We’re all stuck in a bit of a decorating conundrum at the moment; we have heaps of extra time on our hands to spend around the house, but most shops are temporarily closed and delivery times for online purchases are up the left… so it begs the question, what can we do to update our homes using what we already have in our possession? Thankfully, there are LOADS of things you can do to refresh the four walls we all feel pretty much confined to at the moment. All you need to get started is a little spare time (yep!) and a quick read of this blog post to help you along in the creativity department… :)
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Three Festive Tablescapes
Even with the quieter than normal Christmas we all have planned for this year, there’s still pleasure to be had in creating something special for the dining table. I’ve put together three simple mood boards for dining table decor, each with a slightly different look, but all easy to achieve, so why not take some time out and immerse yourself in the simple pleasure of setting out a beautiful festive tablescape.
Mood Board One: Minimal Monochrome
Prefer things without fuss? Keep it simple, yet striking, with monochrome and just a touch of sparkle. Finish the look off with beautiful fresh greenery as your centrepiece.
Shop the Look:
Mood Board Two: Vintage Luxe
Enrich your festive dining experience with a touch of luxury this year. Gold, velvet and soft candlelight all combine to create that special ambience of refined dining.
Shop the Look:
Mood Board Three: Relaxed Rustic
This look takes its inspiration from the snow covered cabins of Scandinavia. It’s all about the cosy layers, natural textures and laid back vibes – perfect for a casual Christmas gathering around the table.
Shop the Look:
Do you have a favourite way to set up the Christmas dining table?
K x
[Please note the links above contain affiliate links, whereby I may receive a small commission from the purchase of an item via these links, however there is no additional cost to the buyer].
Three Cosy Reading Nooks for Winter
It’s the perfect time of year for curling up in a quiet corner with a good book and warming drink of your choice, so why not take a look at my three reading nook mood boards for some cosy inspiration!
Mood Board One: Naturally Nordic
Create a Nordic inspired cosy corner with a comfortable relaxing chair, a soft wool throw, snuggly sheepskin and a steaming mug of hot chocolate – the ultimate hygge experience at home!
Mood Board Two: Midcentury Luxe
The ultimate corner to unwind in with your favourite festive cocktail and some chill out tunes in the background… layer up sumptuous velvets, luxurious furs and a little dash of midcentury cool.
- Chair // made.com*
- Lamp // Westelm*
- Cushion // Amara living*
- Cocktail coupe // Anthropologie*
- Fur throw // H&M Home*
Mood Board Three: Heritage Twist
The perfect way to spend a winter’s night; listening to the crackle of a log fire and your favourite woolly socks – who needs a weekend away in a highland getaway when you can have it all at home?!
- Chair // made.com*
- Socks // Liberty London*
- Throw // Amara Living*
- Candle // John Lewis*
- Lamp // Pooky
So…. which nook is your favourite?
K x
[* contains affiliate links]
A midcentury chair lovingly upholstered in collaboration with Yorkshire Fabric Shop {ad}
You know how it is; you can’t walk away from that bargain piece of furniture in the local charity shop and your inner DIY goddess tells you how good it would look with a little lick of paint or a simple reupholster? Well, that was me when I happened upon this lovely little Parker Knoll midcentury chair fresh out of the 1950s. Its seat pad had been well sat on, its wooden frame was scratched and worn, but it was only £30. I was sold!
…Using texture to add interest and warmth to your home
I don’t know whether it’s the promise of lighter, brighter, summer days or just too much time spent browsing Pinterest during lockdown (probably the latter!), but I’m seriously lusting after some bright and airy North American modern vintage style homes at the moment. I love their clean, considered design, rustic warmth and cosy textures – it just seems to work.
But why exactly does it work? Well, one word is important here – TEXTURE. An interior that is carefully layered up with different textures and finishes is immediately more inviting, more pulled together and basically more aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
However, layering your interior with texture and pattern is not always easy to get right, so I’ve pinpointed some key elements you need to consider in order to perfect this interior decor trick in your own home.
…My pick of stylish garden lounge chairs
I recently decided to treat myself to a new pair of garden chairs for our patio. Not just dining style chairs for around the table, but more like ‘lounge’ style chairs for sitting in to enjoy an alfresco cup of coffee and a good book.
Now, which of these dream patio scenarios would be where you’d choose to have that coffee and book time? The trick is to work out your outdoor decor style to help narrow down your garden chair search…
I found these great ones in Homebase (link further below), but they are low in stock now (blame the good weather and their exceptional good value). I thought they looked a lot more expensive than they actually are and they’re the perfect size and style for this corner.
What I love about them is how they look great both completely unadorned or cosied up with a good old sheepskin – bonus!
There are lots of lovely bistro sets, garden benches and outdoor sofas on the market, but the garden lounge chair is an affordable option that we can relax into. They’re also really handy to move around the garden or from the front of the house to the back, and so forth. Much easier than shoving a two seater outdoor sofa about or lifting a heavy garden bench!
Anyway, it was on my quest for a stylish, comfortable and affordable garden lounge chair, that I came across so many other lovely designs that I really wanted to share with you. Now that garden centres and larger outdoor retailers are reopening, you can have a sit down and try out before you buy, which is pretty important considering the small investment you’re making.
