10 of the Best: Dining Tables

So it's September. The summer holidays may still be rolling on, but for the rest of us, it's all about shiny new pencil cases and starting afresh. We started this series with a look at the 10 best dining chairs, moved on to floor lamps and now it's back to food (a subject always close to my heart) with a look at 10 of the best dining tables. You will note there are no round tables. I just can't get on board with a round table. I don't know why. Perhaps, if faced with outrage from you all, I shall focus on round tables at a later date – let me know (I'm sure you will). I have, however, tried to include a mix of sizes, prices, materials and shapes (any shape as long as it's a rectangle) by which I mean look at the legs.

 

EBBE GEHL (four to eight seater)

for John Lewis

£899

ebbe gehl dining table from john lewis

Good old John Lewis. The first stop for safe choices but also, and increasingly, the secretly stylish number. This comes in various sizes – you can either have a straightforward six seater or a four seater that extends for eight people. It's a Danish design and I rather like smooth lines. It's made from oak with an oiled finish and there's a matching bench if you like. One of my clients recently bought this for his flat – most of the time it will be a four seater but he likes that it has extra capacity for more people.

ROUGH TABLE

NORR11

£1500

rough table by norr 11

I'm declaring an interest in this one as I hope to be shortly taking delivery of it. Each piece of wood is hand selected and dried and their last batch didn't meet the standards so it has been taken off the site while they wait for the new batch. I can't wait to get mine and you'll be seeing lots of pictures of it when it comes in. Perfect for the modern rustic kitchen. I have another client who is also quite keen to get her hands on one, it's not just me.

MOGG CEMENTINO

Go Modern

£2,850

mogg cementino table

Yes, this is very expensive but I just love that inlaid detail. The plain shape balances the tiles perfectly and this is a piece you could love for ever. It's all in the detail and without it, this would just be a (very fine) table, but the inlay elevates it.

DOUBLE CROSS

By Steuart Padwick

£1500

steuart padwick double cross table

This table is so cool. When you want it to be smaller you simply fold the top of the table in half and then fold the legs back against each other and bingo. It's such a clever idea and I have seen this table in real life and can vouch for its fabulessness. The legs come in either orange or yellow, but Steuart will make them in any colour you like if you ask him nicely (and pay a little more).

CHEVRON DINING TABLE 

Atkin and Thyme

£599

chevron dining table by atkin and thyme

Still focusing on the legs, look at these brass beauties. The top is a chevron pattern made from mango wood which is also a bit different, but just look at those legs.

BOX FRAME COUNTER TABLE 

westelm

£551

box frame marble counter table from westelm

For the smaller kitchen, why not consider a bar table? This marble one is rather elegant and you could push it up against a all when not in use. There's something about a high table which turns every day into cocktail day don't you think?

GABLE FOLDING TRESTLE TABLE 

Rowen and Wren

£396

gable folding trestle table from rowen and wren

Folding tables are so practical for small spaces and extra guests and this is a really good one. And when you don't need it for the kitchen, it will make a brilliant card table for louche Saturday afternoons in winter. Go on you know you want to…

NORMANN COPENHAGEN MY TABLE

Houseology

£789

normann copenhagen my table large

This is so elegant. I think we are coming to the end of chunky farmhouse furniture and there will be a move to thinner pieces that are more grown up. This is simple, like the Mogg one above, but somehow it's more refined and doesn't need a pretty inlay to finish it off.

NIRA DINING TABLE 

Anthropologie

£898

nira dining table from anthropologie

Simple, large but with a fabulous grain to give it that something special. Anthropologie is the butt of many jokes (often from me) for its outsize prices but, as tables go, this isn't at all bad.

BLACK STEEL LEGS

Tiptoe

€49.75 per leg

tiptoe legs from France

Finally, if you can't find exactly what you want then make your own. I have featured this brilliant French company before but I couldn't do a round up of tables without including them. Choose your legs (lots of colours) and find something you like for the top. This could be anything from a slab of marble, to an old door or a piece of concrete. It's a really clever idea and, hell, you could even change the top with the seasons if you felt like it. If the day comes when you have found the dining table of your dreams and no longer want to use these legs, then change the top and use it as a desk in another room. Bingo. That's me being practical again, by the way.

