COLOURFUL KITCHEN IDEAS

It's been two and a bit years since I bought my lovely little flat, and I've only just got round to fixing up my kitchen. I was so good when I moved in! I spent hours painting and transforming each room - the bathroom had to be completely rebuilt from scratch (so depressing, but so worth it), I had to paint over intense lime green walls to create a calm, neutral bedroom, maths was needed to get the candy cane striped wall in my study just right, and the living room was pretty much pain-free but still took an age to paint.

The one room I just hadn't touched was my kitchen, which wasn't AWFUL, but it definitely wasn't great. It had off-white walls (that needed painting), off-beige vinyl flooring (that looked grubby constantly), and blue, but-not-nice-blue-more-denim-blue, cabinet doors. And that's how I left it. For two years!

But I've finally worked up the courage to tackle it (on the world's smallest kitchen budget), and here's what I'm thinking...

Kitchens: Pinterest

I know they're all over pinterest, but I'm pretty bored of white kitchens. I want something colourful! I'm lucky that my flat get loads of light so it can pull off having colours in each room, without it feeling too busy... or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

I love the idea of bright cabinet doors, against a bright, white room - I've already painted the walls white (whyyy did I not do this years ago?), and have had fun photoshopping different colours onto the existing cabinet doors to see what might work. I'm pretty obsessed with those red cabinets (and it's nice to see a red kitchen that isn't boring grown up dull red), but that geometric bench is also super cute!

Kitchens: Pinterest

The other big kitchen update that's happened so far is that the grim flesh-coloured floor is gone! It's been replaced by a fun black and white vinyl floor (which was only £40 from Online Carpets!). Next I've got to change the cabinet doors, mayyybe extend the worktop so it runs the full length of the kitchen, and then the fun bits start. Plants! Shelves! Anthropologie's entire kitchen collection! (Ahem, I can but dream).

So wish me luck on my budget kitchen! I'll keep you updated on how it develops (which, hopefully, won't take another two years...).

HOME TOUR: MY LIVING ROOM

It's been a while since I last did a home tour post, so I thought today I'd show off my colourful, lovely living room!

When I bought the flat, this room was all yellow, with light mustardy-yellow walls, dark yellow curtains, and black and yellow glass lampshades. I loved how bright the room was, and I had been eyeing up very colourful living rooms, so I wasn't put off by the colour, but I knew it needed a bit of a boost. 

With a gang of helpers (thanks pals), we painted the whole thing, which took aaaages. We painted three walls white (using Dulux White Mist) and repainted the main wall a much brighter yellow (Dulux Lemon Tropics), which instantly made the room feel much bigger and brighter. 

I took down the curtains at both ends of the room (I live on the top floor, so I figured there was no need really), and I replaced the lampshades with these cute white and copper cut-out shades. 

The room doubles up as a living and dining room, so I wanted to make sure it worked together as one big room with similar colours (white furniture, copper tones, lots of green leaves), but also could be used as two distinct spaces. I think the balance works out quite well - the sofa end feels cosy and nice to hang out in, and there's a bit more breathing space around the dining table so it doesn't feel too cluttered.

It's so lovely having space for a dining table again, I forgot how nice it is to have friends round for dinner and not have to eat off your knee! My dining table and chairs are from Ikea (like most of the furniture in my flat!) - I've got this table, which I absolutely love, and these chairs, which took forever to build. 

As I had to order a sofa weeks before I actually moved into the flat, I got my dimensions a bit wrong, and chose a sofa that is definitely too little for the space. It's left me with a bit of a gap between the sofa and my door, which was perfectly filled by my Christmas tree in December, but needs a bit of work now. I bought a massive bonsai tree (from Ikea, obvs), but it's not big enough - I have my heart now set on buying a massive fiddle leaf fig tree, but I am struggling to find one in the UK! 

My sofa (and it's matching footrest) are both from John Lewis (courtesy of my very kind parents!) - I went for the Portia sofa in Senna Charcoal, and it's comfy and the colour seems to be wearing well. 

Soba lives in the living room, in a bookcase that Joshua & I converted into a hedgehog house. I'm still so proud of our cage DIY, I think it looks ace - and it looks even better after Josh added some vinyl landscapes to some of Soba's rooms (he lives on the top level of the unit). 

I've got loads of plants in this corner, more copper touches, and my favourite armchair, which is another Ikea number (but I don't think it looks too Ikea, if that makes sense!).  

And finally, in the very middle of the room, I have my bookcases. I've got more in my study, but this is most of my fiction collection, and I love having them all on display again after a few years living without shelves. I love organising books by colour (and I can always find what I'm looking for!), and it's such a nice bright way to pull the room together.

I'm so pleased with how it's come together!

