Converting the Potting Sheds into an Office

The Man Shack

For the past ten years my husband has been working from offices in town.  I practically threw him out of the house ten years ago just before our daughter was born when he mentioned that I might have to shush a crying baby if he was on a call. It's amusing to think that pre children we thought that a baby might be shushed! 

Things have changed and three children later we realized that our time with them is so short. They are growing up at such a pace we decided that they should have as much childhood as possible.  We both wanted them to climb trees, run, laugh and play outside and have the chance to have an old fashioned way of growing up.  With a postage stamp of a garden that we had it just wasn’t possible. We needed a bigger house and garden. 

The sink unit was given to me by my fabulous hairdresser John Billington

 When worked out our budget we realised quite quickly that the rent and travel costs Alastair paid would go a long way to paying towards making it happen, so when the opportunity came up to buy a house I had always wanted to live in came up we went for it, especially when we saw that the potting sheds were tucked away quietly by what would become my kitchen garden at the side of the house and could be renovated. We couldn’t have afforded the house had it been done up, although most of our family and friends thought we’d taken on a mad project and looked on in utter horror at our purchase!

So for the past six months we have been project managing a renovation. Its so good for Al to have his own space to work in, he moved in last week and it's as though he's always been there. The house is full of my cookery things and the children's toys and books.. this is his space and now his commute is a stumble via the laundry door into the kitchen garden and he's at work.  It's already making a big difference to family life, he works very long hours and he saved enough time to take a half day last Friday and came out to Oxford for the afternoon to picnic in the park. It was the first time he's ever taken an afternoon off work to enjoy some family time. It was magical. 

Painting with Farrow and Ball paints. 

It has been a good six months to get the sheds converted and I really recommend if you are going to undertake a project to write down the quotes from builders, plumbers, decorators, plasterers and carpenters.  Do NOT get estimates .. get written quotes.  It might sound obvious reading this now, but trust me;  if forget what was agreed months later you can refer back to it. 

The outside light I rescued from being chucked in the skip!

I'd also say to use the best paint to finish. There is no point skimping on the bit you will see day in day out and I love Farrow and Ball paint, not only because of the luscious finish but because I care about the ingredients that are used and Farrow and Ball paint is made in a really positive way using natural pigments. It's the right thing to use if you care about the impact you have on the world.  I once used a cheaper copy and had a long time to regret it. 

I used three colours.  Castle Grey on the doors, All White on the windows and ceiling, which gave it a fresh clean vibrancy and then inside calming, almost serene Cornforth White, and it looks beautiful 

Enjoying the space. 

 I don't ugh like buying new things.  I tend to rescue, recycle, renovate and reuse. Partially because my budget doesn't allow me to just splurge, but mainly because I love the imperfect. I like things to look as though they have always been that way.  I think though that with a new space it is good to invest in some key pieces and the room will come together.  I’m a huge fan of Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture and adding  the Warrington Console and a large squishy chair the whole room just came together as though it had always been there.  Pascale, from the London Rachel Ashwell Shop came over and helped me put it all tougher right from the start.  It seems a bit surreal now remembering standing in a shell with no roof deciding what paint colour to use. 

The stable doors are painted Castle Grey by Farrow and Ball

You can imagine the looks we got from friends and family as we showed them around.

Mothers Deserve More!

I was actualy going to ignore Mothering Sunday. I am up to my ears writing at the moment,  however, something really got my goat  .. and so I must write something !

I’ve read three press releases this week that are busy telling people that all mothers really want is a lie in, a bath, a home made card and a cup of tea.

Absolute tosh!  

I am standing up for mothers who deserve more than this!  

A lie in is a given,  I bath several times a week already! I do love hand made cards .. I really genuinely hate bought cards.  But just a cup of tea and a hot bath and a lie in?   I think not!  I want spoiling! I want to be appreciated! 

On Mothering Sunday what I’d really love is beautiful scented flowers that make me smile, with some handmade artisan pure butter fudge to eat with my cup of tea, and a fabulous aromatic, cotton candle wick, wildflower scented candle to light in my bathroom for a truly romantic bubble bath!

