Raspberry Flavoured Windows (2025)

22/06/2024

I've just reached 2.5K followers! Thank you so much guys, I could never have made it without each and every one of you. 🙏🤗🎉

12/06/2024

Ad. Well finally after one spell in hospital and then a broken ankle along with this room fighting me every step of the way I can finally bring you the Lootility reveal! Is it a loo 🤷🏻‍♀️ is it a utility room 🤔 nope it’s both 😂 small in stature but big on impact what do you think?

A mixture of our old outside bog and a small larder space knocked through I wanted a vintage butlers pantry vibe. Half of this room was originally panelled so it just felt right to go in that direction too 🙌🏻 and then when I saw Rust-Oleum UK launch Valentina I knew I’d found my colour! Be still my beating heart! Isn’t it gorgeous 🥰 silky smooth to work with and the softest of finishes. In an all male household I can tell you that the Bathroom Wood & Cabinet paint is pretty indestructible too, daily scrubbing is the order of the day 🙈 and it’s standing up to it beautifully!

So many details I want to share with you about this room but for now what do you think? Show a girl and her Lootility a bit of love 🥰 remember too, you heard it here first, red is going to be the next big interior thing! Just saying 😆 oh, and don’t forget to save for later 🥰Rach x

12/06/2024

How I made a brass utensil rail for the lootility!

With very little storage space in this room I needed somewhere to store all my cleaning bits and bobs but could I find a brass utensil rail anywhere that didn’t cost the national debt of a small country 🤦🏻‍♀️ nope!

Then I remembered that somewhere deep in the deep recesses of my outhouse there was an old brass carpet rod left over from the stairs (yes I hoard 😂).

Duly dug out, my next brain befuzzling task was how to hang it. All the brackets I found on line were silly prices! But then I found theses amazing brass Munson brackets for less than a tenner from 🙌🏻

All you do is attached them to the wall, add your rod of choice! You could use a wooden dowel) and then add hooks! I found these on 🥰

So there you have my made from bits and bobs brass utensil rail, I have another stair rod so I’m thinking I might make another for the kitchen 🙌🏻 let me know what you think, ooo and save for later if you’d like to make one too 🥰 Rach x

12/06/2024

Thought you might like some good old before and after shots of the lootility 🙌🏻 I know we all love a good zoom. So get that pincer movement at the ready 😂

Now I know it’s an insta crime to photograph your loo nearly as much as the TV but sod it 😂 we do all have them and this one is a beauty 😍 but the best thing in this room has to be my sink lid (last pic)🙌🏻 now I have twice the work surface if and when I need it!!

Oh and let’s not forget the colour 🥰🥰 I think red is definitely a shade that’s going to be big in interiors for a while yet 🙌🏻

So what do you think? Are you team before or team after? Let me know in the comments. Rach x

10/06/2024

How I gold leaf my walls 🙌🏻

I often get asked how I gold leaf my walls so I can’t for the life of me think why I’ve never shared a reel on it 🤪

🖤 First up you need to prep your walls, make sure they’re smooth and dust free!

🖤 next I apply size which is a special glue for gilding. It stays tacky for ages so you have enough time to cover a large area. I always use oil based size because it will fully cure whereas water based will always stay tacky under the gold leaf. Spread it nice and evenly and leave it to go tacky. You’ll know it’s ready when it squeaks when you drag a knuckle over it!

🖤now it time to gild! I use imitation gold transfer leaf for walls. It’s cheap to use and each piece comes on backing paper making it easier to use. Gratefully place it on the wall and then rub over the paper to transfer the leaf to the wall. And then keep going making sure to overlap each piece my a few millimetres.

🖤once the whole wall is covered now comes the fun bit! Either using your hands with cotton glove one or a soft brush, smooth everything down and whisk away the loose pieces of leaf. If you missed any areas just press more gold leaf onto the glue!

🖤 once your happy all that left to do is varnish the gilding. Being imitation gold leaf it’s made from brass so if you don’t varnish it it will tarnish! Make sure to use water based or oil based to match your size too. And after drying all that’s left to do is dress your space up 🙌🏻

So what do you think? Love it or hate it 🙈😂 have you used gold leaf it your home? Oh, and please do ask any questions if you have any. Rach x

12/03/2024

Thought I’d pop a good old photo up of the dining room as I’m feeling a bit better and can actually type without it coming out as gobbledygook and don’t have any actual new content to share with you 😩Well I do but it’s been way beyond my brains capabilities to operate my phone on anything but a basic level 😂Swipe to see what I’ve been up to the last week if you didn’t already know 🤦🏻‍♀️

As lots of you know I suffer from ear infections regularly (years of swimming to keep fit). Normally I get some ear drops from the drs as soon as one flares up but this time my ear went rogue 🤦🏻‍♀️😂 drops didn’t work and the infection started to spread to my outer ear. In the 6 hours I waited to see my GP it became bright red and I started to feel quite unwell. I was given anti biotics and sent on my way with a proviso that I took a full days anti biotics before bed that day.