If you liked this post, you might want to check out:

My study | My bedroom | My bathroom

HOME TOUR: MY STUDY

I'm giving myself a pat on the back as I have FINALLY unpacked all of my boxes and built all of my furniture (and it only took me, err, two months to do it all?). Here's a look at possibly my new favourite room in my home - my super colourful study! (You can also see my bedroom and bathroom here).

Desk - IKEA
Chair - Ebay
Bureau - Vintage
Rug - Urban Outfitters

When I bought the flat, this room had been a bedroom with one bright red feature wall. As soon as I saw it I couldn't get the idea of painting candy stripes out of my head - I figured that as I'd be painting the rest of the room anyway, I might as well TRY stripes, and if they looked stupid then it wouldn't be too much effort to repaint them.

Joshua helped me mark out the lines with masking tape because he's super arty, and then I just had HOURS and HOURS of painting to do. Turns out it's super fiddly painting between narrow lines, and that red paint needed a lot of white to cover it! But when it was finally done, it was so satisfying to pull the masking tape off, and reveal beautiful crisp white lines. I love it so much!

Annoyingly, as I was getting into my stride and sorting out the rest of my flat, my bathroom drama happened and the study became the dumping ground for all of my leftover stuff and all of the plumber's tools and materials. Even after he left, and took his MILLIONS of things with him, I just got a bit lazy and couldn't face tackling the ever growing mountain of boxes and bits and pieces that needed sorting. 

But I finally ran out of excuses last week, and after an epic session it's all done, and I'm kicking myself for not doing it earlier! 

I bought my desk from Ikea (it's the sinnerlig table) and I love it so much! The table top is cork, which makes it feel so much fancier than Ikea, and I love the legs, I think it's really quirky. I'm using this room for blogging, painting and crafting, so I wanted a desk that was big enough to fit all of those things, and this does the job nicely.

I inherited a beautiful wooden bureau from my Great Aunt that holds all of my art supplies and stationary, and I've got a bookcase for crafty books, photo albums, and a few trinkets. I still need to work out what to do with the space on the non-desk side of the room... I think there's space for a chair, but I really don't want the room to feel cluttered so I'm a bit nervous about choosing badly! I also need to get some artwork on the wall above my vintage suitcases (which are ace for storage) - I'm thinking about this Luke Skywalker print that I've had my eye on for years!

It's so nice to have a space that is totally dedicated to writing and making. In my old flat I had a small desk in my bedroom, but I almost always would blog sitting on the sofa while watching tv, and I got really fed up with it. I like my living room being a super relaxing space where I don't take my computer, and having a bright, creative study - I totally prefer working at a desk, and I think it's helping me find more of a work/life/hobby balance!

THE TARTAN BLANKET CO

One of my favourite things about winter is that it is absolutely okay to spend your time hibernating, cosied up under blankets, watching movies, and eating loads of carbs. It is perfect!

 

As a long-term fan of cosiness, I already have a fairly extensive blanket collection, but I could not resist buying another from the Tartan Blanket Co's very lovely Christmas pop-up shop which has appeared in Leith (handily, close to my flat!). I got to coo over artfully-stacked blankets (is that weird? They were very beautifully stacked!), eat mince pies, pick a mystery envelope off their fancy Christmas tree (which gifted me a free candle, hooray!), and generally just have a lovely time in a hipster haven of cosiness.

The pop-up shop is on Great Junction Street (near the Shore) and will be open until December 23rd.

If you can't make it down to Leith, they have millions of things online (and they ship worldwide too). I am quite obsessed with this fishbone scarf, but they've got blankets (obviously), cushions, and a surprisingly ace range of home accessories - how cute is this raccoon postcard, or these copper lanterns, and this cloud necklace?  I want it all! 

HOME TOUR: MY BEDROOM

When I was planning my bedroom I had pretty clear ideas of what I wanted. My flat is a really bright space - the living is yellow, the bathroom has the world's dreamiest blue tiles, and I've got a candy striped wall in my study, so I knew I wanted a calm, neutral bedroom to balance it out.

This room originally had lime green walls, so the very first step was to paint it all! I used Dulux Warm Pewter for the wall behind the bedhead and Dulux White Mist for the rest of the walls.

Most of the furniture in my flat is from Ikea because I needed to buy a lot of it, and I was on a pretty strict budget. The bed is a kingsize MALM bedframe with four drawers underneath (so handy!). I was really pleased to discover that Ikea have started doing normal sized bedframes now, so I was able to buy a mattress from a proper mattress shop - I've heard nightmares about Ikea mattresses!

I had a fairly narrow space between the bed and the window, so this NORDLI chest of drawers was perfect, even though it was a total pain to build. So hellish. Be warned! 

My flat's on the top floor, which means I have beautiful views of Edinburgh rooftops, it's so lovely! I can even see Edinburgh Castle from my window, which is something I only really thought happened in movies (or to rich people!). 

