All posts filed under: House Tour

The Mulberry Red Room (and other rooms) – Final Reveal

Not one, but three spaces to reveal to you today, the first one being the Mulberry Red Room. Let’s go! If you remember the last time I shared the Mulberry Red Room, back in Feb, it was very nearly done. We were awaiting the arrival of the bed and some smaller, finer details to be completed. The whole concept for the room was based around the large framed Modigliani poster which the homeowner had bought especially to hang in this room. The burgundy red backdrop for this rather provocative piece was the starting point for the room with the rest of the details following suit quickly after. Let me show you the completed room: Walls, woodwork and ceiling in Abigail Ahern’s Mulberry Red Lampex Opal 3 Drum Pendant – Wayfair One thing I should tell you about this client, is that he doesn’t like faff. I wasn’t allowed to do nic nacks, no superfluous items, no unnecessary decoration or styling. I was allowed to bring a plant or two. And that was that. He likes …

Dark Mid Century Living Room

Before and After – From 2012 to 2019

I’ve been reflecting hard over the past few weeks (new year does that to you doesn’t it!?) about just how much work we’ve done to our humble abode over the last six years. The landscaping was the last big project we did and i’ll be getting photos and writing that up when the weather takes a turn for the better. Nobody needs to see our garden right now with its dead plants and bald back lawn. One of the reasons I went into interior design in the first place was to give our house (and my hubby) a bit of a break. I’m always wanting to change things at home, but now I get my rocks off at work, with a few house projects here and there at home, a nice mix. But something that’s happening more and more, is i’m feeling a little deflated that our house isn’t quite as big, fancy or wow as some of the houses I get to work in. Theodore Roosevelt was on the money when he was quoted …

Home Updates

Making Spaces HQ Mini Home Updates

I’ve not shared any home updates for ages over on the blog and there have been a goings on at chez Making Spaces. So when the sun decided to join us for the first time in January the other day (for 47 minutes), I had to get my camera out and snap away like a lunatic. As most of you guys know, our house is small, normal, average. A 3 bed semi with no high ceilings, no gorgeous period features or lovely large windows. There are still lots of things i’d love to change and update (some of which will be happening later this year) but for now this is where we are with everything…. Let’s start in the entrance hall. At the end of the hallway now resides a chalkboard wall which is used for messing about, drawing floorplans and Charlie’s notes for his current thesis on the world economy. FINALLY we’ve updated the switches and sockets on the ground floor with more goodies from Dowsing & Reynolds. Our ground floor now matches our …

The Coach House at Middleton Lodge #designupnorth

The hubster and I have just got back from a mini break. I thought you guys would like to see where we stayed as it’s just a little bit special. Middleton Lodge is a Georgian Palladian mansion set within 200 acres of open countryside, on the outskirts of Middleton Tyas, a small village in North Yorkshire. Designed by the architect John Carr, it was built between 1777-1780 for George Hartley Esquire. Today, Middleton Lodge is now home to the Allison family who have lived here for nearly 40 years. Their home however, is also available for hire for private wedding receptions, functions and film location shoots. A short walk away from the main house is The Coach House. Originally built for the carriages and horses of George Hartley Esq, it’s now the ground’s hotel, restaurant and bar. The horse-shoe shaped building has that perfect Georgian symmetry and proportion, with rounded archways, feature windows, pale brick walls, and original beams. With the flowering beds in the central courtyard and the April sunshine beaming down upon us, this spot was like its …

My trip to Bert & May – From Salvage Yard to Show House #designupnorth

About 18 months ago, I introduced the hashtag #designupnorth to head up a series of posts focusing on good design being accessible north of the Watford gap. As a blogger/designer I get invited to stuff all the time (which is lovely) but every frickin design event/launch/networking opp is always down south. In fact, brands barely even put the addresses on for these events anymore, it’s just assumed we all know they’re down in Landan and we’ll just pop down there for a canpé and a Prosecco or four. Needless to say, I have yet to frequent one of these said events, a) because I work full time, in Leeds b) they’re always at rubbish times like 8am or 6pm and c) because a return trip to Kings Cross aint cheap. https://www.instagram.com/p/98ney5soCP/?taken-by=makingspacesnet But… a couple of weeks ago, I was invited to an event…. wait for it…. in North Yorkshire! 30 mins drive away from Making Spaces HQ. Yes, yes! We have a Bert & May, UP NORTH. Not in London. Well, yes in London too, but we …

Plywood floorboards, ply flooring

The Loft Bedroom – Final Reveal

We did it! We have our new loft bedroom, all done and ready to rock. Four months after we started our build, i’m finally able to share the final reveal photos with you. I’m going to warn you right now, this post is PIC HEAVY. Initially I took about 70 photos. I know. That’s ridiculous. I’ve managed to whittle it down to about 30. Still far too many, but ya know what, just scroll along if any aren’t floating your boat. Here’s where we were back in September 2016: And here was my plan for the bedroom: Ok. So here we go. Do come in… The view from the landing into the bedroom. Gets me every time. Chooch the cat, can not get enough of this room. Mainly because she’s got a load of new rugs and blankets to paw at and ruin. We had to be clever with space here as we were limited with how much width we had with the two chimney stacks bookending each side of the bed. The Factorylux Maria Banjo wall …