I had some gorgeous mustard fabric left over from a fashion shoot, and so I thought I would have a go at re-upholstering (similar fabric found here).  I would like to point out at this stage, I have never re-upholstered a chair like this before, but seeing as nearly every household owned one just like this in early 2000, I thought it only right to have a go.  You now have the option of bringing yours into the 21st century…!

You will need

• A chair
• Staple gun
• Scissors
• Gloves (if you have a lot of chairs to do as it helps to protect nails)
• Fabric of your choice, it needs to be fairly thick

1. Cut out a rectangular panel and drape it over the  back rest , leaving about 3 inches all around the edges.
2. Push fabric ends into the crease, where the seat meets the back of the chair.
3. Pull the fabric taught at the sides and top to create a smooth appearance. Now staple down the sides and top to fix this panel in place (don’t worry too much about neatness as this will be covered, it’s just important to pull the fabric tight!)
4. Now cut a seperate piece of fabric to cover the back panel, leaving about 3 inches around the edges.
5. Start at the top and fold the fabric in on itself, then staple.  Next do the sides, keeping the fabric taught at all times, leave the bottom hanging down.
6. Pull the bottom panel down tightly and turn the chair upside, then staple it to the underneath of the chair.
7. Take care to make neat folds at the corners (see image ref).
8. Cut a square large enough to cover the seat and again, tuck the fabric in to conceal the ends.
9. Pull the fabric taught at the sides, turn the chair upside down and then tuck the fabric under to make a neat edge.
10. Staple all around keeping the fabric taught, making sure the staples are nice and neat.

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“I set up St Aidan’s as a place to help source those quirky, cool finds that help give our homes a bit more personality. There’s some great Bloomingville products in the store as well as original works from artists and ceramists along with some fantastic vintage finds.”  Be sure to take a look at his site as I am sure you will love the collection as much as I do.

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When it comes to wall displays you don’t have to stick to conventional set-ups, think about what you are hanging and try to have a little fun. Our styled collection has a retro feel, with most of the items having been up-cycled or restored. We started by painting the wall in a rich grey, this created the perfect backdrop to the punchy reds and bright mustard. It may not be your obvious choice for the wall, but this demonstrates that with the right light and accessories, slate grey can look striking and above all, warm.

My favourite item is the handmade peg rail which has been made from old yard sticks, genius. We used the Command picture hanging strips to attach it to the wall, just make sure you check the weight of the products against the back of the Command packet. All products wall are from the fabulous Home Barn, they sell a mixture of home accessories that have been lovingly restored and transformed into very cool and individual pieces.

Credits from left to right: Wall painted with Railings, Matt emulsion, Farrow & Ball. Tom Collins red chair, Sofa Workshop. Crystal stool designed by Marcel Wanders for Kartell, £133, Lifestyle Bazaar. Smoke bottle vase, £29, Ebury Home & Garden. All wall decoration including letters & pictures, wooden shoes, vintage bottles, coat rack & vintage flags, all Home Barn. Yellow throw, Just Blankets. Mathew Williamson Cushions, £20, Debenhams.

Credits: Crystal stool designed by Marcel Wanders for Kartell, £133, Set of 3 Delft flying ducks, £45, Lifestyle Bazaar, Ben de Lisi Red table lamp, Debenhams.

Credits: Wall painted with Railings, Matt emulsion, Farrow & Ball. Vintage American clear colour Balls jars, £22.00, Antique Apothecary / Chemist Bottles Medium, £25.00, Vintage Baby Shoe Lasts, £55, Distressed letters and numbers, £10 each, all Home Barn Ben de Lisi Red table lamp, Debenhams

Credits: Letters and numbers, shoe lasts as before. Note book, V&A.

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Recently I have seen some really creative and interesting ways to incorporate bed heads into a room, and they aren’t necessarily expensive or your typical idea of what a headboard might be. These inspiring ideas are a fantastic reminder that things can be done in a different and inexpensive way, to achieve stylish and unique results!

Credits: 1.Framed bed head idea 2. Lovely, inexpensive and personal project by House Tweaking 3.A cool stencil 4. Shelving in place of a bedhead – functional and pretty, 5. Reclaimed doors to create height, My favourite – a great use for an old palette!

Finding a bed that is exactly what you are looking for can be difficult. However you can find a wide variety of beds online at dreams.co.uk which should make it that little extra bit easier.

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A favourite of mine from the show was BDDW, who combine raw elements, including woood and leather to create handcrafted and contemporoary pieces including; beds, tables, seating, lamps & storage.  Each piece is lovingly hand rubbed iwth natural oils and lacquer.

Kenneth Cobonpue (below)

More to follow…..

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Once you have your chosen piece of furniture, you will need to prep the surfaces to be painted. First be sure to remove any handles, hinges or metalwork. You’re now ready to start stripping the paint or varnish, to do this I tend to use sandpaper or Nitromors. I find both methods are equally effective and take the same amount of time, but when working with heavy detail Nitromors is best. Nitromors is a chemical substance that removes paint, varnish and skin, so do be careful and wear protective clothing & work in a well ventilated area.

Once the item has been stripped and sanded, get rid of any dust by wiping it down with warm water – allow to dry.  A little tip for you; in my photo you will see my dog Ted happily snoozing, make sure when painting that animals stay well away! Their hair will get into the paint and on to your furniture – not a good look!  I also avoid painting outside on a sunny day as bugs find the gleam of the fresh wet paint extremely inviting. Once they bugs have landed they don’t come off without a little help.. this will leave marks.

Primer.. I don’t always use primer but depending on the condition of the wood it is sometimes necessary.  This particular sideboard is in a good condition, so instead of a primer I will be apply two coats of white.  I like to use Farrow & Ball paints; for this sideboard I am using Matchstick White as an undercoat, and an Eggshell Pavilion Grey for the topcoat (oil-based eggshells or matt paints are best as a water-based paint won’t sand as well).  When applying the paint always go in the direction of the wood grain, keeping minimal paint on the paintbrush & with nice thin layer.  It’s quality, not quantity.

Allow each layer of paint to dry properly before adding the next.  This photo is after one layer of Matchstick White. Keep applying even layers.

This sideboard has now had two layers of Matchstick White and two layers of Pavilion grey. I added in some standard black paint to darken the Pavilion grey as it was paler than my client wanted. I tend to leave the piece to thoroughly dry for a minimum of 24 hours before distressing.  Some people do not like the distressed look, so you could always leave it as above and just add a varnish or wax to protect the paint.

When distressing the furniture, there are so many routes and degrees of “aging” that you can do.  As this piece is a commission I’ve been asked to not go too crazy, just highlight on areas where, wear and tear would occur. For instance this would be on raised areas, edges, around drawers, handles & the top of detailing. To distress I use 180 grit sandpaper, the trick is to sand in one direction repeatedly. If you want to create extra damage and bruise the furniture, use metal chain or the edge of metal tools to beat the furniture.  I don’t do this often as I feel it’s fairly sacrilege & most often the antiques I paint are well used and slightly battered.

Once you’re content with the finish, you can either leave as is, or add a coat of beeswax or varnish. This will help protect the wood, but don’t be too overzealous as an overly shiny varnish will not look authentic and shabby chic!

If you have any questions or want further tips, please do not hesitate to email me.

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Each retro piece has been lovingly created using a wide variety of materials with a slight Scandinavian feel.  If there is a particular object that you are looking for then just make an enquiry as they also offer a commissioning service.

You have to love the ethos behind up-cycling as in today’s throwaway society it’s great that we can prolong the life of an object rather than it becoming part of a landfill

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