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.

David Hicks is one of my favourite British Interior designers. I love his  reworking of traditional interiors. He was a master at incorporating antiques into interiors and was known for his crisp colours and the geometric prints he designed. I often pour over my copy of his book David Hicks Living with Design, published in 1979. His son, Ashley, is equally as talented. This is his bathroom in his country house. It features classic David Hicks patterns, and a trick that he often used, braids to create wall panels. I would never thought of putting this geometric onto this style chair but its a great juxtaposition. I like bathrooms that are a little different and allow you to dream while soaking in the tub.  At the moment I am gathering inspiration for the reworking of our bathroom in the country and this image has some interesting ideas.

Buying metres or yards of fabric for the soft furnishings of a room can be expensive, so I love to find examples of rooms where really affordable fabrics have been used. Well made soft furnishings need to be generous in fabric quantities. Full folds in curtains make all the difference and interesting trims can add that special detail. The following images show a wonderful bedroom that has used a plain cream coloured inexpensive linen for the main furnishings. The money has been splurged on the rose coloured bouillon fringing, fan edge braid and red piping detail on the bedspread. The cream colour has been worked into the scheme so it makes a strong contribution rather than just being a safe choice. The main colour is in the  the painted walls. Making the trim, dado and cornice, the creamy colour ties it all together. The best thing about paint is it doesn't make much difference to the cost of a project whatever colour you choose, whereas that special shade of fabric can be costly. Notice the framed prints are also monochromatic and even the lampshade is cream.   The nice little detail is the striped cotton on the arm chairs. The navy stripe adds one more colour to finish this  elegant and classic room.