The dream of recycling an antique sewing machine base

I recently came across a very inspiring article on creative ways of recycling an antique sewing machine base, and ever since I’ve been obsessed with the thought of investing in one of these and making it into a vanity table – similar to the one in the above picture.

I already have an antique Singer sewing machine with the typical swirly iron base back home at my parents’ house in Sweden, but it’s a bit tricky to get it shipped over to England. Plus, the one I already have is really valuable to me with it having once belonged to my great grandmother, so I think I’ll just get my hands on a random one locally that I can experiment with and place in my dressing room.

My ideal dressing room would have lots of teal decorations as this gives a bit of a bohemian or almost oriental vibe. I’ve got a few decorations of this colour already, but would really like to go all out teal, mixed with shabby white and metal.

The focal point of the room would obviously be the upcycled sewing machine vanity table, but the rest of the room would all match, including bedding, lanterns, organiser jars (great for makeup brushes), etc. 

My dressing room isn’t actually a dressing room, but it’s simply the spare room in the house which is for guests. Therefore, it’s tiny and most of the space is taken up by a double bed. Very annoying!

My dream would be to have a single trundle bed in the guest room/dressing room. One that won’t take up much space, that has a pretty frame that matches the style of the room, that you can make up as a sofa during the day with the help of cushions, and that you can easily fold out into a double bed if needed. Something in line with the above trundle bed from Bedz ‘R’ Us would be absolutely ideal!

Just imagine this! Although, with some teal details thrown in the mix. I’d be in heaven!

I definitely need to get myself on Gumtree or Ebay soon to find an antique sewing machine base – I can’t wait to start my next project!

(I just need to convince the man in the house first… or do I?!)

Bunk beds, and why kids should share a bedroom

There seems to be a baby boom going on amongst my friends at the moment, and a lot of them are already on their second or third child.

This also means that some of them are outgrowing their houses, meaning they have to be a bit more creative with the lack of space.

Many parents think their children should have one bedroom each, and I completely agree with that – at least once the children are a bit more grown up. But whilst they’re still young they probably won’t mind sharing a bedroom with their sibling, and in my opinion this is a nothing but a good experience. Children who share a bedroom will learn how to share toys, and will learn to respect their sibling.

Myself and my little sister, who is 2.5 years younger than me, shared a bedroom when we were little, and I didn’t move into my own room until I was about to turn 7. It was not that I was afraid of sleeping alone or anything, but it was just so lovely having that sisterly bond. 

We used to have the coolest bunk bed, similar to the one above from Room to Grow, painted in lilac and with curtains for the lower bunk. We would lay there on a night and whisper and giggle, and sing all the Disney songs we knew. Oh, memories! 

Nowadays, more than 20 years later (God, I'm getting old!) there are so many more options when it comes to bunk beds, and parents can be really creative with their kids' shared bedroom. There are bunk beds with a corner angle, with an extra trundle bed underneath for additional night guests, with built-in desks and drawers, and even themed bunk beds of all kinds!  

 I mean, who wouldn't want an awesome London bus bunk bed to sleep in?!
Can I get one in grown up size? ;)

The art of wedding decorations and colour themes

I went to a wedding at the weekend, and it was in such a lovely countryside location. The happy couple had placed a couple of yurts in a field outside a Yorkshire stone farmhouse, and had even decorated the woodland path in between the main building and the yurts. Gorgeous, and very simple yet creative! They had done most of the decorations themselves with the help of family members (including folding 1,000 origami cranes!), and it added such a lovely atmosphere to the venue. Here are a few snaps I took of the decorations on the day. 

I love it when a wedding is different from the standard. When the decorations put a twist on the day and add personality to the occasion. This is so much better than going for the usual “fancy and timeless” hotel look, which when looking back at it you realise it wasn’t so timeless after all, but just boring. No one’s going to remember your standard wedding from the bunch…

This got me really inspired for my best friend’s wedding which will take place next summer, and I quickly dashed over to Pinterest to raid through her boards, and even pinned some images myself.

Placing your colourful potpourri in rolled up music sheets adds such a lovely touch to the exit of the ceremony venue. 

Crafty DIY table settings will make people remember your wedding dinner. It will really get the conversation started if you've put some time into personalising every piece to your guests. 

Candle teacups work as a romantic and old fashioned addition to your table decorations.

The simplest ideas are usually the nicest ones. Tying a bow out of a wide ribbon onto old wooden chairs is all you need for the wedding dinner if you're going for a shabby chic and french romantic theme. Even more shabby chic if you opt for different types of wooden chairs, like a mismatch.

A little dressing table is a great option for those special wedding decorations. You can't go wrong with lace and pearls - it's a classic wedding look that will never go out of style.

Place a birdcage onto the dressing table, and get people to use it as a postbox for the wedding cards. 

I absolutely love it when there is a specific colour theme to a wedding. My friend is going for dusky pink and green, but I think if I ever got married that I would go for a colder tone - maybe like the above lilac, or perhaps blue.