So the last time I talked about the dining room remodel, we’d managed to put the pine flooring down while Wayne suffered from a sore throat that turned into strep throat. He lost his voice for a while and we lost about 5 days of work time because I insisted he rest at that point and he didn’t have the strength to argue with me.

Swoon Worthy Dining Room Design Main

The final room design and plan for the space – Check out my post here for more details.

The weekend that followed, he was feeling better and managed to get the last two pieces of flooring fitted so I started on the staining. Every time we’ve done the flooring in this way in the house (first the living room, then the office) we used 3 coats of Ronseal Dark Oak* and topped it with 2 coats of Bona Mega Silk Matt*, a clear protective varnish that gives them a wonderful finished sheen without being too ultra-glossy.

*This post contains affiliate links indicated by an asterisks – You don’t pay any more but I’ll earn some pennies to buy a few pretties for the dining room so it’s a win-win! ;)

I’m not sure if Ronseal has changed their formulation but following the 3 coats of Dark Oak stain, we realised the stain wasn’t really dark enough to match the flooring in the other rooms. It looked beautiful and had we not already gone so dark in the other rooms, I would have happily left it but the intention is to have all the floors match.

So after a brief discussion, we decided to leave the floors with the 3 coats of stain, cover them to protect them and get on with the other work at hand. The Bona Mega takes 5 days to fully cure and I was itching to start on the walls (so desperate I’ve been to get rid of the blue as the sky was finally brightening and I really REALLY wanted to lighten this space). Yep, I’m horribly impatient. The final coat of stain and varnish on the flooring could wait.

This weekend we decided to get on with the walls. I knew it was going to take some doing getting rid of that dark colour so on Friday, I went to the DIY store, picked up some white paint, a plastic sheet for the floor, a couple of rollers and trays. On the wall that divides the kitchen from the dining room and just on the left alcove, the previous owners had used a thick lining paper on the wall and it’d been peeling up for ages (to the point where both the dog AND the cat had been messing with it, pulling on it, etc) so in my typical act-now-think-later style, I decided I’d had enough of it.

you can see in this picture where I'd already started stripping it back - that's why the wall is half-white!

You can see in this picture where I’d already started stripping it back – that’s why the wall is half-white!

It pulled off in rather large satisfying strips but what was left behind was a thin layer of paper stuck via adhesive to the bare walls. We hemmed and hawed about what to do about it but finally, we realised it would all have to be stripped back to the bare plaster. This is the kind of thing you have to be prepared for. Yep, I wanted to get on with painting but that wall needed sorting before we could even dip our paint brushes.

Half-way through removing the lining paper

Half-way through removing the lining paper – check out our makeshift dining area in the kitchen. Classy.

So out came the wallpaper stripper* and the tools we needed and we got to work. It is horrible messy work removing old wallpaper and I fully realise whomever moves into our home after us is going to have a job removing all the wallpaper that I’ve added but well,  such is the joy of home-ownership – doing what you want in your own damn house because you want to. So yeah, I have to afford the previous owners the same privilege. Ho-hum.

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Once the wall was stripped back (which took most of Saturday), we knew we’d have to do some serious patching and we didn’t have enough filler on-hand because we’d used so much on the other walls already! The other thing that happened was the thin plastic sheet we’d put on the floor was virtually destroyed within 5 minutes of putting it down with our mental animals chasing each other around on it and our cat Meisha deciding she needed to attack it every 2 minutes (she’s just weird). So I went back to the DIY store that evening (our wild Saturday nights, what can I say) and picked up something a little more heavy duty to protect the floors, a pot of quick drying filler*, white oil-based gloss for the doors and frogtape* which I was out of.

On Sunday morning, I cleaned the floors and we decided to try the floor protection products I’d chosen. I picked up a self-adhesive plastic that comes on a roll which sticks to hard floors without damaging them. This stuff was magic and I wish I’d known about it before! (I couldn’t find the exact product online but this is really similar*.)

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We stuck it all around the edges of the floor and then laid a large water-proof canvas in the middle of the room. This combination worked SO well so I thought I’d share that.

Quito seemed to like it as well.

Quito seemed to like it as well.

Anyway, Wayne went about filling, patching and sanding the walls and I started on the painting. We did 1 coat of white paint all the way around and I was stunned at how bright the room started to look. I got excited. THINGS WERE HAPPENING.

