A touch of red, does the trick!

This time last year my kitchen was a deep cream colour with some of the cupboards in a dark pink. I loved it, it was warm and cosy. When the Spring came I found it too dark, I wanted light, and so I painted the cupboards white, and the walls an off-white. It was such a contrast, and so bright, i loved it too.

However, as the sun goes lower in the sky and the weather has been very wet and windy, I found that I wasn't liking it quite so much, it seemed dull and cold. My daughter and I had been making some papier mache toadstools, and this was my inspiration......of course.....a touch of red was what was needed. Those clever Scandinavians know that, their mostly white interiors do almost always have a little red somewhere, and it really does draw the eye in. So I set to and made a little corner where I could display red things. My daughter is so excited, she thinks Christmas has come early!

We have a little 'toadstool' mania in this house at the moment. This rather lovely glass treee ornament was unearthed at T.K.Maxx.

I had originally intended for these toadstools to look natural, but then my daughter suggested we put a bit of glitter on them, so they are now 1950's kitcsh, but that's ok, we like that!

I found the red sign 'Eat drink and be merry' at a local garden cente. I decided it was a bit small by itself and painted a blackboard around it. I am thinking in the future (after Christmas perhaps), if Santa is good to me, and brings me a little red Nespresso machine, that this can be my longed for coffee counter.I can then write the specials on the board. I don't think I've grown up, I still like to play 'shops'. The toadstools were gathered under the cloche. and some Ilex berries added for a little height. Oh and the lamp makes my kitchen extra cosy at night. I also made some Swedish blinds from some vintage ticking that I bought from Julie at The Cloth Shed. I lined them with a black bedcover from Ikea and tied them up with some black cotton tape.

I was asked to do a dried flower arrangement for a client, in her own antique planter. I dried everything myself, apart from the chillies, so Iam rather pleased with it. I managed to incorporate my dried artichokes.

A little bit of chutney, for the festive season. Delia Smith's recipe, it's rather good!





Some more touches of red from Tumblr.

Finishing off with two little red santa's that I made last year, can't wait to get them out again. With lots of love to all my readers, followers, commentators, I appreciate you all so much. Love Linda x