4 tips for creating a shabby chic kitchen

You don't hear me talk much about kitchens here on the blog, you did a few years back though when we had a new one installed. We opted for high gloss units, with the majority of cupboards, including the inbuilt washing machine, dishwasher and fridge-freezer in a colour they called champagne. It's not what I'd call champagne and is a grey-green with some added shimmer and I fell for it as soon as I saw it. And typically it was the most expensive finish they had, but there was no talking me out of it. Well not completely anyway, our compromise was to have our wall units in a gloss soft white, which helped control the costs and also helps reflect light around our windowless kitchen.

Don't worry I'm not about to change it, I think MOH would consider that grounds for divorce as he said he's "never putting in a new kitchen again" and yes, I don't believe him either. But I do think that some houses lend themselves more to one style of kitchen over another, our current house the chic, gloss look works for the open plan space and for how we live, however another style of house would completely suit a shabby chic style kitchen, and it's the style of kitchen I'm more naturally drawn to. One day I might get one, despite MOH's protestations.

So today I'm sharing some tips on how to achieve the shabby chic look, because for now, that's as close as I'm going to get.

1. Install solid wood worktops

You'll often see solid wood worktops in rustic style cooking spaces, and it's easy to see why. Their beautiful, natural finish is guaranteed to give your kitchen that gorgeous shabby chic vibe. They look the part but more importantly they're also strong and robust, so you can trust they’ll continue to look their best for many years.

Image: Unsplash

There are a wide variety of different timbers to choose from, oak tends to be a firm favourite when it comes to achieving a truly rustic look. In our previous kitchen we had wooden worktops and I agree with kitchen specialists Worktop Express that they are full of natural charm and warmth - the perfect combination for creating the ultimate cosy atmosphere in your cooking space.

2. Choose a statement ceramic sink

A ceramic sink, perhaps and old fashioned and original Butler's sink, is often a feature in a shabby chic inspired kitchen. I had one in my previous house, which was original and matched the rest of the kitchen. Back then, when it came to redoing the kitchen, keeping it and incorporating it into the design didn't fit my budget, so it was begrudgingly replaced and used in the garden as a herb planter. Thinking back I've no idea what happened to it, and why I didn't move it with me to our current house.

There's contemporary versions around too, so these might be ideal for your shabby chic inspired space. Belfast sinks are a popular choice, and are similar to a Butler's sink, but with an overflow as fresh water was readily available in Belfast in the 1700's, but not so much in London, so there was no overflow as every drop was used carefully. I can't imagine anyone installing a sink now, without an overflow.

With their crisp, clean all-white colour, this style of sink looks stunning when set within wooden worktops and helps elevate the feel of the whole room. Adding rustic-looking taps would bring an authentic and personal feel.

Image: Unsplash

3. Add vintage-inspired accessories

I think that what makes shabby chic work is the accessories you choose, and it's the perfect excuse to find crockery that mixes and matches. And showcasing your knickknacks is a must, having them on show whether it's in piles on open shelves or arranged in glass fronted units.

Or maybe it's something simple like positioning a pair of classically curved salt and pepper pots on your kitchen table or displaying a selection of Mason style jars on the worktops. You may even want to go for old fashioned-looking appliances, such as a retro style kettle and toaster combination or a set of vintage-esque weighing scales.

Image: Unsplash

4. Decorate with pretty pastels

I'm more of a bold colour kind of girl than pastels, but I think shabby chic needs pastel shades to bring it to life. They don't have to be twee and sugary, unless you want them to be. Adding a touch of mint green, duck egg blue, dusky pink, a pale yellow or creamy vanilla to a neutral colour could be a stylish and modern take on the shabby chic look and set the mood for your room. I think being guided by the style of the property, the light in the space and the rest of your decor is always good advice. I like rooms that look harmonious together, so decorating within a style or colour palette will always work best for me.

Image: Unsplash

Is there anything else you'd add to this list?

* This is a collaborative post

Proper Bikes (and more) at the London Bike Show

At the end of last week HeyGreenGo got in touch and offered me tickets to the London Bike Show which they were one of the sponsors of. MOH had planned to pop into the show after a 60 mile ride which started at the Excel on Sunday, but I didn't have any plans to go along. I assumed the show would be geared towards those who take cycling a bit more seriously and for those that wear full cycling gear, which as you know isn't me.