 

The post 10 of the Best: Dining Tables appeared first on Mad About The House.

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10 of the Best: Dining Tables

So it’s September. The summer holidays may still be rolling on, but for the rest of us, it’s all about shiny new pencil cases and starting afresh. We started this series with a look at the 10 best dining chairs, moved on to floor lamps and now it’s back to food (a subject always close to my heart) with a look at 10 of the best dining tables. You will note there are no round tables. I just can’t get on board with a round table. I don’t know why. Perhaps, if faced with outrage from you all, I shall focus on round tables at a later date – let me know (I’m sure you will). I have, however, tried to include a mix of sizes, prices, materials and shapes (any shape as long as it’s a rectangle) by which I mean look at the legs.

 

EBBE GEHL (four to eight seater)

for John Lewis

£899

ebbe gehl dining table from john lewis

Good old John Lewis. The first stop for safe choices but also, and increasingly, the secretly stylish number. This comes in various sizes – you can either have a straightforward six seater or a four seater that extends for eight people. It’s a Danish design and I rather like smooth lines. It’s made from oak with an oiled finish and there’s a matching bench if you like. One of my clients recently bought this for his flat – most of the time it will be a four seater but he likes that it has extra capacity for more people.

ROUGH TABLE

NORR11

£1500

rough table by norr 11

I’m declaring an interest in this one as I hope to be shortly taking delivery of it. Each piece of wood is hand selected and dried and their last batch didn’t meet the standards so it has been taken off the site while they wait for the new batch. I can’t wait to get mine and you’ll be seeing lots of pictures of it when it comes in. Perfect for the modern rustic kitchen. I have another client who is also quite keen to get her hands on one, it’s not just me.

MOGG CEMENTINO

Go Modern

£2,850

mogg cementino table

Yes, this is very expensive but I just love that inlaid detail. The plain shape balances the tiles perfectly and this is a piece you could love for ever. It’s all in the detail and without it, this would just be a (very fine) table, but the inlay elevates it.

DOUBLE CROSS

By Steuart Padwick

£1500

steuart padwick double cross table

This table is so cool. When you want it to be smaller you simply fold the top of the table in half and then fold the legs back against each other and bingo. It’s such a clever idea and I have seen this table in real life and can vouch for its fabulessness. The legs come in either orange or yellow, but Steuart will make them in any colour you like if you ask him nicely (and pay a little more).

CHEVRON DINING TABLE 

Atkin and Thyme

£599

chevron dining table by atkin and thyme

Still focusing on the legs, look at these brass beauties. The top is a chevron pattern made from mango wood which is also a bit different, but just look at those legs.

BOX FRAME COUNTER TABLE 

westelm

£551

box frame marble counter table from westelm

For the smaller kitchen, why not consider a bar table? This marble one is rather elegant and you could push it up against a all when not in use. There’s something about a high table which turns every day into cocktail day don’t you think?

GABLE FOLDING TRESTLE TABLE 

Rowen and Wren

£396

gable folding trestle table from rowen and wren

Folding tables are so practical for small spaces and extra guests and this is a really good one. And when you don’t need it for the kitchen, it will make a brilliant card table for louche Saturday afternoons in winter. Go on you know you want to…

NORMANN COPENHAGEN MY TABLE

Houseology

£789

normann copenhagen my table large

This is so elegant. I think we are coming to the end of chunky farmhouse furniture and there will be a move to thinner pieces that are more grown up. This is simple, like the Mogg one above, but somehow it’s more refined and doesn’t need a pretty inlay to finish it off.

NIRA DINING TABLE 

Anthropologie

£898

nira dining table from anthropologie

Simple, large but with a fabulous grain to give it that something special. Anthropologie is the butt of many jokes (often from me) for its outsize prices but, as tables go, this isn’t at all bad.

BLACK STEEL LEGS

Tiptoe

€49.75 per leg

tiptoe legs from France

Finally, if you can’t find exactly what you want then make your own. I have featured this brilliant French company before but I couldn’t do a round up of tables without including them. Choose your legs (lots of colours) and find something you like for the top. This could be anything from a slab of marble, to an old door or a piece of concrete. It’s a really clever idea and, hell, you could even change the top with the seasons if you felt like it. If the day comes when you have found the dining table of your dreams and no longer want to use these legs, then change the top and use it as a desk in another room. Bingo. That’s me being practical again, by the way.