I wanted some colour in the room, so I got these super cute yellow bedside tables. On top there's my black and brass lamps from made.com - I still cannot quite fathom how they took 10 weeks to get here, but they eventually arrived and they are lovely! I expected the filament bulb to come with them, but it didn't (apparently that's standard practice? I am a homeware novice), so I bought a couple from Amazon, and they are so pretty,  

I've not got much in the way of decoration in the room apart from my skulls - I've got a roe deer and a red fox skull that I really love (I'm aware this might seem a bit weird, but each to their own). I just like the natural textures in the room - there's a tree, bones, and a little stone fox, it all just feels super calming. 

I needed a bit more storage (I've got a mirrored wardrobe in this room, but it's already full to the brim), so I bought a KALLAX shelving unit to store my stuff. I realised I was an adult when I bought a fancy little copper tray to put my bottles on, rather than just scattering them over the shelf. I'm getting there anyway! 

There's not that much more to do to this room, which makes me happy! I'm thinking of getting a couple of prints to go above the bed - I absolutely adore the La Lune and La Terre prints by Double Merrick, but it'll be £100 for the pair which I can't quite afford! I'll need to add them to my Christmas list...

#PETSINWINDOWS

As you may know (especially if you follow me on instagram) I've got a pet hedgehog called Soba, who is a lovely, grumpy, adorable and ridiculous creature who is so cute it hurts! Hedgehogs are pretty low maintenance, but the number one rule is that you have to keep them warm - if they get cold, they go into hibernation, which is very bad news.

My old flat was nice, but it was freezing unless the heating was blasting (which I couldn't afford to do ALL of the time), so when I was flat-hunting I was on a mission to find somewhere that was super cosy (sadly meaning beautiful old Edinburgh tenements with high ceilings and thin windowpanes were out!).

Now, it's ace. My new flat is a fairly modern build, which means it's as snug as anything, and has mystical storage heaters (that I can't quite work out how to use) that store energy at night to heat it up in the morning, and keep it toasty all the time. I don't need to stress about Soba freezing, and I don't need to microwave heat pads for him three times a day any more. Hooray!

Not at all pets are as cosy as Soba though, so it's important in winter, when it is absolutely baltic, to think about the animals that are abandoned and in need, through no fault of their own.

Everest Home Improvements are doing just this with their #PetsInWindows campaign, which raises money for the very wonderful SSPCA, an animal welfare charity who rescue and rehome thousands of neglected pets in Scotland each year.

Everest want to see photos of your pets hanging out at a window, and for each entry they receive they'll donate £5 to the SSPCA (meaning entering is the easiest thrifty way of giving to charity ever!). You can enter on their website (everest.co.uk/pets-in-windows) or via Twitter with #petsinwindows. AND on top of that, the best photo each month, as voted by users, will win a £50 voucher.

Take a cute photo of your pet, help charity, maybe win £50. Win win win!

#Petsinwindows is brought to you by Everest Home Improvements. Follow Everest on Twitter and Facebook to find out more, keep up to date on their latest deals and offers, and check out Everest Scotland to see coverage in your area

HOME TOUR: MY BATHROOM

When I moved into my new flat I knew I needed to do quite a bit of DIY. Most of the rooms needed painting at the very least, but the only room I didn't have to touch was the bathroom. I idly thought if I had enough money left after furnishing the place, I would look into re-tiling it, but that was the extent of my bathroom ambitions.

Until the DAY OF TERROR. I had a tiler in to do the kitchen, and as he was here I asked him to fit a shower screen in the bathroom (which I'd planned to do myself, but wimped out about drilling into tiles). He pointed out some loose tiles that needed fixed before they caused a problem, I agreed, and then left him to it.

My mum had been in the flat as I was at work. First she called me to say they'd got started and all was fine, then she called me to say she'd authorised the shower being replaced (and I grumbled because it was going to cost an extra £100), and then she called, and in a very serious voice asked when I could come home.

Turned out that the bathroom had been leaking from various points for a very long time. The floor was totally ruined with damp, the bath was cracked, the plasterboard was damaged, and I was very lucky to find it when I did (and not a month or so later by falling through the floor!). The solution - replace the floors and the walls and install an entirely new bathroom. I cried and I cried and I felt more stress than I had in a very long time. But now that can all feel like a distant nightmare... because look at it!

When I found out that it all needed done (and that I was getting kicked out of my brand new flat in the process), I just wanted it done as quickly as possible. That meant I skipped going to any bathroom shops or showrooms, I just found what I wanted online that was in stock and could be delivered quickly, and hoped that my gut instinct would turn out okay!

The first thing I chose was these amazing blue metro tiles (from Topps Tiles). I'd already daydreamed about blue tiles in my bathroom planning post, and a reader had commented with a link to these beauties (thank you thank you!), which made the first step so much easier. They were a bit over my budget, but I loved them so much I couldn't resist.

