Transformation Thursday; Under the (ugly) carpet.......

Having stripped the walls of the hallway, and repainted, next up was taking up the 1980's-esque dark red carpet. Upon first viewing the house, and knowing that one room had parquet floor, I asked the estate agent what was under the carpets downstairs. In his non-existent wisdom, he stamped on the floor and told me it was concrete. Fast forward a few weeks, and on our first day in the house we took up a corner of sitting room and hallway carpets....discovering original 1950's parquet flooring throughout! Although my husband isn't a huge fan of it, I was thrilled. It needs some restoration work, but is in good condition. Must be all those years under hideous carpets! We found lino glued to the parquet, which had to be chipped away, but luckily hadn't damaged it too much. Not the only 'crime against original features' in this house, by a long chalk! Next step in the hallway is putting up some prints and possibly a runner. The girls are big fans of the flooring, as it aids their speedy running action.

Beautiful Prints From Beetroot Press

I fell in love with these prints as soon as I saw them. These delicate, nostalgic and hand drawn prints are created by British designer/maker Sarah Papworth for her Etsy shop, Beetroot Press. Sarah perfectly describes her work as 'contemporary and whimsical', and they are most certainly joyful! The horses will look great in our hallway, and the girls will be finding a personalised animal print in their Christmas stocking...but which to choose? Check out the Beetroot Press Etsy Shop for prints, cards and other treats.

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Personalised Owl print, £25, Beetroot Press

Squirrel Print, £18.34, Beetroot Press

Rabbit Print, £17.44, Beetroot Press

'Chase your dreams with the wind in your hair' Print, £28.32 Beetroot Press

Introducing Transformation Thursday.....The Playroom

'Transformation Thursday' is a new series which will show how we've changed areas in our new house, as we go along. The title may be a touch dramatic, as it's pretty much cosmetic at this stage! This property is a long term project, with a renovation and extension planned for a couple of years time. It needs a complete rewire, bathroom and kitchen to begin with. Having been previously owned by an elderly couple, it hasn't been decorated for about 30 years, though was kept very clean. They clearly loved to make a statement (!) with the interior, and the DIY is pretty scary in places. I will be posting some snapshots of bizarrely placed light switches among other DIY delights, that have to be seen to be believed! We love this house and the feel of it, as do the children and it already feels like home. Below is a look at the room we turned into a playroom. The before pictures were taken when we came to measure up, just before completion. The feature fireplace was pretty incredible, so we ripped that out for Scrappy Frank to dispose of (as well as two other fireplaces).We stripped the wall paper and painted the walls white. This made a huge initial difference, making it feel light and airy. I wanted the play room to be a place for the girls to play, imagine, read, make a huge mess, relax and just be themselves. I have filled it with their favourite things, and made sure there is plenty of storage for easy tidying up. The wooden shelves were already there, and are actually fantastic for displaying drawings, nature finds and little treasures. I often end up in there sewing in the early hours of the morning, very cosy! There is an interview with me by the fantastic Maggie Westhead on her blog Chic Little Baby here, all about this room..... Before Chic Little Baby

After