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First coat of paint is on!

By 3pm on Sunday, we’d completed the work for that day, Wayne showered and while I waited to go in next (the plan for me to do the 2nd coat of white paint today), I just thought, ‘Sod the shower, I want to get this done now.’ I’m so impatient.

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Quito had clearly had enough by this point.

At 3:15pm, I said to Wayne, now freshly showered and changed, “I want to do the 2nd coat now. I’ll have it done by 4:30pm!”  He shrugged and told me to go for it if that’s what I wanted to do. So I pulled all the paints back out (we’d already cleaned up by then) and started on the second coat, chasing the light as I went. By 4:35 pm, the room had it’s second coat.

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Now I used Dulux Brilliant White Matt paint for this. I know from experience using this paint (I’ve used it LOADS of times before) that it goes on looking like it’s barely covering anything but dries nearly opaque. I was pretty scared I’d have to do 3 coats of white before I could use the final 2 coats of grey paint but to be honest, it’s covered so incredibly well that aside from a few little patches which I’ll be going over, the room can now be painted in my final colour (which, nope, I haven’t chosen yet because I needed to lighten the space first in order to test the paint colours).

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Excuse the messy kitchen in the background there! The radiator still needs to be painted of course.

That will be 4 coats in all (2 coats of white + 2 coats of grey) to cover the dark blue but well, it’s not exactly difficult work (aside from the fact my hand was aching from the roller and my thighs were killing me last night from going up and down the ladder 400 times) so it’s totally worth the trouble.

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I can’t get over how horrible and yellow my doors look! Of course, they will be repainted and I also need to replace the handles – first of all because they are chrome and well, I can’t not have brass handles and secondly, because one of them is broken and has been for literally YEARS and I’ve just ignored it. So those need to get sorted.

So that’s how far we’ve gotten into the dining room remodel! As you can see, we still have loads more to do but well, the only way to get to the final vision is to keep cracking on with each little piece of the puzzle. On Tuesday, we’ll be getting in the new skirting boards, dado rail and architraves from The Skirting Board Shop who are one of the lovely sponsors of my project (more on those soon) so we’re going to try and get those fitted this week. And then we’ll move on to doing the wall trims, tiling and finishing the fireplace and flooring and painting the room in it’s final colour. I also need to sort out the doors, paint all the skirting boards and give the ceiling a fresh coat of paint, plus wallpapering the chimney breast and of course, all the final finishes! Lots to come so stay tuned for all that!

Can you believe how much brighter the room looks just with the white paint? I’m loving it already and it’s still a building site! Ha! Did you do any DIY this weekend? Any projects you are working on?

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Swoon Worthy
Swoon Worthy Dining Room Design Main
you can see in this picture where I'd already started stripping it back - that's why the wall is half-white!
Half-way through removing the lining paper
IMG_5404
IMG_5414
Quito seemed to like it as well.
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IMG_5429
IMG_5446
IMG_5447
IMG_5450
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Unboxing my new card deck Daily Dose of Magic by my gorgeous bestie Victoria Jackson of @themanifestationcollective ! ✨

This is not an ad, I am just so in love with them, I wanted to share for my spiritual witchy friends out there 🥰

@thoughtcatalog

#witchvibes #spiritualjourney #carddecks #magicmoments✨
Ad (Press Sample) There are few kitchen products that are considered absolute classics but there is one that I have lusted after for YEARS and that is the utterly iconic @lecreusetuk large casserole pot. 🤩

For nearly a century, Le Creuset has been trusted for its superior performance, lasting quality and iconic design and the enamelled cast iron allows incredible versatility - not only can you use it with just about any heat source (from induction, glass, electric etc), you can also do everything from stir-fry to slow cooking to baking a cake in it and more. 

So, imagine my delight when Le Creuset got in touch to ask if I'd like to shoot their brand new colourway 🍑 Pêche 🍑 in my kitchen. I mean, there couldn't be a more perfect colour match with that juicy coral shade which if you've followed my account for any length of time, you'll know is one of my all-time favourites (not to mention that beautiful soft gold knob! 😍). The matching petite casserole dish and mugs are the perfect companions but you could easily mix and match this colourway with Le Creuset's other designs (Might I suggest the Sea Salt, a soft blue-green which would be gorgeous with Pêche). This new juicy summer shade is currently available exclusively at Le Creuset Official. I'd love to know which colourway is your favourite in the range?

