The working from home project: cork pinboard panelling

June 30, 2022

I’m not sure where the time is going at the moment. It’s over a month ago that I shared the first room set from Grand Designs Live at the start of May, so it’s way over due for me to share another. This one was my absolute favourite, and I’ve already earmarked the main design feature as something I want replicate in my craft room of the future.

I spent some time looking at the panelling and cork tiles in some detail, working out how designer Danielle Reales had put this together. The (most likely) MDF panelling was cleverly spaced to be the width of a cork tile. The lower section was painted pale green and it was finished off with a narrow shelf, which also allows for additional display space. Great for an office, and even better for a craft room.

Pale green panelling infilled with cork tiles, a desk and stationery and other walls are pale pink

And did you spot the artwork? How many times have you also found your lost pen on your desk. Yes, me too.

Focussing on the wooden wall desk and chair with rattan seat with the panelled walls in the background

Behind the desk area, is a touch of tranquility for mid morning coffee breaks. The whole space is definitely the functional, attractive and fun work area that the designer wanted to create. She also wanted the space to encourage good mental health, comfort, sustainability and uplifting humour - and the artwork definitely made me smile.

A painted circle on the opposite corner wall with a shelving unit above and an area to relax with cushions, a radio and a cuppa

The artwork on the painted wall - print on newspaper print saying "I've been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library" from Gatsby

I also liked the noticeboard with its roll of paper on a rail above. Another simple idea which can be easily replicated.

Focusing on the noticeboard - a rail for a roll of paper whichis pinned onto two cork tiles, with a mesh brass magazine rack alongside

I loved this, and even MOH was impressed - and didn’t flinch too much when I said this is definitely something for our new house.

A new light

June 9, 2022

Last month at Grand Designs Live we found another light to admire and lust after. And this wasn’t any old light, though it probably is a pretty old one. It’s a style of light that we’ve looked at for a long time, and always put on the ‘one day’ list. Turns out the one day turned out to be last month, and I couldn’t be happier.

I’ve said before, and I stand by it - the Design Arcade is one of my favourite areas of the show. It’s a single walkway, a corridor through the show which is jam-packed of great stuff. There’s inspiration each side of you, and we often walk up and down here at least a couple of times, each time seeing something new.

Therefore at the show in May, it wasn’t unexpected for us to stop and admire the lights on the Albert & Edward stand, in fact I’d have been more surprised if we didn’t stop and linger for a while. Many of the customised lights caught our eye, and I’ve a feeling at some point we’ll be looking to buy a memory wall light, and actually it was that which got us talking to Duncan.

One of the memory wall lights included an old metal boxed puncture repair kit, similar to one that we’d come across whilst sorting through my FILs garage recently. I’ve a bit of a thing about tins, and knowing that MOH doesn’t share this, I’d slipped the old-fashioned tin into one of the boxes we brought home. He remembered the tin from his childhood and wished he’d kept it - ta dah - good news, I had. These memory boards won’t be for everyone, but when they can include your own memories, then that would make them even better.

Lights on the Albert & Edward stand at Grand Designs Live

But anyway, our new light. It’s the one on the right above. We admired it and carried on wandering around the show, but this time knowing that if we get the place we’re after it will fit perfectly. It’s dangerous to make purchases for properties you don’t yet own, so we needed a plan b - and with viewings on our own home continuing we needed somewhere for it to go that made sense.

We pondered it some more and realised with a bit of light rearrangement we could make this work, so headed back to the stand again and made the purchase. Duncan kindly agreed to drop the light off either on his way back or soon after, which MOH was very happy with as carrying it back on the Jubilee line didn’t really appeal.

It’s been in place in our conservatory for a few weeks now, and it looks great.

GEC industrial style light on a tripod stand in our conservatory

A view of the top part of the light standing from behind

Looking down at the chain and the central ring of the tripod legs

A close up of the detail where the 'strap' of the light meets the triangular top of the stand

Thanks Duncan, it was great to meet and chat with you. I’m pretty sure we’ll be down to the shop at Whitstable at some point, especially now we have a potential customised memory wall light vacancy on our ‘one day’ list!

Love this #97: The Card Boys

May 14, 2022

One of my highlights from this year’s Grand Designs Live show was The Card Boys who were in one of my favourite areas of the show - the Design Arcade. For a small space it’s crammed full of really interesting stuff, the stand we bought our new light from was also based here, but more of that another day - we expecting to take delivery of the light later on today.

But back to The Card Boys

It’s essentially a card subscription box - so depending on your views on boxes in general, it may or may not be for you. The longer version of what it is, is a small piece of art on every card which supports independent artists and illustrators, and provides something more unique than cards from most high street stores. On the back of each card there’s the artist’s biography with their web and instagram links - so it’s a great way to discover artists, and great for artists to get their work more visible.

Each box is seasonal and contains eight cards for £24 - so £3 a card, which is really good value, though that clearly depends on if you like the designs, and how many cards you use/send. You can skip a box, so as long as you make the arrangements in time you won’t be charged, and you can cancel at any time. It’s a new venture set up by Callum and Adam - the Card Boys - who are creatives who met at school in Brighton.

I’ll concede that I do have a bit of a thing for cards, and often buy cards in advance when I see a card that will work for someone, or even buy multiples just to have a supply ready to use when I need them. MOH knows me well and wasn’t surprised when I stopped to find out more, and even less surprised when I signed myself up.

Step into springtime

The spring box was on offer at the show - so it was even more attractive to me. I’ve shared each of the cards and artist’s images below. My absolute favourite card in this set is my final picture - the Thank You card by Hannah Grace, it’s even more stunning in person. I think that will be the card that I’ll struggle to part with, and if I do, the recipient should feel especially worthy!

I should say I like all of the designs, there’s only one, maybe two that I most likely wouldn’t have chosen but I’m not sharing which. I can recognise the work that’s gone into each design, and I am sure the appropriate occasion will present itself, I just don’t know what that is yet.

A landscape of mountains, blue sky beneath the clouds and grasslands at the foot of the mountains — ARTIST: MICHAEL BARTLETT

A fox standing upright dressed in pink trousers a blue jacket and a green top. Wearing shoes (obviously) with the word Foxy above - image on a yellow background — ARTIST: GRACE CHILTON

A female on a salmon background wearing coat and trousers and a scarf, carrying packages a bunch of flowers and a tote bag with a loaf of bread — ARTIST: EMMA TOBEY

A blue waterwash background showing 8 synchronised swimmers in red bikinis and swimming caps forming a pattern by holding each other's left hand — ARTIST: EMILY LUSCOMBE-WATTS

A pink flowering plant with tall green leaves in a blue and white pot on a purpley/blue background — ARTIST: REBECCA DIGGLE

A pale blue background, below the words Dive in! is a female naked body diving into the water, the splashes are small blue fish — ARTIST: EMILY LUSCOMBE-WATTS

Four lettuces with arms and legs (obviously) dancing with the words Lettuce Party above on a pale pink background — ARTIST: GRACE CHILTON

A navy blue background with capital letters in pink green purple and yellow spelling THANK YOU. in the lower part of the card is a pink/purple lupin plant with green leaves — ARTIST: HANNAH GRACE

I’ve already used one, and am looking forward to using some more - but probably not my favourite design! And, like any subscription box, the anticipation of what’s in the next box is high…