Mahogany sideboard painted in two coats of Aubusson Blue and one coat of Florence plus clear and dark wax.
In this post, I showcase a number of small items that I've shown a little love. I wanted you to see what you can do to brighten up your decor with so little effort!
Read moreThese are all wild flowers I picked on the common (cow parsley, borage and not sure what the purple one is). There's a sign now saying you can't pick the wild flowers!
Years ago, I trained and worked as a florist for four years. My father was a florist with a business in NZ for 52 years: the longest standing florist in the country! I love to be surrounded by plants and flowers in the home but it's an expensive luxury. I therefore am always looking for inexpensive alternatives.
Wild flowers on the commons in London are gorgeous (commons are parks, to anyone outside the UK!). Just check first if there is a sign saying you can't pick the flowers as I saw the sign as I walked past with a huge bunch of cow parsley, borage and other wild flowers. Lucky no parks police around to arrest me!
It's not always about vases crammed with flowers and loads of colour. In some of the photos, I have used the flowers from my pots of herbs — mint, marjoram and oregano — which have the most stunning, subtle colours.
I also pick stems of lavender from my window boxes and tiny daisies from another pot. Their delicate and subtle colours and stems need tiny vases to show them off.
This is MYOB (Mind your own business) and it is one of my favourite small house plants. It hardly needs watering and it doesn't need much light.
Supermarkets are full of cut flowers and plants for sale and it's hard to walk past the display without being tempted to buy something. However they always look forced and the colours slightly unnatural.
Alstromeria (Peruvian lillies) are a great buy as they are the longest lasting cut flower. You should get at least 2 weeks out of them. I always squeeze the maximum life out of my flowers. Cutting flowers shorter and putting in a smaller vase is a good way to get a few more days out of your flowers as I have done in the photo below with the remainder of the Alstromeria and lilies.
They also look totally different than they did when you had them in a tall vase with long stems!
Two-week old Alstromeria and lilies cut down to squeeze another week out of them. The jug was a great charity shop find at £3!
Gladioli are very inexpensive when in season. They were so 70s but seem to have made a comeback in the last year.
This bunch cost £2.99 and I'll get a week out of them - keeping direct sunlight off them. Love the lime green colour and the tall thin shape of them contrasts well with the large round chinese vases.
Always add a drop of bleach to the water (I never add that sachet they give you to the water; it's useless). The bleach will stop the water smelling bad and more importantly it stops the vase getting water marks.
Delicate sprigs of herb flowers on the kitchen table. I painted this tray in Annie Sloan 'Old Violet.
It's not necessary to have a vase crammed with flowers. Just a few stems like this gives each flower space to show off its beauty. And this vintage French jar, a great find from Phoenix on Golborne makes a great vase.
I bought this selection of inexpensive, old bottles from Phoenix on Golborne. Jess, the owner has a lovely eclectic mix of furniture and smaller items. This is one of my favourite shops and it's where I did my paint class. In the green bottle are stems of mint, marjoram and oregano. The other bottle contains tiny daisies that some people would consider a weed!
I do treat myself to a bunch of really nice flowers from the supermarket. These were £6.99 in Waitrose but I couldn't resist them as I adore the colour and they look fabulous on my sideboard. It's a darkish corner of the kitchen so I should get 10 days at least from these. The glass vase is another purchase from Phoenix on Golborne and is my favourite vase.
I love this recipe and it's a great way to use peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots when they are in season and inexpensive. Serving them with vanilla meringues is a great combo. The fruit can be stored in the fridge and eaten over several days. And the meringues keep very well in an airtight tin. I've not added a photo of the meringues (they are still in the oven!). Above you can see that I have used nectarines and a few random apricots.
4 egg whites
250g (8oz/1cup) caster (superfine) sugar - for the meringues
2 vanilla beans, split
1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
6 peaches, stones removed and cut in half - you can use nectarines as I have done and any other stone fruit
250ml (9fl oz/1 cup) good dessert wine
3 tablespoons raw caster (superfine) sugar - for the fruit
300 ml (101/2 fl oz) creme fraiche or thick cream
Preheat over to 110C (22f/Gas 1/2).
Line two large baking trays with baking paper.
Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in half the sugar until very shiny, then add the remaining sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Scrape out the seeds from one vanilla bean and stir them into the egg whites, along with the vanilla extract.
Spoon the mixture onto the two baking trays to form six 10-12 cm (4-4 1/2 inch) rounds. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until crisp and golden. Turn the oven off, open the door slightly and leave the meringues until cool enough to handle. Peel them off the baking paper and put them on a rack to cool.
