20 Ways To Start Now For The Perfect Christmas Next Year

If you’ve felt tired throughout the season and as if it just passed you by please read on (and Pin this) – I’m going to share some ideas to help you have a wonderful Christmas next year. That is, one without the intensity of activity in the depths of winter. We could all do without that couldn’t we?

We had a wonderful Christmas and I hope you did too.

I’ve spoken about how weary I was in the build up to it this year. In fact since the arrival of our second child Christmas seems to be increasingly stressful. Of course our girls are worth it, they are so precious. But being an older mum my husband and I are the squeezed generation, with concerns for the young and older family members influencing our lives. Lord knows, we wouldn’t have it any other way, but in this scenario something has to give.

You know how I love to decorate, recycling and making as I go and, even though this gives us a wonderful, unique and ethical home. Nevertheless in stressful times I wonder if I spend too much time on it rather than the relationships between those within it.

Despite my 12 posts of Christmas and the long term decorating plans they convey I’m determined this year to hang up my tool box in mid October and use my time more wisely. That is, spending time making pre Christmas memories with the family, rather than chasing them out of my way.

With that in mind I’ve also thought of ways to organise things throughout the year to make the Christmas period less stressful, allowing a joyful time with the family.

When you put away decorations make an Advent box

I started to do this because we have a wooden advent calendar,so it’s necessary to be able to reach it quickly at the start of December without having to break into boxes to find it. Now any advent decorations I put out, for example the nativity scene, I put it in the same box.

You can also keep last years Christmas cards, Christmas movies and music – anything you’ll need before you put the tree up. Lable the box so you can find it too and if you can stretch to it try and swap any cardboard boxes for large, stackable ones for ease and safety.

Box up decorations per room

I have my Christmas crockery, lights, advent box, evergreen boughs etc all in seperate, labelled plastic boxes. I do this because Christmas Decorations can be time consuming to put up, depending on how extensively you decorate the house.

Having separate boxes means you can do your advent decorations easily by breaking it down to manageable and enjoyable portions. Do just the tree, then the staircase, the dining room, guest rooms….you get the drift. If everything is in all together you have to get everything out and sort it, so the foreward planning is a sanity saver.

Make a decorations needed list in your Christmas book

Perhaps, like me, you have a nasty habit of scanning pinterest for Christmas decor inspiration and have thought to yourself “I’d have liked to have done that”; well now’s the time to make a note. For us it’s an exterior light in the shape of a deer. If you see one in the sale great, tick it off your list. However if you tend to pick a couple of things up each year prior to decorating your home you can become aware of any areas you want to highlight instead of grabbing the same type of tree decoration each year. This leads me to my next point…

Start shopping early, as early as the January sales

Christmas is expensive, even when you make a conscious effort to not make it too commercial. However if you have a little cash left over you can start to grab bargains specifically with next Christmas in mind. Wrapping paper and cards are often reduced, as are toiletry gift sets and other Christmas gifts packaged specifically for the season.

In terms of clothes you can tuck away next year’s size Christmas jumpers or pajamas for little ones.

If you’re careful the summer sales can also be a good hunting ground. As Christmas is in winter if you’re going to buy clothes for others it’s best that it’s something that can be worn all year round; a sumptuous shrug for evening wear (the majority of us ladies don’t want to show our upper arms), a pashmina scarf, a handbag. If you have loved ones that oscillate in the weight department (that would be me) accessories are great as long as their timeless.

One thing I’d be very cautious about buying is children’s presents; what they love one minute can be a bore in a year’s time.

Keep a Christmas book to record presents

If you’re shopping throughout the year keep a running list of what you’ve bought whom. I’ve no doubt you’ll be hiding things away and you don’t want to waste your budget by getting too many presents.

Wrap throughout the year

Although the idea of a glass of wine and presents to wrap with Christmas music in the background is a wonderful, romantic image, since my children it’s more a stressful mishmash of just getting the paper on. I think it’s because everything in life fits around them and our house refurbishment, so presents are bought late, inevitably my husband is working away the month before and you have to wait until they go to sleep until you can start. In the run up to Christmas they never want to go to sleep, so late nights for me.

So this year as I buy I’m going to wrap and put them somewhere safe. Hence the need for the Christmas book.

Think of making adults presents

Have you got to the stage yet where your family members are hinting that they just don’t want anything. Gift giving can become a round of just buying anything can’t it?

