Brighton Wall Art

TINY BUDGETS!

2012-01-16T06:57:00.000-08:00

How much do you think you would have to spend to own a contemporary furniture set like this?

And now... (knowing how thrifty I am)... how much do you think it cost me?!

This little project cost me exactly £13.. for the furniture and materials...

and here's how I did it:

The chair and the chest of draws were free, I grabbed them as they were on the way to the dump,

and the gorgeous little stool was £3 from a boot sale!

I spent £10 on fabric and used paint I had left over from previous projects.

Although fantastic now... they didn't always look like this...

As you can see all three items where looking rather tired and in need of lots of TLC!
I wanted the furniture to match but still each have a character of their own, I went through my paint cupboard and decided I had enough leftover paint for the project so there was an instant saving!

I wanted a bold striped fabric for the seats, I have never been one for girly ditsy prints. I love a pattern that is bold and striking not fussy... I am obsessed with stripes and when I tracked down this gorgeous good quality ticking with these unusually bold lines I fell in love! Thank You Ebay!

All three pieces needed to be sanded prior to painting. I used own brand water based acrylic wood paints from B&Q, although most DIY stores run their own lines of paints now in some really cool colours.

I matched in the three pieces by using the yellow of the stool and red of the chair on one of the draws and obviously the fabric matched the chair and the stool together.

Check out my other blog posts for more info on sanding, painting and up-cycling your furniture.

And watch my video below for more tips and tricks of the trade!

Good luck with your own budget busting refurbs... and let me know how you get on!

Charis xx

My Reclaimed Home

2011-11-14T02:45:00.001-08:00

I have skimmed the walls throughout the house, chasedlighting wires into the plaster, repaired problem areas and designed the rooms,decorated and tiled it myself. I thank my dad for passing on his knowledge and teachingme the DIY skills I use daily. I then came up with a design for each room thatwas functional for my needs, made good use of the space and kept a young andfunky vibe throughout. I took time to find pieces of furniture and furnishings thatfit with the look I was going for and at the right price. Re-using andup-cycling is always paramount to me, when I am finished with an item I either sell it or give it away to makesure it is used again. My sister and I were taught not to waste from an earlyage, my Dad grew up during World War 2 when food and textiles where rationed.This stayed with him and he cannot abide waste of any kind, he drove us mad asteenagers... we would only be allowed one toilet roll a week between us, healways used to say ‘one sheet for a wee and two for a poo’. You can imaginebeing a teenager and having friends over, it was so embarrassing when Dad wouldcome out with this line, and we would be like ‘No, he ACTUALLY means it!’ Wetook to having to bring home rolls from school to last out the week. And if weaccidentally dropped a roll down the toilet it was like the end of the world!We were also scared to open the fridge or turn on a tap in front of him! Istill get nervous of opening my own fridge when he’s around!

My mother started up the first vintage shop in Brighton’sNorth Laine 26 years ago, we travelled the UK and Europe looking for 50’s, 60’sand 70’s outfits, platforms and accessories. Being a young girl this was a lotof fun, and I didn’t realise at the time but I was learning valuable lessons inbargain hunting and bartering which I now use every day in my line of work. Ialso grew a real love for second hand and vintage clothing and this is anotherarea which I have become a savvy shopper and keen up-cycler.

I’m glad my parents instilled these values in me, and I wishmore people where so waste conscious, maybe the environment wouldn’t be in sucha state if they were. I am passing these values onto my children and teachingthem about the environment, reusing, recycling and reclaiming. Children arelike sponges at this age and they’re never too young to start teaching themabout the world and where their waste goes and the effect it has. They seetheir mum always working hard every day to make their home beautiful and earn aliving, I am going to teach them everything I know. I believe if as a Nation wehad never stopped teaching our children the skills we have and passing ourtrades on we wouldn’t have so many uneducated hopeless young people who feelthey have nothing to do but riot and behave antisocially, learning a trade alsoteaches respect and responsibility.

Kitchen

Known in myfamily as the £11.50 kitchen! I did indeed pay £11.50 for most of thiskitchen on Ebay. That included cabinets, extractor fan and doors inc handlesand some worktop (which I later changed).

Once I had the cabinets in place, put the doors onand worked out what else I needed to fill gaps, I bought the wine rack on Ebayfor £1, although when a man eventually dropped it round he gave it to me! I bought two 300mm cabinets new online for£16 ea (bear in mind these are £60 in shops!)

