Apartment Apothecary
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Tips for choosing the right sofa

I was on the precipice of buying a new sofa a couple of weeks ago. I couldn’t have been closer to hitting the ‘buy it’ button. Jules then caught sight of what I was doing and gave me a good talking to and I had to admit he had a point that we do have a lot of big costs at the moment and our current sofa, though ruined by Otto, will do for another few months. Boring!

To get to that point though, I had gone through a thorough decision making process to ensure I had chosen the right sofa for us so I’d like to share my top tips here today.

Firstly, you need to know where to look for your perfect sofa. I have recently discovered Darlings of Chelsea, which is a great place to start as you will find such a wide range of different styles. Find your nearest store and you MUST try out your sofa before you buy.

1. How will you use the sofa?

This is the first thing I thought about when considering what style of sofa to buy. I know that our main use for a sofa is full-on lounging. I always like to have my feet up and usually lie on the sofa whilst watching TV. Both of us (as well as Otto) like to be on the sofa at the same, too. Therefore, I was looking for a long sofa, at least 2m long and with a good seat depth. Ideally, I wanted a chaise sofa so that we could both be on it at the same time and lie down but we don’t have enough space for that.

Some things you may need to think about: how do you sit on a sofa? Do you need a sofa bed for guests? How many people need to be able to sit on it at the same time?

2. Seat depth

If you want an occasional ‘seat’ rather than a ‘loungey’ sofa you need to pay particular attention to the seat depth. A seat depth of anything less than 1m is more a seat rather than somewhere to put up your feet and sink into. I would never buy a sofa with a seat depth of less than 1m otherwise you can’t lie down comfortably.

3. Cushion type

Again, depending on what you want from your sofa, you need to pay attention to the type of cushions on the seat and back of the sofa. If you want ultimate comfort I think it’s best to get fibre wrapped feather filled cushions, which don’t require plumping. From my experience, don’t be fooled into thinking 100% feather filled cushions are wonderful because they are not; they are hard, solid and require daily, if not hourly, plumping. Be mindful about a hard backed sofa, with no back cushions, as this feels very different.

4. Feet

Have a good look at the feet of your chosen sofa as these can affect the whole look and style of the sofa. Think about whether you want a skirt or feet. Personally, I prefer feet as I think this has a positive impact on how spacious a room feels. I currently have a sofa that is basically a big block and has no feet so it feels heavy and bulky. Just be careful that the feet match or complement the style of your room.

5. Style of room

I know it may seem obvious but it is important not to get swept away by the beautiful design of a sofa even though it doesn’t work in your living room. You don’t want to end up having to completely overhaul your decor to work wth the sofa (although that sounds quite fun to me!).

6. Height of sofa

My mum made a huge mistake when she bought her sofa, which is a very cool retro leather low sofa. It is fine when she wants to sink into it and watch TV but she entertains a lot and none of her guests can get in or out of the sofa as it is so low. They all avoid it and end up with nowhere to sit! When deciding on the height of your sofa also think about the heght of your ceiling. A room with a high ceiling needs a high sofa and a room with a low ceiling benefits from a lower sofa to achieve balance.

7. Arms

Think about the arms of your sofa as these can really affect how comfortable it is. Do you want large, square arms useful for resting books/remote/delicately balanced drinks on? Or do you want low arms, which are better for lying out on? High arms can make the sofa feel more imposing, which is better for larger rooms.

8. Fabric choice

And lastly, once you have decided on the style of your sofa you can think about the fabric choice. This is going to depend on who you live with (children? pets?) and the style of your room. When I chose my sofa, that I didn’t end up buying, I ordered a sample of the fabric and not just a teeny, tiny square, a whole metre. Small squares are never representative of what the fabric will look like and it is really important to lay it out on your sofa and watch how it changes in the different light throughout the day and evening. I also put the fabric on Otto’s bed (I took the whole sofa buying thing really seriosuly!!) and let him sleep on it. This helped me figure out how it would cope with his fur and drool (gross, sorry!). My point is don’t choose fabric on the spot, you need to consider it seriously as it will make a big difference to your room whether it be a pattern, light, dark, leather, wool, cotton, velvet. From my own experince of a velvet loveseat, be very mindful that velvet marks like you wouldn’t believe. It is the one piece of furniture in our home that Otto is not allowed anywhere near. However, it still has marks all over it from friends’ babies who have drooled over it.

