DIY distressed photo frame

Beginning of this year, S and I attended an Annie Sloan workshop hosted by Home & Pantry in Angel, London. We've been fascinated by the whole distressing effect on surfaces and was on the look out for an affordable workshop which gave us a basic insight into the various techniques. It was a day long session and we absolutely enjoyed it to say the least. we were taught 6 different techniques and then given a project at the end of it to create our masterpiece.

We both picked up an Annie Sloan starter kit and i couldn't wait to put it to use. I decided to transform this old photo frame into a show piece and eventually add some vintage hooks at the base to use it as a coat hanger of sorts at the entry way. At that point I was sort of obsessed with block printing on any fabric and didn't spare this either. I used a wooden stencilling block and fabric paint stamp the paisley prints and then stapled the fabric on to the wooden frame. It took me an hour start to finish and I'm rather proud of how it turned out.

Things I used:

Old frame

Paint brush

Aubusson blue chalk paint by Annie Sloan

Soft clear wax (for furniture and walls)

Wax brush or an old piece of cloth

Old white chalk paint by Annie Sloan

Sand paper- lowest grade

I started by painting the entire frame with Aubusson blue, rather roughly. It doesn't need to be clean straight lines of paint in one direction. Just make sure all the areas are equally covered.

Leave aside to dry completely, or if like me you don't have the patience, use a hair drier to fasten the process. Annie Sloan chalk paint is rather easy to dry and even if left aside, if you haven't gone a bit crazy thickening the surface with paint, it would dry in a matter of 10 to 15 minutes.

Paint another layer with the old white chalk paint, this time focussing on making it smoother. Leave to dry completely.

Once the paint has dried, rub in a layer of wax on to the frame. The paint gets a bit darker and that's fine. Make sure you get into the nooks and crannies and cover the entire surface and sides of the frame. I used a wax brush for this but you can use a piece of cloth instead. 

Now using the sand paper gently rub at the edges and corners, where you want the Aubussion blue paint to come through. Don't over do this, or else it would look forced, and not naturally weathered. 

Put in your favourite picture and voila, you have a beautiful distressed photo frame.

PS: You can of course use any colour of choice. Try and use contrasting colours if you want them to stand out in an obvious sort of way. I love the blue and white combo and hence went for it.

N

Fresh flowers for your home

This conversation started the other day. We were standing on the bus stop facing an artificial flower & plant shop. Now it was Kensington and the window display was beautiful. But if you looked a little  closely you could understand that those were all artificial flowers. We got talking about whether it makes sense to buy artificial flowers or  go for the fresh ones.

How do you like decorating your home ~ with fresh flowers or artificial ones? In hot countries like India where flowers spoil rather rapidly, I guess it makes sense to buy artificial ones. Now a days in the market there are such lovely artificial ones. I love those silk flowers, created with so much attention to detail. They look pretty darn real.
But if you buy artificial ones, you are stuck with that bunch and can't buy different varieties that you can with fresh ones.

Do you like buying seasonal flowers like tulips for spring or do you like sticking to the same flowers which you always buy?

Though I don't have a traditional brass urli, I like arranging flowers in an earthen pot once in a while. This one came from the sweet shop when we bought misti doi (Bengali sweet yogurt). Once the doi was over, I cleaned the pot and kept it for my flowers.

Fresh flowers can bring in a pop of colour and brighten up a space instantly even on grey and dull days.

You don't have to buy expensive flowers all the time, a few from your garden/pots in the balcony can make all the difference. I love picking up wild flowers and putting them in a jam jar.

By now you must have guessed we love fresh flowers, ah the sheer variety of them in the market and the different shapes and colours, not to mention the smells. Let us your preference.

Climb those stairs in style !!

Something I was very intrigued and thrilled at the same time when I was doing the research for our house. Stairs ?? Really ? Did'nt think you can glam up staircase in so many ways. I found loads of photos of people Jazzing up the stairs. Back in the 90’s it  began with using different types of materials to build the stairs, nice wooden stairs, glass ones look gorgeous and elegant. Then the intricate carvings on the pillars , lovely family photos, paintings have started showing up around the staircase area.

