Customising bathroom storage...

One of the rooms I plan to redecorate/lightly renovate this year is the bright blue bathroom. I've been gradually collecting bits and pieces as I've seen them that will be added to the room. The new vanity mirror, wall sconces and ceiling light are ready and waiting.

I spent months stalking ebay for a glass-fronted cupboard to add much needed storage to the room. The bathroom has an Edwardian style pedestal sink, so there are no other places to store/hide the clutter of bathroom essentials. While I was in Australia I finally found a cupboard that was the perfect dimensions to fit the space, and at an equally perfect price (only £20!). I collected it once I returned and it is now in place ready for the other elements of the room to change around it.

One of the problems with the use of a glass fronted cabinet, is finding pretty storage options for what will go inside it - those that should and shouldn't be seen. When I was in Home Sense last week I found this nice metal storage crate. It had the perfect dimensions and I thought it would be just right to store spare hand towels and loo roll. However, I was less than impressed with the rough canvas insert.

So, using fabric I had left over from when I made the kitchen blind, it now looks like this...

Much better - and with some pretty cotton lace detail as well. Now I just need to get on with making plans for the rest of the room...

A new way with photographic memories...

In the days when I used a film camera, I used to be organised. I would routinely have the photographs printed, and file them safely into photograph albums.

When I moved back to London eight years ago my parents bought me my first digital camera - a little pocket size that was much easier to carry around than my old film SLR. As time has gone on, I've now also converted to a DSLR. However, I've never really managed to transfer to a successful means of printing/displaying photographs.

Some I print and frame, but other than this blog, many of them just remain in computer files. I seemed to have lost interest in traditional printing and album storage - not least because I live in a small space and albums take up such a lot of it.

So a few years ago I started toying with the idea of photo books. I started using a particular software tool, but again, didn't love it enough to ever get a book finished to production stage. Then probably about a year ago I read about Artifact Uprising. There was something about the simplicity of the design that appealed to me. So recently, I finally devoted some time to developing my first book of photographs and sending it off for printing....and yes, you can see by the photo above just how behind I am in getting on top of this task!

The books come beautifully bound in a linen cover (in a choice of colours), with a dust jacket. There are a large range of page layouts so I could choose how to display my photographs.

I am very pleased with the result, and now inspired to get on and start working through the intervening years of photographs. 2007 is already complete and ready for printing...and as my travel has slowed down in recent years I feel sure that this won't be the mammoth task I originally envisaged....

Simplification progress report...

The 30-day simplification project is underway. It is technically day 3, and I have 5 tasks ticked off the list.

 

 

One of those tasks that I had been procrastinating over was completing the cull of my wardrobe. I had started a clear out two weeks ago, but had made little progress since then. Late Saturday afternoon saw the contents of the wardrobe emptied onto the bed, and the inside completely cleaned (I have to admit to being ashamed to how much dust had accumulated inside - I think this is an activity that needs to be done more than once per year!). However, if a pair of shoes was covered with dust it was at least a good indicator that they were not being worn often (if at all!!). I do have to own up to the fact that I now get quite a bit of enjoyment opening the wardrobe door and seeing the nicely organised clothes hanging there.

 

I was reading Simone's blog over at The Bottom of the Ironing Basket today. Simone is blogging this month on the concept of wellness - there are some great posts that I'd encourage you to look at. Her post today was around the essential activities that she tries to build into her life to maintain wellness - but also some of the challenges to maintaining these consistently.

 

Simone's post made me reflect on one of the reasons for my 30 day simplification project - in great part, it is about simplifying my living space so that it feels more calm, less cluttered...when you live in a small space with limited storage, it can begin to look messy very quickly. But after reading Simone's comments, I started to think about how the concept of calmness and order actually brings about my own sense of well-being. If things are calm, organised and in control, then I too feel calm, settled and at ease. If the pile of papers for filing is threatening to topple over, the unfinished craft projects are piling up, and there is a pile of things awaiting a trip to the recycling centre, then I too feel discordant and at a loss of where to start - which has a direct impact on my sense of ease and well-being.

