So we’ve had some amazing weather the last couple of weeks and with that, I’ve been able to do a little refreshing in our garden which was sadly neglected all winter and really needed a bit of TLC! I thought today, I’ll share a little bit of the progress we’ve made but I have some bigger, grander plans coming soon so there will be more…

black pergola with bamboo lighting

I shared a bit of the progress over on my Instagram Stories (how many times can I tell you guys to follow me there? I told ya I’d be using it loads and I do so you’ll get sneak peeks of pretty much ALL THE THINGS there) but I wanted to give you a little update here on the blog too.

updates on the garden preparing it for summer

This post contains a few affiliate links indicated by an asterisk (*) – you don’t pay any more if you click on these links but I might earn a few pennies towards more pretties for the garden so ya know, win-win.

The first thing we did was just clean everything up about a month ago – cleaning all the furniture and clearing away all the dead stuff for a nice clean slate. Last week I finally got around to painting the deck (the one nearest the house) in Cuprinol’s Black Ash* – it’s the same colour as the pergola and shed (which we completed last summer if you hadn’t seen that) and it just tied both spaces together so nicely.

deck painted in Cuprinol Ash Black paint

This is what it looked like before – the stain was a bit worse for wear and there just was a lot of dirt and crap that needed to be cleaned from the surface.

decking before cleaning and painting

The first thing we did was use this ace little Karcher pressure washer* we bought from Amazon. It genuinely did a cracking job just removing all the months of dirt and grime as well as any loose and flaking old stain.

decking after cleaning with power sprayer

Once it dried, I gave it two coats of Cuprinol Ash Black and here’s how it looked when it was all done… so much better, right??

decking after painting black with Cuprinol Ash Black paint

Now, I adore black in garden design – I just think it looks so chic and similar to using dark colours inside, everything just pops against it. Of course, inside it does make a space look darker (duh) but outside, you just don’t have that problem because hello, you’re outside and there’s just a lot more light. #statingthebleedinobvious. If I was able to, I’d want to paint all the fencing black too but alas, we share our border fences with neighbours on both sides so there’s no way I could do it and not get drips on the other side – and I don’t think our neighbours would appreciate that! So I have to look for other ways to add it within the garden itself.

painting trellis in the garden

One of the ways I wanted to do that was with this privacy trellis. At the moment, we have a side return on the house where we store our bins. For my American breathren, this is really common in Victorian and Edwardian properties. Basically, it’s a little area at the side of the house where the original door from the kitchen to the back garden would have been. It’s speculated that it made access to an outside toilet more convenient but now they are basically just a bit of a wasted outside space and thus it’s become a place for our bins, DIY crap and where the stuff we need to take to the tip sits and accumulates (oh wait, is that just us?).

side return before

Anyway, I hate that when you are sat at the back of the garden (in the little pergola area) you can see straight into that side return and you are basically just looking at a bunch of ugly plastic bins. Ignore that bit of trellis you see in the image – it’ll be the nicer larger piece of trellis (below) that will be attached to the fence and all that crap needs to be cleared out! When it’s all done I will, of course, share it with you but I think it’ll be a bit of an improvement!

painting garden privacy trellis

We’re also adding a bit of trellis to the top of the pergola at each end.

adding trellis to the pergola

While it’s not something you would notice just looking at it, when you are sat under it, it just makes it feel a little bit more enclosed which I really like. It’ll also give the ivy something else to grow onto so that the entire thing in the future should be covered in greenery.

adding trellis to the pergola

Oh and have you noticed?? THAT HORRIBLE SCAFFOLDING THAT WAS UP FOR 2 1/2 YEARS IS FINALLY DOWN! CAN I GET A HELL YEAH?! It came down over the autumn and honestly, I could not be happier for not having to look at that in the back garden anymore!!

black pergola with bamboo lighting

Ahem! Moving on! I also got some new festoon lighting for this little corner which I quite like. That bench will be going however as I want to replace it with a comfy sofa that we can really lounge out on! And I’ll be getting a new little table for here as well. So you’ll be seeing some improvements in this corner coming soon!

black deck with white bench and festoon lighting

Improvements to this area coming soon!

You might also remember these turquoise ceramic artichokes I’ve had literally for YEARS (they were in my living room until the great turquoise removal of 2015).  I sprayed them with a glossy black spray paint (Rustoleum Painter’s Touch in Black Gloss*) that I already had and they instantly got a chic new look.

ceramic artichoke before and after

Of course, the whole area needs a bit more styling up – a few more plants will be coming in here and I’ll be dressing the space all up all ready for the big reveal on the 29th May to kick off the #UKHomeBlogHop My Summer Style series along with 26 other UK bloggers so that should be fun.

On Wednesday, I’ll be sharing the tutorial for those cute boho-style bamboo solar lights you see above too so stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, what do you think of the updates so far? Have you been doing anything in your garden this Spring so far?


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Swoon Worthy
black pergola with bamboo lighting
updates on the garden preparing it for summer
deck painted in Cuprinol Ash Black paint
decking before cleaning and painting
decking after cleaning with power sprayer
decking after painting black with Cuprinol Ash Black paint
painting trellis in the garden
side return before
painting garden privacy trellis
adding trellis to the pergola
adding trellis to the pergola
black pergola with bamboo lighting
black deck with white bench and festoon lighting
ceramic artichoke before and after
Meet Kimberly
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Amara IBA19 Winner Home Styling
Vuelio Top 10 2020
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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? ❀️

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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? 

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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? ❀️

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#bedroommakeover
#beforeandafter
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πŸ”₯JOIN US ROUND THE FIRE PIT! πŸ”₯

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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!

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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