So maybe this year give gifts you’ve made. They don’t have to be baked goods, and therefore last minute added stress, but they can be something you make throughout the year too. A good example are my coasters that I made this year. My friends loved them and one of them I’ve promised to give a set to next year, but with the added personalisation of the 12 days of Christmas. She was married in the season and the song was her theme.

Make the Christmas pudding and cakes on a special day, but early in the year.

My girls birthdays are October and November respectively. For the last few years we’ve been too busy to make these, but this year I’m determined to do one or the other on their birthdays. Some wait until stir up Sunday, but Christmas cakes can be made way earlier than that due to their alcohol content.

Perhaps you want to make the first day of Autumn, or make them the last day of the half term holidays – pick an earlier date and put them away, ticking them of your to do list as you go. Think of making any extra ones as gifts too.

Get healthy!

Flu jabs for older family members (encourage them to go) and cod liver oil capsules for everyone- keep colds and flu at bay.

Remember Black Friday

As November approaches make a point to note in your calendar when Black Friday is and get ready to shop at some discount prices. I must admit that for my family who live overseas I buy through Amazon on Black Friday and check the gift wrap box, having them sent early to them.

Write cards and stamp early November to send December 1st

When I was younger the decorations on early display in the shops always made me excited. I used to have all my gift buying finished by October and had my tree up early December. I’m more restrained (read busy) now, so I’ve stopped doing this as much.

However writing two or three cards from November onwards is a good way to stop yourself getting writers cramp. Write the addressee on the envelope, but not the address as there may be some last minute changes. You can stamp them early too and have them ready to go on the 1st December.

Send Christmas guests info for their stay

I’ve spoken about preparing for your guests to stay so they have minimal things to bring. I think it’s so important as this is a stressful time not only for those hosting, but those travelling long distances. Sending information ahead of time can help them – less stressed guests means less stressed hosts. I’m going to make a detailed post on this later in the year.

Clean and prepare Christmas guest rooms a week in advance

We have locks on our guest rooms specifically so we can do this without our little one getting in and destroying everything she sees. I might have to run a duster over the room later, but cleaning and preparing it early means that you’re confident you can welcome guests as you’d like.

Allocate decorating jobs to family members

Whether it’s the external light display, or boughs of greenery over mantles giving decorating tasks to family members allows you to share the pleasure as well as alleviate stress. If you follow the earlier advice of separating your boxes of decorations out, they can decorate a room each themselves.

Have Christmas task for kids to focus them for the nice list

If you talk about the naughty and nice list having tasks helps your children to focus positively on what to do to make sure they make the grade. Inevitably and more importantly this will ensure they’re contributing to the giving of Christmas by their fulfilling tasks that contribute to the whole.

Christmas doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot of time to think about the organisation of it, the needs of individuals and their desires too. Everyone has their part to play in that even though some people play a greater role.

Additionally by taking part in the work of the preparation they have an understanding of what others have done for them. If it all happens by magic don’t be surprised when they become demanding and take it for granted. That doesn’t mean to say that the special magical elements can’t remain; it’s just that- as every Hallmark movie will tell you – that isn’t really what Christmas is about. Love starts with thinking of the other not the glitter.

Have a separate holiday activity box for kids

This can be Christmas related craft bought in the shops or focused on your to do list; but the thing is for you to get on without sitting them in front of the tv it’s best to be organised in terms of what they’re going to be doing whilst you’re busy.

Paper chains for their bedroom, popcorn garlands whilst Christmas music plays, cutting up last year’s Christmas cards for gift tags, colouring in a series of pictures of the nativity story and making their own book……anything that you don’t have to hover near for them to stay entertained (obviously thinking about ages with scissors here).

You could even tie your to do list to the fun activity list – complete a certain number of tasks to earn a Christmas colouring book for example.

Extra presents

When you’re Christmas shopping you may want to think about buying extra presents that you can wrap and put aside in a just in case pile. A neighbour may gift you something and it’s embarrassing not to give something back. They don’t have to be big and you can always put them aside for next year.

Do an online shop

My husband loves food shopping and I had to persuade him in the midst of our tense Christmas this year to do one online. Wow did it make a difference!

It also helps when you’ve made a menu plan and shopping list early and you’ve already bought things you can in the weeks proceeding. Just go through with a highlighter and mark off anything that a dry, long date product and start putting them away in November and December.

Work out a child minding routine

Obviously book child minders way in advance for joint outings for you and your spouse, but between the two of you too.

This year we had an agreement that one could drink and be merry one night and the other would do the bedtime routine and getting up early the next day. The roles would then be reversed, with one remaining alcohol free and do the routine, rising early the next day.

