I had a bit of a revelation when I painted the bedroom a few weeks ago.  I had actually been questioning it far far longer than that – in fact it went back to September 2011 when I originally painted the back wall of the bedroom black.  I had asked the question of whether I should have painted above the picture rail.

It was long-time favourite blogger and all-around cool no-nonsense Hollie of I’m Busy Procrastinating, who told me YES, I should paint above it.  I knew she was right.  So, like so many other things, it went on my β€˜to-do’ list and it was only a few weeks ago when I actually went for it.

Once I did, that was my revelation – why oh why didn’t I do this when I first painted the room?!?!  The ceilings look higher (just like Hollie said) and the room takes on a more elevated look.  So, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to Hollie for not being afraid to just say, β€˜Yep, it looks alright but it could have looked better!’

I guess what I’m trying to say here is that I have never claimed to have all the answers and I am the first to admit if I’ve made a bit of a dog’s dinner of something and I do graciously accept advice from the lovely folks that stop by here at Swoon Worthy and continue to read my rambling thoughts – that’s you guys right there. :)

Getting back to revelations, once I painted above the picture rail in the bedroom, I knew I needed to do it in one more room.  The living room.

Have you thought about painting above the picture rail in your home? Come and take a look at what made me make the decision!

Ya see, when we first moved in, none of the rooms had been painted above the picture rails and I think I just followed that lead – I assumed that was the β€˜done thing’.   In the living room, I made even more of a mistake of it.  Not only didn’t I paint above the picture rails but I didn’t paint a whole wall – hard to tell in the pics but in the bay window, I’d left the entire thing white while the rest of the walls were painted grey (or wallpapered, obviously).  Again, I just followed the lead of the previous owners – I think about it now and think how STUPID was that?!

So this past bank holiday weekend, I decided I was getting out the paint brushes again.  And I have to say, I love it.  I honestly have no idea why I didn’t do this the first time!

Does your home have a picture rail? Have you thought about painting above it? Check out the before and after pictures of my living room.

A little more before and after may be necessary here…

Before…

Considering painting above the picture rail in your home? Take a look at how I finally made the decision to go for it!

After…

Wondering if you should paint above the picture rail in your home? Take a look at my before and afters and decide for yourself!

Before…

Not sure whether to paint above the picture rail or not? Take a look at the before and after pictures from my living room.

And after…

Take a look at my thoughts on painting above the picture rail within your home.

Better no?  I like how it frames the wallpaper with the picture rail left in white but at some point, I may just wallpaper above the picture rail as well as I still have plenty of paper left.  W, however, is the wallpaper-er around here and he was busy damp-proofing his β€˜man cave’ – the cellar.  So, another project for another day, perhaps.

One more revelation – when I painted the radiator in the bedroom, I realised how much of a difference it made to having it blend in. It was only after watching Abigail Ahern on her new Channel 4 show that I noticed her painting out the radiators and that reminded me to try it.  For whatever reason, I assumed it would be a big deal to paint them – turns out, because they’d already been painted, I just needed to get a small pot of Dulux Wood & Metal Paint in my chosen shade and slap that stuff on.  2 COATS.  THAT’S IT.  (If it was bare metal, I would have needed to do a coat of metal primer first but still not much of a big deal.)   

WHY DIDN’T I DO THIS WITH ALL MY ROOMS?!?!  WHY DID IT TAKE ME SO LONG TO LEARN THIS??  

Needless to say, the living room got the treatment (as well as one other room which I’ll be sharing soon).  I know it’s hard to tell in the pics but that sucker used to be bright shocking white.  So much better now.

Wonder if you should paint above the picture rail in your home? Take a look at my thoughts!

So there ya go.  As they say here in the UK, β€˜Every day’s a school day.’  It most certainly is.  And just goes to show how much I still have to learn!  Is it sad that learning these things excites me no end?!

What do you think of the change?  Have you ever made a small change in a room that you realised you should have known all along?   Any major revelations you might want to share?  If so, I’d love to hear it and possibly save myself learning it the hard way! ;)

Want to see some updated pics of the living room? You can see my most recent posts here.

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Swoon Worthy
Have you thought about painting above the picture rail in your home? Come and take a look at what made me make the decision!
Does your home have a picture rail? Have you thought about painting above it? Check out the before and after pictures of my living room.
Considering painting above the picture rail in your home? Take a look at how I finally made the decision to go for it!
Wondering if you should paint above the picture rail in your home? Take a look at my before and afters and decide for yourself!
Not sure whether to paint above the picture rail or not? Take a look at the before and after pictures from my living room.
Take a look at my thoughts on painting above the picture rail within your home.
Wonder if you should paint above the picture rail in your home? Take a look at my thoughts!
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Meet Kimberly
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Amara IBA19 Winner Home Styling
Vuelio Top 10 2020
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Ad (Press Sample) There are few kitchen products that are considered absolute classics but there is one that I have lusted after for YEARS and that is the utterly iconic @lecreusetuk large casserole pot. 🀩

For nearly a century, Le Creuset has been trusted for its superior performance, lasting quality and iconic design and the enamelled cast iron allows incredible versatility - not only can you use it with just about any heat source (from induction, glass, electric etc), you can also do everything from stir-fry to slow cooking to baking a cake in it and more. 