Hope these tips are helpful – do you have any good ones? I’m just going to go back to dreaming about the sofa of my dreams…

Katy x

*This post was written in collaboration with Darlings of Chelsea

 

DIY poster hanger

I have been wanting to make one of these poster hangers for AGES but have put it off because I couldn’t find a proper tutorial that explained it well enough. Therefore, I had to do a bit of experimenting that ended up in me throwing pieces of wood across the room, yelling at Jules because he wouldn’t help me and spending all day getting it wrong only to finally find a solution at 6pm, hence the rather murky and rushed photos in this post. Ha!

Anyhoo, I have this wondrous Double Merrick print that was the colour inpsiration for my home office (see his AMAZING French home here; we visited him there a couple of years ago and I’m just waiting for my next invitation – hint, hint, Merrick). The print has been in a white frame that is a bit blah and I thought it would suit a poster hanger much more because a lot of Merrick’s prints are inspired by vintage French educational charts. So, here’s how I made it…

How to make a DIY poster hanger | Cheap and easy ways to hang art | Vintage style school wall chart | Apartment Apothecary

You will need:

– Four strips of half round moulding the length of your print (I chose oak rather than pine as it looks so much nicer)

– Hacksaw to cut the strips to length

– Sand paper

– Low tack tape (I used washi tape)

– Four small nails

– Hammer (yes, I use a Cath Kidston hammer!!)

– Twine

How to make a DIY poster hanger | Cheap and easy ways to hang art | Vintage style school wall chart | Apartment Apothecary

Step by step:

1. Cut four lengths of wood to the exact width of your print.

How to make a DIY poster hanger | Cheap and easy ways to hang art | Vintage style school wall chart | Apartment Apothecary

2. Use the sand paper to smooth the ends of the strips of oak.

How to make a DIY poster hanger | Cheap and easy ways to hang art | Vintage style school wall chart | Apartment Apothecary

3. Use low tack tape (because it won’t ruin your print) to stick the top and bottom of your print to the strips of wood. Stick the print half way up the wood strip so that when you nail the strips together you don’t have to go through the print.

How to make a DIY poster hanger | Cheap and easy ways to hang art | Vintage style school wall chart | Apartment Apothecary

4. Place the back strip on top of the front strip, sandwiching the print between them. Ask someone to help you hold it in place or use a clamp as you are going to nail it together at either end. Measure where you want the twine to hang from and this is where you will nail the two strips together – make sure you measure it accurately otherwise it won’t hang straight. You are going to nail the two strips together from the back. Place the nail fairly near the top of the wood strip so you won’t go through the print. Hammer it in so it goes completely through the back and into the front strip but not through to the front of the strip as you don’t want to be able to see it at the front. Once the two strips are secured together, bash your nail so it bends flat against the wood strip (you will hang the twine from these). Repeat this step on the other side of the print.

You will need to nail the bottom strips of wood together too, but use shorter nails that won’t need to be bent over as you won’t need to hang twine from these.

How to make a DIY poster hanger | Cheap and easy ways to hang art | Vintage style school wall chart | Apartment Apothecary

5. Tie your twine to the bent nails at the top of your print.

How to make a DIY poster hanger | Cheap and easy ways to hang art | Vintage style school wall chart | Apartment Apothecary

And hang your print! Mine isn’t going to stay on these hooks but I’m just waiting to move a chalk board that I will be selling at our vintage jumble sale and it will be replaced with my print.

