It’s been another long gap since the last time we added any items to our online shop. We’ve been making the most of the recent good weather – exploring Mid-Wales and occasionally getting out & about buying stock.
Here’s a quartet of some of the vintage things that we’ve listed in the past few days – including an eye-catching Waechtersbach platter – simply click on each image to be taken to the individual item page.
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This living room in Natalie Wong’s K-town Château is just so luxe! Based in the Koreatown neighbourhood of Los Angeles, Natalie blogs about the experience of living in small spaces in big cities. About getting involved in and enjoying interior decoration without the DIY skills or knowledge. About furnishing your space using vintage and 2nd-hand budget homewares.
She describes her apartment:
…the Château’s interiors feature 10’ ceilings, custom carved and extruded plaster moldings, artisan crafted fireplaces, built-in china cabinets and European-style terraces overlooking the most darling manicured courtyard.
She may not be handy, but she’s so skilled at bringing pieces together to make stunning spaces in her K-town Château.
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Prices & links correct at time of publication.
Buying your first home is probably one of the most exciting purchases you will make in your lifetime. The thought of furnishing and decorating your home in any manner you desire is thrilling. However, if you have few or no material possessions to take to your new property, you’ll need to buy a whole list of items. Here are some essential buys for your first home.
When you’ve had an exhausting day moving lots of boxes into your new home, you’ll be glad that you purchased a comfortable sofa and a couple of armchairs. Before you move into your home, consult the estate agent’s particulars for the home to get a record of the room measurements, or ask to visit the house to do some measuring up of your own. Doing so will mean that you’ll be able to choose a sofa that will fit into the sitting room, and you’ll know whether or not the space will accommodate that L-Shaped or chaise sofa you always dreamed about owning.
If you desire, you can purchase a television for the lounge and a unit on which to stand it, unless you wish to wall mount it. You may want to get a shelving unit for books, CDs, DVDs and knick-knacks. IKEA is a great place to pick up storage furniture that will fit into any size and shape of room.
A coffee table or some side tables are great pieces of furniture to have in the lounge so that you can rest your cup of tea somewhere or have cosy suppers of pizza and other takeaway meals in front of the television. You could buy a table lamp or two to give a warm glow to the room rather than using the sometimes harsh ceiling light.
Soft furnishings such as rugs, window dressing, and cushions are a fun thing to buy, and you can really bring your new home to life and inject some of your personality into it through the careful selection of these items.
Obviously, in the bedroom, you’ll need a bed. If you share the house with a partner, you’ll probably want to buy a queen-sized bed. As you spend a good chunk of your lifetime asleep, you must ensure you invest in a good quality queen size mattress that will give you a blissful night’s sleep and make sure you wake up feeling refreshed and pain-free. You’ll also need to buy sheets, a quilt or blankets for the bed, as well as some ergonomic pillows that support your neck and align your spine correctly.
A couple of bedside tables are practical for either side of the bed so that you and your partner can store items such as books, jewellery, reading glasses and night-time medications on them. Bedside lamps are essential for those who like to read at bedtime.
If there are no built-in wardrobes, you’ll need to purchase suitable furniture for storing clothing. You can buy free-standing wardrobes, a metal clothes rail or a chest of drawers. You may want to buy a clothes rail as a temporary measure and then have fitted wardrobes built in once you’re settled into the house.
If the kitchen in your new home doesn’t come equipped with large appliances, you’ll need to purchase a stove, an oven and a fridge freezer. You should also check whether the stove needs to be powered by electricity or gas and have it installed by a qualified engineer. If money is no object and there’s plenty of space in the kitchen, you may want to purchase further kitchen appliances such as a microwave and dishwasher. Small appliances such as a kettle, toaster, food processor and coffee machine will make life easier. A washing machine and clothes dryer are two other essential white goods you should buy for your new home.
If your home has a dining room, you’ll need to furnish it with a table and chairs. Once again, check the measurements of the room to see what size and shape of table will fit. Remember that people must have enough space to get in and out of their chairs without banging into the walls. If you have a large dining room, you may want to get a unit or sideboard in which to store crockery, cutlery, glassware and alcoholic beverages to use when guests come.
It’s not just the house for which you need to buy things. If your new home has a garden, you’ll need to acquire a lawnmower and some other tools to keep your garden looking immaculate and well cared for. Visit the local garden centre to see the range of plants on offer. The staff there can advise you as to the best ones to choose for your garden’s size and situation.
Many of the things that you consider as essential buys for your first home will differ to mine or the next person’s. Items such as bed, fridge-freezer and seating will more than likely cross-over, but what else could you not live without?
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Correctly maintaining your rugs is essential to keep them in top condition for several years to come. But suppose you’ve inherited a vintage rug, or they’ve become stained and faded. In that case, hiring a rug repair service is the best choice as regular maintenance and care might not compare to professional repair and cleaning results. While routine professional care is an excellent investment, these simple tips and tricks will also keep your rugs in top condition.
Keeping heavy furniture on your rug can cause damage due to the added weight, especially if it’s a thick-piled or woolly rug. This is easy to avoid by simply doing a regular rotation of your furniture or the area rug. Use furniture coasters that evenly distribute furniture’s weight to prevent tearing the area rug when moving furniture. You can also brush areas of the rug that are pressed down with a toothbrush or comb.
If possible, ensure that where you place your rug is away from sunlight which can fade your rug. Suppose you can’t avoid sunlight, strategically place your furniture to block sunlight from damaging your rugs. You can also use curtains that can block out sunlight but not take away airflow. There’s also the option of installing ultraviolet windows or tinting, which block out the fading effect of the sun.
Doing regular vacuuming, especially if you have pets, can prolong the life of your rugs and carpet. Make sure to clean any spilled food or liquids immediately with a carpet stain remover. Make sure to invest in a vacuum cleaner that has a suitable suction power to suit your needs. And, if you have pets, invest in pet fur cleaning equipment. These products are relatively cheap to get and, although you might need to get on your hands and knees, this effort will keep pet fur off your carpets.
These chemicals can be bought in almost any store and are easy to use. They come in a range of different strengths such as stain removing, waterproofing and instant stain remover. Use the chemicals carefully as they can damage the fibres of your carpet and leave stains if not used as directed. Also available is dry carpet cleaner which is used to keep your carpet smelling fresh.
Depending on your needs, you should do a regular deep clean of your carpets with an extraction machine at least twice a year or hire a professional to handle the task for you. There are carpet cleaning companies everywhere, and most are relatively affordable. Keeping your rugs clean will prevent you from having to replace them.
Taking measures to keep your rugs in top condition is not just great for maintaining the lifespan of your floor coverings, it’s also crucial for keeping your home free of allergens. Dusty rugs can cause sinus and breathing issues, especially in asthmatics or younger children, so be sure to care for your area rugs and keep them clean.
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