So, imagine my delight when Le Creuset got in touch to ask if I'd like to shoot their brand new colourway πŸ‘ PΓͺche πŸ‘ in my kitchen. I mean, there couldn't be a more perfect colour match with that juicy coral shade which if you've followed my account for any length of time, you'll know is one of my all-time favourites (not to mention that beautiful soft gold knob! 😍). The matching petite casserole dish and mugs are the perfect companions but you could easily mix and match this colourway with Le Creuset's other designs (Might I suggest the Sea Salt, a soft blue-green which would be gorgeous with PΓͺche). This new juicy summer shade is currently available exclusively at Le Creuset Official. I'd love to know which colourway is your favourite in the range?

#lecreuset #kitchendesign #kitchenstyling #kitchinspo #victorianhome #englishhome
My little neglected makeup/dressing room has had a glow up πŸ₯°

#swoonworthy #beforeandafter #dressingroom #makeupvanity #closetgoals
My new rug can't compete with that belly.

Rug is from @laredoute_uk (not an ad) not that anyone cares πŸ˜…

#kitchendesign
I've really loved making these pretty reusable Christmas crackers! I'm still in the process of finding cute bits for filling them but they'll definitely be a centrepiece for my table this year!πŸŽ„πŸ’•

Suggestions for what to fill them with coming soon!

(By the way, I'm not a skilled seamstress so I'm sure my techniques can be improved but just sharing what worked for me πŸ€—πŸ˜…)

Let me know if this is something you'd try? ❀️

#swoonworthy #christmasdecor #christmascraft #diychristmas #diycrafts #easysewingproject
On 22 October 2022, I married my best friend! I can't believe it's been a whole year (and one day) I've been calling @2nilup my husband πŸ₯° We've been together for 15 years now and I simply can't and wouldn't want to imagine my life without him ❀️ 

#youandmeagainsttheworld #2222 

Photography: @violajayphotography 
Flowers: @primroseavenuefloral 
Dress: @camillawithlove
DIY REFILLABLE CHRISTMAS CRACKERS πŸŽ„πŸŽ‰

I've been thinking about making refillable crackers for so many years now - I just hate the waste the disposal ones create! So I'm so excited I've finally gotten around to starting this project!

I will be sharing more details on how to make them as well as ideas for what to fill them with too so stay tuned for more but in the meantime, what do you think? 

#swoonworthy #diychristmas #christmasdecor #christmascraft #easysewingproject #sustainableliving #ecofriendlyliving
Just wanted to introduce my latest plant baby in my dining room πŸͺ΄

It's from @botanique_shrewsbury and it's a Peparomia (I am probably pronouncing it wrong, I keep wanting to say
GUEST BEDROOM REVEAL 🌟

I decided on a whim, 2 weeks before we were expecting visiting family, that our guest bedroom was in desperate need of a refresh.

Well there's nothing like an impending deadline to light a πŸ”₯ under my πŸ‘ and I managed to clear out the clutter, repaint the woodwork, ceilings and walls and hang wallpaper as well as restyle the room in one week πŸ˜… (Meisha was zero help 😼)

I'm calling it Boho Vintage Victorian Grandma πŸ˜†

This wasn't sponsored in any way but the wallpaper and bedding is from @lauraashleyuk and the paint is @earthbornpaints Peach Baby - everything else I already had!

What do you think of the new look? ❀️

#bedroombeforeandafter #guestroom
#bedroommakeover
#beforeandafter
#bedroomdecor #cottagecore #vintagestyle #victorianhouse #ihavethisthingwithpink #bengalsofinstagram
πŸ”₯JOIN US ROUND THE FIRE PIT! πŸ”₯

ad | One of my favorite things to do in summer is sit around the fire pit in the evenings with a cold beer 🍻 There's just something incredibly relaxing watching those flames and embers crackle, warming yourself up and taking the edge off falling temperatures as the sun sets!

Thanks to @homefireuk they've made the whole process incredibly easy and enjoyable with their Handy Firepit Bundle which include 2 bags of kindling, 2 bags of natural firestarters and 3 large bags of kiln-dried logs πŸͺ΅ for a really great price! 

No more standing around waiting for things to light properly or billowing smoke from wet wood, everything burns beautifully! ☺️ We literally sat around this for hours as the logs last so long, long after the sun set, just chatting and enjoying ourselves! πŸ₯°πŸ»πŸ”₯

Do you love a good firepit in the summer?

#homefire #readytoburn #smokelessbyhomefire #heartofyourhome #logsbyhomefire #summerideas #firepit #gardenideas
San Sebastian photo dump - just a tiny selection πŸ˜„

We have had such a fabulous holiday to Basque Country - our first 4 days spent in the beautiful city of San Sebastian, land of pintxos, stunning architecture and some damn good wine.

