Mar
2
Oh Chesterfield, oh my!
Filed Under Affordable Interior Design, Furniture, My Home | 17 Comments
Do you remember this post that I wrote a while back about my search for an elusive, inexpensive Chesterfield sofa in Ireland? Well, the search continued for some time after this post and further to many near sightings online, a few wild goose chases and the threat of a divorce, I decided it was time to give up the ghost on finding my own vintage Chesterfield. But, a short time later and armed with a renewed sense of zeal, I got in touch with a man called Tom from a small but perfectly formed and rather well known shop called AJs on Capel Street here in Dublin. (Thanks Fi for pointing me in his direction.) Tom understood my plight and assured me that, although he could not find me a vintage Chesterfield, he could custom build one for me from scratch. He even managed to do me a bit of a deal! The fabric is a Designers Guild Cotton Velvet in the most amazing shade of teal and the finished piece just makes my heart sing! When it was first delivered I refused to sit on it for about two weeks and just sat on the other sofa admiring it from afar.
So, thanks to a bit of matchmaking from Fi and Tom, Chester and I have been living happily together enjoying cosy nights by the fire, whiling away Sunday mornings with the papers and entertaining some rather envious friends. Chester has everything that I was looking for in a sofa, and more….beauty, comfort and quiet companionship. It turns out that Mr Field and I are indeed, as expected, a match made in heaven.
Images from my own home.
Aug
11
Am I Off My Vintage Eames Rocker?
Filed Under Furniture, My Home, Shop Stuff, Vintage | 10 Comments
My amahahaaazing husband has come up trumps and bought me the chair of my dreams – a vintage Eames RAR rocker and I just can’t believe my luck for a) marrying such a wonderful man (yes pass the bucket I know but he really is the best and deserves the recognition) and b) for the find of the (mid) century!! I have been keeping a weather eye out for one of these bad boys for months, years in fact and thanks to Eimear from the lovely House & Home Magazine blog for the tip off, I managed to find this for a snip at €200 in the WildChild Originals half price sale. I received an email yesterday to inform me that the sale is still on guys so hurry and you might find your own piece of vintage heaven. Beware though if you’re paying by credit card, our bank subsequently called us out of concern that our card had been used in a place called Wildchild, bless ‘em. If only they had been so cautious about our spending during the heady days of the celtic tiger.
By the way, that’s a gorgeous Apple Tree Silk Cushion from ferm LIVING perched on top of it there – it’s available to buy from the shop. Oh and please excuse the hideous carpet in the photo, we haven’t replaced it yet because the building work continues….sigh.
Jul
15
An Interior Design Expert No Less
Filed Under Affordable Interior Design, Furniture, Gifts, Kitchen, Textiles | 2 Comments
I received an email yesterday from a lovely man enquiring as to whether I design and fit kitchens, having seen images of our recent kitchen overhaul here on my blog. Unfortunately, the answer is no – I am merely a novice playing around with Ikea’s wonderful design software not Autocad or any other such technical wizardry. So there you have it – I am not an Interior Designer, nor do I claim to be but I know someone who is…in fact I know quite a few.
One such person is one of my blogging buddies Lorna from Garrendenny Lane Interiors – yep the one who tagged me recently giving me the opportunity to shame myself into answering those questions so honestly thus revealing that I am far less erudite and cultured than I try to appear.
Lorna has dedicated three whole rooms of her house to display beautiful collections of fabric, wallpaper, bedlinen, furniture, lighting and accessories in a most unique way giving customers the opportunity to see how these items work in a real home as opposed to a brightly lit shop floor. She also has an online shop, where a lot of these items can be purchased and delivered direct to your door. As if this isn’t enough to keep her busy, Lorna also provides a curtain making and fitting service as well as Interior Design consultancy. And when her busy day is done, she has two young children, herds of cattle and sheep, not to mention a few goats and acres of land to look after. She recently appeared on RTE’s programme “Not Enough Hours” – surprised? No, neither was I.
I just love the Designers Guild bedlinen range available from Garrendenny Lane Interiors…
Designers Guild Bedlinen from Garrendenny Lane Interiors
Jun
21
Inflatable Furniture Just Got Cool
Filed Under Furniture | 2 Comments
I’m still on the hunt for the elusive Mr. Chester Field, although thankfully I do feel that I’m getting closer to finding him. There are a few reasonably priced vintage versions on ebay at the moment but as usual I’m searching for perfection and I’m wondering if, like the perfect man, the perfect Chesterfield sofa actually exists? Hmmm.
In the meantime though I have come across the perfect inflatable seat by Dutch designer Jeroen van de Kant, available from Blofield and I actually considered buying one to bring to Electric Picnic until I saw that they cost more than I plan to spend on my real Chesterfield couch!
Blofield Inflatable Chesterfield Armchair
May
14
Tell me I’m not alone here but I have a huge teen like crush on Chesterfields at the moment. I say a teen like crush but I’m pretty sure it’s not just a passing phase. It’s been fairly steadfast for a couple of years now so it’s getting to the point that I’m thinking a Chesterfield is probably husband material. Hey even the real thing, aka himself, approves of these beauties, well, as long as it’s not upholstered in shocking pink fabric anyway. So it seems that I’m ready to make a life long commitment to Chester Field (get it?), so Chester you are the one, now can you come and find me please because you seem to be pretty elusive. Does anyone know where I can find Chester at an affordable price ie. preferrably about a grand (or better still less) and definitely not more than two? I’ve looked and looked and it seems that if I lived in the UK, continental Europe or the U.S. he would be mine but alas I live in Ireland and if I want him I’ve got to pay through the nose. Maybe I should try some of the dating sites?
Apr
9
London Baby
Filed Under Banter, Furniture | 2 Comments
We’re off to London for le weekend, our flight leaves at ridiculous o’clock tomorrow morning and I still have to pack. I was really looking forward to going to Lots Road Auction on Sunday to try to pick up a bargain or three and I just discovered that it’s closed on Sunday…poo! I have seen some items of furniture on their website that I would be tempted by but the next auction is on Sunday 19th April now. Anyone got any other suggestions for me?
I like the shape of this chest of drawers and would love to re-paint it and add some new drawer handles.