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I thought I would do a little post about our laundry in our house in the country. You can see from the before photos it was a pretty grim little room. We gutted it and moved the window to make the space work better. We kitted it out in simple white Ikea cupboards and a 'Lack' shelving unit. The idea was to create a butler's pantry feel, providing additional space for my ever-growing collection of china and glassware. A round sink has been used. This is great for washing jumpers and other items of clothes as well as doing flowers or even washing out paint brushes. The additional shelf we added came from the off cut from the second row of cupboards. Being a very narrow room we used narrow overhead width cupboards top and bottom and cut down the bench top to fit. It seemed there was this piece of laminate going to waste when the idea of adding an extra shelf came to mind. A little extra basin for hands and the loo is also incorporated. But what really makes this room fun is all the blue and white china pieces. Willow pattern saucers were the first thing I bought at an auction when I was about twelve. I can remember spending two dollars on a box of these saucers. Over the years they have been used as dishes for cat food, pot plant saucers and generally just cluttered up the cupboards. Hanging four different types in a line adds a little autobiographical touch. There are plates from my mother's kitchen and my partner's mother's dinner set as well as ones I have picked up at opportunity shops. There is one more details to add, a towel ring, an excuse to show off a collection of hand embroidered hand towels. So watch this space. The Roman blind is the strong graphic element that holds it all together. Found in our stash of fabrics it is called 'Draperie' from Clarence House. The pattern was just wide enough to fit the window. For a little more detail we added a herringbone ribbon braid, this is by Martha Stewart. The pale aqua adds a contrast. The colour appears elsewhere in the house. Yes it is still cold but all that rain has to be good for our water catchments if not for my renovations. So to make the most of having time to snuggle down this weekend I decided we might christen a tea set that I bought a few years ago and have been waiting for a special occasion. So I baked a cake, donned the cashmere and we settled down to enjoy a cup of tea in our lacquer red coloured sitting room, where just the colour warms you up. We cleared the brass and glass coffee table of its usual 'tablescape' and laid out our Rosenthal tea set. I placed it on an old 'Liberty of London tray'. Two generously sized tea bowls, and saucers, two side plates matching milk jug and sugar bowl and a grand teapot. The design originates from the 1780s and is the classic blue and white hand painted floral pattern. You can see from the photos it is very pretty and very classic. I served black tea that we bought in Glasgow at the 'House for an Art Lover' in its Charles Rennie Mackintosh tin, which has a 'chinoiserie feel' being black with some little red accents. When tea was first introduced to Europe it was very expensive and the caddies where the tea was stored were items of beauty and kept on display in the sitting room rather than the kitchen. I trimmed the cake with bay leaves for decoration and we broke out the silver teaspoons and cake forks and played ladies for a couple of hours, basking in the warm reflection from the red walls. This room we designed to be used as a winter sitting room or a dramatic night reception room. |
AuthorHi I am Elizabeth an interior designer who lives in Melbourne, Australia in a little Californian Bungalow cottage with my partner, Max, who is also an Interior Designer, and our beloved furry children, Doris & Ernest. I believe that design can make our lives more rewarding and productive. I love, architecture and design theory but my everyday passion is fabrics and decoration, as I don't think we should get too serious but have fun with our homes and enjoy the process of creating our own environments. I am interested in classic cars, and collect Georgian and Mid Century furniture. Archives
July 2018
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