Today, the virtual world is filled with pictures of DIY stairs. Oh, what can i say about the staircases over which the artists creatives juices are flowing with no limits. The ideas are so fresh and unique and immensely pleases one's eyes. I so wanted to this when we were moving but even though the builder was enthusiastic about it my husband dearest didn’t give a damn :) of course, his excuse was time and budget because we have to do all the stairs all over. The wood on the existing ones wasn't in a great shape and so carpeting it was a practical move. Well, I guess sturdy stairs is also an important aspect than the look.So, if you just moving in or renovating the house, this is the correct time to revamp the stairs as well. especially if they are carpeted previously. You just don’t know what’s underneath.

There are so many options, colour the tread bright and leave the step rustic, stencil some vintage design on them or go all out and paint sceneries. Here are some I picked from pinterest for you to get inspired!!

This is my Favourite. If I ever get a chance to do our staircase again, it's going to be these. Blue tread and a dark wood step. Just love it !

Paint them!

Love this stripy zig zag look. use a masking tape to achieve straight bold lines and get painting.

Stripy Staircase

Ever so glam !!

For the book lovers 

So, get inspired and jazz up your staircase to give your personal touch. Go to our DID board on pinterest for many more pictures of gorgeous stairs to climb those stairs in style !!

G

Cushion craving

Cushion covers are a weakness for me. I have so so many of them, and mixing and matching them is something i love doing. I think i get it from my mum who also obsesses over the colour combinations, embroidery and so on and the discussions we have over cushions are quite elaborate.

I love both Indian and contemporary designs. I have my moods, in which i sometimes rearrange things around the house to match it. Fab India and Anokhi are brands i absolutely love when it comes to Indian cushions. Sadly, i get to shop there only when i go to India, and once a year doesnt really quench my thirst for cushion covers.

I am in the process of putting together some décor inspiration for 'the house' and these are some of my favourites - Indian themed ones. I have a whole other batch for contemporary designs.

You can never go wrong with the blue and white combination. Works brilliantly when it comes to décor, crockery and even clothes

This is think is my favourite from the lot. So elegant and absolutely gorgeous. This is definitely an option i'm looking into

If you have a corner arm chair you want to accentuate, then an attractive cushion like this would do the job. I mean, just look at all those bright colours. I would be too possessive about that cushion if i had it at my house :)

Not as Indian as i'd like, but it could pull off the ethnic look, and its something different

This is another idea i'd like to give a shot at. Have mismatched cushions scattered around and with gold block prints. I am a sucker for anything with block prints.

This, i'd like to display on a white comfy sofa in my conservatory. It screams of summer and lazy days to come.

Images are all courtesy of the pinterest board called 'Cushion craving' and do check it out for some more inspiration.

Balcony Garden Inspiration

We are right in the middle of May and summer is knocking on our doors! I have a pretty long balcony which right now houses a couple of dead flower baskets and two rose plants. But come summer I have big plans of converting my balcony into a green space. Of having my morning tea in the green bliss, having summer parties, spending long summer evenings drinking Pimms and puffing on the hookah. Of course I have been looking at Pinterest for inspiration and I found oodles of it. If only execution was as easy, specially for a non gardener like me. Sharing some of the photos which have me totally hooked, I wish I could create something like this. Any suggestions on balcony makeover is more than welcome. But please remember I am a novice.

This one looks like a narrow Parisian balcony. What I like is the gorgeous sunlight of course, not too many plants overcrowding the narrow space, the blue furniture and the other blobs of colour. This looks doable. What say? Image source here.

Now this is a wow space! My dream balcony looks like this. Don't think I have the capacity to create something as beautiful as this. But it's worth dreaming, isn't it? Image source here.

These old wine crates seem all rage for planting. Lusting after them! Image source here.

How easy these guys make it look? I wish I could put up a green space as effortlessly! Image source here.

Ah to have such a nook in your house! Deep sigh! And utter longing! Image source here.

See the guy there in the photo I want to be him in my next birth. I am sure he is the gardener with a giant green thumb who used old pots and boxes to create a fabulous space like this and grows all his veggies there too. Image source here.

All the images are taken from Pinterest, on DID's Pinterest account we have a board called Balcony Garden Inspiration. The photos I have shared is just tip of the iceberg, there are loads more, do check it out and follow us on Pinterest. We are slowly and steadily building it up.
P.S. I have tried to link the photos to their original sites, but could not find the specific posts on which they were showed.