 

So, there is some extra motivation in getting though my 30 tasks - yes, it is helping me complete all of the big and small outstanding tasks that have been building up at home (and there is quite a bit of satisfaction at ticking things off the list), but as I complete each task I can all feel a slight lessening of my 'perceived load' and a move towards a way of living that is simpler, easier to maintain, and improves my sense of wellbeing.

Life Laundry

I'm in the midst of undertaking a 'life laundry' - a phrase adopted from Lou, Boos and Shoes (whose lovely blog I have just discovered). The terminology seemed to capture and link together some otherwise seemingly random thoughts I had been having this week.

 

It started with my discovery and reading of be more with less - a blog written by Courtney Carver focused on minimalism living. Until earlier this year I had been leading a consumer-focused lifestyle, where instant gratification was the norm. However, with the decision to finally get my act together and start saving for a home deposit, I have over the past months found myself welcoming the shift from immediate consumer to someone who is more appreciative of both the things I have, but also the anticipation ofSitt saving for things I need or want. The austerity measures introduced by the British government, have merged into my own lifestyle, albeit in a much softer and palatable way. Through it, I've rediscovered my interest in sewing my own clothes and soft furnishings, and the pleasure I gain through hand making gifts for loved ones.

 

So, reading Courtney's blog came at an interesting time. Whilst I'm not ready to embrace minimalism in its entirety, there are certainly a number of elements that have resonated. I started to look around my flat with new eyes, and think more consciously about what I have, and how I use it. Given that I live in a reasonably small space, timely uncluttering never goes amiss. I've realised I have many, many things - even more so, when I think about the household possessions and furniture that are kindly being stored by my mother in Sydney.

 

At the same time, my love of design blogs keeps drawing me to roomscapes that are just so lovely - but this week, I've been trying to look at them through different eyes. Rather than focusing on whether the same element would work in my home (and then seeing if I could track down something similar), I've instead focused on what it is about the room that draws it together as a lovely space that expresses the owner's personality. Doing so has made me look at my own spaces with new eyes - what is it about these spaces and what fills them that expresses my personality, and what is extraneous.

 

So, what was originally planned as an uncluttering project, has metamorphosed into a life laundry project. I am going to attempt to abide by the advice of William Morris and have nothing in my house that I do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. I plan, over the coming weeks, to look at everything - from clothes, to homewares, books and even furnishings. I imagine some decisions will be simple, others will seem more challenging - I am sentimental by nature and know that I may have a hard time letting go of some things. There are other things (such as furniture) which I originally purchased as an expedient way to furnish the flat, rather than them being things I love. They will be longer term projects as I savour the anticipation of hunting at various antique fairs, second-hand shops and ebay to find replacements that have much more resonance for me (and fit with my budget-conscious wallet).

 

I do think this could be something I quite quickly run out of steam with (or at least procrastinate about getting around to). So, posting the pictures below is essentially about setting the starting mark for me - once these photos are up on this blog, I actually have to do something about it. This is the current state of the overloaded bookshelves in my tiny dining area.

 

 The two piles of books on the table are from my initial 5-minute cull

 

As you can see, no attempt at tidying was undertaken. This is the reality of my flat when sewing projects are underway (the machine and other paraphernalia also clutter my living space!). Books have always been a weakness for me. When I moved to London nearly 6 years ago I decided I would only keep books that I absolutely wanted to read again. The others are routinely donated to charity shops. But, given that I did a quick 5 minute cull the other night and ended up with the two big piles on the dining table, I obviously wasn't as strict as I thought I had been. This space also needs to double as storage for books, office/study supplies as well as photos etc. At the moment it is an unordered mess.

 

By the end of this project I am hoping it might look a little more like this...

 

 Image via windlost

 

Image via pinterest

Image via pinterest

 

In addition to breaking my amazon addiction (I'm sure it is not normal to have 40 books routinely sitting in one's online shopping basket) and returning to my local library, I'll report back on the outcome when completed...