 

The post 10 of the Best: Dining Tables appeared first on Mad About The House.

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3 Ways to Remove Bathroom Mold

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Knowing how to get rid of mold in showers, and keep it from returning, can save you both time and money. Here are 3 simple ways to remove bathroom mold.  Read on!

Image Source: Flickr

Scrub Away
To properly care for your bathroom and remove the mold from tile grout, you will need a good scrub brush and baking soda. To effectively scrub the mold away, treat the grout between tiles and the caulking with a paste made of water and baking soda. Leave on for as long as you need to—for example, very dirty grout can use an hour or two. Spray the tiles with water and use a scrub brush to clean the grout with a brisk back and forth motion. Rinse well and buff dry. Once you have scrubbed the grout, you can prolong your mold-removing efforts so that you do not have to use as much elbow grease next time! If your bathroom is not properly maintained between cleanings, it does not take long for mold to come back. In fact, think of mold prevention like oral care—we have to maintain our teeth to keep plaque away. Source: NaturallySavvy

Vinegar
Put mild white vinegar in a spray bottle without diluting it. Vinegar has a mild acidity, making anywhere you spray it very inhospitable for mold. Do not dilute the vinegar when placing it into the spray bottle; you want to use it at full-strength, not watered-down.
Spray the vinegar onto moldy surfaces and wait for an hour. If possible, let the bathroom air out during this time.
After an hour, wipe the area clean with hot water and dry the surface with a towel. Damp surfaces encourage mold growth, so be sure to wipe the area clean fully. After you have wiped the vinegar away, it should not smell anymore.
Use vinegar to prevent outbreaks of mold before they happen. Vinegar is reported to kill 82% of mold species, making it an exceptionally effective solution for preventing mold from inhabiting your bathroom like it owns the place. Plus, vinegar does not have any toxic fumes (like bleach) and is all-natural.

• Simply spray a bit of vinegar onto a mold-prone surface and leave it. If you do this regularly, mold will have a tough time growing, and you will not have to remove it in the first place. Source: wikiHow

Hot Water and Baking Soda
You’ll need one teaspoon of washing up liquid, one cup of baking soda, and a few drops of something fragrant (we recommend lavender or citrus oil). Then add water and mix until the solution becomes a viscous paste and you’re done – a natural black mould remover. Source: Cleanipedia

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

The post 3 Ways to Remove Bathroom Mold appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.

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3 Ways to Remove Bathroom Mold

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Knowing how to get rid of mold in showers, and keep it from returning, can save you both time and money. Here are 3 simple ways to remove bathroom mold.  Read on!

Image Source: Flickr

Scrub Away
To properly care for your bathroom and remove the mold from tile grout, you will need a good scrub brush and baking soda. To effectively scrub the mold away, treat the grout between tiles and the caulking with a paste made of water and baking soda. Leave on for as long as you need to—for example, very dirty grout can use an hour or two. Spray the tiles with water and use a scrub brush to clean the grout with a brisk back and forth motion. Rinse well and buff dry. Once you have scrubbed the grout, you can prolong your mold-removing efforts so that you do not have to use as much elbow grease next time! If your bathroom is not properly maintained between cleanings, it does not take long for mold to come back. In fact, think of mold prevention like oral care—we have to maintain our teeth to keep plaque away. Source: NaturallySavvy

Vinegar
Put mild white vinegar in a spray bottle without diluting it. Vinegar has a mild acidity, making anywhere you spray it very inhospitable for mold. Do not dilute the vinegar when placing it into the spray bottle; you want to use it at full-strength, not watered-down.
Spray the vinegar onto moldy surfaces and wait for an hour. If possible, let the bathroom air out during this time.
After an hour, wipe the area clean with hot water and dry the surface with a towel. Damp surfaces encourage mold growth, so be sure to wipe the area clean fully. After you have wiped the vinegar away, it should not smell anymore.
Use vinegar to prevent outbreaks of mold before they happen. Vinegar is reported to kill 82% of mold species, making it an exceptionally effective solution for preventing mold from inhabiting your bathroom like it owns the place. Plus, vinegar does not have any toxic fumes (like bleach) and is all-natural.

