Friday 14 March 2014

Concrete stool...DIY

....DIY




So, in my last post I showed you my shopping wish list for our impending bedroom make-over, and top of my list was this concrete stool from Cox&Cox..
But as it was out of my budget I decided to DIY one for using as a bedside table...

 

In today's tutorial, I will show you how!




You will need:


A long piece of 1,5" thick dowel(from any hardware shop)
A bucket
Fast setting Concrete mix (I used Postcrete )
Water
A measuring tape
A pencil
A wood saw
A palm sander
Sandpaper
Masking tape
Paint

Cut the dowel into 3 equally long pieces...
The length depends on how tall you want your stool to be...I cut mine to 18".


Plan the positioning of your dowel "legs" prior to mixing up the concrete:
Place them into your bucket to decide on the positioning of the legs...
...because I used an old empty paint kettle with a low rim, I stuck 3 bits of offcut wood to the sides of the "bucket" with tape to improve the angle of mine..


Take the "legs" out again and poor about 1 inch of tap water into your bucket...
...add the concrete and mix well!
You need to aim for about 3" of concrete mix!


Tap and shake the bucket to knock out any air bubbles and let the mix settle, then place your dowel legs about 1/3 into the concrete...

Leave to set for at least 24 hours...



...preferably 48 hours...
If you have accidentally got any concrete on your wooden legs, use a bit of sandpaper to get rid of any unwanted lumps at this stage..
Then turn the bucket upside down and press the sides of the bucket to release the concrete...jiggle it off.

If your stool is not completely level, like mine , use a spirit level (or a measuring jug.... I couldn't find my spirit level) to determine where you will need to take some off the legs, them mark each leg that will need shortening. Use a palm-sander (or similar) to sand back the longest legs...
Run some sand-paper over the sharp edge of the concrete on the underside of the stool for safety..
I masked off  3" on each leg and painted with white gloss (Not only does this look nice, but it will also protect the wood from staining at the bottom).

That's it!

 

 I love that I could create this so easily for less than £25,-



It is going to look perfect in our "new-look" bedroom, which by the way is finished painted now (Sneaky peek of my new wall colour in the pic above...)

What do you think of my DIY concrete stool?
Doesn't it look easy??
It is!

Or would you have rather spent over £100 for a ready made one?

Have a great week-end folks!
I am hoping to take Mr shopping for new laminate flooring ...
so fingers crossed we find something we can agree on and commit to!

xxx
June

Wednesday 12 March 2014

My bedroom wish list...My guide to Shopping for Scandinavian design

...And where to shop for Scandinavian Design!!



On my wish list: Wicker cone chair with curly sheep skin from Cox&Cox

There is no stopping me now!
My decorating marathon is like a run-away freight train...
So with the hallway pretty much done, I am now turning my attention to our bedroom makeover..

We are expecting our new built in wardrobes to be installed very soon, so I am spending this week preparing the room: Making a start on the paint job and planning our wood-panelled wall....and more!

We are going for a Scandinavian look, with shades of grey and white.

Like I said in my previous post, decorating has sparked a "desire to shop" in me...(ME...I NEVER shop....I make?? what's happening??)
I blame it on all those wonderful and inspiring pictures from interior design enthusiasts from Norway on Instagram...That simple Scandinavian style with it's clean white walls and mid century inspired furniture has got my heart beating!!

Scandinavian design is very "now"...Brands like House doctor, Bloomingville, Madame Stoltz, Ferm living and Hay design (to mention a few)all capture the simplicity and functionality of traditional Scandinavian design in a modern way: The look consists of  a neutral palette with shots of colour...Pale wood, concrete and copper...geometric shapes, and textured soft furnishings inspired by nature...


I love this Rug from House Doctor...


Even some of the more accessible, in terms of price, high-street and mail order shops in Scandinavia is bursting with  functional , yet beautiful design for the home...
...Of course you have IKEA- the "mother of cheap and functional design" but I have also recently discovered that H&M's home ware range is bang on trend and reasonably priced, and a great place to get those little accessories that make a house a home... But my favourite Scandinavian shop  for low-cost home ware and accessories has got to be ELLOS, a mail order company that has been around since I was a little girl...
 Unfortunately Ellos is unavailable here in the UK....

I have put together this "Look book" of products from the Scandinavian shops mentioned above that I would like for our new bedroom:


 1 Cotton rug from H&M home
2 Copper candle stick from H&M home
3 Sheer geometric curtains from ELLOS
4 Light chain from ELLOS
5 & 7 Geometric copper wire window lights from ELLOS
6 Grey linen curtains from ELLOS
8 White and grey zig zag bedspread from ELLOS



Fortunately for me, I have a very kind mother that lives in Norway, and has ordered me everything on my wishlist above and is bringing it to the UK later this month...
Lucky me!!
Takk Mamma!


But don't despair if you love Scandinavian design and live in the UK, most of the Design companies mentioned above will have UK stockists (click on the links)
+
I see more and more Scandinavian design influences in home-ware here in the UK as well...
Habitat has a definite Scandinavian feel to most of their design and the online shop Cox&Cox has the Scandinavian trend spot on with their current collection.
Even Sainsburys has got in on the trend with their Nordic folk collection ...




This Concrete topped stool from Cox&Cox is top of my unattainable wish list for our new look bedroom....

But because it is out of my budget, I have decided to DIY one...
So watch this space...tutorial coming soon!

I am really itching to get started on the bedroom now...
Time to dig out the paint and brushes again...

What do you think of my bedroom look-book?
Do you like Scandinavian design in your home?
Have I missed any retailers of Scandi-inspired home ware worth mentioning?
Let me know by leaving a comment below!

xxx
June


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