NOT SO MAXIMALIST LIVING ROOM


We are incredibly lucky to have three living rooms. Each one has a different feel, it's so nice to be able to choose which one to sit in depending on your mood.

The one I have chosen to show you is at the front of the house. This room tends to get the most sun therefore it can afford to have cooler shades.

WALLS

The walls are white with a feature ( hate that term ) chimney breast wall with a little bit of 1960's influence in the wallpaper, sunburst clock and original 1960's mirror.

When we bought this house there was an awful reproduction resin Louis-style fireplace which we ripped out and created a niche where I have displayed some of my dark side objects. 

I would have liked to install an original fire surround but this proved too costly.



The opposite wall is painted duck egg blue with an original canvas which we bought from a charity shop in Edinburgh while visiting The Fringe. I wrote about that - and the other artwork in my house - here.



One of the other walls has a 3D set of plastic branches which were a really smart idea from Utility. They interlock and can be positioned however you want them. They really stand out against the plain white wall, particularly with the little birds attached. Our girls ( fur babies) find these fascinating and have pulled several of them off.


Placed underneath the branches is an original 1960's melamine dressing table. I bought this from a charity shop for £10 and just removed the mirror.

Next to the sideboard is the dreaded TV, they are so ugly. 

I literally stumbled across these naturally worn pieces of wood in an old disused mill. I would love to know the history and what they were used for. I thought these would be a little different as a TV stand.



This rather lovely converted suitcase was kindly given to me by my son's boyfriend. 

It is actually leather, the seat has been buttoned and it can be used to sit on.



LIGHTING

A series of old items have been converted into side lamps. I constantly move them round and sometimes group them together.

The turquoise light is actually an old 1950's hoover. The light next to it is made from Box Brownies which belonged to my Auntie. Hard to believe these were actually used as cameras.



The ceiling light is an oversized plain white drum shade from IKEA.

The tall floor light in the corner is dimmable and for some reason reminds me of the circus!



Living on a busy main road means there is always plenty to see. 

Being a massive 'curtain twitcher' and 'peeper' ( in the words of Micky Flanagan) means I can enjoy my home and be nosy at the same time!

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