Period and Traditional Homes.

Cannot believe this!
Thinking back on the houses I have lived in, and styled, my tastes have changed without me realising it!
Until recently my favourite magazines were of the Period and Traditional Homes, Country Homes and Interiors et al.
A lot of the way my interior design direction was, of course, down to the type of house I lived in and more importantly - finances. But I have always drooled over country house decor and furnishings.
My first home after leaving the family home was a modern maisonette. Rented. But with little money it had only the bare essentials. I had a bed. And a maisonette mate.
The second was a basic terrace with no front garden. My first foray into having a mortgage. My main memory there was demolishing the very large stone bar erected by some idiot taking up most of the space in the dining room! Again no money so what I could beg borrow or steal. I have memories of what was called a cottage suite(?) Wooden settee and chairs with cushions. Probably worth a fortune now.
The third a modern flat again. Surrounded by retired singles and couples! They loved me as I did the gardening.
Then a tiny cottage, which I loved. Bag End I named it much to the horror of my Father. The name Bag End is from The Hobbit, nothing to do with Bags or Tarts which my Father thought it indicated.
Here entered the brass bed, the chesterfield sofa, which I learnt how to recover. And lots of other cottagy things. And lots and lots of clutter.
Next was a semi where I became married, had children. Again no money, but IKEA had landed in Britain, so lots of pale wood.
A large detached followed, still no money, to such an extent we moved rapidly back down again to a semi.
Then to our enormous house in Scotland. The brass bed still with us!
Again, yes, yet again, not much money, so treks to IKEA, now much further away. Lots more pale wood, dining table, chairs and sideboard. Pine bedroom furniture.
Then we came here. It is a cottage. With memories of my lovely wee cottage years back where the brass bed entered my life I drew up plans to recreate the cottage and scoured my Period and Traditional Homes Magazines for inspiration. Then we moved in. All the things I had marked on the estate agent blurb, REMOVE, began to slowly make me stop and look again.
So this morning we had a discussion and instead of sorting out the brackets we went on the internet and sourced a bigger tele!
Who knows where we go from here. I have now freecycled the piles of Period and Traditional Home magazines and am now sourcing stuff I need from all manner of media. Watch this space.

Here is your wild life picture of the day. Taken this morning.

My first Poppy bloom. Chose to come out on one of the windiest days ever. So taken in a 40mph gale. As it was so battered I took pity on it and brought it inside. Hope to take another picture of it open and later save its seed.

Inside those soggy petals is the morst gorgeous black centre.

Odd isnt it that after all the years of chintz I find I have a black centre. Minimalist? Not sure yet where I am going, but its fun! Oh and the sound is much better on the new tele, I struggled with the last one as it boomed. Thought it was me hearing failing, so there you go, worth every penny. Though I have had to move me chair back a few feet to view properly!