Rural Refurb

14/07/2022

HOUSE TOUR

Welcome to my home in 10 pics! Love T xx

05/04/2022

A rare moment with me not in paint splattered clothes and hair in plaits!

Sadly not for long though as the spray gun is coming out this week. Time to get the walls and ceilings of my latest renovation project painted. It’s all on the ‘Cottage’ highlights if you’ve missed it 😁

Decisions decisions: to wear a shower cap or a headscarf??? Hubby thinks I’m mad as every hotel we stay in I always bring the free shower cap home!! I have quite a collection!🤣What’s your preferred headwear when painting ceilings?? Love T xx

02/04/2022

24/03/2022

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Love T and Bertie xx

18/03/2022

TV in the kitchen or not?? Big debate when I was building this one… left to hubby he’d have one slathered across a whole wall where as I like a nice little corner counter top one which is generally tuned to Radio 4… or Radio Snore as hubby likes to call it!!

What can I say… he’s a work in progress 🙄 but as I do the building round here guess what we ended up with??🤣 Love T xx

ps yes I did stand on a very high stool inside the pantry cupboard to get this shot! 🙈

09/03/2022

The auction gods have been smiling on me again with these two big stoneware pots finding a new home at just £60 for the pair!

These are stoneware as opposed to earthenware…. so what’s the difference I hear you ask?? 😁

Stoneware:
High firing temperature
Durable
Non porous so doesn’t readily absorb water
Doesn’t need to be glazed
Naturally brown or grey

Earthenware:
Lower firing temperature
Less durable
Absorbs water readily
Needs to be glazed

Stoneware sounds a lot less trouble so stoneware is my new addiction!! I’m off hunting for more… 😉
Love T xx

15/02/2022

It’s Mahogany Mo today folks! Swipe for a glimpse of the sad old dear found at auction for £85 before she got the Tracey Treatment last year… a good wash down, a bit of surgical re attachment, 2 coats of Zinsser BIN stain block (well she is mahogany and the bleed through would have been carnage!) plus 2 coats of Rustoleum chalky finish floor paint…. What??…. Yes floor paint and for no other reason than I had a tin of it and I hate waste!😂

I’m pleased to report that Mo is wearing well, no bleed through and the floor paint has been super hard wearing. She has also been joined by another few auction finds including the mirror finished in Annie Sloan Old White and white wax. The copper fairy lights just give her that extra little sparkle that she demands…total diva 🙄😂 Love T xx

stain block
floor paint
fairy lights
and Old White paint and white wax

03/02/2022

Oooh it’s been a long time since I gave you a glimpse of my rear (and my rear before surgery 😂… have a swipe!)

The best part about this renovation for me was creating the veranda which I absolutely love and use all year round…so… I’m creating another one!!! Yes, I’m soon to be a two veranda girl!!! 😂

Flooring of veranda 2 goes down today so pop over to stories to see the action! Oh and this time it’s even bigger!!! Can you imagine the styling opportunities🤣 Love T xx

23/01/2022

The best part of going away is coming home again 🤍🤍

So we are back after a great break in Cornwall and ready to hit the ground running! Builders start tomorrow on the ‘annexe’… the ‘studio’… the ‘really must find a new name for this building’ 😂 and I’ll be giving you a daily update on stories if you fancy following along with this quirky little reno.

The vibe is going to be rustic, whites and woods, lots of vintage, recycled, repurposed materials and lots of thinking outside of the box! So buckle up darlings, it’s a start to finish renovation… warts and all!! Are you with me?? Love T xx

18/01/2022

Happy

There are so many transformations here it’s hard for me to choose a favourite as they are all my babies and every one has a story behind it!

Obviously I’m delighted that this part of the hall doesn’t look like it did before or during it’s transformation…swipey finger needed 😁… but there is also the oak fireside chair from the 1800’s that I picked up from auction for £5 (oh those were the days!!😜) then reupholstered in leopard print… the £20 sideboard I revamped with a broken paint effect… the free terracotta pot I dribbled paint samples over… the £2 metal lantern that I sprayed and holds the faux arrangement… the 99p cast iron radiator from shot blasted and powder coated… the revamped mirrors… even the pot I found buried in the garden behind the sheds…

I could go on but I’ll shut up now 😂 Love T xx

14/01/2022

What a chilly w***y one it’s been today… so cold even teenage boys were pulling their jeans up… never really understood that look! 😂

Some afternoon winter sun on the veranda is most welcome though and so is the G&T as it sets…dry January is more damp January for me 😁

Happy folks whatever your tipple is!🥂🍾Love T xx

12/01/2022

I love a bit of jigging around (easy! I’m talking moving accessories 😂) so the pampas has come up here from the kitchen and a few throws have found their way to the ladder which was found at Ardingly Antiques Fair with my lovely pal Chris ❤️❤️

Just 3 more sleeps in here then hubby and I (plus Bertie!!🐶) are off to St Ives in Cornwall for a week’s break before the next build starts… yes finally the annexe is getting its long deserved makeover!!

Lots to come so stay tuned! Also any recommendations for Cornwall greatly appreciated 🙏🏻Love T xx

06/01/2022

Today Bertie is modelling my first furniture purchase of 2022… a leather armchair!

When I moved the furniture here in the snug to make way for a Christmas tree in the corner, I put an armchair in this spot by the fire and there was never a bottom out of it over Christmas, furry or otherwise!! 😂

I’d been coveting an old brown leather chair for some time but everything I liked was £1200 to £1500 😱 so when I spotted this little gem on eBay on New Years Day I snapped it up! And the price… £350!

Ok so not my best dealio ever but still a bargain for such a beautiful well made chair. And let’s face it, Bertie’s bagged the spot so it’s actually a glorified dog bed! 🤣 Love T xx

04/01/2022

Well I felt naked without one! Dressing the door all year round is a must now and when I took down the swag I did for Christmas it just didn’t feel right all bare.

I’ve done a winter revamp of my original £20 fresh wreath with a straw base that I bought some 10 plus years ago from using faux foliage, spray paints on old faux flower heads, twigs and dried hydrangeas from the garden. I had everything so the cost was £0. Swipe for a close up 😁

My furry buddy Bertie is doing his best Zoolander face here, definitely loves working the camera… no treats were demanded for this shoot!

Are you a wreath all year round person or just for Christmas?? Love T xx

11/12/2021

Happy Saturday! Here’s a view from the veranda into the snug, lots of greenery and fairy lights this year.

The veranda was the last to be dressed as I put all the decorations and clippings out here whilst I was doing the rest of the house, absolute godsend as I could keep the inside tidy whilst doing it. Perfect for a neat freak like me!

Busy day today getting hot and steamy in the kitchen with a sack of spuds, prepping roast potatoes for the freezer. I always do a huge batch so I can just pop them straight into the oven when needed. I’ll also be doing the parsnips, a few desserts and icing the Christmas cake which is now so soaked in booze I’m keeping it away from naked flames!! 😂 Love T xx