We had guests staying throughout the Yuletide so being clear on this helped.

Think of seperating the meal from the day itself

By the meal I mean the main feast. However your nation divides up your Christmas period there’s normally a big, tradional Christmas meal. In the U.K. we have Christmas Day and Boxing Day as our main holidays – the 25th and 26th respectively.

France tends to focus on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day- there’s no Boxing Day equivalent. I know that the US is different again.

The U.K. tradition has church, gift giving and a big roast dinner all in one day. The table is always laid beautifully on that day too. However as we’ve grown richer as a nation the piles of gifts and piles of food have got bigger and more complicated.

Since my eldest daughter’s second Christmas we haven’t done the fully laid table on Christmas Day; opting for Christmas crockery and plastic table cloths. We found that we were all too tired after the build up to Christmas and our daughter’s difficulty in containing her excitement (read tantrums as it was all too much).

That was the first time we decided to do the table the next day. Grown up clothes, china and crystal were all brought out after she’d gone to bed and we had a lovely meal. It became our tradition after that to separate the adult meal from the Christmas Day.

This year we swapped our Boxing Day meal of beef Wellington for the roast and we had the latter on the Boxing Day. We just thought that the still special beef was less time intensive and as a result for the first time my husband, who does the cooking, was able to sit throughout the gift giving and relax with us on the day. Then the Boxing Day we had the traditional meal.

Traditions are wonderful, but let’s not be afraid to make them work for us.

Have you got any time and sanity saving Christmas tips? How did your Christmas go?

Kitchen Plans

I have a lot of soft furnishings to complete in the sitting room, and I keep getting interrupted by my husband or the little ones, so it’s something I’m going to return to when he goes away again on business. The last touch for the dining room is similar -I want to stencil the ceiling, but I need a bit of time and space to do it. As the kiddos are at school most of the day I’d planned on doing it when my darling man was out of the way too. That and, to be honest, I’ve kind of run out of steam for that room. I’ll get to it, just not yet.

So, I’ve started on the kitchen.

We have a small working kitchen at present, but in the other side of the house is the old doctor’s surgery which is a very large room -and we plan to have a kitchen in it.

When we moved in I’d thought I’d make a kitchen diner in the centre of the house and have a formal sitting dining room one end and an informal sitting room the other, This would have taken a lot of work, walls knocked down etc. This is an ancient house. Pre 1850s, though we don’t know the exact date as records weren’t kept prior to then. As a result the stone walls are super thick and therefor a huge, (HUGE!) task.

Gradually over time my plans have changed and changed again until we’ve got to the point were we’re just keeping everything pretty much the way it is and getting it to work. Happy about that.

Today I’m on the couch, sprained ankle, and I thought I’d share with you my plans.

The kitchen had a suspended ceiling – an ugly, functional, polystyrene thing – which had large, square electric lights. perfect for a doctors surgery, terrible for a cosy and stylish home. So I’ve managed to get the tiles down and I’m working on the light fittings, but I need the help of my pops who’s unavailable at the moment; as a result my attention has turned to what I can do next.

I’ll just outline the make up of the room at the moment. There are some built in bookcases that aren’t too shabby….

a doorway with two doors attached (I presume for privacy reasons due to the surgery), a large stone fireplace….

a staircase…

and a window and door onto the garden…

with a sink in the corner.

I’ve checked under the laminate flooring and there isn’t a glorious tiled floor, or some other such wonderful find, just concrete. Pah!

My initial thought was to buy kitchen cupboards second hand and then paint them. But this HUGE piece of furniture was sat in the room and we couldn’t move it to another one. Gradually an idea started to emerge of a room with some free standing furniture and then maybe cupboards too, which developed into keeping the bookcases as open shelving with some free standing vintage pieces.

One of my favourite pins to do with kitchens have been to do with yellow kitchens….

I love the yellow with the dark wood and a oak floor. I also like the black range rather than the cream one so I’m thinking of getting one like this….

or this…

It may well be the smaller one as we already have a bread oven and woodburner and we’re thinking of building it in next to the range (you can see the bread oven in the picture of the chimney breast). Originally I wondered if this would look lopsided, but if you take a look at this picture here of a range next to another oven I think it’s could work.

I don’t think I’ll keep the exposed stone work as I plan on putting two light fixtures on the chimney breast and would really like sconces and a shelf too, like the images above.

Here in France they often sell an iron backplate for fireplaces. I’d previously thought of using one with tiles and then I saw an image on Pinterest with one already done.