I popped down to B&Q to order a few more doors(£8.50 – £15 ea), 2 lengths of plinth (15ea) and 2 of their £40 three meter InariGranite worktops (the cheapest I could find). I have a friend who’s a carpenterthat I asked round to help me with the worktop joint because I could not bear achrome joint strip ruining my new look kitchen! We agreed I would paint him a picture in return for his help. And my oldfriend who is a plumber put the sink in for me. I tiled the kitchen myself, Ibought the tiles on discount for £15 per pack, usually £20.

The sink was given to me by my friend the plumber,I had been talking about doing the kitchen and a few days later he dropped abrand new double bowl sink around. Apparently it came free when he boughtkitchen taps for a client and they didn’t need the sink so it would have beendumped! That saved me around £60. And the art deco taps I bought new on Ebayfor £18.99 inc delivery and they are fantastic! There are also two second handglass shelves on the kitchen wall free, from the same man as the lounge glassshelf.

Bathroom

Bathroomwall cabinet: £5 Brighton boot sale, I up-cycled this item.

Large wallmirror :(next to toilet) £free – out of a skip!

Tiles:£15 a pack rrp £20

Flooring: £20 a pack x2 , rrp £35 (End of line discount)

Toilet andsink vanity unit, bought together £174 (came with the sink taps and atoilet seat, but I bought a better quality loo seat) vanity unit RRp£129 toiletRRp£129.98

Handmaderesin Black glitter toilet seat £30 (inc postage)

Materialfor curtains: 2 meters £10 RRP£6.75 a meter, I knocked him down! DiscountFabric, Brighton.

Walnutveneer bath panel £35 RRP £79

Bathw/shower attachment taps £35

Paint:water based, DIY own brand, Cocoa bean, Ocean blue and cotton white wood paint.

Seagulls:made out of reclaimed driftwood £11 the pair. I used a pair of these on the Glasgowmakeover and fell in love so I went back for my own pair!

Dining Room

Designer GlassTable & 6 Chairs bought second hand for £100 RRP £1200

(I re-covered the chairs with a faux leathermaterial x2m @ £10 inclusive.)

Bambootable mats, there are 4 on the table, I paid £5 for 15 – bulk buy on Ebayand sold the other 11!

SMEG fridgefreezer: I was so pleased with this, I had wanted one for ages and had beenkeeping an eye out for a second hand one in my area, got this for £260,absolute bargain RRP £1300

Vintageflower design curtains: £21.00

Mirror:£10 Ebay.

Pew:Handed down from a family member

Lampshade:Vintage, present from my folks

Vintageplant pot on the window cill, £free

Louvredoors: These where in a right state, they where here when we moved in. Iwashed them with sugar soap, sanded them and painted with cotton white paint. Ialso took the handles off and sprayed them with black enamel paint.

Lounge

Realleather sofa bed, bought S/H £160, RRP £1000

Real slate reclaimedroof tile flooring: most of the slates I reclaimed, for free ofdifferent sites. I laid all the floor myself. Not for the faint hearted to putit mildly, although now it’s finished it looks fantastic and runs through thewhole of the downstairs. The materials for this job probably cost around £550to do myself. RRP?! Thousands and thousands! (Inc slate, delivery, labour,grout, adhesive, PVA, plywood, screws and finishing sealants.)

Large vintagewicker laundry trunk: I use this as a toy trunk, it is so useful forclearing toys out of eyesight once the kids are in bed! £15 Bought at Emmaus,charity reuse centre in Portslade Old Village.

Glassshelf: £Free (a man was chucking itout when I spied it)

Red ArmChair: £Free, from Nan’s house, I painted it and recovered it for £10

Colourchest of draws: £free. This looked awful when I took it in and up cycledit.

Curtains: Bootsale, were £2 ea, I took three and knocked him down to £5!

WoodenCurtain rails: £5 (£4 for the large, £1 for the small one) Boot sale.

Old joistReclaimed wooden shelves £free from a building site

Newreclaimed wood: A neighbour had unwanted brand new wood and knowing how Ilove to reclaim she popped round to see if I could give it a home.

