The Dining Room gets a Look-in

My bathroom journey has hit a pot-hole, and I’ve learnt a very important lesson.
Resources. Check their availability. Darn! This is the first thing you learn at marketing school! Just to give you some spiel: Your resources (Men, Money, Minutes) are vital for a project’s success and I’m missing my man. More precisely, I’m missing a builder. Through some freakish builder drought in the central Reading area, I’m without a burly pair of arms and plumbing knowledge until the end of February, so that little project is on the back burner. What’s on my mind instead? The dining room!

The dining room has been moderately neglected on the blog so far (aside from its brief mention in the Christmas post). I think it's about time it had a share of the spot-light. Introducing....

The YUP Dining Room

view from the doorway; full of light, but also junk

  I decided to put my dining room in the front room of our little terrace, which is actually furthest from the kitchen. Why? Well, that room is the first you pass when you come in off the street, so it's the most likely to become a dumping ground.

The dining room is the least used room in our house - T and I have good intentions, but often end up eating on the sofa. Therefore, a little clutter in here will help us maintain order in the rest of the house. I plan to create a beautiful yet informal space that we can enjoy, and will remain practical too.

view from the opposite corner

 There’s also the small matter of the bicycles…

looking from the window: they need a home!

Buying a house is sometimes a matter of painful compromise. Not between you and your partner, either (let’s face it, if you’re making serious sacrifices, you probably shouldn’t be buying together) – I mean in terms of want vs need. I wanted a beautiful, clean space in which I could entertain and have fancy-schmancy dinner parties… but what I needed was somewhere dry, secure and convenient in which to park my noble steed.

Hi Bikes, meet dining room wall.

source

source

source

After being inspired by many an apartment therapy blog post (if it’s good enough for sophisticated new-yorkers, it’s good enough for us), we decided that the best place to store our biggest babies was right here in the house. I actually think it’s rather beautiful (although, grandparents tend to disagree). However, we did NOT have a good experience buying a bike rack. T purchased a GearUp Oak Rak (Floor to Ceiling) bike rack from Amazon at the beginning of October. It was very expensive (more than I wanted to spend) and it took a long time to arrive.


I was so angry when we opened the box. Parts were missing, and our countless attempts since to contact Amazon/the seller and get the missing parts have been futile. I do NOT recommend this seller. The goal is to have the bikes on the wall, as seen in the right picture, but.... yeah. we're still waiting.

source

We also have a storage requirement. The corridor from my front door is, in my opinion, too narrow to hang coats in, pile shoes up, or dump your keys. ‘Landing strips’ are a very desirable (or essential, depending on your source) feature in a house now - no longer the hallmark of glamour models or the pages of Cosmo. That's a term for a conveniently placed coat rack and table on which to rest your hat/keys/handbag when you enter your home, as seen to the left of this text.


I hope to build that in to the dining room, creating a clever duality between storage space and entertaining space.


I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on making the most of a space like this!

My First Christmas

So 2014 is my first Christmas in my new home. Not ever, obviously - I wasn't born yesterday. However, celebrating Christmas in your own space is a stark contrast to celebrating Christmas in your student digs, or at your folks', because I get to decorate! (and there are no underpants on the living room floor, ruining the effect)

This year, I want to channel Scandinavian rustic simplicity (like everyone else and their grandma too). It's my favourite aesthetic; wood, foliage and an almost monochrome palette really floats my boat and would match my minimalist home*.

source here

I have actually ordered a REAL Christmas tree this year, which isn't something I've ever had growing up (my parents have dogs - enough said). T, in contrast, usually has TWO real McCoys in his home and I felt like the atmosphere they create are just that little bit extra-special.

As an environmentally-friendly individual, I did a bit of research. Turns out a real tree isn't as bad for the world as you would expect and it's actually more responsible to get a real one, as long as it's locally sourced. We bought our tree from Berkshire Christmas Trees; delivery for a 5ft tree was an incredible £35!

However, there isn't a great deal of a market out there for natural decorations (although here is some great DIY tips and ideas from Wyvale Garden Centre) and I'm not able to drive about to collect material. Looks like I'm going artificial on the garland/wreath front....

Here are some items I've spotted in Marks and Spencer which I utterly adore.

available here

Available here

Available here

Available here

The other issue I have is the lack of surfaces - I don't have a mantel piece, or a coffee table, or a side table - so everything needs to hang on the tree or the walls.

