a french sofa makeover- your advice please

This is the tale of a sofa that came home with me a few weeks ago….

It was sound but a little sad, just looking for a new lease of life …. I hummed and haa-ad about fabrics and colours until one day at the Paris flea market I saw these, and felt inspired ….

Today, after a couple of half-days and evenings, battling with pins and needles, and a little pot of paint, I think I have done as much as I can …  it’s not perfect, but it’s good enough for family use…

and now I would like your advice please

it’s about the nails… they are safely hammered home, but its the aesthetics that bother me …. there is a fashion here, along with that of undressed chairs, to leave the upholsterer’s tacks uncovered …  what do you think?

Shall I cover with a band of fabric, if so the light or dark, or shall I be bold and fashionable and leave them showing … I know how clever you all are for this sort of thing, so I look forward to hearing what you think!

Merci beaucoup!

PS.   a couple of hours later ….. well thank you!  I can’t believe how generous you are with your advice and how many different opinions there are.   For those who think the wood is looking too white; I had actually planned to sand the wood back to a lighter colour, but it would have taken forever, and the wood was not naturally light.   I may well try adding a little dark wax to the paint finish … the jury is still out!

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indecently pink

 

We are back in the season of flowers and buds and bright green leaves, and I find it hard to resist bringing them indoors to brighten a desk or a table, even if they only last a few days.

This morning I cut some branches from an indecently heavy pink blossom then tried to figure out how to arrange it.   During the winter I’ve been using a lot of single stems arranged in groups, and it was fun to come back to a big ornate bouquet.

 

I used an old tureen, with some chicken wire pushed in loosely to help balance the branches, and added some ivy and some unidentified greenery to contrast with the pink.

None of this ever takes very long, but it is just another way of recharging my batteries in the middle of my working day – what my children call my ‘playtime’.

 

 

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the unruly loot shoot

 

“It must be that time of year again” is the caption I would put to this picture as Ghetto  looks at Gibson  and sighs.

Spring = brocante fairs = loot shoots = camera = sitting still …. =  ….quite-a-few-biscuits.

That is how it worked this morning.  The mutts have got out of practice when it comes to sitting still, and although Gibson was happy to oblige, Ghetto would only sit still-ish if  bribed copiously with dog biscuits….. Whatever … star quality comes at a price, and today I was happy to pay it.

Besides I wanted to show you today’s loot, some of which I’ll be keeping, and some will find its way into the store.

And look at the lovely china I found this morning, a whole service in good condition, with a charming pattern, and a beautiful manufacturer’s stamp beneath each piece.

Besides the china I found a nice little chair, MY sort of chair, I have these scattered all over the house, I love them.  Also some sweet little copper pots with lids, a pretty cake plate , a marquetry monogram and a couple of lengths of ticking …. and all that before breakfast!

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Hope your weekend is going well, thank you for reading me, you are the best.

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