HardwoodMoroccan table: £30 boot sale. (he was asking £50) RRP £199

Hallway

When I moved in this hallway was scabby, lumpsmissing out of the walls, woodchip on one side... really ugly and depressing.At first I painted it all a bright yellow to cheer it up, although with mybrood going up and down the stairs with grubby fingers and furniture constantlybeing moved around the hallway soon became marked up to waist level. I thendecided I wanted a change, although didn’t want to completely rid myself of theyellow. I came up with an idea which would make the hallway more hardwearingand more striking. I bought a gorgeous light grey paint and painted to justabove where the marks stopped, whichlooked good but it needed finishing off. I knew if I used masking tape it wouldpeel off the yellow paint in patches and I couldn’t get the paint anymore. Ireally didn’t want to damage the yellow and end up having to paint all the wayup to the ceiling in the stairwell again. I went through my art cupboard andfound one of Tigers little craft paint rollers and thought it would be perfectfor the effect I wanted. I painted a dado rail just above my grey to finish thewalls off. The wooden staircase was a complete mess when I moved in as well andbadly needed doing. I sanded the whole staircase myself and used masking tapeto plan my red stripe. I painted white up to my tape and when I had finishedtwo coats of white I took the tape off and painted the red by eye. With myartwork on the walls and two tone design I thing the hall looks striking andsets the pace for the rest of the house. Your hallway is the first thingvisitors see so I believe it needs to set a certain standard.

Up the stairs all the picture frames are from bootsales for £1 ea. You can also see my St.Christopher hand painted statue,available from my website www.brightonwallart.co.uk.

(Even the cowgirl boots are Vintage, £7 from Brighton boot sale, Brazilian leather!)

Bedroom

Antiquechairs: Out of a skip in Glasgow when I was on holiday! £free

Victorianwardrobe, £50 Ebay

Bed: OldDivan from mums spare room £free

Reclaimedwood shelves : £free (off cuts from lounge shelves painted white)

Photo Wallpaper: £50 found online, I thought I’d splash out on this after I fell inlove with it.

Realfeather Angel wings: Wedding shop, £15 per pair, I bought 5 and knockedthem down to £45

Cushions:high street £5 ea

Red Voilecurtains: Online discount £6.75

AntiqueMahogany candle stick: £8 boot sale. (knocked her down from £10)

Vases andplant pot: £1 ea

Small drawunit: £free family hand-me-down

Vintagevanity case: poached off mum for my room design. She bought it at a market,£3

Floor: Allof the bedrooms and landing upstairs are old original floorboards, I hired anindustrial sander and worked them right back and repaired any damage. I thenbought a hardwearing ‘dark oak’ floor varnish and sealed them.

Garden

Rockeryrocks: Free from different building sites. I kept collecting them until Ihad enough to work with.

BeachPebbles: bought by the tonne, £40 x2 (I moved these with a wheel barrow up5 stairs at the front of my property, through the house and out to the backgarden, again, not for the faint hearted!)

Flowers: Alittle tip for anyone buying flowers: Iusually buy the half price flowers that are half dead, I find they come back tolife once planted, however if I buy the ‘alive’ ones they tend to die on me!And I have spoken to quite a lot of people that this has happened to.Apparently plants that are ‘stressed’ by being moved around can make amiraculous recovery once placed in your garden.

Gardenfurniture and pots: Mostly second hand and reclaimed, even the shed issecond hand.

RonaldMacdonald Vs statue of David: A garden ornament I painted with acontemporary design. I like to inject humour into my work, this is an ironicpiece, a classical iconic design statue wrapped in a modern materialistic brandicon. Available from my website www.brightonwallart.co.uk£650

Photos by Stewart Grant, get in touch for amazing pics at http://www.sgrant.co.uk/

Check out my YouTube channel for loads on hints, tips & tricks of the trade: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheCharis777

Restoring a Victorian property

2011-09-27T04:57:00.000-07:00

I would definitely say a beautiful cast iron fireplace in a Victorian property would be the first thing I would start on when restoring a Victorian property to it's former glory, it is a major feature and focal point which instantly adds character and value to a property. I would advise anyone wanting to restore a working fireplace (rather than just cosmetic) where one had previously been ripped out to have their chimney swept and if needed, a new flue installed. Before doing this it may be worth enquiring for a quote as flue is charged by the meter, plus labour. It could get expensive before you even start on the actual fireplace.

Once you start knocking a hole in the fireplace wall through to where the original fireplace was you should find the brick edges of the original and it is best to work to this for the correct dimensions and to save yourself work.
Cast iron fireplaces are extremely heavy, they need to be fitted properly with bolts. You must have a fireproof area in front of your fireplace. This is the constructional rather than the decorative hearth.

Check the floor is level in front of the fireplace, in many older houses this may not be the case. Fitting a fireplace level and plumb on a chimney breast that is not looks dreadful. Now on to the fun bit, looking for the perfect fireplace... I would definitely start looking at reclamation yards in your area, take your measurements with you. Cast iron fireplaces will vary dramatically in size and condition and thus price. You will probably find some are original and some will be reproductions. Most repro mantelpieces will be good quality and work as part of your vintage look, although some have been known to bend or twist, crack or even melt. I would always prefer to buy an original for it quality and history plus reuse is more environmentally friendly.

