Adore Your Home with Heather Craig

🏡 WALLPAPER 🏡

So, i’m trying to choose two different types and designs of wallpaper for my home office which is on the ground floor of the The Pink Cottage - Upstairs Suite.

My samples arrived the day in the post just now, so it’s decision time.

The colour palette is pink and yellow, or mustard, and I’ll be adding green as an accent.

So let me know in the comments which room in your house you are currently contemplating ? 🌸

Painting the outside?!
Are you thinking of painting the outside of your house this spring, let me know in the comments!

This is my house which was done 5 years ago and there's one thing I'd do differently, but I was really happy with the end result after narrowing down what colours I really wanted.

Are you thinking of painting a room?

Helloooo! Im just creating a BRAND NEW GUIDE which you can get for free called:

‘The Easy Guide To Picking The Right Paint Colour - don’t paint your walls 'till you read this”

The picture is of a room in my little pink cottage where choosing even just this neutral was easy because I followed my paint picking method.

If you would like a copy just put the word PAINT in the comments and when its ready, in a few days, Ill get it to you!

🌸💗🌸 Breakfast in bed 🛌 on a slow Sunday morning is just one of the various ways to relax at The Pink Cottage!

Book your break away from the stresses of life and rest here, in peace and quiet 😊

We’ve a love NEW WEBSITE which ALWAYS GUARANTEES the lowest price over airbnb or booking.com … making it quick and easy to book direct!

www.pinkcottage.co.uk

Need a wee escape for some peace and quiet?! This might be what you need, or maybe someone you know might 💗🌸💗

A Tranquil Escape Are you in need of a break from the chaos of everyday life? Do you long to escape to a secluded cottage where the only sounds are those of nature? If so, a stay in The Pink Cottage may be just the very thing you're looking for. This peaceful retreats offer a chance to unwind and connect with nature....

If you’re looking for a few days away to relax and rejuvenate, THIS is the place!

Here’s what Robyn said last week…

“
I can’t wait to come back to The Pink House. Heather was such a perfect host and the whole place was pure perfection.
The little secret garden was a delight. The bed was perfect and pillows nicely firm.
The tiny details were exquisite and nothing was out of place. The provisions of food were much appreciated and she even gave us a lovely bottle of Prosecco to celebrate our wedding.
Thank you Heather and see you soon ♥️”
- Robyn, London

My next project is my home office...currently a complete dump as everything accumulates in here, but as I plan to open up my interior design trainings soon and do zoom classes and courses I cant have you looking at me sitting with a horrid backdrop in what currently looks like a dusty furniture storage back room 🤦‍♀️

So, I have my colour scheme selected and a general style (both essential before moving forward with the room) and now need to choose a ceiling light.

I have always wanted one of those beaded chandeliers and would rather buy 2nd hand, but cant seem to see anything available just now. I did find this lovely one in Next for £50 which is the cheapest Ive found online.

Whats your favourite pendant light in your house?...would love to see a pic, or if you have any bright ideas where I could find a nice chandelier?!

Heather x

Love my new wreath from Absolutely perfect! ! It arrived yesterday, so quick!

I repainted the door in The Little Greene Paint Company blush.

Hope my guests love it too 🌸💕🌸 if you want a little getaway check availability… link in bio 🌸💕🌸 .

☀️That was me.
Last Saturday morning.
Just got laundry for The Pink Cottage done and hung on the washing line.

It was obviously too beautiful a day to do anything much else apart from chill on my lovely deck chair and watch it dry!

And just wanted to show you one of the deckchairs I made… or actually upcycled after finding on Facebook marketplace.

I’m not trained in upholsterey or anything, but I did do some very advanced (for me) mathematics which involved measuring fabric and counting how many drawing pins to use to tack down the fabric 🤓 they looked like drawing pins but were a lot sturdier.

And the gorgeous fabric was from Charlotte Gaisford Ltd who does some really beautiful prints and wallpaper too.

Have you anything you’ve recreated from something half broken?

Would love to see a picture in the comments below!

Heather 🌸💕🌸

If you're looking for a way to add some beauty to your front door, check out the gorgeous Jasmine & Lily Floral Wreaths !

Ive just bought one for my The Pink Cottage NI and cannot wait to show you it.

I had attempted to make my own but it was nothing like these award winning ones!

What question would you ask me if I was standing in your house to help you with the decor?!

Are you a bit bored with your neutral walls, but not quite ready to go all out and use a stronger richer deeper colour?

If you want to keep things neutral but need a warm neutral to use with a warm toned wood floor, take a look at this gorgeous setting plaster from Farrow and Ball.

