Stationery and plant pots

Smug in Islington is one of those shops that has many of the things I like to buy: pretty notebooks, stationery and plant pots. An odd mix, you might think but it doesn’t feel like that as it’s also a shop that’s beautifully curated. And of course the bright yellow set of steps just inside the shop also help. I used to pop up to Islington frequently, but have got out of the habit. It’s one of those places that when I do go, I think it’s a place I should go to more often, and them promptly forget about again, until the next time.

On my recent trip up to the Business Design Centre, I was determined not to miss the opportunity to have a good look round. And so I did.

Plant-based stationery, completely perfect for me! It’s one of those shops that would be easy to say I’ll have one of each please, and be entirely happy with the treasures you end up taking home.

Boxes of pencils, erasers and even more notebooks. The cycling one was a particular favourite. But it was the rubbers that provoked memories of school days and how much thought and time went into replenishing my supplies for the new school term, and the more unusual the rubber, the better. I’m sure though there were at least a couple of the pink and blue varieties pictured below at times.

Now onto the plant pots. The pastel shades and quite peculiar “love heart” plants, and how they’re displayed just make them work. I normally opt for brights over pastels, but the pinks. greens and neutrals just work. The fact that most of them hold succulents is neither here nor there…

So with a dose of Smug under my belt, all was well with my world and happy and contented - I avoided using the word smug there - my day could continue. And maybe this time, my next visit might happen a little more quickly.

Big Ideas: An Oriental spa bathroom

This bathroom definitely has the wow factor, and while I’m not usually drawn to Oriental decor I’d happily make an exception for a bathroom like this. I’m not sure I’d spend much time anywhere else though. It’s a very well put together roomset, but has one element that i think is completely impractical, no matter how pretty it looks. I think you’ll spot what I mean fairly quickly…

The Big Ideas for this bathroom are:

1. A sunken fish tank - yeap - the impractical element. It does provide a focal point, but most of us only have an indoor water feature when something’s leaking, right?

2. Japanese screens: the frosted screens provide diffused light, and their sliding design would also work well to divide a room.

3. A modern bath: another standalone bath, and a shape that works for me. I’m much more of a simple clean lines kind of girl, rather than the fancy, twirly approach.

4. Zoned floor: it works here, I think because the space is big enough. In a smaller space I’m not sure it would have quite the same impact.

5. The white suite: I’m in the “why would you have another colour suite” gang, but then again I’ve replaced a couple of avocado baths…

I like the flowers in the sunken stream, but I’m clumsy enough to fall into it regularly. So even if it was feasible, I’m still not convinced on the practical side. And don’t even mention pets or children. Or coming home a little bit tiddly.

I do love the screen though, isn’t it fabulous? Although I think I’d need the bath facing the other way so I could spend my time in the tub imagining the fish swimming about, how relaxing would that be?

The other thing that’s pleasing is the grouting and its straight lines, which are also calming and another thing to let your eye wander over while relaxing. I know that sometimes if I let my mind wander on things like this, then suddenly whatever my mind has been wondering and pondering over becomes clear. I think this bathroom would be the perfect antidote.

But maybe not the stream…

Although I do have to admit it does look pretty. Just, as I said before, not very practical!

On my bedside table...

* This is a collaborative post

I’ve realised lately that bedside tables are a very personal item, and more so than you’d think a piece of furniture could be. I mean it sits there alongside your bed, hopefully looking pretty but more importantly providing functionality whether that’s for a glass of water, your book, your jewellery, your teeth (no I’m not quite there yet!) or whatever.

But it seems there’s more to it than that. What we have on our bedside tables could affect how well we sleep. Looking at mine, I think I’m doomed…

MINE

When Furniture Village got in touch about this post my first thoughts were that it was just as well they hadn’t seen my bedside table, and then that it would be good to put my money where my mouth was, and actually do some decluttering.

I’m sure you can see from the photo above, that I like to have ‘stuff’ around me. And equally you can see from the photo below that MOH doesn’t so much. I think my bedside table drives him a little bit bonkers though…

HIS

So what did I discover?

If you read my post on Monday, this is the bit that’s a little embarrassing. I’m always proud of being a good ‘packer’ which is especially useful when having a small bag and plenty of clothes for a weekend away, and give me a suitcase and I can get more in it than most people. Seriously. And it’s a good skill to have.

However, perhaps not on my bedside table. Although i couldn’t help but feel a hint of embarrassed pride at how much had accumulated with relative ease.

There was a pile of books and notebooks, most of the books I’ve still not read but still want to. There was part of a crochet project, which I’d stowed there hurriedly in a last-minute pre-Christmas tidy up. I’d hoped to finish it before Christmas but didn’t quite manage it and haven’t touched it since.

A PILE OF BOOKS

As well as the books, there was a much larger pile of magazines, and on a range of topics.

A BIGGER PILE OF MAGAZINES

I’d even branched out and started to store shoeboxes next to my bedside table. Only two have shoes in, and one contains a handbag. The other two I was keeping in case I needed them, yeap you’ve guessed it to put more stuff in.

A SHOEBOX OR FIVE

And there was quite a few dust bunnies. Now even for me, there was little point getting this far and failing to have a thorough clean, so it was this part that had MOH asking if I was well. How rude. But anyway with the cleaning done, it was time to reload.

Reloading my bedside table

I started off with the completely clutter free version. And while it was tidy, it wasn’t me.

VERSION 1: IT’S LOOKING A LITTLE BARE

It didn’t seem right to me, to not make better use of the space below the table. And so, as I still have ambition to read those books, I decided to add those back. But then the pretty box didn’t fit, so that was removed, and I realised another rethink was needed.

VERSION 2: ADDING THE UNREAD BOOKS BACK

But there was still the magazines to do something with.  On my first sort through, the pile on the right in the top row were the only ones destined for the recycling bin.  Even I knew that wasn’t going to work, and so a couple of the other piles joined that.  The craft magazines found themselves a new home in the bookcase, as did one of the other piles which I’m hoping to use in a craft project or two.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THESE, THERE ARE RATHER A LOT THOUGH…

Which meant that the final pile made it back onto my bedside table. And the patterned box, which I wasn’t sure quite what to do with found a new home on the top of the table. So along with notebooks, and stuff, I’ve a thing for boxes, so having a stack of them here makes me happy.

THE FINAL VERSION: AH, THAT’S BETTER

So while I might not have stayed with the completely clutter free version, I’ve found a version that works for me. It is still much clearer than before, you can see the floor and the shoeboxes have moved into the spare bedroom, ahead of a clear out of my shoe cupboard. MOH is impressed, and I think he’ll be taking a look at his own bedside table now, as he’s not used to mine putting his to shame!

What are the essentials for your bedside table? And are you a clutter free fan or a reformed hoarder?

* This post is sponsored by Furniture Village but not endorsed by them. Any opinions or views expressed are personal to the author.