Here’s my pick of 12 great ones to choose from:
Where to buy:
- Indoor/outdoor grey string chair // Cox & Cox* // £125
- ‘Ross’ rattan effect garden chair // Argos // £60
- ‘Bondholmen’ chair // IKEA // £75
- ‘Conservatory’ rattan chair // La Redoute* // £139.30 (in sale)
- ‘Ellipse’ garden lounging chairs // John Lewis* // £160 (set of 2)
- ‘Leopold’ black wire contemporary chair // Habitat* // £125
- ‘Joalie’ wicker garden chair // La Redoute* // £189.05 (in sale)
- ‘Oneman’ garden chair // Wayfair UK // £156.99
- ‘Lyra’ garden chair set // Made.com* // £179 (set of 2)
- ‘Yuri’ multi woven lounge chair // Made.com* // £199
- Bamboo stacking chair // Homebase // £55 (2 for £80)
- ‘Acapulco’ chair // SKLUM // £65.75
*contains affiliate link
Happy shopping!
K x
How I styled my daughter’s small bedroom
My youngest daughter, Annabel, turns 9 later this year and had outgrown the childish baby pink decor in her small bedroom. It was time for a mini bedroom project and she wanted to make sure she was involved!! She completely ran the project in many ways – instructing me clearly on the aspects of the room she didn’t like and the colour she wanted on the walls… but more on that later!
The first thing we did was get rid of the existing loft bed. It was an IKEA one similar to this one and although it incorporated plenty of storage and sleeping space within a singular piece of furniture, it took up almost half her bedroom floor space, making the room feel cramped and busy. It’s not a big bedroom by any means, but not a ‘box room’ either, so we felt there must be a better way of maximising on the space available.
…Recipe: Honey Coconut Granola
When I started the Dekko Bird blog back in 2015, I used to write a ‘Friday Foodie’ post, sharing my favourite, easy recipes on here; and so as I was making our regular batch of honey coconut granola recently, I thought I’d feature it on here for you all to have a go at making.
After all, we’re spending more time at home creating, baking and making in our spare time, so using up store cupboard ingredients and getting creative with your granola mix might be the ideal way to put in some downtime in the kitchen.
Easy, crunchy honey coconut granola… so tasty!
We make a batch of this granola pretty regularly in our house. I’m not saying we avoid the shop-bought stuff – when life is busy and time is short we have our preferred brands that we pick up at the supermarket – but homemade granola is less sickly sweet than the shop-bought varieties and you can make it to suit your own tastes. You can throw any combination of nuts, seeds and dried fruits into the mix as pleases you! And it tastes so so superior to the ready made packet granola.
We love this particular granola mix as it’s super versatile: it’s a simple enough basic recipe that you can serve with yogurt, fresh fruit or simply a splash of ice cold milk on its own.
Or how about changing it up with dried apricots, dates or raisins added in at the end of baking time? Cashews or walnuts are another great addition for a lovely added crunch. We love coconut-anything in this house, but you could substitute it for some quinoa flakes, goji berries or even chia seeds for a healthy boost.
No two batches are ever quite the same, as we like to use up whatever nuts or seeds we have in the house. For this granola jar, I added whole almonds, one of our family’s favourite nuts, however you can change the texture up a little by crushing half the almonds and leaving the rest whole. Or throw in some ground almonds. It’s entirely up to you (and how strong your teeth are, of course!!)
Want to give it a go? Here’s the basic recipe I use to fill a 750ml (1 1/2 pint) sized Kilner jar. Obviously you can increase the quantities as you wish – just play about with your own recipe!
You’ll need:
- 1 rounded cup porridge oats
- 1/2 cup nuts (almonds/cashews/walnuts/brazil nuts or a mix of these)
- 1/2 cup seeds (pumpkin/sunflower/sesame or a mix)
- 1/4 cup desiccated coconut or coconut flakes
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp vanilla essence
- Optional: chia seeds/goji berries/linseeds etc
Place the oats, nuts (either left whole or half chopped and half left whole), seeds, coconut flakes and sugar in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
Place the honey and coconut oil in a small microwaveable bowl and heat for around 1 minute until the coconut oil has melted into the honey. Add the vanilla essence to this, then pour onto the dry ingredients and combine well.
Empty the granola mixture onto a baking tray with high sides, lined with either foil or baking paper. Bake for 10 mins, give it a good stir, then return to the oven for a further 10 mins until golden. Be sure to mix the edges of the granola into the centre when mixing it together.
Leave to cool in the tin, then store in a glass jar or other suitable airtight container. Your honey coconut granola will keep for a couple of weeks (if you can resist it that long!)
Serve however you like it best: we don’t think you can go too wrong with a dollop of creamy Greek yogurt, fresh strawberries and an extra drizzle of honey! :)
Enjoy x
How to paint kitchen cabinets (& my own kitchen refresh!)
I’d been planning to refresh our kitchen walls and cabinets at some stage this year, mainly because after four years they had become rather grubby and – what can I say – I fancied a wee change! So, the paint charts were stuck onto the wall, sample pots dusted off and Pinterest thoroughly salivated over… then, as we are all too aware, 2020 took a very strange turn, with talk of complete lockdown impending by the middle of March.
Suddenly I realised I needed projects lined up to keep me same throughout my time at home! Home schooling certainly wouldn’t fill my days with happiness, but painting definitely could! Luckily, I had chosen the overall look I was trying to achieve in the kitchen. I wanted a darker colour on the units and a lighter colour on the walls to freshen and brighten the room up a little, particularly as the back of our house has a northerly aspect.
Have a read to find out how I got on :)
…My Guide to having Happy House Plants
I recently compiled some tips on how to best care for your house plants over on my Instagram page and received such a great response to it! It seems there are quite a few of us who share a love for and connection with our leafy green house buddies, however caring for them in the appropriate way can be a somewhat tricky business…
With this in mind, I have written an easy to follow guide on here, which I hope will act as a useful referral point for you as you find your way with your house plant care. So, from yellowing leaves to drooping stems, there’s a solution to be found for those common house plant problems – you just need to find the right plant for the right place in your home, then adhere to a few little rules and it will thrive!
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