The bathroom units are from Bathstore - I bought the MyPlan WC unit and the Mino sink unit in walnut. In a stroke of much-needed luck they had a half-price sale on the weekend I needed to buy all my things, so I managed to get both for under £300 (which still seems horrific, but they had next-day delivery too).

The floor tiles are rough stone ones from B&Q - I literally just picked the nicest looking grey ones that were in stock in my local store, but luckily they're really nice in person! The guy who worked on my bathroom (Top Quality Tiling in Edinburgh) was ace - I would email him the items I liked, and in most cases he could get them cheaper with a trade discount and just bring me the receipt (I have no idea if this is just standard practice when you get work done, but it made my life so much easier!).

I am delighted with my shower - I've always wanted one with a rainforest showerhead, but thought they would be mega expensive... turns out it's not actually that much more! I bought this Mira shower and it is the VERY BEST THING. You can switch between the showerheads depending on if you want to get your hair wet or not, and it brings me such joy! (I'm aware how dull this post is making me sound).

The little bathroom trolley is actually an Ikea kitchen trolley! I bought it when I first moved into the flat and it's so handy - I've got other storage in the bathroom for medicine and boring things, but this is ace for having soaps and bath bombs and lotions and potions all in easy reach!

The walls are painted in Dulux Bathroom Frosted Steel, which I picked up thinking it was white (I obviously did not read the label), and only discovered it was actually definitely grey when the walls were painted. Luckily there's enough silver and grey in the room that it works, and I can pretend it was a deliberate choice!

The hardest thing to pick for this room was (weirdly) the taps. They caused me SO MUCH STRESS. Everyone told me that while I could buy a cheap bath/sink/toilet, I needed to get nice taps... and I realised I had no idea what nice taps looked like. Taps also somehow cost a fortune?! Anyway, I eventually settled on this style... which was sold out, so my plumber picked something very similar, saving me from the hassle of trying to choose again (thank god). 

And finally, I knew I wanted my bathroom to be full of leafy plants (and I had a couple of pipes to hide), so I bought this amazing Devil's Ivy from B&Q. It slots in perfectly in the dead space between the sink and the wall, and is leafy and lovely.

I'm so pleased with it, but my god. It's been a bit of a journey to get here! 

MOVING HOUSE

Well, it has been a whirlwind of emotions since I got my keys to my brand new flat! I thought I was being the most organised person ever by booking an entire week off week, so I could paint, prep, DIY my heart out, and turn my new empty shell into the dreamiest of flats.

Did the plan work? Er, kinda?

Here's ten things that happened during the world's most exhausting week.

1. I collected my keys from my solicitor at 4.55pm on Friday (nothing like cutting it fine!), and then INSTANTLY was hit with a weird anxious dread that something was going to be wrong (you can see my pathetic tweets about it here). I told myself I was just being stupid, until I arrived at the flat, discovered I ACTUALLY hadn't been given the correct keys, and the solicitor was closed until Monday morning. I cried in the stairwell (because buying a house is a Stressful Thing to do), and then had to get an emergency locksmith to break down the door and let me in. Good times!

2. I then had a weekend of SO MUCH PAINTING ahead. I had totally underestimated the number of rooms that needed redone (I think that's always the case), but luckily I had a gang of amazing helpers who made the whole thing much easier. We painted the massive living/dining room, both bedrooms, and had the arduous task of painting candy stripes on a bright pink wall - such a FAFF to do, but I'm delighted with them!

3. It was during this time that I discovered that the flat has the most amazing views over the city, and on clear days you can see the most incredible sunsets! I've never lived in a top floor flat before, and I feel giddy about the views - I can see beautiful old rooftops, church spires, an old volcano, and Edinburgh Castle itself!

4. The downside of living in a top floor flat? Stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. And spending your life apologising to delivery men who have to lug massive boxes (and sofas and fridges) up those stairs.

5. I've had to kit out the entire flat from scratch, so the bulk of my furniture came from Ikea (aka the most terrifyingly massive online shop I've ever done!). I was so proud of getting so many things for bargainous prices that I didn't think about the fact I had to unpack and build it all... and it took FOREVER. I still have two bits left to build, but I don't think I can face picking up an allen key again!

6. After a fairly painful few days I had finally built most of my furniture, had lugged the last of my boxes upstairs, and was looking forward to a day of pottering about my new flat, slowly unpacking things. What did I do instead? Only accidentally poke myself in the eye with my lovely new houseplant, which was so bad my eye was swollen for TWO DAYS and I couldn't do anything but lie in the dark and feel very sorry for myself. What an idiot.