There’s is a window by the stairs and like the idea of a window seat, along with a relaxed blind and maybe something café like curtains below.

I’ve already measured the space and I think our old, marble topped wash stand will fit underneath with the picture you can see at the bottom of the staircase.

Underneath I plan on keeping  veg in a large wicker basket, as well as a bowl to hold onions and garlic in. I already keep my spice bottles in a salvaged, wooden draw which can sit on the shelf in the washstand.

We just bought this central island dresser from the local Brocante. I’ll probably change the curtains and the colour and stain the top dark brown. I may add some mouldings too, as it’s  a little plain. That or I might add some detail with paint.

I’ve started painting the dresser and a dresser top with glass doors that I had previously to moving to France. I also already have a wooden dish rack which I plan on painting and staining the top in a dark brown. We’ll lower the dresser by reducing the legs and cutting a hole in the top of one of the cupboards to hold a porcelain sink unit with a drainer like this….

In fact I have a wooden dresser back and I’m thinking of using as a splack back like this….

I’ve also found some lovely vintage plates that I want to put above the sink in this kind of style…

I’vw a cupboard that I’ve previously painted white but I’ll now paint yellow to be a larder.

With the bookshelves I’m going to paint them completely yellow, but as you can see there backs have this ugly wallpaper. I’m thinking of replacing this with this paintable wallpaper with an embossed finish, which is excellent for old, uneven walls….

This is especially good in this kitchen as the walls have been lined with thin polystyrene sheets for insulation, so I’d prefer not to remove all the paper and put this on over the top.

So in the end I’ll have open shelves displays like these…

These are my plans that I’m gradually working on. I can see this taking anywhere between six months and a year (😐). I can’t wait until that first morning coffee at that island looking through our kitchen door window. Bliss!

10 Beautiful Upholstery Details

I’ve recently been covering an armchair for our living room. It’s one we’ve had for about 18 years (yikes), but it’s well made and if the cat hadn’t scratched it all up I probably wouldn’t be changing the covers either.

I’ve already covered one of the couches in our sitting room, and I want to do a post later on my tips and tricks to get the material cheap and make covers that last. However, as ever, I often get inspired to do a job by trawling Pinterest and there are lovely examples of upholstery details there – which have come in handy for inspiration for problem solving with style when I’ve needed it. I thought I’d share ten of my favourite examples here.

1. Buttons down the back to close and decorate

I love this, it’s so stylish and for a minimal amount of effort. Neither of these have button holes on them even, just loops, so it’s a lot less tricky. The one on the right I love especially because it reminds me of a wedding dress with the fabric’s pattern. So beautiful – this will always be my favourite detail.

2. Small pleats on the base

Coupled with the pleats on the arm’s curve this is such an elegant touch to a slip cover. Again a simple process with lots of style.

3. Pleats with coordinating trim and buttons

There are a lot of different design details here, but due to the monochrome pattern it actually manages to avoid being overdone. I think that’s one of the general take aways from this – you can include several elements, but make sure that they all blend together rather than standing out.

4. Coordinating coloured trim

What’s especially great about the one on the left is that if you’d bought a regular, inexpensive sofa and had wanted to add your own twist to it you could easily do this yourself.

5. Ties at the back

I’m someone who’s managed to avoid my button hole function on the sewing machine. Recently I’ve developed confidence in my sewing skills and I’ve been thinking more and more about giving it a go. After all there’s always some lovely person on Pinterest or YouTube who’s made a ‘how to’ to help you along – it’s how I mastered zips as I’ve taught myself everything I know about sewing so far.

As a result I often look for solutions that don’t use buttons as I’ve found they add detail, but without the fuss.

The other good thing about this example is that this style of closing mean that slip covers are easier to put on as there’s more room in them (that does mean more material too though).

6. Buttons to shape and decorate

Again these buttons have visual interest, but what interested me about the one top, left is that they’re also used to form a shape for the sofa underneath. Most sofas aren’t straight up and down and have some curve, so this is a way to ensure they don’t look too baggy and undone.

7. Complimentary fabrics

Sometimes you find a piece of fabric that’s beautiful, but way too expensive for your pocket. Or on other occasions you love it, but imagining it on the chair causes you too think it would be too much, particularly if it depicts a scene of nature – how do you make it work with the furniture itself?

This is a solution to all those problems. By using the expensive fabric in conjunction with a complimentary fabric you can reduce the cost, and allow the stronger piece to stand out.

