BEDROOM ONE: FURNITURE IDEAS

While it may still be too early to be thinking about buying furniture it is good to see what's out there. 

I've always been attracted to Bauhaus & Art Deco design styles which in their era (1920s & 1930s) were the epitome of modern design: Clean sharp forms, economy of detail, functionality, elegance and glamour.  Even today some pieces from that time can look extremely contemporary, stylish and evocative, such as the pair of armchairs below:-

Art Deco Birdseye Maple Leather Armchairs at Regents Antiques

Photographs by Regents Antiques

Available from http://www.regentantiques.com

THE CONVEX RANGE

As an alternative to scouting around antique markets, house clearance sales, Ebay, etc for unusual and striking pieces - CPW Furniture have produced the Convex Range which has a distinct retro but modern feel.  Crafted from Birch wood and stained rich and deep tones, the gently curved fascias and silver handles give it an almost Art Deco-ish vibe.  The Convex comes in a wide range from cabinets to dining tables to bed frames to bookcases - to TV units - the usual components you might need to furnish your living room, dining room and bedroom.

Convex Dining by CPW Furniture

I realise that these unusual hefty looking retro pieces may not be to everybody tastes, but I love them.  For me, they conjure up images of black & white movies from the 1930s.  I will certainly be considering the bedside cabinets, console table for Bedroom One.

Thanks to Ebay I've just bought the CD storage unit (RRP £300) for a steal at £75 ex-display.  How resourceful is that!

The Convex Range available from various retailers.

http://www.cpwfurniture.co.uk/

THE ALTERNATIVE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

My Jubilee bank holiday weekend is being spent laying down and cementing in the garden path.  There is still a lot of hard landscaping to be finished in the garden, but the garden is coming along nicely.   Year Two in the Garden of Anxiety and lots of plants are in bloom and the roses are running rampant.

Keeping on the straight and narrow

Rose mish-mash

Poundstore roses

Rose profusion

Big fluffy Pink ones...

and Orange ones

and Cream ones

These start off yellow and fade to cream

Sambucus Nigra is just starting to flower

Ceanothus 'Skylark' poking through the trellis

Clematis

You can never have enough climbers.  Incredibly useful for adding height to your garden if you have limited planting space for large shrubs & trees.

Pot bound Rhododendron has flowered

The Garden Keeper

I'm not a big fan of garden ornaments, but instead of gnomes we have this little fellow.  We call him the Garden Keeper or Caretaker and like to think that at night he comes alive and in our absence takes care of the garden for us.  I'm not sure what the bowl is for - watering plants; picking snails?

He currently lives in the undergrowth, between the Japanese Maple and Bamboo.  This shady border, when the path is finished, I'd like to develop more into a Zen garden with stones, ferns, etc.