7. But I made it through my eye trauma (without any lasting damage, phew!), and I unpacked my books! Since moving from my old house with a library, I've had no space for bookshelves, and my poor books have just been stacked on top of each other, making them impossible to access so they've all got a bit dusty! Now they are pride of place in my living room, and looking lovely.

8. As I'm a boring grown up now, I decided to 'treat myself' to replacing the boring square tiles in the kitchen with lovely subway tiles lined with grey grout. My poor tiler rolled his eyes when I asked for subway tiles (I think they are literally all he does), but I'm excited for my pinterest kitchen dreams to come true.

9. One of the reasons I was so excited to move is that I've been living in a flat without a bath, and I miss them so! As a reward for getting all of my flat missions done (and handing back my old keys, bye flat!), I went to Lush to buy about a million bathbombs. I tried the Intergalactic bathbomb, and it turned my bath into a beautiful galaxy sea, it's so lovely!

10. But my smugness of getting almost everything done in one week has come crashing down. I just happened to ask my kitchen tiler to fit a shower screen in the bathroom... he noticed some tiles were loose, which led to finding a leak in the shower, which led to a leaky bath, a floor destroyed by damp, and the realisation that I need to rip out the ENTIRE bathroom and replace it with new floors, walls, tiles, units, EVERYTHING. Everything's in such a bad state I can't even use it (there's a hole in the floor!) so I'm getting kicked out of my flat while the work is being done. And I don't know if I can claim the cost back? Oh god oh god oh god.

So it's been quite the week! But I'm coming to terms with it, the flat IS lovely (if you ignore the rotten bathroom floor!), and surely that's my bad luck over? (touch wood!). Send good vibes my way please!

MY TOP 10 INTERIOR BLOGGERS

It's official! I get my keys today! I've been banging on about my new flat for TWO months now, so thank you if you've read, commented or tweeted me along the way, it's been so nice to know that I've not just bored you all to tears!

I've now got a pretty busy week ahead of me. I've got to paint, move about a million books and heavy things, and assemble so much flatpack furniture (aargh!). Luckily I've got the week off work, so I can get all of my deliveries in at once - fingers crossed it all comes when it's supposed to!

My internet's the very first thing to be set up (I've got my priorities straight), so my plan is to keep blogging to schedule - but if I go quiet, you'll know why! I'll be tweeting and instagramming like mad, so if you fancy keeping up with my new flat adventures, come say hello there!

I thought it would be nice to share some of the blogs I've been loving as I've obsessed over house and home. A few of them are lifestyle bloggers who dabble in home posts, but if you've liked my rambles, you should like these too..

Top: Conversation Pieces, Apartment Therapy, Kate la Vie
Bottom: A Rosie Outlook, Sugar & Cloth, Burkatron

Conversation Pieces
I've featured Zoe's blog on here before, I just absolutely love her style! She blogs about interior design, thrifty finds and pretty things (and her pictures are always made even better by the presence of an adorable cat!).

Apartment Therapy
This is a mammoth site, but it started as a blog so I think it counts! Apartment Therapy is packed with inspiration for your home, with home makeovers, DIY, loads of advice, and ace tips for small spaces and budget living.

Kate La Vie
You might know her as ghostparties - Kate is the go-to blogger for beauty, lifestyle and interiors inspiration. She's a fan of clean lines, copper and cacti, and I am always seriously jealous of her gorgeous Glasgow flat!

A Rosie Outlook
Rosie's a lifestyle blogger who manages that fine balance between relatable posts and aspirational looks! She doesn't blog about homewares that often, but when she does it's cosy and dreamy.

Sugar & Cloth
DIY and decor to die for! This blog celebrates colour and playful accessories, from mini mountain photo holders to pom pom wall pieces. I want to craft it all!

Burkatron
Another DIY darling, Caroline is a master at simple and stylish tutorials for your home.

Top: A Beautiful Mess, What Katie Does
Bottom: Studio DIY, Llymlrs

A Beautiful Mess
If you have any interest in DIY or decor blogs, A Beautiful Mess will DEFINITELy be on your list already. It's packed with tutorials, tips and inspiration, and will make you want to grab a paintbrush and start a statement wall!

What Katie Does
Katie's a designer, and blogs beautiful imagery and tales of her life. Her home is calm, crafty and colourful.

Studio DIY
This is sort of cheating, as Studio DIY absolutely doesn't call itself an interiors blog, but I love their DIYs! If you ever want to throw a party, this is the site to look at.

Lily Melrose
Lily is a fashion blogger, who has been branching out into interiors over on her youtube channel. She's just moved house and vlogged every step of the way, and I've really enjoyed her videos. She's got an ace taste in homeware, and it's been so nice to see someone set up house by themselves and be so honest along the way!

