More From Trelawney Farm

Here are some more shots of Trelawney Farm for those who can't buy Country Style Magazine.

Some of my favourite ideas are:

The bright pillar box red front door

Vintage bits and pieces like the old milk bottles and HRH portrait

Funky fifties garden setting

Metal hospital cabinet used as a bedside table

{ Bathroom Mistreatment }

The Nester was one of the first blogs I ever read, 

and was smitten immediately.

Especially when I saw her category

"mistreatments".

I've been creating my own

no sew

window treatments ever since.

The latest mistreatment was in Jonas's bathroom

I used 2 yards of this bird fabric that I found

at Fabric.com

($15.)

the secret to this valance is this...

a tiny little nail.

I just folded and fluffed, 'til it looked right, 

then tapped in a small picture hanging nail.

No liner, no seams, not even hot glue.

The blue bird is where I pulled the color for the ceiling from

silver marlin - BM

the walls

revere pewter - BM

here's a shot of all the colors together

In Print: Country Style Mag

Kathy used a Porters stain on the new pine floorboards to get that dark chocolate look.

This bath is fully plumbed with hot and cold water and is a favourite place for the family to bathe!

This story about a country house belonging to Kathy and John Collins was an inspiring one to to write.

The Collins are a gung-ho couple with two young children who had a dream and went for it.

They are a couple of city types with a property renovation business who wanted to create an idyllic retreat in the country for themselves.

Kathy spent hours trawling online auction sites to collect the vast array of industrial and country antiques and vintage treasures and her passion shows in the interiors. Here I have included some of the shots that were not used in the article.

See the new issue of Country Style for the whole story.

{ Library Card Template }

Are these cards the cutest?

You can make your own too at

http://www.blyberg.net/card-generator/

have fun!

check out other
"How To's"
@

{ Smoke & Mirrors - A Bathroom Reveal }

okay people...

everyone's dying to know...

"How'd I paint the tile" 

and "darn, my tub is pink

or I'd do the same thing"

Well, get out your brushes & rollers - 

'cause my tub was pink too

and it still is.

A shower curtain, it's an amazing thing.

It's like a permanent

"Before and After"

I used oil based KILZ over the old pink tiles.

I rolled it on with a sponge roller.

I let the KILZ dry for a few days, then went over it with Semi-Gloss Latex paint.

Here's where the white tile ends and the old pink begins.

I even still have the metal attachment from the shower doors.

Can you even notice the pink tile with this gorgeous floor in your sight?

The only time the curtain is open is when my kids are taking a bath.

Other than that they are always closed.

My kids could care less what color their tub is.

I'm pretty sure the girls would be disappointed if it was anything BUT pink.

The only other time it might be open, is if a house guest is nosy.

Here's the break down

• 2 quarts Ben Moore Paint - $36.
• 1 quart Kilz Paint - $8.
• Knobs for the cabinet - $15.
• Flooring - $60
• Shower curtain - $25.
• Window Fabric - $15.
• Shutters - $67.
• Drawer shelf on wall - $7.
• Curved Shower Curtain Rod - $30.
• Light Fixture - $33.
• Glass shades - $15
• Towel Ring - $9.
• Bath mat - $10.
• Toilet Seat - $20.

That's a $352 renovation!

Here's an old drawer I picked up at the Perkiomenville Flea Market today.

The chippy paint is perfect.

For more info on this bathroom re-do check out

here, here & here

Which White Paint?

I had an email from a follower in South Australia who wants to paint her house but can't find the right shade of white.

Some are too yellow, some are too grey and cold.

If you have been reading my blog you will know that I have some very strong views on white.

I can't live with creamy whites - to me they look dated. But I once painted a house interior in grey white and it irked me every day.

The best white is a white-white and I recommend shades such as Dulux "White On White" or "Whisper White". This lovely all-white painted house in Brisbane I wrote about in the Australian Womens Weekly (Feb 2011), was painted White On White inside and out. It looks great in the photos and even better in real life. Don't be afraid to paint the woodwork the same shade, just choose a different finish from the flat walls such as satin or semi gloss.

The only other white I have seen recently that I like is on this beach house a few doors up from my beach cottages at Currarong. For an up-to-date look I love this white teamed with a pale grey. Very chic and understated and I wish I had thought of that combination every time I drive by.

For this look I would try Dulux "Lexicon" white - its white but not too cold. If I catch the owners I will ask them what colours they actually used.

What is your favourite white paint?

{ Fresh Dreamy Bedrooms }

just in time for spring cleaning

here's some weekend inspiration 

for a fresh inspired bedroom

all images via 

countryliving.com