Decorating Without Redecorating

I have lived in a flat for just over four months and thought it was time for a bit of...redecorating. I guess you can't really call what I've done 'redecorating' because it doesn't involve any paint or wallpaper and the furniture is still the same. 

It all started when was given two lovely grey throws for Christmas. This gave me the idea to re-arrange and add to our bedroom using 'grey' as the main theme. I managed to make the room look completely different without spending much money at all, so thought I would share what I did with you.

I've added a grey tray which I picked up in France to the bedside table. The base is made of glass and is like a photo frame, allowing you to add your own personal touch. You can create this look yourself for even cheaper like I did here using a photo frame.
This bedside babushka carafe was such a random find! I popped into a local independent shop when I was home for Christmas and found her in the sale for £2. She was such a bargain because apparently her head didn't fit on properly, but it turns out she works fine! 

I've kept the bed simple, matching two of the pillows (you can just see them behind the white ones) with two scatter cushions from ASDA. The two grey throws both live at the end of the bed. 

This stag head was a Christmas gift from my parents to Ben. Isn't it great? I think it was from M&S and although it looks like wood it is actually made from really sturdy cardboard. 
I think a wall piece like this really adds something special to the room and luckily this one ties in nicely with the greyness. 

If you don't like the idea of a cardboard animal head you could always try a print or a canvas. I guess this is like having a 'feature' wall without covering the whole wall.

Each little area of the room has a cluster of candles and pictures. The first one is an adorable design of Durdle Door on a greetings card, which I put in a frame from IKEA. This is such an inexpensive way of displaying artwork, especially if you want to change it regularly. Below this is a framed cross stitch that my bestest friend Laura made for Ben and I.

I love fresh flowers, but they can be so expensive so a great way to save money is by displaying artificial or dried ones. My mum kindly donated some Hydrangeas from her garden, which I have dried out and placed in a jar from IKEA.

It just goes to show that you can make a room look completely different without touching the walls or furniture. I hope this post has been helpful!

Decor Ideas: White Furniture & Plant pots

I could spend all day in IKEA. I love their quirky furniture, beautiful bedding and the fact that there is now one less than an hour’s drive from my house.

I like to re arrange my bedroom sometimes and decided to buy some furniture from Ikea to make a little reading/chill out area. To make a partition, I used two of the Expedit shelving units in white and filled them with pretty things that I like to keep on display.

Expedit shelving Units- £20.00

Inside the little area is an old sofa and another piece of Ikea furniture. This is the Lack side table, also in white to match the shelving units. The table is actually much bigger than I was expecting it to be so it is perfect as a small coffee table in front of the sofa.

Left to right: Chevron tea light holder- Wilkinson £2.50, Blue Fig candle- IKEA (set of three) £2.95, White plant pot- Ikea £2.00, Tilly Parker candle- TK Maxx £5.00, 3 wick candle in black and white tin- Primark £3.00

On the table I went with a mostly white theme as well and added some blue and black details to mix things up a bit. I am a big fan of chevron print at the moment so I was thrilled to find this tea light holder in Wilkinson for only £2.50! They have a matching vase, which I am very tempted to go back for and place on top of the shelving unit.

Instead of putting a plant in the plant pot I decided to hide a small vase at the bottom of it and place flowers in so that I can change them regularly. I may also try out some artificial flowers and see how that looks as a more permanent feature.

The white flower pot and bin are also from IKEA.

Plant pot used as bin- IKEA £5.00

The bin is a larger version of the small plant pot but is the perfect size to use as a waste paper bin for my bedroom.

My Cat, Biggie approves. He often likes to use this corner of my room as a cat napping area. 

I hope you enjoyed these ideas and that they maybe give you some inspiration for your own bedroom…or even your lounge or study. 

Disclosure: The views expressed are based on my own experience.