FRIDAY FLAT CHAT:ONE WEEK TO GO

It's been 10 weeks since I first viewed the flat, 6 weeks since my mortgage was approved, and 5 weeks of Friday Flat Chat posts, where I've excitedly counted down the days to moving in by daydreaming about my new home. Now there's just 1 week left before I get the keys and move in.

I've owned a house before, so I'm not sure I should be this excited about my new flat, but I can't help it. This time it's mine, all mine, and I get to decorate it exactly how I want, without having to ask anyone what they think (or compromise on mediocre solutions).

That's exciting and overwhelming at the same time - I forgot that there's SO MUCH STUFF to do when you buy a flat, and I've had to do it all myself. Order everything, read all boring paperwork, organise all movers and deliveries, update addresses and change suppliers and call the council and meet with solicitors and ahh. I know it's good to be independent and that's partly why it's SO ACE, but it's also really stressful and exhausting. I alternate between feeling like Lesley Knope and needing an adult.

But I've been productive! I managed to finally convince the Ikea website that my delivery address actually existed so my furniture will arrive on time (although I'm dreading the amount of flatpack I'll need to build!). I booked my man with van, and a tiler AND a cleaner. I sorted out the very last of my dull-but-important paperwork, so I hopefully don't have any more massive documents to read, and, importantly, I paid my deposit. It's actually happening!

I've now got one week to say goodbye to this flat, which was such an important stepping stone for me after a very difficult part of my life. This little space gave me the breathing room to feel calm again, to pick up the pieces after an exhausting year, to like myself, and to love another (very wonderful) person. It's a small space but it's always bright and sunny and it's felt exactly like home. I'll miss my beautiful stairwell with its old mosaic doorway, my window seat that is the perfect spot for gazing on the world, and Sunday mornings, basking in the sunshine, coffee in hand.

The days are drawing in, but it's time for new beginnings. I just need to pack first.

FRIDAY FLAT CHAT: HOMEWARE WISHLIST

There's nothing like writing a weekly feature to realise how quickly time actually passes by. There's now only two weeks left until I get my keys! Two! Have I packed, or done ANYTHING useful?

Well, kind of. I've now been back to the flat to measure things (and have a pleasant-awkward encounter with the current owners), and I now have actual boxes so I can start to pack (I just haven't packed anything in them yet). I've bought a shower screen, and I would have ordered the rest of my furntiure, but I am having a total nightmare trying to order with Ikea online. It's all I can afford, and it thinks my postcode is invalid. Weep!

I love buying little homeware items, but I am trying SO hard to wait until I'm in and I've set up my proper furniture before I get carried away on accessorising the rooms. It's hard though! Lights and candles and cute vases are so much more fun to buy than tiles and dining chairs. So here's a list of what I love (and I'm just going to cross my fingers that none of these sell out in the next few weeks!).

Top

Teardrop terrarium | Dessert plate | Wire antelope head

Middle 

Pelly cushion | Oak and copper side table | Blankets

Bottom

Chalk globe | Fish dish | Soy candles

FRIDAY FLAT CHAT:BATHROOM PLANNING

It's Friday Flat Chat time! Are you bored of these posts yet? It's been seven weeks since my offer was accepted and I've still got THREE weeks to wait until I get the keys... I'm feeling pretty impatient, although I am aware that I probably need to think about starting to pack!

I've been a bit more organised since last week's post- I've booked my internet move (and got sweet-talked into upgrading to a new package, aargh!) and I finally ordered my sofa, which handily will arrive just three days after I get my keys. I ordered the lamp I was swithering over, which brings my furniture total up to one sofa, one lamp, one vintage trunk, and one hedgehog cage... I really need to get to Ikea, stat!

All bathrooms linked on Pinterest

One room I don't really have to think about (but I am anyway) is the bathroom. Currently the room is very simple and very blue. There's blue cupboards, a blue bath, blue walls, white square tiles, and a blueish-grey floor. It's definitely bright, but it's not quite the subway-tiled claw-foot tubbed space of my dreams.

Still, I'm trying to be realistic. There's no way I could afford (or have the energy) to replace the bathtub for something massive and fancy, but as it's quite a little room I could definitely update the floor tiles, and maybe replace the wall tiles if I have some money left?

Bathroom soaps - Anthropologie
Cloud storage - MoMA
Bath bombs - LUSH  

The thing I'm most excited by is the fact I'll finally have a bath again! I adore the flat I'm currently renting, but it has a teeny tiny shower-only bathroom, and I've been surprisingly frustrated with my lack of bath - it's (weirdly?) one of the main reasons I thought about moving in the first place.

I am SO excited about finally getting to buy ridiculous LUSH bathbombs again, bring on the bubbles!

FRIDAY FLAT CHAT: BEAUT BEDROOMS

There's only four weeks to go until move-in day. FOUR! Have I done anything productive, other than incessantly blog about how excited I am? No I have not. I need to order boxes so I can start packing, I need to book my internet moving day (and I should have done this a week ago!), I need to start ordering furniture so it will arrive on time, I need to do things. Aargh!