#lecreuset #kitchendesign #kitchenstyling #kitchinspo #victorianhome #englishhome
My little neglected makeup/dressing room has had a glow up 🥰

#swoonworthy #beforeandafter #dressingroom #makeupvanity #closetgoals
My new rug can't compete with that belly.

Rug is from @laredoute_uk (not an ad) not that anyone cares 😅

#kitchendesign
I've really loved making these pretty reusable Christmas crackers! I'm still in the process of finding cute bits for filling them but they'll definitely be a centrepiece for my table this year!🎄💕

Suggestions for what to fill them with coming soon!

(By the way, I'm not a skilled seamstress so I'm sure my techniques can be improved but just sharing what worked for me 🤗😅)

Let me know if this is something you'd try? ❤️

#swoonworthy #christmasdecor #christmascraft #diychristmas #diycrafts #easysewingproject
On 22 October 2022, I married my best friend! I can't believe it's been a whole year (and one day) I've been calling @2nilup my husband 🥰 We've been together for 15 years now and I simply can't and wouldn't want to imagine my life without him ❤️ 

#youandmeagainsttheworld #2222 

Photography: @violajayphotography 
Flowers: @primroseavenuefloral 
Dress: @camillawithlove
DIY REFILLABLE CHRISTMAS CRACKERS 🎄🎉

I've been thinking about making refillable crackers for so many years now - I just hate the waste the disposal ones create! So I'm so excited I've finally gotten around to starting this project!

I will be sharing more details on how to make them as well as ideas for what to fill them with too so stay tuned for more but in the meantime, what do you think? 

#swoonworthy #diychristmas #christmasdecor #christmascraft #easysewingproject #sustainableliving #ecofriendlyliving
Just wanted to introduce my latest plant baby in my dining room 🪴

It's from @botanique_shrewsbury and it's a Peparomia (I am probably pronouncing it wrong, I keep wanting to say
GUEST BEDROOM REVEAL 🌟

I decided on a whim, 2 weeks before we were expecting visiting family, that our guest bedroom was in desperate need of a refresh.

Well there's nothing like an impending deadline to light a 🔥 under my 🍑 and I managed to clear out the clutter, repaint the woodwork, ceilings and walls and hang wallpaper as well as restyle the room in one week 😅 (Meisha was zero help 😼)

I'm calling it Boho Vintage Victorian Grandma 😆

This wasn't sponsored in any way but the wallpaper and bedding is from @lauraashleyuk and the paint is @earthbornpaints Peach Baby - everything else I already had!

What do you think of the new look? ❤️

#bedroombeforeandafter #guestroom
#bedroommakeover
#beforeandafter
#bedroomdecor #cottagecore #vintagestyle #victorianhouse #ihavethisthingwithpink #bengalsofinstagram
🔥JOIN US ROUND THE FIRE PIT! 🔥

ad | One of my favorite things to do in summer is sit around the fire pit in the evenings with a cold beer 🍻 There's just something incredibly relaxing watching those flames and embers crackle, warming yourself up and taking the edge off falling temperatures as the sun sets!

Thanks to @homefireuk they've made the whole process incredibly easy and enjoyable with their Handy Firepit Bundle which include 2 bags of kindling, 2 bags of natural firestarters and 3 large bags of kiln-dried logs 🪵 for a really great price! 

No more standing around waiting for things to light properly or billowing smoke from wet wood, everything burns beautifully! ☺️ We literally sat around this for hours as the logs last so long, long after the sun set, just chatting and enjoying ourselves! 🥰🍻🔥

Do you love a good firepit in the summer?

#homefire #readytoburn #smokelessbyhomefire #heartofyourhome #logsbyhomefire #summerideas #firepit #gardenideas
San Sebastian photo dump - just a tiny selection 😄

We have had such a fabulous holiday to Basque Country - our first 4 days spent in the beautiful city of San Sebastian, land of pintxos, stunning architecture and some damn good wine.