I love it and I have used in my own house and it's beautiful!

So, are you happy in a neutral painted home, nothing at all wrong with that 😉 or is stronger bolder colour more your thing?

Let me know in the comments... type NEUTRAL or COLOUR

Heather
x

Are you stressing out over choosing a redecorating colour right now?

Do you plan to repaint a room or a hallway and can’t get on with it?

Was chatting to a friend the other day and she needed a colour for the hallway and she’s soooo stuck.

And it’s stressing her out 😤

I know what that feels like because you’re looking at the walls/room all the time and all you want to do is have it actually done and finished and be over all the upheaval, yesterday!!

You know you have to go through all the hassle of getting a painter (or your willing partner) to actually start… and that can go on and on and on 🙄

Anyway, here’s my top tips:
🏡 Don’t follow trends in paint colour eg grey just for the sake of it - its likely it mightn’t work in your setting

🏡 Consider the colours of your floor and any other items that are fairly large that you’re keeping in the room, maybe a rug, chair, sofa etc

🏡 Base your new paint colour around those things that will actually be in the room… not what’s top fashion… that way you’re more likely to

💕 end up with a beautiful room which
💕 has a cohesive colour scheme,
💕 looks gorgeous and you just love!!

So what’s holding you up from getting it bloomin well done?!

Tell me what exactly it is that’s getting in your way and I’ll see if I can help!

Heather
🏡💕🌸

Sometimes, especially in my restoration of my The Pink Cottage NI I’ve had to think outside the box and create what I need and this mini kitchen sink, which isn’t in a kitchen, because there isn’t one in the cottage, was one of those!

I knew people staying needed to fill a kettle for morning coffee and unfortunately they had to use the bathroom sink.

And while it was actually drinking water, I never really liked the idea.

So, with very limited space and nothing whatsoever in any shop that looked good enough, I cobbled this together.

With the help of my Mr Reliable diy expert 🤓

🌸 Facebook marketplace cupboard
🌸 Belfast sink from a chemistry shop
🌸 Brass taps from B&Q
🌸 queen Ann legs from Amazon
🌸 paint from Farrow and Ball.

But, now I need a piece of worktop to sit on the top as the surface paint in bubbling with use and obviously water.
I’d even varnished it thinking that would be protection enough… not so.

Have you anything you’ve upcycled? Or planning to?!

Let me know below!

Who’s thinking of redecorating?
If so, what is the most difficult thing that you can’t work out?!

I’m doing a home office at the moment, just had the ceiling plastered so after it’s dried the whole room is getting done!

Choosing a paint colour is next 🙈

☀️🌳🌴OUTDOOR FURNITURE
I’ve been doing LOADS of diy so feel it’s time to share here!

This week has been my outdoor furniture 🪑

I painted the chair frames and got new special outdoor fabric for the cushions.

All ready now for the temperature to rise!

Would love to see your outside spaces , post a picture below! 🌳☀️🌳

RADIATORS 😬

This week I’ve been talking to one of my clients about radiators in the hallway.

She’s doing up the entire hallway which will look amazing with a gorgeous painted staircase and new patterned floor tiles.

It’s the main radiator really annoys her. It’s a standard white one and is very noticeable.

Here’s what to do with radiators if they stand out in any room and you don’t want them to.

And generally you don’t want them to…they are usually not pretty or a design feature so the way to approach anything like that is to try and camouflage them.

In other words to make them recede and not be noticeable.

When designing a room or a space or a hallway I always create focal points which are the things that our eyes should be drawn towards because they look lovely and the other things like radiators shouldn’t be noticeable. Of course they serve an important purpose, but need to be ‘backstage’!

Here’s what to do,

🌸Paint the radiator at the same colour as the walls. It works, it’s easy and it doesn’t affect the heat output. (I’ve done it in every room in my own house).

🌸If you want the radiator to actually be a feature and eg it’s a vintage one in a traditional setting, then that’s fine, you could paint it a contrasting colour to the walls and let it stand out.

There’s a radiator in both these pictures, my small hallway and my green living room!

What room are you working on right now? Even if it’s just the planning stage 😰 let me know in the comments 😊🌸

CHOOSING PAINT?!?
🤓 NORMALLY I advise people to buy tester pots, paint white art paper and move the swatches around the room... it's a fail safe method of choosing the right colour, so you don't make a mighty blunder!

However, I'm all for less hassle, so I wanted to share with you THIS...

Its a paint company COAT paints that sell paint AND swatches, this is what they say...

"We started COAT for anyone who wants to transform their home, without the struggle.

