I discussed how easy it is for a few months to pass without even realising it, unless you spend a lot of time outside and see the changes in nature. We also talked about how the interior of many homes stay the same all year round, except for the odd bit of tinsel at Christmas time.

We would like to challenge ourselves, and you, to reflect more on the change of seasons and show those changes in our own homes, which in turn will help rejuvenate our homes. We want you to choose any surface in your home (shelf, dining table, mantelpiece – it can be a different surface each month) and style that surface with anything you like to reflect the new month and what it means to you and the promise it holds (relaxation, celebrations, family, nature). For example, for me, September always represents new beginnings and my styling will definitely involve new stationery, which is a MUST for the start of a new school year (so deeply engrained after being a student and teacher my whole life).

We would love it if you joined us and styled a surface in your home for September (this does not mean you are obliged to take part every month – just join in as and when you feel like it) and Charlotte and I will do the same and share a photograph of our styling on our blogs on September 1st. Please take a snap of your styled surface and post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter (or blog about it if you have a blog) and use the hashtag #StylingTheSeasons and tag both me and Charlotte – you can do this on any day during September. You might want to add a little explanation about how your styling represents the month for you. This way we can find out a bit more about each other along the way.

If you don’t think you have the time/know how/motivation to join in, then we hope you get inspiration from all the wondrous bloggers we have got on board to take part as we know styling can be the most difficult and daunting part of making a home. Just search for the hashtag #StylingTheSeasons and Charlotte and I will share our favourites on our blogs at the end of each month.

Sooooo excited to see your pics for SEPTEMBER!

Katy x

P.S. You can find us here – please tag us in your photographs so we can see and share them:

Katy

Instagram – @AptApothecary

Twitter – @AptApothecary

Facebook – Apartment Apothecary

Charlotte

Instagram – @LottsandLots

Twitter – @TweetingLotts

P.P.S. Share the graphic below with friends that may be interested in taking part, too! x

Styling the Seasons monthly blog series on Apartment Apothecary and Lotts and Lots

Urban Jungle Bloggers: Tips for watering plants whilst on holiday

Last month’s Urban Jungle Bloggers theme was watering your plants. Really helpfully, some of the posts focused on tips for watering plants whilst you are on holiday, which I was particularly interested in as I did experience one year when all my plants died whilst I was away, which made me really, really sad. I’m off on holiday next week , so I need all the tips I can get! I want to share some of these ideas with you, as I know lots of you will be in the same position, especially if you don’t have neighbours that you can rely on.

1. I really loved Igor’s post and his amazing tip to put one end of a shoelace into a cup of water and the other end into your plant pot – LOVING this gif too!

Urban Jungle Bloggers watering tips for plants whilst you are on holiday

Igor’s tips, Happy Interior Blog.

2. Judith’s post is about watering your plants generally, not just when you go on holiday. I love this watering attachment she features that you can attach to water bottles and offers far more precise watering.

Urban Jungle Bloggers watering tips for plants whilst you are on holiday

Judith’s tips, Joelix.com

3. I really enjoyed reading Elena’s post, which has some brilliant ideas for keeping plants alive for weeks, whilst you are away on holiday. I particularly liked the idea of creating terrariums for your houseplants using plastic bags – more details on that in the post.

Urban Jungle Bloggers watering tips for plants whilst you are on holiday

Elena’s tips, Facing North with Gracia

4. Here is an idea I have found, but have not tried yet. The idea is to plant a water bottle, with holes in it, next to plants (tomato plants are particularly thirsty). You then water into the bottle so that water goes straight to the roots and won’t evaporate from the surface of the soil.

5. I also found this brilliant graphic by Yumi Sakugawa that has loads of good ideas…

Urban Jungle Bloggers watering tips for plants whilst you are on holiday

Graphic from: Wonder How To

Do you have good neighbours that will water your plants for you or will you use some of these tips? Do you have any tips of your own that you can share?

Katy x

Featured image: Happy Interior Blog, Igor Josifovic