Pictures On The Walls

Last week I was going to spend the afternoon painting a wall grey in my dining room. The plan got waylaid by World of Work overspill... but very much later that evening, watching an old Who Do You Think You Are (Natasha Kaplinsky), the wall got its paint.... The painting mojo hasn't returned since then, so I still haven't got the ladder out of the cellar to do the top 4" of wall.

In a bit of a "blah", down-phase a little while ago, I filled my ebay watch list up with Warhol pop art. So the mini blue Liz and the mini red Jackie O were from there...






And to keep the pop art going:

Poster at London Bridge station.








And on another wall, in my dad's lounge, is this l'il beauty:

It's called "Interlude" by Teymour Amiry, 1963. It's been in the house forever; the downstairs of the house is totally still original mid-century. As is the wallpaper throughout the house... The only thing I've found on the artist is a listing on New Zealand's Trade Me. So possibly a New Zealand artist??? Its quite creepy, as I just don't like still, dark water like rivers and ponds, but its quite enchanting even so...

To The Wallpaper Museum. And London?

Off dahn south tomorrow, to the land of oast houses, and a certain house styled as a non-ironic 1950's throwback. Yes, an afternoon and an evening with my dad, which will be lovely, and I will put my fingers in my ears when he tells me yet again that I've filled his kettle The Wrong Way. He has a big birthday soon, and I'm hoping I've managed to find him three things which don't elicite the directness that was the response I've had from him once or twice of "what did you get me that for?".

After that we're kicking our heels round London for a bit. This time around its a bit tricky thinking where to take 2 boys who are getting increasingly less possible to impress. They've never let me forget the time I wouldn't let them in the Apple store. We found out the next day that one of my friends had been in there at exactly that time, and she had stumbled on a Mighty Boosh promo event... I'm thinking a sweep around the low-culture bits of the V&A. Though obviously we have absolutely no expectations of spotting Noel Fielding...

1970's Wallpaper

This is the wallpaper at my Dad's house.

It's from the first time these designs were in fashion.

Thankfully the carpets are not from the same era....

Collections 1

At last, some semblance of regularity in what I might post in the future, seeing as this is number one.... in a series.

Being a bit lazy always terribly busy doing other things, I don't always post pics of bits and pieces I've hauled back from junk markets, charity shops, and sometimes the roadside... so here are some recent finds.

 I totally adore old Quality Street tins, with this gorgeous pinky-lilac colour and the 101-Dalmations-era illustrations. Next time I'm at my dad's I'll look for the one I had back in the day - his house is a total time capsule, from 1957-1973. Furnished in the late 50s, and not significantly decorated since my mum moved out in 73. (She marked time until she could divorce him by taking out the frustration in papering whole rooms in a constant cycle of the latest patterns, and dad being a typical man just updates the electrical goodies and ignores the decor.) There'll be Some Serious Wallpaper Photos coming here, circa summertime. Come to think of it, I'd love to enlarge those prints onto canvas and put them on my walls!

No real idea about this one - it seems to be an hors d'oeuvre/condiments dish and I would imagine its late 60s, as there was a lot of paua shell knick knacks coming over from New Zealand at that time. My Grandma had the most fantastic tiered paua shell stand - probably for plants - that her brother got her, but my cousin nabbed it first! I've got some coasters and a tray up in the depths of the loft - time to resurrect them.

 And of course this ain't remotely vintage but its the nearest thing to a vintage phone I have at the moment ;)