How do you know whether it's repro or original? There are a few ways to tell:

Check the back of the fireplace, if the screws are new that's a tell tale sign that the fireplace is new or some of it may have been replaced.
Check the detail: On an original the detail should be crisp and clear. Repro's are made from moulds and some detail can be lost.
Can you see a name or brand on the back? On an original cast iron fireplace the name will be indented, on reproductions it will stand out.

SALVO.co.uk is a great place to start looking for your reclaimed items from the comfort of your own home and to start researching reclamation yards in your area. I would also have a peek on Ebay as you can get some fantastic deals.

To remove old dirt from a cast iron fireplace use methylated spirits, not water as it will encourage more rust to form. You can also remove old paint with paint stripper, always follow the manufacturers instructions. You can buy high temperature stove paint if a good clean hasn't brought the fireplace up as well as you had hoped.

Original Victorian tiles

These can be hard to come by in the exact colour/design and quantity you require. If you are on a budget you may find putting together a patchwork design of original tiles would work well for you. Buying a whole set of matching tiles will be expensive as sets are rarer and thus worth more. Also matching the tiles you have could be difficult, although if you are ready to put in some time and effort you might be lucky. I would take a photo of the tiles I am trying to match and email reclamation yards with it. Keep an eye out for Delft or hand painted Victorian tiles. Personally I would always try to find original features and tiles rather than buying repo, although if you really get stuck you have repro to fall back on. And don't forget original fireplace accessories which all add to the character of your fireplace; brushes, fenders, metal coal baskets, bellows, tongs, shovels etc and you can even find Victorian fire guards which are a must if you have young children.

My favourite reclamation yard is MASCO, Minchinghampton Architectural Salvage Company in the Cotswolds, it is run by a reclamation expert and good friend of mine, Steve Tomlin. His yard is beautiful and can take almost a day to get around. Steve has people coming from all over the world to visit his architectural salvage yard, he has even sold a band stand to the Sultan of Brunai! Steve is the Chairman of RITA (Reclamation industry Trade Association) and you can read more about that here: http://mascosalvage.wordpress.com/category/rita/ Obviously MASCO is a bit far for me to go unless I'm on a project in the area, nearer to home is http://www.dortonreclaim.com/ in Burgess Hill which I visit regulary. SALVO.co.uk is an excellent way to find out about reclamation and architectural salvage yards in your area and you can also buy from the listings on the website.

Victorian Radiators

I have used these in my interior designs before, in fact I used one in The New Reclaimers series Glasgow episode. These are chunky and extremely heavy cast iron radiators, most have been reclaimed out of schools and churches as central heating didn't become widespread until well into the twentieth century . You can often pick these up at very reasonable prices at reclamation yards, you can buy them unrestored and do any repairs yourself or buy one which has already been pressure tested and fully restored. You will find the cost difference is significant, although how much is it going to cost to restore your cheaper untested radiator yourself? The problem is, you don't know the answer to that until you've done it! It can be almost impossible to tell what work needs to be done just by looking at the radiator. It may have hairline cracks that are virtually invisible to the naked eye... until they leak!

I would recommend buying a pressure tested radiator and having the old paint sandblasted off, as layer upon layer of old paint can effect the heat radiation. It will then need repainting, which you could do yourself if you want to feel you have done your bit but always listen to the experts advice. Get a qualified plumber to fit your rad and mention you are fitting a cast iron rad when you enquire for a quote to make sure they will bring the right equipment and not waste time and more importantly your money when they arrive to fit it.

Where else can you reclaim?
Being a habitual reclaimer I never stop looking for items to reclaim, up-cycle, reuse and save from landfill. I look in charity shops, boot sales, markets, reuse centres (check out http://www.frn.org.uk/) building sites (always ask permission) neighbours and friends and family, when people know you love old things it is surprising the amount of furniture and homewares you will be offered! I have even been known to do a bit of skip diving (again, always ask permission first) which is where I found two gorgeous antique pub chairs which now reside in my bedroom and my massive bathroom mirror! The answer to this question is everywhere, keep your eyes peeled at all times and use your imagination!

Good luck with your reclaiming, leave a comment to let me know how your own projects are going and ask any questions you have!

Charis xx

Boot sales

2011-09-12T02:51:00.000-07:00

I'd been looking for a bathroom cupboard for a little while now, when I stumbled across this:

Now, it wan't looking too amazing, although it was the size and style for my bathroom... and more importantly I managed to purchase it for £5!

And being a keen up-cycler I knew I could make it look fantastic with a little elbow grease!

I took it home, gave it a little sanding, just enough to create a key for my paint to stick to.