The Magazine Gawker

Decorating a room, garden or the entire house, whatever the size of the project, the first thing we all do is to go magazine shopping. Oh, how I love to stare at the magazine racks in the shop, drool over the cover pages and browse through the options. They are not only a great source for inspiration but also a  great way to unwind and let yourself sway away in some ‘me’ time. Who wouldn't want some time away with a nice coffee, cookie and your favourite magazine. I totally love the early morning serenity of cold breeze, birds chirping, the intense aroma of coffee surrounding you completely de-linking from the ever so connected world. Even though it lasts only as long as you sip that coffee, believe you me, the few minutes of sitting down and taking a breather in the morning takes you a long way during the day. Sit down with your favourite magazine, be it home, garden , or lifestyle magazine, it definitely  takes you to a place where you are happy, more refreshing and recharges you for that mad day ahead :)

Although I am also a total foodie, when it comes to my choice of magazines to gawk at, it will always be Home & lifestyle. I don’t really get the gossip magazines going on and on about the so called celebrities which are mostly made up, misleading, boring and absolutely useless pile of papers. For me, it's always a nice home magazine with loads of pictures and to -do articles.Also, something that these magazines do is to have that balance between different ranges of products catering to all pockets. The effort they put to collect different pieces and create a place which you can take some inspiration from is commendable and worth the money you spend :)

Here are a few of my favourite magazines :

Homes and Gardens are a beautiful magazine with lots of inspiration for decorating. Introduces you to the current trends in colours, fabric and themes. They feature houses from UK and abroad which I particularly like because you get that global reach in terms of trends.

Real Homes is the one if you just need to gaze endlessly into beautiful real homes with new kitchens, they talk about barn conversions, extensions, garden rooms which is quite good if you are gathering information on home extension to make your own do(s) and don’t(s) list. They also feature mood boards which are a great way to create the colour/pattern/texture you want.

Kinfolk is my new found love, which is about all things life. Their latest Volume 15 is about slow living, learning to unlearn and achieve that satisfaction in life which we forget amidst the usual day to day activities. It talks about how to use the senses like scent, vision, taste, feel and sound in our space to our and the family/work’s advantage.

Elle Decoration has got loads of beautiful compilation of decorating pieces, comparing products and interesting articles on how to make your space your own which reflects your personality. The upcoming events, stores directory, offers are too tempting to turn away from.

25 Beautiful Homes - I really love the way they feature all sorts of homes from around Uk. From studio flats to huge extensions they have covered it all. Lots of ideas on how to use the space for different rooms. Keep reading these beautiful books, unwind, get inspired and fall in love with yourself !

 G

Pink-spiration

While we are still on the topic of spring, can we take a moment and talk about the blossoms??? Its all shades of pink on the trees and i cant stop admiring them. The pear, apple and cherry blossoms are my favourite and if you inspect them closely, you can see how a flower has different hues of pinks, making you fall in love with the colour all over again.

Decor-wise, I'm not a big fan of pink, but clothes-wise I am, even though I'd prefer to not categorise myself as very girly-in-pink sort of person. However, when it comes to flowers, I have a weakness for the pink ones and clearly from the pictures you can see that.

Here are some of my favourite pink things at the moment- some pink-spiration for spring.

N

 Pink tulips on my dining table

 Pink lemonade, for those warm days

 Peonies, my favouritest flower, on my coffee table

 Carnations, a close second.

 Rose flavoured cupcakes

 Wild rose candles in vintage tea cups, a DIY project.

  My vintage candle sticks, ceramic spoons and a distressed coaster

I could stare at this wall all day

Spring Inspirations For Your Home

Finally!

Spring is here...

It couldn't have arrived at a better time.

We were starting to get quite fed up with winter ~ the harsh cold, the biting wind, the muted sun looking like a water poach in a pale, grey sky, the bare branches. 

Putting on the hats, tying on the boot laces, layering up, buttoning the heavy winter coats, wrapping the mufflers, sliding our hands into those gloves felt so very tedious. 

Just when the never ending March was at it's grey-est and rainy-est and dreary-est, the early daffodils started blooming in London. Ah the joys of those bright yellow pops of colour!

And now we have rolled into May and the world is in spring mode. And so is social media. Check the  blogs, Pinterest, Instagram, everyone is talking about spring and sharing gorgeous photos of spring. So we thought we will also put in our two bits.