• Simply spray a bit of vinegar onto a mold-prone surface and leave it. If you do this regularly, mold will have a tough time growing, and you will not have to remove it in the first place. Source: wikiHow

Hot Water and Baking Soda
You'll need one teaspoon of washing up liquid, one cup of baking soda, and a few drops of something fragrant (we recommend lavender or citrus oil). Then add water and mix until the solution becomes a viscous paste and you're done – a natural black mould remover. Source: Cleanipedia

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

The post 3 Ways to Remove Bathroom Mold appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.

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Inside tips for exploring Galveston Island, TX, “the playground of the South”

Recently named a "Destination on the Rise" by TripAdvisor, Galveston Island, Texas, with its 32-mile-long coast, is finally getting the recognition it so richly deserves. Granted, locals have always appreciated this year-round coastal spot, a stone's throw from the Gulf of Mexico, particularly since they added seven miles of brand new beaches in 2016. After […]

Inside tips for exploring Galveston Island, TX, "the playground of the South" is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

The post Inside tips for exploring Galveston Island, TX, "the playground of the South" appeared first on A Luxury Travel Blog.

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8 beach hotels with incredible dining experiences

On a relaxing beach break, aside from a little exploring, the main focus of the day tends to be dining. Some of the best luxury resorts have moved away from the standard buffet restaurant, creating innovative culinary experiences. Audley specialists have suggested their top beach hotels which offer something different at meal times, from breakfast […]

8 beach hotels with incredible dining experiences is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

The post 8 beach hotels with incredible dining experiences appeared first on A Luxury Travel Blog.

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Inside tips for exploring Galveston Island, TX, “the playground of the South”

Recently named a “Destination on the Rise” by TripAdvisor, Galveston Island, Texas, with its 32-mile-long coast, is finally getting the recognition it so richly deserves. Granted, locals have always appreciated this year-round coastal spot, a stone’s throw from the Gulf of Mexico, particularly since they added seven miles of brand new beaches in 2016. After […]

Inside tips for exploring Galveston Island, TX, “the playground of the South” is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

The post Inside tips for exploring Galveston Island, TX, “the playground of the South” appeared first on A Luxury Travel Blog.

from A Luxury Travel Blog http://ift.tt/2bWjOBh

8 beach hotels with incredible dining experiences

On a relaxing beach break, aside from a little exploring, the main focus of the day tends to be dining. Some of the best luxury resorts have moved away from the standard buffet restaurant, creating innovative culinary experiences. Audley specialists have suggested their top beach hotels which offer something different at meal times, from breakfast […]

8 beach hotels with incredible dining experiences is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

The post 8 beach hotels with incredible dining experiences appeared first on A Luxury Travel Blog.

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Why Canada will wow you this Winter

Canada is one of the best places for an awesome winter experience. From adventures like dog sledding, snowmobile tours and ice fishing, to relaxing in a Nordic spa and eating deliciously hot comfort food, Canada is great in the wintry season. Picture yourself in the mountains surrounded by crisp white snow and elegant pines as […]

Why Canada will wow you this Winter is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

The post Why Canada will wow you this Winter appeared first on A Luxury Travel Blog.

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Why Canada will wow you this Winter

Canada is one of the best places for an awesome winter experience. From adventures like dog sledding, snowmobile tours and ice fishing, to relaxing in a Nordic spa and eating deliciously hot comfort food, Canada is great in the wintry season. Picture yourself in the mountains surrounded by crisp white snow and elegant pines as […]

Why Canada will wow you this Winter is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

The post Why Canada will wow you this Winter appeared first on A Luxury Travel Blog.

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Top 5 places to learn about war history in Indochina

Known to the Vietnamese as the American War, to Americans as the Vietnam War, and to scholars as the Second Indochina War – the American-Vietnamese conflict that took place between 1955 until 1975 brought Vietnam to the forefront of the world's attention. What most people don't realise is that the conflict had an equally devastating […]

Top 5 places to learn about war history in Indochina is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

The post Top 5 places to learn about war history in Indochina appeared first on A Luxury Travel Blog.