I had some 'B&Q - Antique Grey' wood paint left over from my bedroom and I knew it would contrast perfectly with the colours in my bathroom.

I wiped off the dust from sanding with a wet cloth and painted the bathroom cupboard.

It took two coats to turn it into this:

Not bad for a fiver! How much would you pay for it now?

Then there is the Moroccan style hardwood table I bought for £30!

I've seen tables like this in the shops for £199 and up, what a bargain!

The guy was asking £50, but with a little charm I struck a deal with him.

It just goes to show what you can buy with your money if you are willing to shop around and put a little effort in. Both of these items I bought within the last couple of weeks, I love a good boot sale, you never know what you are going to find. But you can be sure, it will cheap as chips!

The New Reclaimers!

2011-09-12T02:32:00.000-07:00

My show The New Reclaimers was a resounding success, Thank you to everybody who got in touch, I'm really glad you enjoyed it. If you can't wait for the next series you can click on this link:
http://uktv.co.uk/home/item/aid/646438 for tips and techniques on how to shop at reclamation yards.
UKTVHome (Virgin 265 and Sky 246) will be repeating the series and they are going to be adding my 'How to DIY' videos to the website soon too! As soon as I have a link to watch the series online and my DIY vids I will let you all know! In the meantime... keep up-cycling, reusing and bargain hunting my little Eco Warriors!
Charis xx

Here's my showreel!

Funk up your chairs!

2011-08-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

This gorgeous chair, didn't always look like this. When I got my hands on it it was dark wood with a peach fabric, reminiscent of a chair you might find at your Nans bungalow... Well that's exactly where I found it! (My Nan, not yours.)

I wanted to turn this quality piece of furniture into a contemporary boudoir chair, yet still keeping it's authentic character and charm.

I knew to achieve the look the wood had to be painted to give it a new flavour. Red is my favourite colour and I knew I had half a pot left over from other home improvements, my mind was made up.

Before I painted the chair with my water based acrylic paint I gave the chair a light sanding and wiped it over with a damp cloth. (see my 'Refurbing old furniture' blog post for more hints and tips)

I then started painting the chair with my red paint, with a small brush and was careful not to get any runs. I left four hours between each coat of paint, which left me quite a lot of time to search for the perfect fabric. I do have a major crush on thick, bold stripes so I already had a good idea of what fabric I was looking for. I stumbled across this gorgeous material, it's perfect for covering chairs, it's called ticking and is a tough cotton fabric. You can purchase ticking in a variety of different colours and stripes. This one was £4.75 a meter, although I had to pay a few pound postage as I bought online. Ticking is usually very wide, so you get more for your money. This one was 1.5 meters wide and I think that is definitely good value for money!

I used a staple gun to attach the fabric to the chair, which was extremely fiddly because on this particular chair the back of it is upholstered as well so I had to get my hand and the staple gun underneath the fabric whilst still holding it taught as I didn't want any unsightly staples showing. For your first attempt it is much easier to find a chair that only has seat fabric and a wooden back that way you can fudge it a bit and no one will see staples unless they are lying on the floor! Working with patterns can also be tricky, to do it properly the pattern needs to line up. Make sure you leave enough material to tuck under for a hem at the edges, and try to pull the fabric firmly before stapling without distorting the material. Remember the material needs to give when someone sits in it, if it's too tight it will come undone or rip your material. When you go into the fabric store always ask for the upholstery section, the wrong material will not last five minutes!

This is what the chair looked like before I got my mits on it:

And this is half way through the project:

I am in love, it's a shame no-one is allowed to sit in the chair... And I seriously have to keep the kids off it with their dirty mits!

Try it for yourself, this chair I got for free but I have bought similar ones in the past for £10, and the paint and fabric is pretty cheap although the sense of achievement is immense, and think of all that money you are saving by Doing It Yourself!

Plus you can design the look of your chair to match your room and none of your friends will have the same.
Check out my vid for more hints and tip on up-cycling your own furniture:

Let me know how you get on!

Charis xx

UP-CYCLIING AND REFURBISHING FURNITURE

2011-08-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

Up-cycling and refurbing old furniture is a great way of beautifying your home and keeping it unique whilst making it affordable to do. Take this 1950's chest of draws for example, I was given this for free, it was actually on its way to the dump when it caught my eye!

I can imaging it wasn't a very expensive item back in its day, the back is not solid wood and the sides and top are very thin wood. Although because of it's style it appealed to me and I decided to bring it back from the dead with funky colours and a total makeover to show you what can be done.

I wanted this chest of draws to be bright, cool and rejuvenated without ridding it of it's 1950's style.