A quick how to get our homes spring ready by yours truly.

First thing we would recommend is throw open those windows. Let the fresh spring breeze waft in.

Move the drapes, pull up the shutters, let the spring sunshine flood your rooms. 

Change the darker, earth toned soft furnishings that we tend to use for winter. The reds, the rusts, the browns, the oranges, the chrome yellows we can safely fold up and put away till autumn.

Time to bring in fresher colours ~ the various pinks, the bright yellows, the vivid greens, the lighter blues.
The heavy materials like wools, tartans, heavy brocade silks have no place in the spring world. We need lighter materials specially cottons. But not the light soothing ones of summer, thicker cottons which can help with the lingering chill in the air.

Next we need some fresh flowers. Spring spoils us with an abundance of choices. One of my firm favourites are the tulips. I wait for the tulips to arrive in my neighbourhood flower shop. Shopping for them is always such a pleasure.

This spring my inspiration colours are various shades of pink & turquoise and my current obsession is William Morris. Or rather designs by the artist. You could say I bought this Morris & Co hand cream because of the lovely box it came in. Yes I am a little mad like that. And the country which is inspiring me most now a days is Turney. Ever since our Istanbul trip last fall I have an ongoing love affair with everything Turkish! 

What is inspiring you currently? How is your home looking this spring? Wanna share some home photos with us?

Cheers,

S

Love for Vintage

When you are doing up a house one of the first challenge is to pick a theme, a mood for the house which makes a 'home'. I am going through a similar turmoil at the moment. As if moving into a new place is not enough challenge we have decided to leave all our existing furniture behind and start fresh. Some have been disposed, and some have found a new home in our garage waiting to get a new transformation:). Although, it’s a sheer pressure of getting things done, this is one of the kind of stress you enjoy. The whole process of researching, browsing endlessly for those unique pieces, clicking on the checkout button and finally unwrapping the delivery is ecstatic.

Honestly, it didn't take much time for me to decide on the look of the house. ‘Vintage’ was an outright winner. Although I love shabby chic, it is getting more and more ‘high street’ status off late with mass production of shabby chic look alike furniture. Don’t get me wrong, but the whole point of refurbishing an old rustic piece of furniture is gone out of the window and the authenticity is lost. Having said that, finding an authentic piece can prove to be a really tough and pricey affair. So the secret lies in striking the right balance of high street, authentic vintage and handmade products. Don’t be scared to take up a DIY project and give the place a personal touch. If I am attempting it, anyone can - you can totally trust me on that ! Style them with your finds from some of the stores which have stuff worth dying for like notonthehighstreet, anthropologie, loaf, Butlers. One of such products I was able to lay my hands on was this gorgeous dining table from Made.com. Quiet affordable at £329 and perfect for a humble dining area with a classy rustic finish. I personally like the chipped finish they gave to the base of the table and the embossed flower pattern against a lovely grey background on the legs.

Coming to my choice of colours, I wanted something bright and lively. Playing with colours with your statement furniture pieces is far more easier than trying to use them on the walls.  The whole process of choosing a colour for the walls, sampling, test paints, busying the colours, painting or briefing the shade to the painters is all too much of an effort for me. Keep the walls white or very neutral and add fun accessories which have a pop of colour. My present obsessions is blue - all shades going up to a very light green are catching my eyes these days. My very first buy as an inspiration for colour and design is this bright Jug with a classic blue English pattern. It almost gives you a feeling as if it's taken out from an old Doulton collection:). 

The blue printed mug which is also part of the inspiration purchase is my favourite now and I bought it for like £2 in a garden shop which makes it even more adorable and my morning coffees even more refreshing. That also happened to be the mug when my son made me a coffee for the first time - so it's ever so special:) 

So when my enthusiasm was reaching its high and just when I am making these 'inspiration purchases' left right and centre I received these two gorgeous, absolutely beautiful stools as a gift from a cousin congratulating on our new house, I took it as a sign of approval for my colour choices from my guardian angels of designing and decided on 'Blue'. The styling and design for rest of the furniture was also inspired  by these two pretty things.

I really loved the vibrant blue pattern and that's something I am working at incorporating in some of my soft furnishings too, I shall keep you posted :) Watch the space for more and more pictures, design crushes and inspirations from Damsels in Distress.

XX  G