Back in Spring (where has the time gone?!) I needed to do a final shot of an apron I had made for this post. My kitchen is relatively dull, as it’s a new-build flat, so it didn’t look particularly aesthetically pleasing when I hung it in there. So, I decided to photograph it on some vintage school hooks that are in our spare room for guests to hang their clothes. I hung some kitchenalia on the hooks too and the end result was rather pleasing:

Find out how to make this Liberty print apron here.

I was then lucky enough to go to designer Lisa Levis’s house for a nose around and to interview her for the blog. You can read that interview and see all the beautiful photographs of Lisa’s home here. In Lisa’s kitchen I saw some very similar hooks to my own:

Photograph by the beauteous Katharine of Peachey Photography.

I then caught a glimpse of Sarah Moore’s home and there were more very similar vintage hooks in her kitchen:

All these vintage hooks got me thinking that this could be an easy way of adding character to a kitchen. Plus, hooks are so practical as they take up so little space, yet you can store a lot on them. I had a nose around Pinterest and found another few examples for inspiration:

Image from Blood and Champagne blog.

Image from Melanie Molesworth’s book ‘Junk Style’.

Image from the Tokyo home of Katsuya Kamo on The Selby blog.

All in all, I’m sold on the idea. Vintage hooks for the kitchen is added to my list of projects x

P.S. My little apron was featured in Issue 2 of Sew Liberty this month. Take a look here (p.8).

Since I left home I have never lived anywhere for more than three years. We have now been in our current flat for just over the three year mark and I’m getting very itchy feet. This isn’t because of the flat itself or the location – both are great. It’s because I get bored of being surrounded by the same decor and furniture – everyday I am tortured by images on blogs and Pinterest of AMAZING interiors that I want to recreate. Whenever I have moved in the past I have used it as an opportunity to redecorate and buy new furniture; I try to make myself a little piece of that AMAZINGNESS that I hanker after.

I have a very sensible boyfriend who, when I tell him we need to move, tells me that we can’t move just because I’m bored with our dull, new build kitchen and our beige carpet. I can’t think of a better reason, myself, but then I look at house prices and my bank account and realise the two don’t quite match up.

So, the upshot is, I need to do some decorating or make some changes to the flat otherwise I will go crazy. Weirdly, it’s sometimes enough just to make plans, without even doing the decorating, to stop me getting bored. Maybe there’s something wrong with me! Anyhoo, I thought it may be a good idea to document my planning (even if the decorating doesn’t happen) as this could help those who find it difficult to know where to start. The choices are literally endless so I want to try to help pin down how to begin. I’m going to tackle each area in my home that I want to change and how I go about planning those changes so this may require a few posts.

These are the areas I will be tackling (subject to change as my mind can go off in all sorts of directions when I get going!):

Part 1: Flooring

We need to replace the carpet in our sitting room, kitchen and hallway to a hard floor to cope with a mucky pup and because I HATE the carpet – it’s SO boring (Part one is now published!).

Part 2: Sitting room furniture

I want a new sofa and armchair that are more appropriate to the space in our sitting room. I bought our current sofa and armchair for a different flat and they are both too big for our current living space.

Part 3: Tiling in kitchen

The developers of our flat did not do any tiling in our kitchen and I think this would be a great way to add a bit of character to the space.

Part 4: A hallway makeover (see it here!)

I HATE our hallway. It’s lined with big, modern, laminate wood doors and boring beige carpet. It’s dull as dish water and makes me sad so it needs to change.

Part 5: Choosing rugs (see it here!)

If we have a hard wood floor we are going to need some beautiful rugs (I love a good rug).

I propose to take you through my planning process for each of these areas over the next few weeks, which I hope will help some of you who may be trying to figure out how to go about making your own changes. Whether any of my planning becomes reality is another story – I wish money grew on trees!

Katy x

P.S. I must remember to always tell myself that I am very, very lucky to live in such a nice flat and that I have got so much more than so many other people. Note to self – I must not think like a spoilt brat!

P.P.S. The photo above is of my dining area taken by the wonderful Katharine of Peachey Photography.

P.P.P.S If you want to see more Peachey Photography photographs of my flat you can here.

For those of you that know me, you know that I spend a lot of time pinning. I love Pinterest so much, as it allows me to collect all of the inspiring images of interiors, gardens and craft ideas in one place. It also introduces me to new furniture, design ideas, craft projects – pin, pin, pin, pin, pin.

I want to share a few of the pins that are inspiring me the most at the moment. Click on the images to find out their original source…

Happy pinning! x