My parents kindly offered to buy me a new wardrobe for my birthday this year. The only proviso was: it must not be an old one. Mum had tangled with my previous wardrobe a year or so ago when I was in hospital and she came to collect some clothes for me. She was assaulted by an avalanche of jumpers, shirts and pyjamas which were straining behind the door (a wonky door that had a latch which needed a special twist to get it to shut). The only wardrobe I'd ever owned before that had collapsed due to a severe case of woodworm, so I had to agree that it might be nice to own something silky and new. It took me a long time to find a contender: the high street tends towards flat pack MDF or something with a huge price tag, neither of which would have worked.
I heard of the website www.made.com via a friend who had bought some great chairs. I liked the modern take on classic design, and when I spotted this solid ash wardrobe, very plain except for a little French-style curve along the bottom edge, I really liked it. I held on for about six months, thinking it over, before deciding to go ahead.
It only took a week for the wardrobe to arrive in two ENORMOUS boxes which the helpful delivery men insisted on carrying upstairs for us. Over a weekend, my husband, son and I assembled the wardrobe. I won't say it was easy: it wasn't. But luckily Perry is much better at this kind of thing than I am and he persevered. Apart from two screws which sheared off during the assembly, and a few holes which were not drilled out properly, things came together pretty smoothly.
The bliss of re-homing my clothes and being able to see what I've got! I had a huge clear our, took one lot to a car boot sale, put some on ebay and others went to the charity shop. It gave me chance to sort out the rest of the bedroom too. This is my little chair, which was a present from Perry for my birthday. We found it at a boot sale for £10 (he spotted it), and I had the seat rewoven.
I love the heart shaped back and the delicate legs.
This last weekend, my cupboard and pine chest got a coat of Autentico chalk paint in Gris.
I've de-cluttered a lot but I have kept my little mannequin and shabby roses mirror...and I've been very busy with my patchwork quilt too. In fact, I have become a bit obsessed with it. Here is how it is looking:
That piece is all sewn together. I can't use the machine so it's taking forever to stitch it by hand. I've been carrying it with me everywhere. I've even contemplated whipping up a sneaky square while sitting at my desk waiting for phone calls for work. I've stabbed my thumb and finger more times than I can count, and I seem incapable of using a thimble to protect myself. But I do love it :) Even if it is a bit uneven in places.
What do you reckon? I think I've done about a third of it now. I'm sure you'll be seeing it again...