For this is the moment when you can show your mother just how much she means to you.  That you really appreciate all the things she does.  Picking up dirty socks, washing, cleaning, shopping, ironing,  flushing the loo after you ( my children are 5,7 & 9) driving you from A to B and back again. Running the things you have forgotten about to you - wherever you are , despite reminding you not to forget them in the first place! 

Picture courtesy of www.realflowers.co.uk

Last week I came across a poem when I was at Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture and as I stood there reading it I had to take a deep breath and willed my eyes not to well up.   So instead I took a photo and shall share it here (with her kind permission.)

I really do believe that a gift is a visual representation of the love that you feel  - so I suppose for me this is not the moment to be anything other then generous with your mother.  This is the time to give her something the show her how you feel about her.  A gift that says soft kisses, gentle hands, perfumed moments of warmth, laughter, trust, love, a beautiful smile, kind words, and unconditional acceptance. Mother. 


  ..... and a home made card!

A Visit to Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture Shop in London

Taking on a house that needs renovating is so exciting,. It’s also hard to get a balance and sometimes I feel a bit overwhelmed.  I want to renovate .. but truthfully there is comfort and beauty living in what is effectively real shabbiness!  I joke about feeling quite aristocratic on a rainy day because  breakfast consists of "pass the marmalade darling ..oh  .. and could you move the bucket .. there’s a new leak!"

That said  I do feel really at home when it’s not quite perfect. The paint is worn, the carpets are fraying and the windows rattle when the wind blows .. but unlike my last house the untidiness here seems romantic .... as opposed to slovenly!

Having bought Rachel Ashwell’s new book a couple of weeks ago I decided to go to her London shop called Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture .. She also has shops in New York and Los Angeles. 

 Going in to London from the countryside it’s quite a trip and I had all three children with me and I was quite apprehensive Of course working the hours I do it’s not always practical to leave my children behind for a day out .. so I was worried that the staff in the shop might not be happy that I had my children with me.  As I travelled up on the train I thought about why else I felt apprehensive.   Rachel’s book is so gorgeous and I suppose a part of me was worrying that it just wouldn’t be as lovely or that it would be really too expensive for my limited budget, or that the style that I love just wasn’t practical for a real family, with chickens, cats, mischievous children who will sneak a slice of chocolate cake to eat on the sofa .. and a husband who sometimes forgets to take his boots off. 

I needn’t have worried.  To my delight the shop was even lovelier that I had imagined. The branch manager Paulina was completely taken with the children, and the prices seemed affordable and the style really will work in a real family home.  


I ended up coming home with lots of lovely things.. but more exciting than that is that I learnt about the home design service on offer.  It's exactly what I need and so I've booked a visit in a few weeks time from the team.  They are so friendly and have amazing creativity and it now feels more like I have a girlfriend with great taste coming for a chat and a coffee and  I've stopped feeling quite so daunted by everything. 

My children were made to feel welcome too. 

Inspiration

A friend sent me some flowers last week.  They are starting to fade. What was last week a tight bud full of promise became a beautiful full boomed rose and is now fading, 

Wispy brown curls form around the outside petals. I love this point .. the faded elegance.  I suppose it really captures a style I want for the house.

Rather than tackle the project from the minute we got in we’ve sat back and lived with the 1980’s décor, carpets, and popped buckets out to catch the rain because despite getting it repaired as best we can there are holes in the roof.  This spring will see the 140 year old roof come off and we will reuse as much of the original slate as possible and put a new one on.

When the new roof is on I can set to on the more interesting side .. painting, stripping the floors,  and all the creative bits.  The recipe book I am working on now is inspired by my house and the vintage feel and so l have been looking for inspiration to decorate and stumbled upon a fabulous book Shabby Chic Inspirations in Waterstones about three weeks ago by Cambridge born and bred Rachel Ashwell. I opened the book and instantly fell in love. 

I’ve since found out that she has a store in Notting Hill  .. so I am off to have a look later in the week.  In the mean time I have been inspired to make some rose marshmallows.