I chose to paint the frame of the draws cotton white and make each draw stand out by painting them different colours. I went for yellow, red, grey and white as these colours complement each other and work really well on a retro piece like this. I had to have a think about the draw knobs, I liked the shape of them, they add to the overall design of the draws but they were scratched and tatty and the tacky faded gold look did not go with my new look look draws.

I thought the most eco and financially viable option would be to paint the knobs. I found some black vinyl spray paint and gave them a few coats of paint through out the day for all over coverage.

A FEW TIPS for first time up-cyclers:

Sand before you paint, you need to create a 'key' in the wood for the paint to adhere to.
If you are painting rather than bee's waxing or re-varnishing you don't have to sand right down to the bare wood, just enough to create a smooth 'key' surface.
Brush off the sanded surface and wipe with a damp cloth before attempting to paint, and give the surface time to dry. If you don't the dust sucks up loads of paint and your surface with not be smooth when the paint's dry, it will be lumpy. Plus you will go through paint quickly and waste your money.
I recommend using a water based acrylic wood paint, they come in a massive range of colours now, they are easier to use than oil based. They wash out of brushes with water rather than white spirit, they dry quicker and don't stay tacky for days like they're chemical, oil based counterparts. You also don't need to spend your money on a brand name, most DIY stores make their own label paint and this is fine to use.
Most water based acrylic paints are touch dry in two hours and ready for a second coat in four hours. You will usually need to use two coats with most paints, although painting a very light colour onto dark wood or bright colour onto light surface may take more coats.
When painting only load your brush with a small amount of paint at a time, overloading results in runs and getting paint all over you! Go with the grain of the wood in long sweeping strokes.
When spray painting, again take long sweeping stokes. Don't overload one area, you will get runs. Wear a mask, it is not good to breathe in chemicals. The spray always goes a lot further than you would expect, it get's everywhere! So be prepared with dust sheets on the floor and walls if spraying inside. If spraying outside you will be surprised how many bugs you get stuck to your paintwork!

What do you think of my makeover job on these draws?

Get involved and give up-cycling a go, It's really good fun and it's the best way to make your home unique and interesting. Its saves you cash and it helps save carbon and saves re-usable items from ending up in landfill. Get in touch with any questions and I would love to see pics of your DIY upcycling!

I've just acquired an old chair which I will be re-upholstering so check back soon for hints and tips of how to Do It Yourself!

Feature walls

2011-07-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

Having a feature wall in your room is a great way of making a focal point of design without having the whole room becoming overbearing. You can choose a very bright or dark colour for one wall - the feature wall, possibly the fireplace wall then choose a lighter colour which complements the feature wall for the rest of the room. A feature wall doesn't have to be painted of course, I've seen some wonderful ones done with wall paper. Something which I think makes a fantastic feature wall is photograph wall paper, you can choose anything from New York Skyline to waterfalls and green forests. I think you have to be careful with some of the designs in smaller rooms and choosing the right wall for the feature can make all the difference. I particularly like the close up of rose petals which makes a great feature in the bedroom with it's romantic and fresh feel, I used it recently in a bedroom design I worked on (above). It was perfect with the romantic/shabby chic theme and left the room with a splash of colour but kept it light and airy which you need in a small room. The real feather Angel wings came from a wedding shop and give the room an unusual edge, and takes it that little bit closer to heaven.

Kitchen worktops on a budget

2011-07-16T04:05:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been looking for laminate worktops for a kitchen makeover, obviously laminate are the cheapest kitchen worktops you can buy. Although for what they consist of and how they are made; compressed wood chips with a plastic coating I find the price of them is extortionate.

When an item is churned out in such quantities and made of cheap, mostly waste materials I think the price should be a great deal less than the RRP of most of the ones in your local DIY store.

You can pay £150 or more for a 3 meter length of laminate worktop, and even when buying second hand people want so much for them. I even looked into buying factory seconds, which where cheaper, around £38 - £50 for a 3 meter length, although what raises this price is the postage. £30 postage on each worktop means you might as well buy new and not have the worry of having to hide the small imperfections of the seconds.

So I was amazed when I stumbled upon this: Laminate Worktop Inari Granite (W)3050 x (D)600 x (H)28mm, click on the link below to be taken to the website and see the item.

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=10187797&fh_location=//catalog01/en_GB/categories<{9372014}/categories<{9372039}/categories<{9372151}/specificationsProductType=laminate_0000003711606 http://bit.ly/8XW9IZ

It is just over 3 meter length of laminate worktop in Inari granite which is a mottled white/grey and black faux granite. And the best bit it is only £40 a length! That's more like it. If you are doing your kitchen up on a budget and you are buying the cheapest worktops possible because you need your kitchen to be functional and easy to clean but you don't want to end up breaking the bank then why not spend £40 per 3 meters rather than shelling out more than 3 times that on what is essentially a cheap item anyway?!