But taking a look at the site I wondered if my assumption was right. I knew MOH was keen to look at potential new bikes, and I knew that after cycling sixty miles or so around Essex that maybe might not be high on his agenda, so going a day earlier might work out well. And so that's what we did.

Imagine my surprise then when on the first stand we stopped at I spied a step through bike, and bikes with wicker baskets. Just my sort of bikes and where the afternoon potentially turned expensive. As with any show there were show offers, but while I was interested I knew I wouldn't buy one on the day, as for me a show offer only really works if you've done your homework beforehand and not in the fifteen minutes or so you spend on the stand.

The bikes that were deemed suitable for me ranged from £700 to £2,250 - and now you can see why I say deemed suitable. I think if I were to spend the higher end of that range on a bike I wouldn't leave it anywhere, ever. There were though some very nice bikes, and we spent quite a while learning about the bikes from an informed salesman. I don't know much about the technical parts of a bike, and nor do I think I need too, but I did find it frustrating that when it got to a technical bit it wasn't me that was being spoken to, it was MOH.  

A salesman once did that when I bought my Megane, and yes I still bought the car because it was a good deal. He insisted on talking to MOH, who doesn't drive, and asked MOH if he wanted to sit inside. The salesman's face was a picture when MOH got into the passenger seat. After that the salesman spoke to me more often and backtracked really quickly, and couldn't do enough for me to get the sale.

But I digress, it's still frustrating though.

I was quite taken with the Pashley, but was potentially swayed by the basket, which I think is bigger than my current basket and proper wicker, rather than plastic wicker. The Brooks saddle doesn't look quite as comfortable as my current padded leather one, but I know they come well recommended and well, they mould themselves to the shape of your derriere.

The bikes on the stand were generally in neutral colours and I think that's what made the one below stand out. I'm quite partial to green as well, so I found myself drawn to this one from a cosmetic viewpoint. It didn't have traditional brakes and involved pedalling backwards to brake, which I'm sure you get used to but it probably wasn't something to try out at the Excel on Saturday. It's a looker though isn't it?

In fact as I'm writing this I've realised I tried two bikes out for size, which was two more than MOH did and it was him that was supposed to be more seriously looking for a bike. Whoops.

This is the one at the higher end of that range I gave you earlier and was beautiful. It had a couple of people placed alongside it and I couldn't work out if they were just taking a break or ready to pounce on anyone that was taking a serious interest in it.

The light was integrated and pedalling powered the light, very clever. The chain too looked different, we saw this maintenance-free style chain on a couple of the bikes on this stand, and it looks interesting, although I'm sure I could make this type of chain come off, most probably without too much effort.  

What I did like about the people we spoke to on this stand, even the salesman that could sense my eyes glaze over at the technicalities, and throughout the show to be fair, was that none of them looked down their noses at us for having Halfords bikes (and nor should they), or for me being at the more leisure end of the cycling scale and that was much appreciated. Now if more cyclists had that attitude I think we'd all be better for it.

Finally we left the first stand, I know, I think I might have become obsessed with these bikes and I think I've realised that at some point this year I'll be replacing my bike. There's nothing wrong with mine, but it is a bit of a beast (MOH's nickname for it) and it is heavy. I know I want to keep an upright and step through style and I know that I don't want to spend four figures on it. I now also know there's a bike shop in Great Portland Street that will take the time to find me a bike that suits me and my price range, and so quite a useful afternoon. 

At the next stand MOH learnt more about the ORRO bikes, who are based in Ditchling, near(ish) to Brighton. I think he was quite taken with this one, and it was interesting to see him being drawn to black and red styled bikes throughout the show. 

There were many colours to choose from, and many specifications. You'll not be surprised to learn this one caught my eye, for the obvious reason. Here's a clue if you're not sure why: 💛

Elsewhere in the show there were clothing brands as you'd expect and plenty of lycra on sale and being worn. These more feminine tops from Chapeau caught my eye, but I'm still not sure if I'd buy one or not. I don't like, or wear tops cycling or otherwise with high necklines. I know why they're designed like this, but I've yet to be convinced, and all my cycling tops with back pockets (which are very useful on longer trips, even with a basket) are a vest style, which gives me the lower neckline, but are also sleeveless which isn't always practical. 

One day, maybe, I'll find what I'm looking for. 