#sansebastian #travelgram #photodump
A little kitchen reshuffle today so I thought I'd share πŸ₯°

It's been 4 years since we created this space and it's still one of my favourites β™₯️

#kitchendesign #kitchendecor #kitcheninspiration #kitchenideas #openshelvingkitchen #kitchenstyling
Ad 🩷 Before and after Deck makeover! 🩷

This little decked patio was looking worse for wear after a wet winter but @frenchicpaint came to the rescue with their beautiful Dusty Blush Alfresco Paint, perfect for all your outdoor projects!

The deck has been a few colours over the past few years but this is definitely the most fun and gives the whole space such a tropical vibe - even in Shrewsbury! 🏝️ πŸ¦©πŸΉπŸ˜„

The paint has incredible coverage and was so nice to use - I loved the tools they provided too, especially the oval brush which got into all the nooks and crannies easily!

Let me know what you think of the new colour! 

#frenchicpaint #beforeandafter #deckmakeover #gardeninspiration #gardeninspo #outdoorproject
So on a whim I decided to paint the bedroom pink yesterday πŸ˜…πŸ©·

This room has been neglected for so long as I've wanted to fully redecorate for about 3 years now but there are always other bigger priorities or a lack of time/energy/money so I keep putting it off πŸ™ƒπŸ™ƒπŸ™ƒ (tell me I'm not the only one) but happily this didn't cost a penny as I used what I already had although it did take me the best part of a day!

I went through my paint stash and found that I had extra @coatpaints Percy from when I did the living room early last year -- well I'm not one to let something this good go to waste (honestly this paint is absolutely wonderful to work with and has amazing coverage) and my goodness it's just so pretty in here πŸ₯° I also moved my pink curtains from my office into here and the whole room just glows!

I might actually be able to live with the mural a little longer until the room gets the attention it deserves! Let me know if you like the change β™₯️

*For those who are wondering, it used to be white walls and I had grey curtains! πŸ˜…

#swoonworthy #bedroomdecor #bedroommakeover #bedroomdesign #pinkpinkpink #pinkinteriors
A little photo dump from my recent living room shoot because I still love to dig into the details of a still photo πŸ˜„πŸ’•

#swoonworthy #swoonworthyscents #livingroominspo #livingroomdesign #photodump
ad How to De-stress at Home in 6 Simple Steps 😊

April has been #stressawarenessmonth and so I've teamed up with the wonderful @frenchbedroom to share a few simple tips in creating a cosy sanctuary at home!

One of my favourite ways to add a feeling of comfort and relaxation is with glorious touchable textures and the stunning Mulberry Silk ruffled cushion from French Bedroom not only looks spectacular but feels incredible too! Pairing this with other feel-good fabrics will add depth to your design and will beg you to sink in and unwind 😍

French Bedroom are also now stocking my own home fragrance brand @swoonworthyscents candles, adding another element of calm with scent to your home. I chose No 02 Sunday Morning for my living room with rejuvenating Jasmine and refreshing pine and lemon notes πŸ₯°

Check out my latest blog post for more tips on creating a relaxing sanctuary in your home via the link in my bio!

#swoonworthy #swoonworthyscents #frenchbedroom #livingroominspo #livingroomdesign #calming #aesthetic #cottagecoreaesthetic
Who needs pancakes when you can have Lemon Drizzle Cake with Lemoncello glaze?! πŸ˜‰πŸ‹

I've had such a craving for this cake for a while so figured I'd make it today! This is a recipe from @bbcgoodfood and it's rather gorgeous πŸ₯°

#baking #lemondrizzle #lemoncake #bakewithlove #shrovetuesday
Are you lucky enough to be owned by a cat? 🐈🐾

#bengallove #bengalsofinstagram #bengalcat #bengal #catsofinstagram #catlife
Finally managed to get the gallery wall completed in our hallway!

I couldn't have been happier with @violajayphotography capturing our little intimate wedding in October and knew as soon as I saw the photos I had to print them for our home! I admit, I've never been one to hang photos but it's probably because all we ever had after 14 years together was selfies πŸ˜‚πŸ€·πŸ½β€β™€οΈ I'm so pleased we finally have some lovely shots of us together πŸ₯°

Do you have photos of you/your partner/your family up around your home?? πŸ€”

#gallerywall #autumnwedding #hallwaydesign #hallwayinspo
✨These little vintage copper pans needed some TLC! ✨

After searching for a while for vintage copper pans, I found these on eBay - they looked quite grim on the ad but I knew they could be shined up nicely! A little @barkeepersfriend later (not an ad!) and I'm loving how they look in my kitchen πŸ₯°

Let me know if you like the new addition ❀️

#kitcheninspo #kitchendesign #vintagestyle #kitchenstyling
Oh hey living room, nice to have you back ☺️

I always feel very ready to remove the excess of Christmas decor pretty much as soon as the 26th arrives but I've been later than usual this Twixmas as we've both been unwell the last couple weeks πŸ€¦πŸ½β€β™€οΈ Nevertheless, I've managed to get things packed away and I styled this little faux arrangement today for my coffee table so ya know, small victories πŸ˜„πŸ™ŒπŸ½

#livingroom #livingroominspo #fauxflowers #coffeetabledecor