with new flats, come new woes and lemme tell you, we sure weren't short of those with this one !! whilst what you see in these images may look pretty pinterest-worthy now, what they don't show are the almost two weeks we dealt with the bathroom fan on 24/7 destroying our peace, eardrums and sleeping patterns and racking up that utility bill at the end of the month; the boiler which did not work for the first few days, rendering us hot waterless and forcing us to trek back to our old abodes to be clean humans again; the nicely moulding shelf in the bathroom adding a touch of green to the all-white interior; the light fittings on their last legs as they hang loose from the ceiling, just waiting for one, innocent subject before they strike ... oh and we can't forget the broken fridge with parts hanging off left, right and centre ~ they gave us that one for free.
i sound whiney and 'first world problems' an' all that, i know, it could be a million times worse. but really, we just find it all the more charming and hilarious, the more little defects we discover in this cute place we now call home. and whilst i can be quite a perfectionist when it comes to taking pretty pictures, i'd rather you know the real life sitch and me acknowledge that whilst these images do represent my actual life, they don't represent it in its entirety. i've spoken about that previously here.
new homes can quite often lack character, or at least that little, personalised touch and considering we're most likely gunna be spending a huge chunk of our lives in them, investing some time and a few dollars into making your house 'you' can work an absolute wonder ( espesh if you're a fellow work-from-homer who is bored of staring at blank white walls/herself in the mirror because she also doesn't own a tv )
as much as i'd love to go on the furni hunt, finding quirky, life-long pieces to fill my home with, unfortunately london living and renter's restrictions just do not make that feasible when you're not exactly sure where you'll end up ... so instead, i opt for lightweight and easily transferrable pieces of art, sending thanks to beautiful print and picture frame sites such as desenio.
* use the code LIVBLANKSON to nab 25% off your order between the 27th - 29th june ( not valid on handpicked/frames ) *
there was a bit of a subconscious 'natural elements' theme going on in the prints i chose but my sister and i are both most relaxed around these types of scenes and with london not being the easiest place to find tranquility, it felt right to transform the flat into some sort of nature-filled haven ... both in print form and real life ( meet my two house plants, fran and lorna, who both appear within these pics )
personally, i'm actually terrified of the ocean, so we kept that one for alix's room. though there's something oddly and uncomfortably satisfying about staring into it. and she adores it, so that's the main thing ...
products featured ( in order of appearance ) :
moon phase print | 21 x 30 copper frame
capo d'opra print | 50 x 70 white frame
heaven print | 70 x 100 white frame
sunlight print | 50 x 70 copper frame
ocean print | 50 x 70 gold frame
it's incredible ~ the effect that an environment can have on your mood and wellbeing. i hadn't even realised myself until my gorgeous ma ( who btw is now on instagram @mummagbear and would appreciate your follows because she's god damn adorable ) came up to visit and told us we both looked 'happy'. it'd been a while since i heard and felt that. without getting too deep/hippie on you, i'd definitely encourage anyone who's reading to become more aware of your surroundings and the impact they have on you.
you know that whole 'easier said than done' thing we all think when someone tells us to 'just do it' ... well the difference really could just be as small as a new print on the wall ...
♡
~ this post was sponsored by desenio, however all opinions, styling and rambles belong to yours truly