Dusted Damson

What was it William Morris said?  "Have nothing in your houses which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful"?  How he managed that, I have no idea.  What about items previously belonging to parents or in-laws which one cannot just throw away?  Anyway, the gas fire in this picture comes decidedly into the first category and the mantlepiece into the second.

 

 

This last week we have been up to Cumbria for a spot of renovation and decorating.  Like others of its vintage, our cottage has rising damp and the chimney breast was particularly afflicted.  My husband constructed this fire surround, using a rather lovely piece of oak  for the mantlepiece.  BandQ provided the large mirror, for the remarkable price of £25. 

I chose the colour for the hardboard backing: Dusted Damson  -  just love the name.  This picks up the colours in a vintage blanket which covers the sofa and manages to look surprisingly sophisticated.

We spent most of the week scraping off wallpaper, pasting and painting, enjoying the transformative effect of white gloss and clean, silvery paper.  However, the weather lifted twice.  At Allonby the tide was full in.  Criffel has never looked so distant or so lovely as it did with its snow-cap here.

Later, we drove into Lorton for our regular walk across fields and through lanes.  Again, the snow still sat on the tops, and snowdrops were much in evidence.

 

These dull wintry days have been much enlivened by the brightness of this lively colourway.  These may well be going into my present drawer for later in the year.