CHANGING ROOMS

I see ‘Changing Rooms’ is back on TV. I thought the horrific spectre of watching people trying to look happy while an interior designer explains why they chose to do up their lounge in an Amazonian themed MDF way had long gone.

But, no, Kirsty Allsopp’s new show ‘free something or other’ has shown that people can still clearly retain a stiff upper lip when Kirsty reveals the new catastrophe that was their home.

I nearly saw a grown man cry when he saw the pink pastel kingdom his bedroom had become. Just because it’s free, don’t make it right….

HEAVY METAL

For no reason in particular, we ended up last week buying a
whole load of heavy metal. Buckets, milk churns, big boxy

metal things, bins and planters. Amongst them was a very rude looking concrete lighthouse so, of course, we had to buy that as well. Also we bought 3 large industrial chicken feeder although they wouldn’t all fit in the van (sorry Dan & Debs!) so we will get them to the shop at a later date.

Perhaps the star buy was a Dutch mechanics tool chest on wheels (currently in shop). It would make a very industrial chic occasional table (literally – you could just wheel it out!).

Nest is currently crammed full of interesting vintage gear so get over quick before it all goes!

BOOK BARGAINS

A few weeks ago we bought in a load of vintage books to the shop. That same day, a guy came up to the counter with one of the books (an old Enid Blyton) and said “I would like to give you the full price on this but there’s a slight problem”. He opened the book.

The pages had been cored out so as to hide some sort of rectangular box. My immediate reaction was….how exciting…and actually, the customer really liked it as well – but I had to give him a discount!

In retrospect, had we known about this, I would probably have kept it to myself and hidden chocolate inside!

LOSING OUR LANDROVER

Well, it looks like we have sold our beloved Landrover. 

Unfortunately, we have reached that difficult point in our business where our delivery needs have changed. This does mean that, temporarily, we can’t move large loads so there a few larger pieces of furniture in the shop that now come with a hefty price reduction – if you can arrange your own delivery.

As for the Landrover – we’re not talking about it yet….it’s a little upsetting…!

VISITING ROBIN

A robin just flew into the shop, landed on a sculpture of a Garnet, looked at it, did a poo and flew out again. I hope this isn’t some sort of protest…..

ARTISTS' MARQUEE

Well, it’s that time of year again when Burwash Manor holds its Open Studios affiliated exhibition of artists. As usual, I am one of them and, last week, was getting stressed trying to finish off my 4 foot battleship made from scrap metal.

The artistic problem I keep trying to resolve is - how may guns does a battleship need? I want it to be a slightly friendly battleship – the sort you might take pity on and put up in your spare room. The temptation, however, is to keep adding more guns…hey ho. 

Anyway, if that (or the 13 other exhibiting artists!) interests you at all, then pop along to the Artists’ Marquee, each weekend in July, and say hello!

VINTAGED

I don’t know if someone is trying to wind us up. But, given previous rants on stupid new made up words – such as upcycled, recrafted etc. – and also my meltdown on the mis-use of the word ‘vintage, I noticed a small advert in a local glossy magazine for some new plant pots. They were described as ‘vintaged rose plant pots’!

I hope this doesn’t mean we’re going to have an outbreak of more made up words like revintaged and upvintaged.

p.s. just liked this picture of Homer, whom we sat next to for a rest on a recent buying trip!