What look are you channelling this Christmas? Where are you shopping? I'd love to hear from you.

Sarah Jess
The YUP Blog

*let's not mention that it's minimalist due to lack of funds rather than conscious choice.

None of the images in this post are mine and a property of the retailer or blogger credited.

Bathroom Renovation: Tile Crush

I'm still lacking in inspiration for most of the aesthetics for our home. Although I know the kind of 'ethos' and 'personality' I'd like our home to have, I'm drawing a blank when it comes to exact aspects.
I decided to pin down how I'd like the bathroom - which is the first room I want to change, based on 'need' rather than 'want' - to look (seriously, it's gross)


Pinterest Inspiration

source here

source here

source here

source here

 
  Floor Tiles
As our house is Victorian, I'd love to nod - in a subtle way - at the house's heritage. The house predates indoor plumbing (for the average Joe - Queen Vic had an indoor shower in the 1890s!) so the bathroom and kitchen are situated in a new extension, so I'm not worried about staying too canon.

Available here

These are the Camden Blue Floral Lys from Topps Tiles and I love 'em for their bright, crisp colours. They're £46.12 m²

available here

Best Tile do a great tile for £48 per square metre, and the company sends out free samples... grand! I feel like this design is a bit busier than I'd ideally like but I really like the pattern.

available here

Another great option is this Hammersmith Feature Tile from the Bath Store. The great thing about this tile is that the neutral palette would allow me to rock a dark grout, which would save me cleaning.... and I hate cleaning. Just ask my mother.
 

These are £39.02 per m2.

available here

There's also these absolute beauties from Fired Earth but, for £224.70 per m2, I would actually have to win the lottery. Tiling the floor would take up half my budget. Alas, a girl can dream. 





Wall Tiles 

White Subway tiles. That's what I'm thinking. It's rather boring but they should hopefully make the room look large, and reflect light from the velux window. I think we all know what they look like* so I shan't bother with pictures. 

I think I see a clear winner in the Bath Store, which surprised me. I did visit the Bath Store in Reading and found the staff incredibly helpful and they were very happy to throw together a CAD of the bathroom for me. I'd recommend a visit.

Is there anywhere important I'm missing? Please do leave a comment.
I did try Victoria Plumb and Homebase but there was too much beige for my liking. Beige is the colour of student houses and the diet of 14-year old boys. Yick**. 

Thanks for reading,

Sarah x
The YUP Blog


*clue: a subway. However, I have only ridden a 'subway' a few times in my life, and because I was 17 and in New York for the first time without my parents, I was not particularly interested in the walls. Too busy being indignant about the drinking age

*sorry if you like beige.
 

Vintage Shopping; Molly's Den, Winchester

visit the website here

I was brought up in the deliciously quaint city of Winchester in Hampshire, and I popped back this weekend for a bit of family time. This glorious city has a slower, gentler pace of life (unless you're under 18, of course - living in Winch feels like the epitome of cool when you're not old enough to know better).

The city is home to an array of kitsch shops and unique boutiques, perfect for a long, musing peruse on a Saturday afternoon - you're never really searching for anything in Winchester, you just happen upon things!


It is rather fitting, then, that Winchester is now home to one of the most creative, imaginative, and expansive retailers I have ever visited. Molly's Den is situated in an old warehouse in Winchester's Winnal Trading Estate, which has expanded through a warren of bright storage containers. It is an enchanting place to while away an afternoon.

Here are just a few of the gems that caught my eye...

Giant world map

'Henley Rowing, 1912' Life Preservers

 

Victorian Utensils

Beautiful French glass

'Upcycled' Trunk, with initials A&H -god, if I had the room for this...!!

 The contents are constantly suprising and inspiring, which is the result of having way over a hundred vendors and small businesses under one roof. I could have walked away with a lot - but I was very restrained, and limited myself to one amazing piece of furniture...

Vintage school desk - complete with graffiti dating back to 1963! (£47)

It's monthly rental rates are also encouragingly low, so I hope to see it continue to grow and flourish Molly's Den is a joy for shoppers and sellers alike.

There is also an AMAZING cafe which I hope to visit next time; I had a taste of brownie, and it was dreamy :) I really implore everyone to visit Molly's Den; set aside a whole day, go insane, and let your heart to the talking. They also accept card!

I'm looking for more interesting retailers to visit, including websites. Recomendations welcome

All the best,

Sarah
the yup blog