Apartments Don't Have To Be White Boxes!

Whilst I know it makes life easier (and cheaper!) for developers to put the same kitchen, bathroom and carpets in every apartment, it means they become devoid of personality and we all end up living in the same white box! This is the reason I was so excited about receiving briefs for a kitchen and shower room in this Manchester penthouse apartment.

Kitchen - Before

The brief for this room was to create an elegant space, with a more traditional style that was still fitting within a modern building. We focused on de-cluttering and creating a practical, but still beautiful area, by using the space more efficiently. Adding light and colour were important factors, as well as the use of natural materials. The home owners wanted the kitchen to feel homely and welcoming, but also stylish and well presented. These are my original mood boards and layout ideas..

Working to a budget of £8,000 including decorating and dressing, I sourced a shaker style kitchen from Howdens Joinery and this was the result..

Bespoke Shelving & Morphy Richards Accessories 

Leisure Cookmaster & Toops Tiles Sage Brick

Milton Elsbeth Handmade Tea Towel & Blind,
Topps Tiles Slate Flooring 

Gorenje Fridge & Habitat Bin

The changes here have not only transformed the kitchen into a more pleasurable and usable space, but the rest of the apartment as well in seems. Seeing that their more traditional taste works so well, even in a modern flat building, has inspired the homeowners to continue the theme (and the orange!)

Shower Room - Before

The brief for this room was to create a clean, light and stylish ensuite within the small space, which was both practical and pleasurable to use. This is the mood board of initial ideas..

My main issue with this shower room was walking in and having the toilet directly in front of you, whilst the sink and vanity area were squashed into a dark corner. Luckily my wonderful plumber was able to swap them around and this was the result..

Next Storage Baskets

Tons of Tiles

Ceramic Bin Up Cycled by Milton Elsbeth

Toilet Brush Holder Up Cycled by Milton Elsbeth

Hand Soap Dispenser & Toothbrush Holder Up Cycled by Milton Elsbeth

The corner shower unit was a much better use of the space, and making the vanity area the focal point of the room has made it much more pleasurable to enter this 'Parisian Chic' ensuite.

For more handcrafted and up cycled items by Milton Elsbeth please visit one of our online shops www.etsy.com/shop/MiltonElsbeth 

www.folksy.com/shops/MiltonElsbeth

Offer Accepted!

Having just had an offer accepted on our first home together, I can't help but begin to mentally renovate and redecorate it! After years of choosing wallpaper and designing kitchens for other peoples homes, I'm finally free to unleash my creativity on my own period property - it was the cornicing that sold it!  

I'm sure there must be others out there who also get excited about colour schemes and fabrics, but unfortunately my other half is not one of them. Therefore I'm going to share my ideas with you and welcome any opinions or experiences you have. 

So beginning with the living room which houses many character features, I'm thinking of using grey and rust, this is the inspiration I've put together so far...

I love the additional accent colours in this scheme which could be used for the cushions, throws and other accessories. My next task is to find a wallpaper in deep rust to go under the picture rail, which I plan to make a feature of using a contrasting colour. 

I was drawn to the different textures in this room and love the idea of using small amounts of velvet to create a luxury feel. 

Finally, when researching window treatments I came across some fabulous modern pelmets, a far cry from the floral, padded 80s designs. I think this cornice valance will fit perfectly with the existing architectural details in the room. 

I'll post before pictures of the room once the house actually belongs to us! In the meantime I'll be designing the kitchen!