Design Dilemmas

Episode 68: This week we’re discussing adding lighting to dining spaces and styling mid century sideboards. Plus long thin rooms, making rentals feel like a home and the Sunday Niche Edit.

[Photo credit: Elle Decoration Spain].

Hola, dear readers and as you open this, I will hopefully be sitting on my Ibizan Hotel balcony with a nice Spanish coffee, a sunny view, a sun tan and no hangover. I think we all know that the first three are very likely; the final one very unlikely but I can but dream. We are having a little rest (well, sort of) before we hit the ground running tomorrow and move our final belongings across to our new home, including the cat and the dog, the prospect of which is giving me palpitations 1,500 miles away. I have been trying to work out what to do with them, after forgetting to get the cats vaccinations in time to be able to throw her into the cattery for the day (she’s a house cat so it’s never top of my priority list since she never goes further than the hallway). I have a vague plan that I’m going to put her in the bathroom with some food, her cat bed and a litter tray and hope for the best whilst carnage ensues outside. I’m going to assign responsibility for Buddy to Leo, who will be forced to get out of bed before 11.30 am for the first time in three weeks and which, quite frankly, will be good for him. I’ll send him off to the park with some poo bags and the jobs a good ‘un.

I am torn between great excitement at finally moving in and a slight sense of trauma at living in what currently resembles a crack den. We ripped all the wallpaper off in the living room (it had been there for over half a century) and the original lime plaster was beneath, still in unbelievably good condition to a point that it doesn’t even need replastering. Amazing, really. However, there is no point lining papering the walls until the door is blocked in and the two fireplaces are opened so until then, we will be living in a space that resembles Ewan McGregors bedroom in Trainspotting. The Togo sofas are going to have to work hard for the money in order to get this bad boy room looking chic, I tell you.

But enough of moving dramas and back to your quandaries and this week we are starting with what to do with dining room lighting and how to get it right. How to style inherited midcentury furniture to make it look cool and not grannified, plus the age old question that comes up time and time again which is room styling a long thin space. We’re discussing how to make a rental property feel like home plus three top tips from an expert and finally, the Sunday Niche Edit today is all about pen pots (I got massively carried away here and could have done loads - such a fun niche).

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