art and design – lizatthebeachhut.com

Once there was a tired old bedroom…

Stuck in it’s ways

With nasty fitted cupboards and a bright pink coat

Fairly quickly it was carpeted and the very long awaited bed from storage was put together; not only blessing us with a proper rest after a lot of temporary and always too small, sleeping places, but best of all there was…..

STORAGE

The first stage of the bedroom’s transformation was to get rid of the harsh pink colour and the tatty paper. The walls were painted in country living duck egg blue and we began to jiggle furniture into the space. A previously decoupaged trunk sits in the foreground.

In a house where there was ongoing damp-proofing and builders trudging through, leaking pipes and avalanches of toppling boxes downstairs; this room was a gently forming soft, plump, memory filled haven.

It felt wonderful to re-unite old treasures and favourite pieces

Whilst searching out funky new ones.

This palette of woodland greys, greens and soft pale aquas feels very calming . Easy to change different bedding, blankets and a never ending supply of velvet cushions!

As boxes and antique fairs offer up new possibilities, a parade of possible keepsakes will stay a while, maybe shuffle, maybe get swapped about. Plants find their spot, books get their day, corners get their moment in the light.

The window waiting to frame each morning’s view, our little piece of Devon.

The biggest storage issue was always going to be my clothes! A lifetime of rummaging in vintage shops, charity shops, and occasional treats from a few favourites like Seasalt, Laura Ashley, Kath Kidston and TK Maxx. Rough colour chunking helps me find a specific garment!

Antique looking Venetian wallpaper behind the bed at the back of the wall.

Quiet place in a new velvet chair from ebay by the window. Ikea sage green velvet curtain

Study

The original Laura Ashley wallpaper in the small bedroom. Interesting, and very retro, but a tad overwhelming.

After a LOT of layers of paint on walls which had to for now, retain the wallpaper underneath, to keep them in tact, The study could begin to take shape.

The temporary space at one end of the study was set up to start organising products. A big undertaking.

The other side caters for someone else’s career and interests!

Neatened up and a little more sorted, the room began to feel less cluttered and we could even picture a spare bed for guests.

Because there’s no place like home

We all have our favourite place to chill

The window alcove currently retains a little of the old paper, a backdrop for a tiny boat collection and paintings by my friend Ruth.

As you can see, my patience ran out. Making somewhere for guests felt important. Despite not having large areas of the downstairs complete, at least we can now provide a little sanctuary. Books were gathered, tables shuffled, zed bed pulled out and an instant cat sofa created!! All beautifully covered by a quilt made by another of my fabulous friends Ruth in the borders.

Cataloging this lot has been a mammoth task and details will follow soon of how to see and purchase prints and cards.

Happily the space can still be made useful to package up an order.

For now the rooms have an identity and are being made good use of. We await carpets and tilers and all kinds of shuffling about. So who knows where they will all be in a month or two. My tolerant other half may wake to new wallpaper tomorrow..

Happy Home making

Love Liz at The Beach Hut

So here we are in our nest.

As the dawn chorus begins, the early quiet hours are filled with brushstrokes and box opening, cobweb clearing and life laundry.

Having had everything in storage for nine months, space was a strange experience. It was too short a time to forget your old life, but too long to feel like a holiday. Although some things were missed; favourite clothes and books, things to cook with, memories and a larger shoe collection than Clarks; the edges of our world contracted a little; and there was a clearer focus on the mini world created . The house and all of us breathed a little easier in each other’s company, and without too much clobber in the way.

We had no furniture but we had paint!

This would be, the calm before the storm, and after two weeks of relative ease, space and gentle speculation on where things might go, these guys arrived..

(This was a full van !!!)

Oh well, you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs! A painting worth painting needs a rainbow. And this old house will be getting a lot of t.l.c.

Slowly unveiling hidden treasures under carpets.

It has been interesting to see what surprises pop up from under the old carpets!

And under the earth.

A beautiful surprise around every garden corner

The garden is on many levels. A cottage garden at the back

And a lovely lawn at the front, which will be landscaped (maybe) one day. The view from the whole building is beautiful in the early morning. (This is not our house in the picture)

There is a lot of painting going on here. Redoing the dated kitchen cupboards in a soft shaker blue.

Funking up the teenage cave. The very pleasant second bedroom is now a chic boudoir with a few vintage touches .

Outside the dining room is the Mopsie garden, named after my grandma, whose herb garden outside her window I loved as a child. This is a lovely sun trap and a little rockery and place for pots and coffee . Still needing a little love, but a wonderful suntrap and place for hostas!

Up the stairs the apple and cherry trees have been well cared for. It has been lovely hanging out laundry, especially after week after week at the laundrette for nine months . Although the steps are steep so I leave that particular task to my minions … 🤗

A variety of different plants have begin to pop up, now that the season has begun. A Pandora’s box of tricks blending wild flowers and perennials, shrubs and alpines.

And the Liz at the beach hut blue pots have survived their journey ..

Last week saw the renovating of a big old shed outside, a dumping ground for half the storage boxes .

Which has been converted to a studio. At least for the warmer months ! A lick of white paint, shelves for Art books and a gazillion boxes of Art supplies have been emptied and organised.