Gimme Shelter

Maybe it's the sap rising quality of Spring, maybe it's a feeling that I need some change on the homefront, but I've become obsessed with the idea of re-doing my house. I've taken to stalking my favourite interior design related websites (Apartment Therapy, Desire To Inspire and Design*Sponge just for starters) flicking through furniture catalogues and dreaming about paint chips.

I'm in a small rental, which puts the brakes on a bit, but I rent from friends and have some leeway to do minor works to the place. For starters I'm thinking of repainting my bedroom. I'm also on a tight budget, partly because I committed myself to the concept of updating my home electronics over the next 3 or 4 months.

For starters it's time to buy a new sofa. My poor old sofa is looking like a disaster these days, the upholstery starting to wear through. I thought about recovering it, but I'm not even that keen on the shape of it anymore. My taste has moved towards more of a streamlined midcentury modern look, and my sofa is more of an oversized roll armed country style.

(The thought of getting the sofa out of my house is daunting, I remember the struggle the removalists had getting that sucker in...)

What I don't want to do is make my house look like an IKEA room set, or too self consciously retro. I already have some nice pieces, a small circular Art Deco smoker's table (with a groovy etched deer design in the mirror top) and an Eileen Gray side table that I love.

Anyhoo, I'm not sure where this ramble is going but if anyone has some suggestions for other inspirational design blogs hit me up in the comments. Too many ideas are never enough!