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Top 5 places to learn about war history in Indochina

Known to the Vietnamese as the American War, to Americans as the Vietnam War, and to scholars as the Second Indochina War – the American-Vietnamese conflict that took place between 1955 until 1975 brought Vietnam to the forefront of the world’s attention. What most people don’t realise is that the conflict had an equally devastating […]

Top 5 places to learn about war history in Indochina is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

The post Top 5 places to learn about war history in Indochina appeared first on A Luxury Travel Blog.

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Shades of Grey goes International

It's the last day of the August updates and I hope you will forgive me if I indulge myself a little and revisit this post about my book. There is a small update as you will see from the picture above. At the beginning of the month, I received the above copies; it has been translated into French, German and Italian. The latter of which, said my publisher, sounds like a rather fine wine.

The German one has a lovely new cover although, for some inexplicable reason, the spine is bright green. Go figure as they say.

Since it was published, way back in February, it has featured in dozens of local newspapers, The Mail on Sunday, The Lady, Hello!, The Sunday Mirror and Homes and Antiques. It was also mentioned in Grazia, Marie Claire (both the English and Italian versions) as well as the online version of Brazil Homes and Gardens. It has been a wonderful experience and, just so this post isn't all about the past, I can tell you that I am discussing my second book AS WE SPEAK. Oh yes, look out for details of that one….

Now I'm not going to wang on and on about it. Actually I am, a little bit. But, hell, you know, it's a little bit exciting. Before I tell you about how this book came about (for those of you who read this post when it was first published in February you can bow out in one sentence) I would also like to say – since this post is all about me (!) that the blog has been nominated for an award. I won last year so perhaps it's not my turn this time, but, if you have enjoyed it as much this year and have a spare second to click a link, then that would be very kind. You can vote here it's an enormously crowded category and I would be thrilled if you wanted to vote. If not, then that's fine too. Now on with the story…

It's been a long time coming this book and this post is a little bit about not giving up on stuff. Only not that preachy because God knows I give up on stuff all the time. Especially the dream of holding the plank position for more than 20 seconds.

Like many journalists we all want to write a book. It's something to do with the external validation. And, possibly, something to do with the idea of writing something longer than 800 words. Anyway, an early foray into fiction made me realise that that wasn't for me. I actually can't make it up. Not with any degree of conviction.

image ©Ryland Peters & Small

That meant I had to draw on real- life experiences. And people. Which looked like a pretty fast route to the libel courts. So the fiction was out.

The next attempt came during my early freelance career when I signed up to an agency writing health features. I was approached by an agent who had found a surgeon who needed a ghost writer. Yes, I though. Ghost writing, that could work.

"What is his speciality," I enquired casually.

"Vaginal plastic surgery," came the reply.

image ©Ryland Peters & Small

I kid you not. Reader, I interviewed five thousand words out of this surgeon before admitting defeat and fleeing headlong over to the property department. I haven't written a health feature since. And I'm not aware of that book being on any best seller list either.

It was a while before I re-entered the book proposal market. A few years later another idea was warmly received about two weeks before the financial crash of 2007 when anyone who wasn't either a celebrity or an established author was considered to be a high risk and politely rejected.

image ©Ryland Peters & Small

I carried on plugging away at my job. In 2012 The Mad House opened its doors. I wrote in my diary: Blog. Business. Book. In 2014 I launched madaboutyourhouse.com my interior consulting business. And today, two years later, the book Shades of Grey is in all good bookshops (to coin a phrase).

I hope you will enjoy it and find it useful. There will no doubt be some of you who might have preferred the other book. You'll have to track that down on your own.

image ©Ryland Peters & Small

As ever, I thank all of you for reading my blog and anyone who does buy the book. I enjoyed writing it. I hope you will enjoy reading it. Or at least looking at the pictures.

 

The post Shades of Grey goes International appeared first on Mad About The House.

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Shades of Grey goes International

It’s the last day of the August updates and I hope you will forgive me if I indulge myself a little and revisit this post about my book. There is a small update as you will see from the picture above. At the beginning of the month, I received the above copies; it has been translated into French, German and Italian. The latter of which, said my publisher, sounds like a rather fine wine.

The German one has a lovely new cover although, for some inexplicable reason, the spine is bright green. Go figure as they say.