Throughout the show there were many opportunities to try energy bars and flapjacks. Our favourites tend to be Cliff bars, as they're not too artificial tasting, are very dense but they do give your jaw a good workout so are good value too as we often share one between us.

When I spotted this beetroot based Beet It stand, I was keen to learn more, and to taste their bars to see just how beetroot-y and earthy they were. The answer is not as much as you think, and the bars were quite pleasant to eat, but not overly sweet either. Beetroot is full of nitrates, and that's good, especially for exercise; the more you have, the more it opens your arteries which allows more oxygen to get to where it's needed. That's the non-technical description of why.

What's more is where these are made in Suffolk the beetroot pulp is returned to the farm so that it can be fed to the pigs, so there's hardly any wastage and both us and the pigs benefit from the natural produce. The beetroot shots are quite concentrated and so do turn your wee pink, which could be a shock if you weren't prepared for it, and I do wonder if it has the same effect on the pigs too - I didn't ask that!

One of the last stands we visited was the Vitus stand, MOH had heard of them, I hadn't. I was though quite taken with the classic racer bike they had on display. It's a real beauty and the style of bike I remember being popular as I grew up in South London in the 1970s. I couldn't get on these then, so there'd be no chance now, this one was suspended way above my head, so it was safe, but it really is a design classic isn't it? 

So quite an afternoon at the London Bike Show, and I was glad we went, and even more glad that I'd found, what I call, Proper Bikes  if you haven't worked it out already that's step through and with a wicker basket. MOH still shakes his head, but for me a bike without a basket just isn't happening, I find it way too useful. 

We headed back to Greenwich on the cable car and was treated to another fantastic sunset, London still has the power to surprise me at times.  

I never really expected to find my kind of bikes at the show, let alone be considering a new bike, and I think I'll be studying this little black book of bikes more closely, working out what my budget is and most likely popping up to Great Portland Street to actually try some out for size. 

So while the afternoon itself didn't turn out to be expensive, there is still potential that our visit to the London Bike Show might mean a couple of new bikes for us, at some point. Ah well, there's worse things I guess...

Did you go along to the London Bike Show? What did you think?

* This is a collaborative post, with thanks to HeyGreenGo who gifted me tickets for the London Bike Show. As usual all views and opinions are my own.

It's my 4th blog birthday!

It seems I'm not very good at birthdays, or blog birthdays in any case. I did remember last weekend that my blog birthday was approaching, and then in the busyness of life I forgot all about it until about 6:30pm this evening, as I sat on the sofa unwinding from the week.

Image: Unsplash

In previous years I've celebrated with cake - three of them for my third blog birthday no less - but while I have bought cake for the weekend, a couple of slices of my favourite Forest cake for MOH and I (if he's lucky) its purpose was as a weekend treat rather than anything else.  See that blog birthday was well and truly forgotten.

So what to do to mark my blog birthday?

We are going out for dinner tonight, but that's to save cooking rather than celebrating.

Well, as luck would have it things have been taken out of my control. I didn't know it but today is Random Acts of Kindness day.  I know it now because of this tweet Johanne from Jo's Writing Space sent me.

@LifeAt139a Thank you for cycling through life! #RandomActsOfKindnessDay

— Johanne Winwood (@supavillain999) February 17, 2017

It definitely put a smile on my face, thanks Johanne.

And as I was scrolling through my Twitter notifications, I spotted this from Peachy of Diary of a Little Peach.

@LifeAt139a @naptimenatter @lucy_at_home

Here's my #BlogCrush. Love Stephanie's work and her photos are lovely.https://t.co/ljkKpufOPq

— Peachy (@peachy_diary) February 17, 2017

So two lovely tweets in one day, and another smile on my face, although this time with a small blush to go with it.  Thanks Peachy.

Looking into the #BlogCrush hashtag I discovered a brand new linky hosted by Lucy from Lucy at Home and Wendy from Naptime Natter which is a linky with a difference - as well as linking their own posts, bloggers can nominate a Blog Crush, which is where Peachy came in.

So with the two tweets, the new linky and the last minute offer of some tickets to the London Bike Show tomorrow, it looks like I'm all set to celebrate my 4th blogging birthday in style. Thanks ladies!

...Oh and maybe a glass of red, or two (four may be pushing it) with dinner as well, now that I've remembered I'm celebrating!