Bedrooms from pinterest

I've already blogged about my plans for my bright and colourful living room, and now I'm dreaming about bedrooms. The flat is such a colourful space, and I'm planning to leave most of it as it currently is (I love the yellow hall and living room and bright blue bathroom), but I don't think I can live with a lime green bedroom - the white paint is coming out!

I thought it would nice to balance all of the colour of the flat, with a very neutral and calm bedroom. At first I was drawn to all-white rooms, with soft splashes of colour, but now I love the idea of painting a grey feature wall, and pairing it with a white bed, black and white duvets, and brightly-coloured bedside tables (like this cute table from Ikea).

Because I'm a massive hipster-wannabe, I want to fill my house with filament lamps (pfft, who needs lamp shades anyway?). I absolutely love this black and brass lamp from Made, but I cannot fathom the 8-10 weeks shipping time... it's a lamp! It comes in other colours (like grey and nickel) that ship in 3 days, but I don't think I like them as much. Ah, what do I do? Do I order the black one and wait two months to get it? The struggle is real.

I'm not letting myself buy any room accessories until I actually move in (as I know I'll get carried away and then not have space/not like or need what I buy!), but I've already got my eye on this grey chevron throw...

FRIDAY FLAT CHAT: WONDERFUL WALLPAPER

I didn't ever think I would be a wallpaper person. It makes me think of old rented flats, wth ancient woodchip paper peeling off the wall, or dull dull dull patterns for old ladies who live in bungalows. ButI keep coming across quirky, interesting, bright patterns, and I think I'm starting to be converted.

I wouldn't want to cover my ENTIRE house with it (nor could I, in any way, afford it), but maybe a feature walls? Feature walls are still cool, right?

All wallpapers linked on Pinterest

I've started an entire pinterest board dedicated to wallpaper, because I have become that house-obsessed person. But look at it! I'm still undecided on what colour scheme to go for in my bedroom or study, and possibly this could be the way to go.

I am a big fan of bees, so I couldn't quite contain my joy when I found the bumble bee Farrow & Ball wallpaper. It's pretty pricey at £85 per roll (although, to be honest, I have no idea what 'normal' wallpaper should cost), but I also found a cheaper decal equivalent on etsy, which looks like it would be considerably less effort too (and easier to change up, if you were fed up of living in a hive).

The cactus print is also from etsy, and isn't traditional wallpaper either. Instead, it comes in four big panels, which can be ordered in whatever size you need. I love the polka dots too - I think that image is of actual wallpaper, but you can easily buy (or make!) little decal dots to stick on your walls. Caroline from burkatron did a cute triangle wall decal tutorial recently, which I like a lot, although, would it be too busy in a small-ish space? Would it hurt your head?

And, how amazing is that jelly and cake print by Thornback & Peel? They currently have no wallpaper left on their site, as they are about to launch a new range, so I am waiting impatiently to see what it is. Wouldn't that print be AMAZING in a kitchen? Or would it be too kitsch?

Aah, there are just too many options - how on earth do you choose?

WIN A STITCH & STORY KIT

There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of wearing something YOU have made. It's easy to see how knitting has gone through a resurgence lately - it's a super relaxing hobby that is perfect for cold, dark evenings, giving you the perfect excuse to hibernate under a blanket and watch movies, while also feeling pretty productive.

I came across Stitch & Story recently and I was instantly taken (and featured them immediately in my recent Autumn wishlist post). Stitch & Story make super-cute knitting kits that are designed to reflect current fashion trends and lifestyle products AND be super easy to use. Their site is also packed with knitting tutorials, so even total beginners can have a go, and they also run knitting workshops in London.

They're determined to break knitting's reputation as a difficult granny hobby, and it's totally working - all of their kits are cute and wearable (look at this bobble hat!) and they provide everything you need to get started.

Easy Slumber Socks - Dust pink kit

Stitch & Story are just about to launch a brand new knitting kit, Easy Slumber Socks, and I'm delighted that I've got two kits to give away! This kit comes in dust pink and fossil grey, and comes with:

• 2 x 100g Stitch & Story The Chunky Wool (100% merino wool)
• Short pair (25cm) size 8mm bamboo knitting needles
• Easy Slumber Socks pattern
• Sewing needle
• Basic knitting instructions
• Re-useable Kraft bag to store all your knitting gear

Easy Slumber Socks - Fossil grey kit

For your chance to win, just follow the instructions below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway Winners will be picked on Wednesday 30th September and I'll email you to let you know you've won. By entering you also agree for your email address to be passed on to Stitch & Story (which I think means they'll send you cosy photos of wool and the occasional offer). UK entries only please. Thank you!

