On My Design Bench Archives

Doll House Makeover

One of the very first blog posts to ever make it on the Blake & Taylor website was of a custom painted doll's house for a customer. It was such a treat to bring new life to an item that was made with quality in mind. Similar to our own homes, the foundation may have been built to last generations but the decorating needs a spruce up every few years. On today's blog post, we walk you through how we freshened up a recent doll's house that was brought into the shop by a customer who was inspired to give [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-04-11T05:33:08+00:0011 April 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

Oilskin Shoppers

If you are heading out to a local market or taking a walk through some beachside shops, one of our Oilskin Shoppers is the perfect accessory that is both beautiful and functional. Featuring a duck egg blue and white floral pattern on an oilskin cloth, each bag is lined with vintage French cotton floral fabric. The straps of the bag are made from woven linen and are the wide enough to make this bag comfortable to wear, even when full of little treasures. One of the best parts of this bag is how easy it is to care for. Simply [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-04-11T05:44:09+00:0025 March 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

Wicker Basket Makeover

Materials 2 x Wicker baskets Blake & Taylor Chalk Paint French Linen and New White Blake & Taylor Clear Top Coat Satin Finish Blake & Taylor 25mm flat brush Blake & Taylor 25mm Round Brush These wicker baskets were in need of a lift with some new colour and so I decided to use some French Linen for the main body with a New White trim using the 25mm flat brush. Soon after starting I changed my mind, as I often do, and decided the New White trim just wasn’t working for me. If you find the same thing happening [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-03-04T13:45:46+00:003 March 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

Dyeing Fabric With Blake & Taylor Chalk Furniture Paint

My Chalk Furniture Paint has so many possibilities when it comes to painting different surfaces. I have shown you in previous blog posts how to paint cushion covers, leather shoes and how to stencil fabric but did you know you could actually dye pieces of fabric with my Chalk Furniture Paint? Yes really you can make up a dye bath and throw your fabric straight in! Materials Blake & Taylor Chalk Furniture Paint – Colour of your choice Fabric – I used a 70 x 70 cotton tea towel. Large metal tub or something similar. The container must be [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-02-28T01:55:23+00:0021 February 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

String Lampshade Makeover

It is not just myself who likes to be creative and bring old unloved pieces back to life. One of my staff, Kerena, recently completed this lampshade makeover using chunky natural string purchased from here in the store. The original lampshade has undergone two makeovers now. The first transformation was done using Blake & Taylor Chalk Furniture Paint in Blush Pink. As lovely as the colour was, Kerena decided it was time for a change and it needed a more natural rustic look to compliment her vintage ceramic base. Armed with just a few materials and an hour or so [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-02-28T01:48:40+00:0019 February 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

Chair Makeover

This Chair Makeover made the colour pop in the bedroom! From a dull and faded colour into a classic red and navy colour combination. These gorgeous Thibaut and Diane Bergeron fabrics compliment each other beautifully and add a pop of colour into this new bedroom. Our home has recently gone through a bit of a transformation. My ‘chuck everything in’ room downstairs has finally been converted into a beautiful bedroom and a separate more organized store room space. The previous room was somewhere to store all my vintage treasures, old furniture and those ‘I’ll work on it one day’ projects. After [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-02-28T01:56:07+00:0017 February 2019|Blog, Furniture, On My Design Bench|

Classic Sofa Makeover by Blake & Taylor

After clearing out the storeroom downstairs, ready for bedroom renovations I found a few hidden furniture treasures that were intended for makeovers many years ago like this Sofa, but I just hadn’t quite got around to starting. This sofa screamed out at me and I knew it would be perfect at the foot of our bed facing out into the garden. This piece was destined to be recovered in one of my all-time favorite fabrics and colours – Indigo Canvas and to complement the new upholstery I chose a classic blue and white stripe cushion. The legs and arms were [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-02-28T01:56:27+00:0011 February 2019|Blog, Furniture, On My Design Bench|

Crochet Bags – Handmade by Ellie

I am happy that plastic bags are being phased out of usage by stores and people alike. We are now aware of the damage that plastic is causing to our earth, waterways, and animals, so I completely support this movement. While there are many places to find yourself some reusable grocery bags, in true Ellie style, I MUST make my own! If you did not know, I simply love to crochet and knit. I make purses, cloths and bags. They are a great replacement for plastic, as well as reusable grocery bags, and in my opinion, are much more beautiful. [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-02-07T11:55:38+00:007 February 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

Shoe Makeover Using Blake & Taylor Chalk Furniture Paint

Yes, you really can use my Blake & Taylor Chalk Furniture Paint on leather shoes! Here is a pair of great wedges that I needed to go with a specific outfit but I didn’t want to go out and purchase a new pair. I had a bit of 'Hampton' colour left over from some other projects, so I thought I would give them a little makeover and create a new look. Here’s how I did it. Firstly I gave them a good clean with a damp cloth to remove any dirt. I then left them to dry fully. I then [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-02-07T11:36:35+00:007 February 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

On My Design Bench: Soft Furnishings

This week on the design bench, my first project was to create some lovely soft furnishings for this bedroom. I designed and installed this blue and white embroidered pattern set of bed pillows, drum shades and bed runner to make the bed pop. To finish off I designed the bench seat cushion using navy and white ticking fabric and plain navy cushions with the same navy and white ticking for the piping to create a sense of drama in a room that was very plain. I really love how it ties in so well with the dark wood accents, and [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-01-08T02:07:12+00:008 January 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

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