8. Chinese knot fasteners

The fastener with the complimentary trim gives subtle detail to what would be a non-descript ottoman. Perfect.

9. Valances that make a statement or compliment the fabric

The valance on the left perfectly echoes the simple lines and curves of the sofa. It’s a little trickier than a regular pleated frill, I think you would need a pattern to replicate it. However it would be worth it.

The one on the right is far fuller, flowing and captures the romantic material of the chairs fabric.

10. Pleated corners

I talked about the pleated corners on the sofa above, but obviously they were only a few pleats. These ones though are superb. I love them!

Which ones are your favourite?

Inspirational White Beams

 

In this post I told you about how my itchy fingers had uncovered a beautiful stone floor in the dining room hidden under a brown carpet. Well the dining room is taking shape, but that doesn’t stop me from making plans for the rest of the house.

Our home used to belong to a local doctor and here in France the doctor’s surgery is often in the residence of the practitioner. It use to be two separate houseus, with the second, smaller houses knocked through for the doctor to use as his office. It’s this room that we intend to turn into a kitchen one day, with the current kitchen becoming the family dining room.

The ‘kitchen’ has a ceiling made from some kind of large tiles. It looks a little industrial to be honest. I’ve been wondering for some time what’s underneath it. It’s   been jam packed with things after we moved and I’ve been going into it, selecting items, then moving them elsewhere for some time. Yet there was still lots in there and as the children are off school I decided I’d set about clearing as much down as I can (my thinking is, whatever I do in the house in terms of cleaning up they’re immedtaly going to undo, so I keep my cleaning at a basic level to  save my sanity).

Whilst in there I decided to have a little look see and underneath these…..

there is this….

My plan is to carefully take it down, marking each section as I go, and then using it as a ceiling in the garage beneath my husband’s office. As there’s thick insulation as well as it should be of benefit to him there for keeping the heat in.

There are two things my mind is turning to now; whats underneath the laminate floor (many old houses have tiled floors) and what am I going to do with those beams. For the latter, of course, Pinterest is my friend. Here’s what I’ve discovered.

 

As the beams are already painted I’m going to have to stick with white as the idea of stripping all of them is just depressing. This is the first picture I liked with whitish beams, though the colour is a little too light and seems to be a whitewash rather than solid paint. But the pale green contrasting tongue and groove walls are great and add interest in a mainly white kitchen. The cupboards are fitted though and, although I’ve thought of buying second hand cupboards and painting them, this would still mean fitting the kitchen. However in the brocantes near here there are lots of old, freestanding kitchen furniture I’m starting to think this be an inexpensive solution.

Marie & Alan McMillen’s home near Holywood in County Down.

Marie & Alan McMillen’s home near Holywood in County Down.

These images aren’t of a kitchen, but as we want the family dining room next door they’re making me wonder what’s underneath that kitchen ceiling (mmm, I must go and have a look). I wanted to include the one on the right in particular because I love that stone floor. There are only electric heaters in the soon to be kitchen, and if there are no stone tiles underneath the laminate we’ve discussed laying our own with underfloor heating. It’s not too expensive and you can turn it on and off, so there’s potential.

 

I love these bench islands and I’m hoping to find something similar. Both of these kitchens are fitted, but I love the rustic feel of the baskets don’t you?

The island in this one is made out of an old buffet, and again the way the tongue and groove walls are painted with pale green looks really good against the beamed ceiling. A lot of the walls in this old house, like many in these ancient stone homes, are very uneven. So I know there’s no way I’ll be able to paint without a plasterer, which could be pricey.

As I’m sticking to a tight budget I’ll probably go for tongue and groove on three, if not all of the walls. The fourth wall, well, I’ll be interested to know what’s underneath the wall paper. Some rustic stonework? It could look pretty good having one wall with exposed brick maybe. We’ll see.

Back to finishing the dining room, the house front is coming together and I’m starting to add some touches to the front hallway. I know, I know, I should stick to one room at a time.

By the way, you can follow my Pinterest boards throw the link at the top of the page.

 

Plans For Our French House Front

I’m coming to the end of decorating our dining room which, thanks to the fabulous floor I’ve found, hasn’t taken as long as I expected. The valance for the curtains I’m sewing our a little tricky and I expect they’ll take another week. Then I want to finish painting the cornice I’ve put up. Yes, that’s right, me – all be myself! I’ll tell you about it and the curtain valance later.

But at the moment their are daffodils outside our house; a sure sign hat spring is on its way. So my mind is turning to the front of the house and the plans I have for it.