The Inari granite worktop is slightly thinner but I don't see this as a problem, if anything it makes them easier to move and cut, which is exactly want you want if you are doing the job yourself. You can also get the worktop in a light wood beech effect or plain white, although I think the Inari granite looks much better and not so cheap.

B&Q will also deliver to your home for £20 no matter how many you want , which is a good price, although you may have to wait 2 to 3 weeks for delivery which is not so good. And you can't buy them through the website, you can phone your local B&Q to order or go into your local store which seems a strange way of doing things when you can view it on the website.

Designing a child's bedroom

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You can have great fun with this one, you can use colours and patterns and characters that you wouldn't normally be able to use in other rooms of the house for fear of seeming insane!

You can really let the creativity flow and experiment with bright colours for walls and wood work.

The design and use of characters usually depends on a child's age, obviously when designing a nursery you choose for your child.

As kids get older they will let you know exactly what they like.

In the pictures above you can see Gloria the hippo, Alex and Marty the lion and zebra, the lemur king and the baby lemur from the film Madagascar. The idea for the theme came from the need for the bedroom to suit a boy and a girl and Madagascar is a brilliant film with larger than life characters. I painted the room in a back ground of jungle theme, and on what used to be the fireplace I painted a beach scene with palm tree's. On the ceiling I painted sky blue and I painted the skirting boards, door and radiator in bright yellow to give it a bright cartoon feel.

The design of the room didn't finish with the painting of it, I carried on the theme into the furniture. All the furniture, the wardrobe, chest of draws, bed etc I bought are wood and I even found a vintage treasure chest to finish off the desert island theme.

Kids rooms don't have to be as detailed and complicated. Although babies and children are known to react to bright colours and patterns from an early age and having a room that is interesting can certainly stimulate them and help them to develop.

Where to shop Second hand for your Home

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The short answer to this question is everywhere! When I'm looking for new home furnishings and furniture my first port of call is usually Ebay if I'm honest, that's probably because when I decide I want to purchase a chest of draws at 10pm in the bath I know I can log on and search hundreds in my area, by size, by price, by colour and condition. The Internet makes life easy and you can log on any time! Gumtree is also a good one, and check your local Free Ads online.

Having said that I always have a good shop around before I buy, I like to make sure I'm getting the deal and the best quality item, one that will last, that I love.

If you are buying on a budget shopping around is a necessity, you have to bring it in on budget or you can't have it. I think this is where good quality second hand items are a massive help. So many people think they are saving money by buying new flat packed items, but are you really saving cash when the item ends up at the local dump a year or two later when it falls apart?!

Aren't you much better off having a good look for a second hand or reclaimed item that is well made, has character and has a lifetime of wear left in it?

You also have to think about the environmental effect we as a species are having on the planet with our 'throw away' society. Furniture used to be made by skilled craftsmen and it was made to last, and these are the bits I love to find and give a new home.

Other places to find a real bargain are re-use centres and charity shops, flea markets and bootsales. Get on line and search second hand, reuse, and charity shops in your area then go and get round them you will be really surprised what you can get for your money.

In Brighton & Hove we have some excellent places, Martlets Hospice on Old Shoreham Road, Emmaus in Portslade, Magpie on Lewes Road to name just a few.

And there's always Freecycle where you might be lucky enough to snap up your item for free, but you'll have to be quick!

We really need to change our attitude and stigma towards buying and using second hand items, our planet cannot support our wasteful behaviour and our pockets have taken a beating since the financial crash, so it makes sense to start reusing.

Check out my post on up-cycling to find out how to bring an old piece of furniture back to life and make it fit with your décor.

Trunks, Chests & Crates

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Whatever you want to call them I love them and I am completely obsessed! You can find some really beautiful and unusual designs, they come in all different shapes and sizes and they have a range of uses. For me with two small children storage is key, and with these gorgeous reclaimed and second hand trunks I can store without creating an eyesore. You can also use trunks and chests as seating or an unusual coffee table. you will be be able to find one to suit any room as there is such a massive variant in their designs and the materials they are made from.

Lets start in the hall, this fantastic chest is just inside my front door and hides a mountain of different foot ware, brollies, kids PE kits etc. I bought it at Rottingdean Cricket club bootsale for £35 about a year ago. It was already painted and has become slightly distressed through wear and children climbing over it! I love it, it goes perfectly with the colours and design of my hall. As soon as I laid eyes on it I had to have it. The seller was asking £45 so I used a bit of charm to knock him down, he even helped me carry it back to my car, now that's service!