FRIDAY FLAT CHAT: DREAMY LIVING ROOMS

I hope you're ready for about a million interiors posts! There's now six weeks to go until I collect the keys of my brand new flat, and to help me (impatiently!) count down I've started a new series of home inspo posts - Friday Flat Chat! In the run up to being a homeowner I'll be looking at homes that inspire me, and pulling together millions of wishlists, and chat about what I've learned about house-buying.

If this sounds interesting to you (I can't imagine why it wouldn't! Ha), then check back every Friday for a new update. If this sounds hellish, I promise to post about non-home things on Monday and Wednesday like usual. Phew!

All images from Pinterest
Beautiful blues, colourful walls, grey and copper combos, adorable pets!

One of the first things I've had to think about is my future living room. Sofas can take up to 10 weeks to order, so I have to pretty quickly break out of the how-do-I-adult stage of house buying, and pick a sofa so I have something to sit on when I move in!

My new flat is painted in really bright colours (the previous owners seem to be pretty into Indian-inspired decor), and while I'm planning to paint most of it, I actually really like the yellow living room. All of my recent flats have had completely white walls, so I think it would be fun to have some colour - the room is big enough to pull it off, and at one end it has a Juliet balcony, so it is a lovely, sunny space.

I first started looking at bright blue sofas, to complement the yellow walls, but a few people warned me on how they can fade and show up marks easily. As much as I love them - how ace is the top left one?! - I want an easy life, so I've been eyeing up dark grey sofas instead. They're much more practical, and I can add pops of colour with cushions and throws!

Amazing cloud storage, indoor trees, loads of light, colourful dining

My living room is a big rectangle shape, so I'll be splitting it into a sofa/chill out space at one end, and a dining space at the other. I love Zoe's upcycled chairs, they are super cute! I am also SO excited about having a dining table again (and it is moments like these that make me realise I am old). I love having my friends round for dinner, but it always takes the shine off when you have to eat on your lap - but no more!

I also love having loads of plants in my house, and now I have more space I can get even bigger ones. Ikea have a surprisingly nice plant section, and have some massive leafy ones that would look lovely in the corner of the room. I'll also be able to grow things on my tiny balcony and as I'm on the top floor of the building, there's extra space at my front door to grow even more. I've not had this much (indoor) garden space in years, I can't wait to over-water everything!

Can you tell I'm excited?

I BOUGHT A FLAT!

I have been waiting impatiently to post this for weeks - I bought a flat! My mortgage is approved, and I'm just waiting on the last bits of paperwork to be filed (so, er, here's hoping I don't jinx it!), and I'll get the keys next month. EXCITING.

It hasn't really felt real. After I sold my house in the suburbs and moved back to the city, I had no intentions of buying again. Selling the house had been such a hassle and I didn't want to be tied down again into something that might become a burden. I loved (and still love!) the flat I'm renting... but it's a pretty small flat, and, if I'm honest, I missed having space. I also realised that mortgage payments were likely to be lower than what I'm paying in rent (madness), and home ownership started to feel like a slightly better idea.

So, I started looking at flats a couple of months ago, and quickly realised how hellish house-hunting actually is. The housing market seems to have totally picked up again, so everything is going SO QUICKLY and, in most cases, for well over the valuation price. I put an offer in on one flat and was knocked back spectacularly, viewed the most depressing properties you can imagine, viewed the most glorious one I could never afford, was stressed out of my head, had various cries about it, and actually had nightmares about house-viewings. It was not fun. I almost gave up, but I was addicted to a painful cycle of refreshing property apps over and over and over again.

But then I found my one! And it is bright and lovely, and has the most glorious rooftop views  that stretch over to Edinburgh Castle! It's got space for a study (so I can recreate bits of my old library) and also has a massive floored attic (!) which I'm planning to turn into a cinema/video game space. It also has a BATH, so I can return to the land of lovely Lush bathbombs (friends and family - note, they are all I want for christmas). Somehow I got in early enough, and they accepted my offer, and the bank was nice enough to lend me a massive amount of money that I'm tied into until I retire! Yay, adulting!

And now I wait. I've got weeks and weeks before I move, as I let the seller pick the date, so I've just been getting carried away on Pinterest (I have TEN home-themed boards now, so I think I officially have a problem).

But it's so exciting! And over-whelming! The only bit of furniture I own is Soba's cage, so I have to completely furnish the flat from scratch. I've also never lived anywhere that was a completely blank canvas before - how do you decide what colours to use, when you could go for absolutely anything?! Too much choice.

So that's my news. It's been really stressful and I've hated most of house-hunting, but hopefully there's mainly good times ahead. I'm been obsessed with homeware blogs recently, so I'm going to start posting some decor inspiration blogs, while I try and get my new flat life in order. Fun!