#sansebastian #travelgram #photodump
A little kitchen reshuffle today so I thought I'd share 🥰

It's been 4 years since we created this space and it's still one of my favourites ♥️

#kitchendesign #kitchendecor #kitcheninspiration #kitchenideas #openshelvingkitchen #kitchenstyling
Ad 🩷 Before and after Deck makeover! 🩷

This little decked patio was looking worse for wear after a wet winter but @frenchicpaint came to the rescue with their beautiful Dusty Blush Alfresco Paint, perfect for all your outdoor projects!

The deck has been a few colours over the past few years but this is definitely the most fun and gives the whole space such a tropical vibe - even in Shrewsbury! 🏝️ 🦩🍹😄

The paint has incredible coverage and was so nice to use - I loved the tools they provided too, especially the oval brush which got into all the nooks and crannies easily!

Let me know what you think of the new colour! 

#frenchicpaint #beforeandafter #deckmakeover #gardeninspiration #gardeninspo #outdoorproject
So on a whim I decided to paint the bedroom pink yesterday 😅🩷

This room has been neglected for so long as I've wanted to fully redecorate for about 3 years now but there are always other bigger priorities or a lack of time/energy/money so I keep putting it off 🙃🙃🙃 (tell me I'm not the only one) but happily this didn't cost a penny as I used what I already had although it did take me the best part of a day!

I went through my paint stash and found that I had extra @coatpaints Percy from when I did the living room early last year -- well I'm not one to let something this good go to waste (honestly this paint is absolutely wonderful to work with and has amazing coverage) and my goodness it's just so pretty in here 🥰 I also moved my pink curtains from my office into here and the whole room just glows!

I might actually be able to live with the mural a little longer until the room gets the attention it deserves! Let me know if you like the change ♥️

*For those who are wondering, it used to be white walls and I had grey curtains! 😅

#swoonworthy #bedroomdecor #bedroommakeover #bedroomdesign #pinkpinkpink #pinkinteriors
A little photo dump from my recent living room shoot because I still love to dig into the details of a still photo 😄💕

#swoonworthy #swoonworthyscents #livingroominspo #livingroomdesign #photodump
ad How to De-stress at Home in 6 Simple Steps 😊

April has been #stressawarenessmonth and so I've teamed up with the wonderful @frenchbedroom to share a few simple tips in creating a cosy sanctuary at home!

One of my favourite ways to add a feeling of comfort and relaxation is with glorious touchable textures and the stunning Mulberry Silk ruffled cushion from French Bedroom not only looks spectacular but feels incredible too! Pairing this with other feel-good fabrics will add depth to your design and will beg you to sink in and unwind 😍

French Bedroom are also now stocking my own home fragrance brand @swoonworthyscents candles, adding another element of calm with scent to your home. I chose No 02 Sunday Morning for my living room with rejuvenating Jasmine and refreshing pine and lemon notes 🥰

Check out my latest blog post for more tips on creating a relaxing sanctuary in your home via the link in my bio!

#swoonworthy #swoonworthyscents #frenchbedroom #livingroominspo #livingroomdesign #calming #aesthetic #cottagecoreaesthetic
Who needs pancakes when you can have Lemon Drizzle Cake with Lemoncello glaze?! 😉🍋

I've had such a craving for this cake for a while so figured I'd make it today! This is a recipe from @bbcgoodfood and it's rather gorgeous 🥰

#baking #lemondrizzle #lemoncake #bakewithlove #shrovetuesday
Are you lucky enough to be owned by a cat? 🐈🐾

#bengallove #bengalsofinstagram #bengalcat #bengal #catsofinstagram #catlife
Finally managed to get the gallery wall completed in our hallway!

I couldn't have been happier with @violajayphotography capturing our little intimate wedding in October and knew as soon as I saw the photos I had to print them for our home! I admit, I've never been one to hang photos but it's probably because all we ever had after 14 years together was selfies 😂🤷🏽‍♀️ I'm so pleased we finally have some lovely shots of us together 🥰

Do you have photos of you/your partner/your family up around your home?? 🤔

#gallerywall #autumnwedding #hallwaydesign #hallwayinspo
✨These little vintage copper pans needed some TLC! ✨

After searching for a while for vintage copper pans, I found these on eBay - they looked quite grim on the ad but I knew they could be shined up nicely! A little @barkeepersfriend later (not an ad!) and I'm loving how they look in my kitchen 🥰

Let me know if you like the new addition ❤️

#kitcheninspo #kitchendesign #vintagestyle #kitchenstyling