As I said in my introduction to our French home the house front was not a selling point for me. I’d dreamed of something like this…

and got this…

Now, I’m one of those people who love, love, love to decorate. Since I’ve had my own money I’ve bought Country Living Interiors magazines and pored over them ,as well as any other similar magazines (two things to note here: firstly, I mean my first Saturday job money, yes that obsessed. Secondly Pinterest has saved me a fortune). So it wasn’t the lack of shutters or any kerb side appeal, I can do that, but it was the door. UPVC. No scroll iron work. Can’t paint it my own colour (little sigh, reminds herself that there are people actually suffering and we’ve just got our dream home).

Anyway….

I think you need to be wise with both your money and the earth’s resources; it’s one of the reasons why I post about up-cycling and repurposing. There are so many things just thrown out; better to invest some time in them rather than let them go on the scrap heap, yes? So no new front door.

Prior to buying our home we rented an old farmhouse to find out if we liked living in the country and an old house. I’m so glad we did, although I think that was more God’s design than mine as I was impatient to buy. Our dream of rural living was isolating with two young children and a second language to contend with.

The house was lovely, but it was ancient and the windows were weathered, wooden ones. We spent about 700 euros a month on fuel and as soon as the fuel went the house would freeze. Not a great way to live with two small children.

When we were waiting to move and I was pinning away, making my plans, I had lots of images of wooden, French doors on my site. I’d even made a deal with my husband that we’d get a new one. But gradually over time I started to reconsider; surely the money would be better spent elsewhere? If not given where God wants it to go.

Then when we moved; heat! Such luxury. The double glazing in the house has made such a difference to us in a cold, wet winter. I actually went ahead and ordered more fuel the other day as we’d moved in over Christmas and had only ordered a half load and I fully expected there to be an empty tank. I didn’t need the full load at all, unbelievable.

So I may not like the UPVC as it stands, but comfort and bank book is coming first and I’m making plans about what to do to get a more ‘wow’ look (I’m using a lot of the images I found or stored onto Pinterest, follow my boards for more ideas on the links above).

Handle

My plans had, of course, involved painting our front door various shades. However although I’ve researched painting upvc it’s a daunting prospect, so I’m sticking with the white. Nevertheless if you look at these examples a white front door doesn’t have to be boring.

At the moment not only is our door white, but our handle is too. Although I can’t get a black handle for upvc (I don’t think) the gold makes a difference yes? I can’t get the detail on these either, but I think that just the contrast between the door and the handle in conjunction with my other planned changes should make a satisfactory difference.

Lights

Again a white front door with contrasting hardware, but all of a sudden the lighting either side adds something, yes?

I’ve been hunting various styles on Amazon to give me further inspiration and they are relatively inexpensive. I’ve chosen brass, Victorian or Edwardian era styles as the house is so old.

Doorbell

To accompany these changes and the period I’m considering just a simple upgrade of the doorbell. Very inexpensive, but can add to the impact significantly.

Lace curtains or tranfers

I’d always wanted the metal grillwork of a French front door, but seeing this picture made me think I could have the same feel..

I’ve found this lace curtains or even this transfer from Laura Ashley that would reflect the period I’m going for.

House number

Uploading this transfer from Laura Ashley to my pins led to similar pins emerging of decals for transfer windows. How amazing are these?

I love the ones with the street name as well. Very Sherlock Homes. Classic, not Cumberbatch.

Mat

An additional image gave me the idea for an iron mat.

I found this one, which I think is perfect..

Topiary

Of course as well as framing the door with external lights I want to have some topiary, I especially like spiral clipped ones, but any good evergreen will frame the door well and add character.

I love that colour purple for our shutters by the way.

Plantings

As well as specific topiary plantings I want to have additional plants along the front of the house. There are some areas that have had the paving stones removed from of the house, so I’ll be using a mixture of in the ground and planters to get this type of effect.

Shutters

I can’t find an image of the type of purple I like, but you get the impression of purple shutters with this image

As well as the dark purple and colour scheme I like here (the greys I’m thinking of as the stone used for the house, the blue grass for planters, garage door etc).

 

Post box

We only have a letterbox at the moment, but I’m hoping to persuade my hubby to get one of these in the future.

 

Considering the door would have cost 1000s, and I would have wanted all of these to dress the house front anyway, I think I’m basically just upgrading the door with a handle, lace curtains, transfer and bell. So that will be about 100-150, not bad.

Any ideas? I’d love to hear them.