Since it was published, way back in February, it has featured in dozens of local newspapers, The Mail on Sunday, The Lady, Hello!, The Sunday Mirror and Homes and Antiques. It was also mentioned in Grazia, Marie Claire (both the English and Italian versions) as well as the online version of Brazil Homes and Gardens. It has been a wonderful experience and, just so this post isn’t all about the past, I can tell you that I am discussing my second book AS WE SPEAK. Oh yes, look out for details of that one….

Now I’m not going to wang on and on about it. Actually I am, a little bit. But, hell, you know, it’s a little bit exciting. Before I tell you about how this book came about (for those of you who read this post when it was first published in February you can bow out in one sentence) I would also like to say – since this post is all about me (!) that the blog has been nominated for an award. I won last year so perhaps it’s not my turn this time, but, if you have enjoyed it as much this year and have a spare second to click a link, then that would be very kind. You can vote here it’s an enormously crowded category and I would be thrilled if you wanted to vote. If not, then that’s fine too. Now on with the story…

It’s been a long time coming this book and this post is a little bit about not giving up on stuff. Only not that preachy because God knows I give up on stuff all the time. Especially the dream of holding the plank position for more than 20 seconds.

Like many journalists we all want to write a book. It’s something to do with the external validation. And, possibly, something to do with the idea of writing something longer than 800 words. Anyway, an early foray into fiction made me realise that that wasn’t for me. I actually can’t make it up. Not with any degree of conviction.

image ©Ryland Peters & Small

That meant I had to draw on real- life experiences. And people. Which looked like a pretty fast route to the libel courts. So the fiction was out.

The next attempt came during my early freelance career when I signed up to an agency writing health features. I was approached by an agent who had found a surgeon who needed a ghost writer. Yes, I though. Ghost writing, that could work.

“What is his speciality,” I enquired casually.

“Vaginal plastic surgery,” came the reply.

image ©Ryland Peters & Small

I kid you not. Reader, I interviewed five thousand words out of this surgeon before admitting defeat and fleeing headlong over to the property department. I haven’t written a health feature since. And I’m not aware of that book being on any best seller list either.

It was a while before I re-entered the book proposal market. A few years later another idea was warmly received about two weeks before the financial crash of 2007 when anyone who wasn’t either a celebrity or an established author was considered to be a high risk and politely rejected.

image ©Ryland Peters & Small

I carried on plugging away at my job. In 2012 The Mad House opened its doors. I wrote in my diary: Blog. Business. Book. In 2014 I launched madaboutyourhouse.com my interior consulting business. And today, two years later, the book Shades of Grey is in all good bookshops (to coin a phrase).

I hope you will enjoy it and find it useful. There will no doubt be some of you who might have preferred the other book. You’ll have to track that down on your own.

image ©Ryland Peters & Small

As ever, I thank all of you for reading my blog and anyone who does buy the book. I enjoyed writing it. I hope you will enjoy reading it. Or at least looking at the pictures.

 

The post Shades of Grey goes International appeared first on Mad About The House.

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How to Make Galaxy Glaze

I'm obsessed with all things galaxy, hence these galaxy glazed oreos. You can use this technique on just about anything that needs a bit more intergalactic flair!

The post How to Make Galaxy Glaze appeared first on i am a food blog.

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How to Make Galaxy Glaze

I'm obsessed with all things galaxy, hence these galaxy glazed oreos. You can use this technique on just about anything that needs a bit more intergalactic flair!

The post How to Make Galaxy Glaze appeared first on i am a food blog.

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12 great reasons to visit Ostrava

When I arrived in the outskirts of the Czech Republic industrial city of Ostrava, I thought I would see a rough town in a flat area, but I was amazed to find myself in a bright and radiant city like a solitaire in a circle, as I was at the crossing of four rivers: the […]

12 great reasons to visit Ostrava is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

The post 12 great reasons to visit Ostrava appeared first on A Luxury Travel Blog.

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12 great reasons to visit Ostrava

When I arrived in the outskirts of the Czech Republic industrial city of Ostrava, I thought I would see a rough town in a flat area, but I was amazed to find myself in a bright and radiant city like a solitaire in a circle, as I was at the crossing of four rivers: the […]

12 great reasons to visit Ostrava is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

The post 12 great reasons to visit Ostrava appeared first on A Luxury Travel Blog.