How to make a DIY poster hanger | Cheap and easy ways to hang art | Vintage style school wall chart | Apartment Apothecary

Now, let me tell you about how this DIY went wrong. Firstly, I wanted to make it simpler by making the wood strips a couple of centimentres longer than the width of the print. I then bolted them together at the ends so that you could easily swap prints in and out. However, it didn’t look great because my print is only A3 size so it all looked a bit bulky. I think this would be a good solution for larger posters.

My new idea is to embed magnets in the back of one strip of wood and use self-adhesive magnetic strip on the other strip. This would make it really easy to swap posters in and out without damaging the print. Watch this space for that.

If you want to use this idea with beautiful wrapping paper, just glue it to a piece of card first to weight it and give it extra strength. Although, it’s quite important to use as little glue as possible wth wrapping paper as it wrinkles so easily – spray glue or spray mount is the best bet.

Hope this is a useful tutorial; it’s definitely much cheaper than framing prints!

Katy x

Vintage jumble & prop sale

A group of us bloggers is holding a vintage jumble and prop sale on the afternoon of October 4th in Lindfield, West Sussex.

We are looking for sellers to join us…

Do you have any lovely homewares, kitchenalia, textiles, small pieces of furniture, crockery or props that you would like to sell? If you do, drop me an email katy@18.200.196.112 and we can reserve you a table.

If you don’t have anything to sell but would like to buy, put the date in the diary and watch this space for more details!

Katy x

 

 

Cafe curtain tutorial

Last week’s Ask Apartment Apothecary was about blending a work space within a guest bedroom. One of the things I suggested was hanging a cafe curtain at the window. I have done exactly this in my home office as it is perfect to diffuse direct sunlight, which can be a real problem on a computer screen whilst I work. It also adds a soft, yet minimalist, touch to a work space. Most importantly, it costs very little (I used an old sheet!) and is a very, very quick sewing project.

Here’s how…

Cafe curtain tutorial | Apartment Apothecary

You will need:

Lightweight fabric at least 2 cm wider and taller than the part of window you want to cover.

Lightweight fabric for the curtain tabs – each one needs to be 4 x 12 cm and you will need one for every 10 cm of fabric along the top of your curtain panel.

Contrasting or matching thread, fabric scissors, pins, chalk and a tape measure

You can also add a trim to the bottom of your curtain panel if you fancy (why not try lace, pom poms, crochet) or add some pretty embroidery.

Cafe curtain tutorial | Apartment Apothecary

Step by step

Step 1 – Measure your window and cut a piece of fabric allowing for a 2 cm seam allowance all round the panel. Press a double hem on all four sides of the panel – fold over 1 cm, press, then fold over 1 cm again to hide the raw edge and press. Pin in place.

Cafe curtain tutorial | Apartment Apothecary

Step 2 – Choose either a contrasting thread or matching (I chose a soft blue to give my panel a bit of definition and it is the main colour in the room where this curtain will hang) and stitch all the way round the panel.

Cafe curtain tutorial | Apartment Apothecary

Step 3 – Measure the top edge of your panel and figure out how many tabs you will need, based on having one for every 10cm, or thereabouts. Mark with the chalk where the tabs will be positioned. Cut a piece of fabric for each tab measuring 4 x 12 cm. Press the edges over (about 0.5cm) and fold in half lengthways and press.

Cafe curtain tutorial | Apartment Apothecary

Step 4 – Sew down the open side of the tab.

Cafe curtain tutorial | Apartment Apothecary

Step 5 – Pin the tabs into position, laying the two ends of the tab next to each other, not on top of each other, as this will be easier to sew and it will hang better. Press the curtain.

Cafe curtain tutorial | Apartment Apothecary

And finally, to hang the curtain you will need a piece of dowelling and two cup hooks either side of the window frame. I still need to paint mine!

