Sunshine, Lollipops ...

Before

After

We don't get a lot of sunshine in Ireland but recently we've been uncharacteristically sun soaked and this yellow desk transformation by Lycke is totally apt for the sunshine theme! The before and after is really fab and the piece is hardly recognisable in it's new sunny, uplifted state!

You can visit Lycke's blog here.

One to watch ...

A fantastic alternative for wall decor by Trisha. Using variously sized fabric hoops that she sourced in thrift stores and some vibrant fabric samples this wall is dressed to impress! I also really love the TV unit ... not to mind the lamps!

You can visit Trisha's blog here.

Dishy

This eclectic collection of plates is a fab way to add interest to a plain wall. Owned by Ingrid these plates are mostly vintage (with the exception of the heart plate which she bought new from Ikea a few years back) and have been sourced from second-hand stores in places as far as Belgium and France. I think it's a great alternative to the typical framed print!

You can visit Ingrid's blog here.

True-Blue

Aren't these blue jars belonging to Anna fabulous? She came across these at estate sales and thrift shops and knew they had to be hers ... they're so beautifully well matched! What I love about this pic though are the green glass bowls in the foreground which belong to her cat ... mustn't let my two see them otherwise they'll get the hump with me about their regular stainless steel ones : D

You can visit Anna's website here.

In the Red

 Before

 After

What a fantastic before and after by Kathrin. After seeing this on eBay she realised it had big potential and wasn't she right! The seller had it in her garage for years previously and just wanted to throw it out. Kathrin painted it white on the outside first but decided it needed more punch so painted it in this statement red colour ... doesn't it have serious WOW! The inside is lined with a contrasting green and white gingham wallpaper.

You can visit Kathrin's blog here to see more of her stunning transformations!

Sitting Pretty*

Came across this wonderful chair restoration by Helena. My own chairs ... I'm ashamed to admit ... are still sitting untouched in our spare room, I really must get a move on! It's so silly as I have the fabric sitting next to them both!! Anyhow, Helena found this fab chair in a flea market and used Josef Frank fabric to give it a touch of flora and fauna ... she did the sewing herself also. It's gorgeous!

You can visit Helena's flickr page here ... it's really worth a visit, there are tons more inspirational images of her home there!

*thanks for the help here Rich : D

The Ultimate Recycle Chic

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 After

I know that my posts have been fairly sporadic of late and here's the reason why ... we've been tranforming our old little cottage into something with a little more room and more importantly a lot more insulation!! This has consumed so much of my time recently that I haven't been able to devote much time to anything else really. The good news is that we moved in last Saturday but the bad news is that it's still a long way off being finished completely. However, I thought I'd share one or two pics with you today because I was quite shocked at the before and after myself. We had to pull down the wall at the front in order to build a new one (a planning stipulation) which will happen on Monday.

It's so strange that when you're coming from a certain angle on the road it just looks like we've put a new render on the little cottage but as you move along the modern extension reveals itself. We worked with a fantastic architect on our home and we're so happy with his work! I couldn't recommend his work highly enough, so if you're thinking of updating or extending, you can find Tom's contact details here.

Oh and apologies for the snowy before pictures but I'm on my laptop and these were the only ones that were to hand!

Chic Out

These chair restorations are absolutely fantastic. Using original 70's fabric, Sabrina restored this Louis XV sofa to bring it right up to date. The bronze paintwork on the arms and legs just sets the whole piece off and it's accessorised perfectly with contrasting green and pink cushions. Not content with creating that heavenly piece, Sabrina moved onto restoring this Louis XV armchair. Reupholstered in Fushia corderoy and finished with a coat of white paint on the frame, arms and legs. This is perfectly contrasted by the distressed kidney shaped drawer unit, creating a recycle-chic look beyond compare.

You can visit Sabrina's blog here.

Bedroom Va-Va-Voom!

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After

This room looks a million miles away from where it began thanks to Kim.  There are so many details to take in ... the room divider used as a headboard, the beautifully restored wicker chair adorned with funky pink cushions, the fantastic glossy flooring that you would never guess has been painted to look so magnificent ... everytime I look at the images I pick out some other detail that I've never seen before. Truly inspiring.

You can visit Kim's blog here.

Rags to Riches

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 After

Another ugly duckling turned stunning swan by Anne in Kerry. She rescued this piece from certain death by dumping and gave a fairly tired piece a whole new life. After running out of fabric to do the seat she had the super savvy idea of using some oilcloth and bolstered with a 20" cushion for added snuggley-ness! Well done Anne, this is fabulous.

Operation Transformation

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After

I came across this fantastic transformation by Sarah recently and couldn't believe how much of a dramatic difference she made. This piece is hardly recognisable and doesn't it look so amazing ... that's recycle chic at it's best!

You can visit Sarah's blog here.

Take Cover

Well, I finally ordered the fabrics for my chair restorations from Hawthorne Threads. I have searched high and lo and was really undecided for a long time as to whether I wanted a traditional upholstery fabric with a funky twist or whether I wanted to really go out there with it and choose a sturdy yet light printed fabric. I decided on the latter because there was just so much more choice when it came to the type of fabric. I love Etsuko Furuya's range of fabrics, they're so fantastically colourful and funky. So, above you can see the two fabrics, the Etsuko Furuya's green I'm going to use on my wingback and the floral fabric by Lecien is being used on the other chair. I just have to wait for it to be delivered before I send them off to the upholsterers! You can visit Hawthrone Threads online store here.

Bag Lady

I stumbled across this fantastic bag creation by CERIosities recently and isn't it wonderful? The bag is made from an old book spine and even uses a fab old belt as the handle. It's a really striking piece. You can visit the CERIosities store here to see lots more fantastic upcycled pieces.

Back for Good

So sorry that I haven't posted in a while ... I changed jobs and am coming to the final few weeks of my house build so I've been totally consumed with all things home ... without paying any attention to the blog. But things have calmed down a little so I've been able to put some thoughts together again!

I'm still ignoring the two chairs that I've got to reupholster ... not intentionally of course! Because of time issues I may have to send them out to a professional instead now but I might be able to do one. I've been on the hunt for some suitable fabric for a long time and came across this beautiful restoration project on my internet travels. Doug found this sad looking wicker rocking chair sitting by the garbage and knew he could transform it. A lot of work has gone into this project but isn't the end result worth it? After dismantling the chair, piece by piece, he sanded every piece down by hand then created a new seat cushion to replace the broken wicker. Well done Doug, I really love the side profile ... the detail is just gorgeous!