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How to Create a Walk-in Wardrobe

Many of you have asked about the walk-in wardrobe (or to be more accurate walk-through) that sits behind the purple wall in my bedroom and I have finally managed to tidy enough to photograph it and talk you through how we did it so that you can create your own if you so wish.

When we moved in, nearly six years ago, we felt that built-in storage was crucial. In our last house we had an old, not quite antique, painted wardrobe that was very pretty but nigh on useless. It was barely wide enough for modern hangers, the door wasn't big enough so half the clothes were hidden at the sides, and the drawer underneath was constantly sticking.

It would have looked great in one of those unfitted kitchens with plates inside it, you know the sort of thing. Pretty but utterly useless as a wardrobe for two people who like clothes. We also had a chest of drawers but I can, frankly, never be bothered to fold everything up and put it away and, as a result, you end up with a hideous jumble of stuff that you have to rummage through every time you want a jumper. And then the moths came…

So, storage, and plenty of it was key. Now, it is a big room. It's about 17 ft long (or wide depending on how you want to view it). We could have put cupboards in the alcove on either side of the fireplace and the bed at the far end with an ottoman at the end and that would have been that.

But it felt like a lot of wasted space that way. And that didn't necessarily leave room for a chest of drawers as it's long but it's not that wide.

I had seen in a friend's house in New York, a wardrobe that linked two bedrooms and was essentially a corridor between the two. I emailed her and asked her about it.

"You need to be able to walk through the gap with your hands sticking out from your sides as if you were a penguin," she emailed back.

So I did that a few times and worked how much walking space was needed between the fireplace and the edge of the wardrobe. Then I added in the hanger space (it's more than you think) and that was the dimensions.

This gave us enough room to put the bed in front of what would become a false wall and leave the bedroom clear of any clutter as it would all be stuffed hidden in the space behind.

The key requirement was that it had to look like a wall. So we added a picture rail and a skirting board. Then double sockets either side of the bed and wall lights. On the other side there are two lamps on the bottom shelf that are supposed to create that boudoir feeling when you are in there in the evenings.

The last question was how wide could it be? Cue more penguin walking  round the sides of the bed to see what would be comfortable. The result is that we each have a small bedside table on either side of the bed and there is enough space to walk around about 90cm. As a rule of thumb you need to assume about a metre when planning kitchen islands, or any walking space but, in this case, 90cm was fine.

As you will see from the images, the bathroom is at the end (we stole a bedroom to make a giant en suite). So the plan is that I can get out of bed, collect my shoes and clothes and stroll through to the bathroom. Then I can emerge fully dressed (like Venus from the waves!) and put my make up on in front of the mirror above the fireplace.

I get one alcove for my shoes and he has the other for most of his clothes. Yes I have more space. Am I going to feel bad about that? No. Not even remotely.

And, as you can tell from the slightly messy storage picture below, there is lots of storage space for bedding, winter jackets and suitcases up above the hanging space.

I understand that not everyone will have room to create storage like this so I have included a plan below so you can see the measurements of mine.

Obviously the width of the wardrobe is negotiable and not all of you will have to allow for a mantelpiece which took up a bit more space. But the gap at the sides and to walk down the middle is pretty standard. If you squash it in too much you just won't want to go in there and it won't be easy to use.

Bear in mind though, that if you are able to do this, your sleeping space just needs to be big enough for the bed and to walk around it. The idea is that it is a clutter-free zone so you don't need lots of space there. You can compromise on that part more than you think.

I know other people will say they want doors on their wardrobes too. We had small doors which were basically to create that boudoir feel and also to hang the clothes over that we couldn't be bothered to hang up at the end of the day. In addition to that I had doors before, that just makes for dark corners where the moths like to hatch. I'd rather have it all light and open and flick the occasional duster about personally.

Here's a little corner of my so-called dressing table. And below you will find the floor plan with all the measurements.

You can make the space around the bed less and you can have a narrower wardrobe but you need the space at the sides to be able to walk comfortably and obviously you need that depth to fit your hangers. Everything else is fluid.

Here you are. I hope it helps.