Now into the lounge, this fabulous old wicker chest was originally a laundry chest from a hotel back at the start of the century, it still has the leather straps and the bindings round the lid look like dog chews! You can see it has worn red writing on it which would have described it's department at the hotel, although these are hard to work out now. In my home it houses toys! I can't bare seeing kids toys laying about making the place look untidy once the kids are in bed, and at 80cm in length you can imagine I can fit quite a lot in it. I love the character of this trunk and it's rustic feel, you know it has a history and that is what reclaiming and reusing is all about. I bought this chest at Emmaus for £15! Emmaus is a charity, run by homeless people and brings the community affordable home furnishings from bedding and curtains to crockery and furniture, you will find it all here and they have some real jems. Check out their website for details on how to get there: www.emmaus.org.uk . I went to their showroom in Drove Road, Portslade, for items for one of my shows on The New Reclaimers and found an amazing piece at a bargain basement price which stole the show!

And onto the bedroom... These gorgeous whisky crates are getting really rare and hard to find now, again they are fantastic for storing items you want to keep out of sight. These have a second purpose in my bedroom and also serve as a bedside table. They fit in with the design of the room perfectly and look great against my wooden floor boards. I bought these at a boot sale in Surrey about 5 years ago, £15 for the pair.

In our house we call this the Pirates Treasure chest, and you can see why. I love love love this, I couldn't believe my luck when I found it, again at a boot sale. I had already started painting the kids bedroom in a jungle theme and this chest looks like it could have washed up on a tropical island beach a hundred years ago. I paid £40 for it because it is so full of character and so unusual. In the bedroom it houses bedding and toys. It is immensely strong and heavy, and it need to be with kids climbing all over it!

From this angle you can see the curve of the lid and the way the old metal and wood give a rustic charm which helps this jungle inspired room fulfil it's fantasy theme.

I am always on the look out for trunks and chests and next I want to get my hand on a steamer trunk for use as a coffee table, but you know me... it'll have to be at the right price! You can imagine seeing any one of these trunks in a boutique/shabby chic store with a massive price tag running into the hundreds, the trick is to find the pieces before the dealers do.

My contemporary 'Chavey Statues'

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Here are a few of my Chavey statues. They are a contemporary twist on classical historic statues, you can see Venus De Milo in Burberry, Micheal Angelo's David Vs Ronald Macdonald and Borat. Hercules in drag and a Cherub in St. Christophers boy school uniform looking scruffy and listening to an Ipod as they are usually so well turned out. I came up with the idea for these statues as I had a reclaimed statue kicking around for ages. As I sat daydreaming over a coffee one morning I decided to paint it and make a dull average garden object into a piece of contemporary art. I love the irony of these pieces, I enjoy the amusement people get from looking at them and coming up with new ideas is always fun. You can buy my statues at www.brightonwallart.co.uk

Interior and exterior design for me is about coming up with ideas to make your space unique and individual to you and that is what I am always striving to achieve for my clients and in my own home. To contact me regarding interior design and DIY questions and quiries email me at charis@brightonwallart.co.uk or leave a comment on the blog, get involved!

Check out my video for more hints and tips for creating your own 'Chavey statue'!

Have fun!

Brightening a room with bespoke Artwork

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I'm a a great believer in supporting your local artists, buying local art and commissioning local artists to paint for you. Far too many people have the same old tat as their neighbours, family and friends. Good interior design should reflect your character, and what better way to achieve that than commission your own artwork?!

Here are a few pieces I have painted, below is my family portrait and above are some of the pet portraits I have been commissioned to paint for my clients.

When you commission artwork obviously you can choose what the artwork will be of, I also give my clients the option of choosing the colours too, they can then have their pet for example painted in a colour that will suit the décor in their room.

Murals are another fantastic way of making a room unique, kids especially love having their favourite characters on the wall, and even sometimes overgrown kids (men) want a Storm Trooper in their office!

The fireplace above is a mural I painted for a lovely lady in Kilburn, London. People don't believe me when I tell them but this wall is in fact flat and the complete fireplace and black ledge it sits on is all a painting. It took me 23 hours to paint and I completed in in a day and a half, once you get started you just can't stop!

Catherine wanted something unusual, and she wanted something that would trick her friends. I used a style called 'Trompe l'oeil' which means to trick the eye.

She tells me she feels much warmer in the lounge now, even though she knows it is a painting! Strange!

To see more of my artwork or to commission me see

www.brightonwallart.co.uk

And check out this video for help painting yourself a bespoke beach scene canvas:

It's meeee!