Turn the oven temperature up to 210c (415F/Gas 6-7). Put the fruit, cut side up, in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour over the wine and sprinkle with the raw sugar. Cut the remaining vanilla bean into thirds and add to the baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes or until the peaches are soft and slightly caramelised on top (I leave mine much longer than 15 min). Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Divide the meringues among six serving plates and top with a dollop of creme fraich or cream. Add two peach halves to each plate and drizzle with the syrup from the baking dish. Garnish with the vanilla bean pieces.
For a more interesting flavour, try this recipe:
6 apricots, 3 peaches, 3 nectarines - halved and stoned
175g / 6oz golden caster sugar
1 vanilla pop, split in 2
5 cardamom pods
Zest and juice of 1 lime (I usually use 2 limes)
Tip the sugar, vanilla pod, cardamom and lime zest and juice into a food processor and blitz until blended.
Put fruit in shallow baking dish and toss it with the sludgy sugar mix.
Roast for 20 minutes or until juices have made a sticky sauce but fruit is not collapsed. You can keep this in the fridge for up to 4 days. It's divine!
And if you have a glut of plums in the house:
140g/5 oz white granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg white
12 red plums
butter, for the dish
Heat oven to 200C/gas 6.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
Whisk the egg white, then roll the plums first in egg white, then in the cinnamon sugar until very well coated in a sugary crust.
Space apart in a buttered baking dish and bake for 15 mins or until the plums are crusty, cooked through and starting to be juicy. To test, poke in a cocktail stick. Serve warm.
Did you know that you can freeze egg yolks? I hope you don't throw them away after making meringues or any other recipe that requires only egg whites. Make lemon curd with them (divine) or custard, ice-cream, rice pudding.
Place one egg yolk in each ice cube cavity of a clean ice cube tray.
Add a pinch of salt to each yolk (if you plan to eventually use them in savoury recipes) or a pinch of sugar (if you will use them in sweet recipes).
Freeze overnight until solid, then transfer to an airtight freezer bag.
To use, thaw in refrigerator and then mix well. They will keep in the freezer for up to three months. Leftover egg yolks can also be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
They are so expensive so I never throw them away once I've scraped out the seeds. I have a jar of sugar that I add my vanilla pods to and they give the sugar the most heavenly flavour.
This little oak chair is an absolute darling and makes a great focal point in the hall, as well as a place to dump things!
I must tell you about Quirky Dovetail, a local, independent shop that sells beautifully painted, vintage pine and antique furniture plus a range of interesting homewares. Their two quirky shops (Balham and Clapham in South West London) are absolute gems and I feel fortunate to have them on my doorstep.
Being able to take your own furniture there to be painted (and upholstered) is a real bonus and a service I've never before encountered.
The biggest draw of the shops are the staff: Andy and Gill, the owners, and Nick are so charming, friendly, helpful and knowledgable. It's their personal touch that makes Quirky Dovetail so special. I've attended their evening workshop 'Colour in your Home' which was so interesting and also a great way to meet local, like-minded people. My house has been transformed since I discovered them.
Quirky Dovetail's ethos is quality items at affordable prices which means that I can go in and buy rather than drool and walk out frustrated! You can follow Quirky Dovetail on Facebook and Twitter.
Here are some items I have purchased from Quirky Dovetail. You see see what an eclectic mix they sell:
We are not sure of the origin of this piece of furniture. Any ideas? They are Indian cow bells sitting on the top.
I needed a rug for a bedroom but couldn't afford the ones I liked so I found this tapestry which had the backing removed. I love the muted colours. Someone must have spent months making this!
These are old Indian stone dishes and I absolutely adore them. They are great for serving my tapenade and other dip recipes.
I bought this nursing chair years ago in a charity shop. Quirky Dovetail recently painted and upholstered it.
My Spirit of Freedom flowers twice a year and the pinky/mauve flowers are unbelievably beautiful, rather like a double camelia, with an intoxicating perfume. They look divine in this pair of old-fashioned vases, don't you agree?
My Spirit of Freedom flowers twice a year and the pinky/mauve flowers are unbelievably beautiful, rather like a double camelia, with an intoxicating perfume.
Read moreSpace is at such a premium in London so we appreciate even the tiniest amount of outdoor space. Here's how I maximise mine.
Read moreDon't you love this sideboard which someone in the US painted in Annie Sloan's Antibes Green? They've distressed the piece and used dark wax as well which tones down the colour and gives it an aged look. I'm going to paint an old console table this colour.
Read moreI have a real passion for mirrors in a home. Not only do they fill wall space if you don't have a lot of artwork but more importantly, they reflect light so if you have a dark hall, a small room or an empty wall, they can be used to great effect.
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