Cafe curtain tutorial | Apartment Apothecary

Cafe curtain tutorial | Apartment Apothecary

And please indulge a brief moment of floral appreciation…I cut these variegated Hygrangeas at the end of last week from a plant on my balcony and they are making me so happy. Plus, they are in a new jug that I bought at Ardingly antiques fair. It’s the small things.

Cafe curtain tutorial | Apartment Apothecary

Happy sewing!

Katy x

 

Ardingly antiques fair

I’ve been wanting to go to Ardingly antiques fair for a while as it has been recommended to me by a few people. Sarah-Lou and I had planned to go back in February but I had to cancel at the last minute so when my friend, Agnes, suggested we go this month I jumped at the chance. I love a lot of antiques shops in London, but it can be so difficult to find a bargain.

We had a very specific list of things that we were looking for so we were both very focused and there was absolutely no time for taking nice pics. I managed a few last second snaps on my iPhone as we were leaving but I have not captured how great this place is. Pop over to Junkaholique and Geoffrey and Grace for more aesthetically pleasing accounts of their visits to Ardingly.

So, the fair takes place every couple of months on a Tuesday and Wednesday in Sussex (the next fair is 21st and 22nd July). It costs £20 to enter on the first day and £5 to enter on the second day. We went on the second day to avoid the larger entrance fee even though there is less stock on the second day. However, there was SO MUCH to see and buy even on the second day I don’t think we made the wrong decision. We drove from south London and it took us about 1 hour 15 mins, leaving London at 6.30am to get to the fair just before 8am, which is when it opens. This worked perfectly as we dodged the traffic through London and it meant that we had enough time and didn’t feel too pressured as the stallholders did start to pack up from about midday. We drove back to London at just before 1pm so we missed rush hour on the way back – it really was easy.

We took cash (although there was a machine there), water (it was sweltering last Wednesday) and bags (so we had free hands to rifle through stuff) with us. When we first arrived we were pretty awestruck as it is HUGE and we had absolutely no idea where to look first. We slowly figured out what we were dealing with after a lap of the grounds and began to get our bearings. We did a recce, made a note of things we saw along the way that we were interested in and wanted to go back and have a look at.

Agnes was looking for:

– bedside table

– coffee table

– lamp

– home office chair

I was looking for:

– planter for lavender on my balcony

– blue and white china

– anything else I liked the look of!

Pretty much everything has price labels on, which was really useful, as we could figure out if we were interested without having to get into lengthy a conversation with the seller, which always ends up with me feeling like I have to buy it whatever the price – pathetic, I know. We always asked for the best price and did manage to get reductions on everything we bought. We could leave large pieces with the seller until we were ready to leave although did get a bit lost trying to make our way back to things we had bought!

In the end, after much walking around, resisting temptation, chatting it through over cheese toasties, we ended up with a pretty impressive haul…

Ardingly antiques fair | Apartment Apothecary

Ardingly antiques fair | Apartment Apothecary

Ardingly antiques fair | Apartment Apothecary

Ardingly antiques fair | Apartment Apothecary

Ardingly antiques fair | Apartment Apothecary

Ardingly antiques fair | Apartment Apothecary

And our haul is below… Agnes did really well and managed to find a really comfy and cool looking office chair for £25, a bedside table that used to be a washstand, not dissimilar to mine, for £40, a vintage deck chair for £25, an Ercol coffee table for £120 (we knew this was pretty pricey but the only other option is eBay and after paying for a courier and dealing with the hassle we thought it was worth it), and a little bread board for a couple of pounds. I got a massive bread board that I can use to take blog photographs on for £15, a zinc planter for £10 and some beautiful blue and white china from a French seller – jug, two bowls and two platters, for £35. All in all a pretty successful day’s shopping. And, we managed to fit it all in the back of a small car!

Ardingly antiques fair | Apartment Apothecary

What we bought.

I will definitely be going again. It’s not as cheap as I thought it would be but I’d like to try out the first day of the fair to see how different the quality of the stock is. Also, I think if you stick to the outer circuit of sellers, you can still find some bargains.

Katy x