Love This #84: Spools and wooden shoe forms

This month’s Love This post is also from last year’s Grand Designs Live and was right alongside the lovely radiators I shared before. You can just imagine my joy, and MOH’s despair as he tried to move me along without leaving with either any of these, a radiator or even any of the tiles.

Sometimes he has a tough job… But luckily for my purse he’s often there to do it.

Though these wooden spools or bobbins, would look great wouldn’t they as a ornament? And not just in a craft room, although they’d look great there I think they’d work in almost any room, and bring their character to the space. I”m sure they’d be a talking point too.

I managed to leave without any, but I’ve made a mental note - and now a blog note - to add them to my virtual wish list. If I see any when I’m out and about that are reasonably priced then leaving them there might be a completely different proposition. I think I was distracted though, by these.

Wooden shoe forms. I’m well known for being a bit of shoequeen, so it makes sense to be curious about these too. They are fascinating and beautiful in their own right, and again would make an unusual addition to a display area. And they really do make you think about how shoes are - and used to be - made.

The lights too are where it got interesting, as that’s where MOH and I swap roles. He would easily have left with even more than these - we saw plenty of vintage lights at the show - and that’s even before we saw this one:

We both almost wavered, but practicality - and lack of space - won again. For now.

Love This #83: Keeping warm and looking good

This month’s Love This post is completely different to the last one, and while I loved the froggy birdbath for the way it made me smile, these radiators take my breath away. They always have, and I suspect they always will. For something that is designed simply to give out heat, they are utter beauties.

I’ve not yet bought a house yet though that suits them. Yet. Although if I was to buy a house with everything I’d like in mind, I’d be like Phil and Kirstie’s worst nightmare, with a wishlist longer than my arms, and theirs too I’m sure.

At Grand Designs last year I spent a fair time just sighing and stroking these on display from The Old Radiator Company, and since have spent more time than I should on their site too, plotting and planning. I know it’s to no avail, we have new radiators in our house and don’t have the space to incorporate any of these style, or believe me I would have.

I did moot the idea when we changed the radiator in our main living space for a six foot vertical one, but again space was limited and we needed something that would heat a relatively large space in the most efficient way, so I was overruled.

But I’ve not totally given up on owning at least one of these at some point. But equally it’d have to be the right one in the right space, and for me, the more ornate the better. But as I wandered around the display something new, well not new exactly, new-to-me caught my eye - these slimmer, but equally loveable designs.

Since then, a new plan has been forming. Sadly still not for this house, but these look eminently more fit-in-able to a modern day house, and would make a stunning addition to an entrance hall.

One day, maybe. Sigh.

Love This #82: Splashing about in the birdbath

Like you do.

Or rather, like these playful frogs do, even though they’re frozen in time. The sculpture or birdbath just screams movement and fun to me, and it’s the last of the sculptures I’m sharing from the 2018 Chelsea Flower Show. This birdbath, and the others around it, are by Willie Wildlife Sculptures, who on their site have many more great birdbath designs which include birds, dragonflies and even trout.

They’re beautiful and I think I’d have a hard time choosing a favourite, especially now I’ve looked on the site. But as you’d expect for something so lovely, they’re not cheap - the price tag on this one at Chelsea was £2995 - gulp. But it is something that would look good year round and bring structural interest when the rest of the garden was bare, but then again, as MOH has just pointed out so would many things with a lower price tag - he’s ever the practical one. Or perhaps he’s just staking a claim so I don’t flex our credit card, who knows.

Just a final thought, wouldn’t the frogs look super cute with jumpers on!  I could probably crochet them some, well if I had the birdbath...