Well I didn’t sleep all night, the pain was incredible and when I got up the next morning (I say got up it was more a swaying shuffle 😂) my ear was so swollen and red it had closed over the ear canal. And the infection was headed down my neck, up into my hair and now covered half my cheek. And that’s how I ended up in A&E. talking gibberish and swaying like I’d downed a bottle of wine for breakfast 😂

Within 2 hours I’d seen 3 ENT doctors, had bloods taken, an ecg, a cannula fitted and my first lot of iv anti biotics. I have to say the care I received was amazing. It took two days to halt it spreading and I felt much worse before it started to ease.

The moral of this story is cellulitis (which is what my ear infection turned into) is nothing to be sniffed at. Listen (there’s a pun in there somewhere 😂) to your body. And get proper help if you need it. I almost left it too late to get help and could have been in sticky water had I waited any longer. But I’m celebrating being home, still fighting to get rid of the last of the infection though. It does not want to go! Here endeth my health lecture 😂 thank you for all your lovely messages, they kept me going when I felt low and lonely. Rach x

26/01/2024

Morning lovelies, how’s you? I’ve had an impromptu few days off after a small procedure I didn’t know was happening at a hospital appointment 🤦🏻‍♀️ Basically my GP completely cocked up my HRT. And it turns out I walked around for a year without my progesterone component! No wonder I put weight on (that for the life of me couldn’t loose) and didn’t feel myself 😩

You see (and I have pondered whether to share this) there are lots of ways to get various the hormones into your system for HRT. And as the gynaecologist said to me, what works for one person doesn’t work for another. And what works for me for progesterone is the mmirena coil. It’s been brilliant! I’ve had one for 21 years!

Now usually they are fitted every five years. But what I didn’t know (turns out my GP didn’t either) is that for menopause use they need to be changed every four years! So when I checked in 2021 they said leave it another year! And then to add insult to injury when I went back last year they said sorry, only the hospital can fit one now. I’ve waited 7 months for that appointment to come through! 😩

Only I thought the appointment was to discuss what to do! Nope before I knew it I had entinox in my hand and was being given a local anaesthetic legs akimbo 😂 honestly being a woman can be embarrassing can’t it 🤦🏻‍♀️ then I ended up in bed days 🙈

I have to say the hospital was fantastic so why am I sharing this? Well the mirena is used more and more, especially for the menopause, and if I didn’t know and my gp didn’t know that it has to be changed every four years maybe if you have one you don’t too. Being oestrogen dominant for over a year and not knowing why I felt so crap was horrible. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Knowledge is power when it comes to the menopause. I wish I’d been more clued up. Rach x

PS. Totally unrelated picture of my bedroom. It’s on the list for a makeover this year. But if you want to see the first makeover stay tuned to stories, there’s a moodboard coming up and a blog post of the space 🙌🏻

17/01/2024

Happy New Year all! There’s easing into a year gently and then there’s being rather rude and very late 🤦🏻‍♀️ I think I’m the latter 😂 I had a meh Christmas then a funeral which made for a meh new year and then threw myself a pity party on my birthday! Which actually has all been quite cathartic after a few rough years. I’ve taken some time to take stock and well just rest and let my mind declutter. Well as much as any full time carer in an autism household can that is 🤪

I can’t be arsed with New Year’s resolutions, they’re a setting myself up to fail objective but I have planned some goals for this year and my first room makeover is already mood boarded and underway! 😱 I know, who even is this more organised Rachel 😂 so which room do you think I’ve gone for? And not wishing to be a tease but I think you may be a little surprised on the colour! It’s bold! Dark but bold 🙌🏻😂 any guesses? It’s a room I think I’ve only shared on here a couple of times. And would you like to see the moodboard?

In other news, here’s a selection of before and after room renovations from last year (stretching that a bit 😂). I think my fave is the dining room which one’s yours? Rach x

10/12/2023

Well tadaaaa! Here’s the final reveal of the dining room just in time for me to get my Christmas on 🙌🏻 swipe to see its various stages 🙈 the gilding is done and boy does is throw off some golden light 😍 I love this room by day but by night it’s quite magical, perfect for dinner parties or me sat down with my beans on toast 🙌🏻😂 so what do you think? It’s the first time the mirror has made a formal appearance too 🙌🏻

Which leads me neatly onto the costs behind this room. I hadn’t realised but most of it is free or bought from and other marketplaces 🙌🏻 so in no particular order!