Forget messy tester pots. Our hand-painted peel-and-stick swatches are 100% accurate, and go straight on the wall. No fuss. No mess. Move them about and see your colour in different lights. Thank us later."

I haven't actually used them but very well might for my next paint job!

https://coatpaints.com/

Climate Positive Paint | High-Grade Interior & Exterior Paint | COAT COAT has changed the paint game. With high-grade climate positive paints in a range of designer shades, we've got you covered with style AND substance. With clever Peel & Stick swatches and next-day delivery, a fresh COAT of paint has never been easier.

BHS disappeared ☹️ a few years ago and it was always my first stop when searching for lighting.
But did you know they are still there, online, wit a great selection.
Are you looking for any lighting in particular?

https://www.bhs.com/

BHS | Shop Lighting, Bedding & Textiles Welcome to British Home Stores. Shop Online Today For Quality Lighting, Bedding & Textiles with BHS. Fast & Free Delivery Available, Shop Now!

I think this is what Norman meant in his review (see below) about it being quiet...here's a few photos taken on my walk on Monday which shows just how busy it gets around The Pink Cottage!

Here's Norman's review about his 3 day stay last week...

"If you want somewhere quiet (very!) and restful with very helpful hosts this is the place for you. It also happens to be in a superb location with a great walk/jog to the local lighthouse (with stunning views) at Blackhead and all way on the beautiful coastal path to Whitehead."

Availability in Oct, message me here if you fancy a quiet few days!

Love my new sign which tells guests of The Pink Cottage upstairs suite which of the 3 doors to open, just in case there was any doubt!!

I got it on Etsy and it’s made from wood. Perfect for a baby’s nursery or child’s bedroom too.

I’ve been really busy since opening the cottage for bookings which is great and still have availability for this month and next if you wanted a little time out 🌸💗🌸
Message me here to book directly 🌸

🌸 Wee upgrade at The Pink Cottage 🪑

Here’s the ‘before’ and ’after’ pics!

I needed a couple of dining chairs to replace the temporary ones.

Got this pair on Facebook Marketplace and had them reupholstered from the red velour to a painterly style floral.

Also gave the woodwork a little wax polish.

What do you think?!

To book, check availability and see more on https://airbnb.com/h/upstairs-pinkcottage or message me directly 🌸🌸🌸

THIS is on our doorstep!
5min drive and you could be enjoying the thrilling Gobbins Experience, nature isn’t content to just sit back and be admired.

It completely engulfs you: from the all-enveloping Irish Sea winds and the dolphins dancing off the coastline, to the squawking native sea birds and the salty air as it hits your lips.

We’ve been and it’s well worth a visit if you’re staying at the Pink Cottage!

If you want to book directly (avoiding booking site fees) just message me.

We’ve been busy since opening a month ago and reviews are just lovely, thankfully 😅

I have plenty of availability in the next few weeks/ months! Looking forward to seeing you 🌸💗🌸

🌸💗💕🏡Perfect drying day after weekend guests at ! And a wee coffee-break sit down in the secret garden for me after getting it perfect for the next guests!!! October filling up now so if you know anyone who needs a few days relaxing share this and be double quick! 🌸💕🌸

🌸💗💕🏡Perfect drying day after weekend guests at ! October filling up now so if you know anyone who needs a few days relaxing share this and be double quick! 🌸💕🌸

🏡WARDROBES AND STORAGE 🏡

Was just chatting in another interior group I’m in about bedroom wardrobes and I shared exactly what I did in my own small bedroom, so thought I’d share here because I love how it was £1000s cheaper than actual fitted sliding wardrobe doors and suits my style far better 🤓🏡🤩.

I had a floor to ceiling and wall to wall fitted wardrobe with 3 sliding glass doors in my bedroom.

The doors were from a local bedroom fitting shop and didn’t last and eventually broke and I really didn’t like the modern look.

And nipped fingers 😠

So I came up with this as a solution.
A series of 4 curtains that look like 1 continuous one when closed.

Handy access between panels.

No issues with pull-out shelving/drawers/baskets being snagged by doors not sliding wide enough.

A track that fits to the ceiling so the panels glide…. no pulling or tugging 😩

The inserts are ikea and are excellent.

No bit at the bottom… I ran my carpet under and in there.

What is your clothes storage like?! Any clever ideas you could share here!!

🌾🌿Wee quick visit to interiors …cycled across London with on a fab electric bike 🚴🏿 (his wasn’t electric 😂) lovely shop, lovely accessories but sadly nothing would fit in my backpack. Will just have to do online later 🌿🌾🌿🌾