 

The post How to Create a Walk-in Wardrobe appeared first on Mad About The House.

from Mad About The House http://ift.tt/1qqKxuf

How to Create a Walk-in Wardrobe

Many of you have asked about the walk-in wardrobe (or to be more accurate walk-through) that sits behind the purple wall in my bedroom and I have finally managed to tidy enough to photograph it and talk you through how we did it so that you can create your own if you so wish.

When we moved in, nearly six years ago, we felt that built-in storage was crucial. In our last house we had an old, not quite antique, painted wardrobe that was very pretty but nigh on useless. It was barely wide enough for modern hangers, the door wasn’t big enough so half the clothes were hidden at the sides, and the drawer underneath was constantly sticking.

It would have looked great in one of those unfitted kitchens with plates inside it, you know the sort of thing. Pretty but utterly useless as a wardrobe for two people who like clothes. We also had a chest of drawers but I can, frankly, never be bothered to fold everything up and put it away and, as a result, you end up with a hideous jumble of stuff that you have to rummage through every time you want a jumper. And then the moths came…

So, storage, and plenty of it was key. Now, it is a big room. It’s about 17 ft long (or wide depending on how you want to view it). We could have put cupboards in the alcove on either side of the fireplace and the bed at the far end with an ottoman at the end and that would have been that.

But it felt like a lot of wasted space that way. And that didn’t necessarily leave room for a chest of drawers as it’s long but it’s not that wide.

I had seen in a friend’s house in New York, a wardrobe that linked two bedrooms and was essentially a corridor between the two. I emailed her and asked her about it.

“You need to be able to walk through the gap with your hands sticking out from your sides as if you were a penguin,” she emailed back.

So I did that a few times and worked how much walking space was needed between the fireplace and the edge of the wardrobe. Then I added in the hanger space (it’s more than you think) and that was the dimensions.

This gave us enough room to put the bed in front of what would become a false wall and leave the bedroom clear of any clutter as it would all be stuffed hidden in the space behind.

The key requirement was that it had to look like a wall. So we added a picture rail and a skirting board. Then double sockets either side of the bed and wall lights. On the other side there are two lamps on the bottom shelf that are supposed to create that boudoir feeling when you are in there in the evenings.

The last question was how wide could it be? Cue more penguin walking  round the sides of the bed to see what would be comfortable. The result is that we each have a small bedside table on either side of the bed and there is enough space to walk around about 90cm. As a rule of thumb you need to assume about a metre when planning kitchen islands, or any walking space but, in this case, 90cm was fine.

As you will see from the images, the bathroom is at the end (we stole a bedroom to make a giant en suite). So the plan is that I can get out of bed, collect my shoes and clothes and stroll through to the bathroom. Then I can emerge fully dressed (like Venus from the waves!) and put my make up on in front of the mirror above the fireplace.

I get one alcove for my shoes and he has the other for most of his clothes. Yes I have more space. Am I going to feel bad about that? No. Not even remotely.

And, as you can tell from the slightly messy storage picture below, there is lots of storage space for bedding, winter jackets and suitcases up above the hanging space.

I understand that not everyone will have room to create storage like this so I have included a plan below so you can see the measurements of mine.

Obviously the width of the wardrobe is negotiable and not all of you will have to allow for a mantelpiece which took up a bit more space. But the gap at the sides and to walk down the middle is pretty standard. If you squash it in too much you just won’t want to go in there and it won’t be easy to use.

Bear in mind though, that if you are able to do this, your sleeping space just needs to be big enough for the bed and to walk around it. The idea is that it is a clutter-free zone so you don’t need lots of space there. You can compromise on that part more than you think.

I know other people will say they want doors on their wardrobes too. We had small doors which were basically to create that boudoir feel and also to hang the clothes over that we couldn’t be bothered to hang up at the end of the day. In addition to that I had doors before, that just makes for dark corners where the moths like to hatch. I’d rather have it all light and open and flick the occasional duster about personally.

Here’s a little corner of my so-called dressing table. And below you will find the floor plan with all the measurements.

You can make the space around the bed less and you can have a narrower wardrobe but you need the space at the sides to be able to walk comfortably and obviously you need that depth to fit your hangers. Everything else is fluid.

Here you are. I hope it helps.

 

The post How to Create a Walk-in Wardrobe appeared first on Mad About The House.

from Mad About The House http://ift.tt/1qqKxuf