tub chairs, free, found in a cupboard long again at my husbands workplace at the time. Dining chairs, free! Yep free! A deal with Bob The Bed, I swopped a bed for them 🙌🏻😂 mirror with the cows head, free, it was broken. Dining table, free, I had it made to my design at work. Accessories, mostly bought in sales and the aforementioned marketplaces. And the icing on the cake mirror, £100! Still can’t believe I bagged that one 🥰

I love this slow approach to interior design. It may take longer to make a room but there’s a sense of satisfaction and love for every piece you’ve found 🥰 hands up if you’re a bargain hunter too 🙌🏻 what was your best find? Rach x

03/12/2023

Happy Sunday all 🥰 Still no Christmas decs up here! 🤦🏻‍♀️😂 am I the only one left? Honestly I’m always late 😂 and I’m not talking fashionably late either 🙈 I have however caved and put the heating on so at least I’m warm whilst being late 😂 I was so late with Christmas last year I didn’t bother sharing anything so I’d better get my skates on! But first………

As always 🤦🏻‍♀️ I have something to finish. Namely the dining room that I started last December and finished last month. Or so my husband thought 😂 it currently looks like an explosion in a gold leaf factory 🤷🏻‍♀️ why or why do I do this, answers on a postcard 🤪 I will share very soon what I’ve been up to if my varnish ever dries 🙈

In other news have a totally unrelated images of my sitting room, one of only three projects I managed this year 😂 if you swipe you’ll see why this years diy projects all took time. What I hid with lining paper many years ago is slowly being addressed 🙌🏻 this time I’m renovating properly 🥰

So the burning questions are, do you think I’ll manage to finish the dining room? Will there be any decs up prior to Christmas Eve? 🤔 and in the great scheme of things does anyone actually care 🤪😂 Rach x

19/11/2023

Well this view of the dining room has changed somewhat so I’m putting this version here for a moment (swipe for the before 😱) whilst I finish my tinkering with the styling 🙌🏻😂 a room is never truly finished after all! As you know for one the mirror over the fireplace has changed and she’s a beauty 😍

Have no fear though, the wall colour is here to stay 🙌🏻Even with the resurgence of browns and earthy hues from lots of paint brands. I’m feeling like a bit of a trend setter 🤦🏻‍♀️😂 and you know me and trends are not the best of buddies 😂 bring back pink! 😂 so of course I’m now having to give the room a sprinkle of RFW magic 😂😂 (never in my life did I think I’d be so pompous as to refer to myself as RFW 🤦🏻‍♀️😂). Anyway, can you guess what I’ve been up to in here? I’d better get my skates on or I’ll be eating Christmas lunch in a dining room resembling a squat again this year 😂

Speaking of which, I’ve done Christmas 3 times now since September and the tree is staying firmly in the loft till December mainly because no one can be arsed to get it down again 😂 plus I’ve run out of decorating ideas 😂 I do want some new garlands though, anyone seen any simple ones that don’t cost the earth?

happy Sunday all, I hope you have a good one. Rach x

24/09/2023

Ta Dah! Well here it is, the dining room finished in all its glory 🙌🏻 about time too, only the longest room makeover ever 😂 I thought you’d like some good old fashioned interior photos of all the angles so you get a feel for the room a little better! Which ones your fave? 🥰

Still lots to do in here finishing touches wise though! For instance I nicked the mirror from the sitting room because a year of checking Facebook marketplace and eBay every single day has thrown up zilch 😩😂 anyone else sometimes take an age to find the perfect piece? Then there’s curtains and new lampshades, I’m going to make both myself and I’d like to re upholster the tub chairs too 🙌🏻. I also really wanted to sort the fireplace out but that’s going to have to wait a while till funds allow 🙏🏻 and then there’s the gilding, I’m thinking of a faux tortoiseshell lacquered table top 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 but I also think the alcoves need to come back so that’s next weeks project 🙌🏻 and inside the cupboards need a glow up too 🙌🏻 a woman’s work is never done 😂😂😂

Which brings me to a question, you know I’m going to ask right 😜😂 what room should I do next? I’ve got two small ones I’d like to get done before Christmas (the countdown of course is now on 🙈)! Would you like me to do the vestibule next? Or do I go for the room that has no name? It’s the downstairs bog/utility only it’s too small to be a utility as it just has a butlers sink and a washing machine 😂 it’s up to you, which one shall I do next? Most exciting part of any rooms journey, I’m itching to get the paint charts out again 😜

Happy Sunday all, Rach x

Raspberry Flavoured Windows

22/06/2024

12/06/2024

12/06/2024

12/06/2024

10/06/2024

12/03/2024

26/01/2024

17/01/2024

10/12/2023

03/12/2023

19/11/2023

24/09/2023

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share