Tuesday 17 January 2012

Farrow and Ball - there is nothing quite like it.


I had my first live weigh in on the radio this week.

7lbs… do little dance I lost 7lbs … do a little dance.  I am chuffed to bits!

I kept from thinking about food too much as the weekend was taken up with decorating Isobel’s bedroom. We are now well on our way to changing a long since abandoned teenage boys bedroom into a room fit for a princess.  Although we hadn’t intended on tackling any of the rooms until the roof has been replaced and the major works were done however until we moved house in the summer my youngest daughter had shared a room with her sister.  Sleeping in her new room alone was somewhat traumatic for her and for weeks after we moved she would wake in a fright and I’d have to settle her back to sleep.  It did make me laugh though  as she pointed out her 4 year old logic to us “I am a princess and princesses only sleep in pretty rooms.” Point made.

I choose a really pretty cream curtain fabric with rosebuds on in a discount store in London with my mum a few months ago. Even so I was shocked to arrive home from my radio show a week before Christmas to find Isobel’s wardrobe in the middle of the driveway. I looked up to see a happy husband relishing the destruction of the built in wardrooms you can see in the pictures below ( taken before we bought the house)

Of course the children were squealing in excitement as chunks of wood were hurled out of the window.  Three eager faces then looked down on me  wide eyed in delicious delight to see just how much trouble daddy was in for making such a mess!

When I first met my husband he would practically have a meltdown even for the simplest task. Nowadays he’s amazing, although I am still constantly delighted and surprised whenever he sets about any kind of DIY. He’s really very good.. and I should tell him more often.



Now I know I am on a budget, but in the last house I did up I made a major mistake.  I will never ever   .. ever skimp on paint ever again. My first house was built in the early 1800’s and I used Farrow and Ball. It was amazing. I then used it again in the flat we lived in but in the last house I was conned into believing that you can get a similar finish a look from another heritage paint that was cheaper but which I was promised would have a similar finish.  The painters and decorators went in and painted the house on a contract.  The moment I walked in I regretted my decision.  I just wasn’t the same; there wasn’t the depth or the texture of Farrow and Ball and I couldn’t afford to repaint it.

So this time I am back to what I know is the most delicious, rich, gorgeous paint I know.  Back to Farrow and Ball - there is nothing quite like it. 




6 comments:

  1. Vanessa, I totally love the Farrow & Ball paints too. But, unfortunately we have nearly 11 foot walls so I would be bankrupt if I had to use their paint to re-decorate, much as I would love too!
    I love your taste in home decor too xx

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  2. Lovely post, Vanessa. I can't wait to see how your house turns out.

    As you know, we are huge Farrow and ball fans (and not just because they are down the road from us in Dorset!)

    Charlotte x
    @gofreecakes

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  3. DH refuses to consider other paints now that he has discovered Farrow and Ball: although expensive they are economical because they wear so much better than cheaper paints. Or so he says.

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  4. Well done 7lbs keep up the good work!
    Love the paint samples - can't wait to see the finished product - a room fit for a princess.

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  5. You can almost smell the new paint from your post Vanessa...
    What a lucky little princess :D

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  6. Congratulations re 7 lbs loss - that's a whopping amount! More recipes please like the beetroot soup - it's lovely.

    PS Totally agree about Farrow & Ball paint. x

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If you are reading my blog I must warn you that I am not impartial. I want to influence you. I want to make you stop for just a moment and consider the effect of a lifetime of seemingly insignificant decisions and how making small delicious choices can change the world.

I believe that we can change the world one bite at a time.

It's a delicious revolution.