Month: July 2014
Bamboo 2 Seater Sofa – Glam Touch to a Holiday Home
Bamboo furniture is renowned to be eco-friendly, water resistant with a bit ‘hippie’ touch. I do love the hippie accent, as it reminds me of 1970s laid back lounges, filled with a cigarette smoke and long conversations about the ways of the World (what I was told…). These days, in the new search for an eco-friendly, reclaimed furniture, it is still firmly ‘in-vogue’. Sturdier than oak, water-resistant and as aesthetically pleasing as the most coveted hardwoods, bamboo is a sustainable natural resource and a pioneer material in the movement for eco-friendly furniture. Bamboo grows exceptionally fast and can be harvested for a few years without damage, so you can buy bamboo furniture with an eco-clear conscience.
And with it fitting so well into a rustic, coastal décor, it is a popular choice when furnishing Cornish holiday lettings or a rural retreat. It gives this relaxed, weekend atmosphere to a home, something you would like to see yourself when going on holiday by the sea.
This Art Deco inspired Bamboo 2 Seater Sofa, is very glamorous, giving your guests a touch of luxury (which is something they expect on one hand), with it’s solid base, plumpy duck feather cushions and rich glaze frame. But at the same time, it brings this old school, laid back atmosphere of the land with no laptops or mobile phones… perfect choice, and something your guests will thoroughly enjoy!
by Cherrie Hub
So Your Style is Coastal? – by Houzz UK
Rustic Baskets – Quirky Storage Idea!
Rustic wire baskets – they look like vintage shopping baskets, a bit rusty, but with quirky character. Wouldn’t they make fantastic bathroom storage for towels or toilet rolls? I can imagine one of them standing on bare stone floor in a cosy country cottage! Simple and sophisticated storage idea, very sturdy, unique and made to last. Perfect storage solution for a holiday home!
How To Hide Cables – No Need to Drill!
I hate having cables on the display – it’s inevitable at some point, when you install the speakers or any other wired devices. Of course the cables are often quite thin and easy to disguise, but in my opinion there’s nothing worse than having nicely arranged interior with tasteful art and these thin cables, like old spiderwebs, hanging in the background, ugh…
So I came with an idea how to disguise those necessary cables – without the need of using any hammer and nails – after all, many of us live in the rented property – including myself. So I bought a strong Mammoth Selotape in Trago Mills. It’s clear, waterproof and it’s designated for DIY jobs around the house – so it’s stronger than the average packaging tape.
I have this surround system in my living room, so that the speakers need to be arranged on the walls around the room, which means the cables go from the speakers all over the room and connect to the device under the tv – don’t ask me the technical terms lol! It wasn’t pretty sight, after all.
So I have secured all the cables to the wall, just by the ceiling, with the Mammoth tape. I have worked using short pieces of tape – I found it easier to secure the cables in the place I wanted that way, instead of using one long piece of selotape at once.
Now the cables are soo beautifully disguised, I can only see them when I look for them, you cannot notice them at all when you are in the room – brilliant, job well done!
by Cherrie Hub
Extending Oak Kitchen Island – a Smart Idea for a Small Kitchen!
Recently I have moved to the new house, it’s a lovely little cottage in Cornwall. The accent here is on ‘little’ of course. It was build last century to fit the needs of Cornish fishermen, so obviously it is not focused on being spacious and luxurious, just cosy and practical. It is a lovely place, and full of character. The only downside is the size of the kitchen work tops. They are absolutely tiny! Once I have placed the microwave, the kettle and utensils on top, there’s not enough room for anything else. So when I cook and have all the ingredients and spices handy on a display, I struggle to find a room to chop the veg or put a spoon or a pot cover on the side. It’s a juggle sometimes!
So getting this extending kitchen island was a really smart idea. It doesn’t take much room at all (it is really surprising how well it can fit in a small kitchen!), and once you open the leaf on the back you have the most amazing and spacious work top. The best thing is, that it’s on the castors, so you can roll it from place to place around the kitchen. From being extra work top while you cook the dinner, it will be the breakfast table in the morning and also handy spot to put your dishes after washing! I can’t imagine my kitchen without it now – I got extra space to roll the pastry, hang the tea towel, place the chopped onions on the side or move the hot pan out of the way – it’s an absolute treat!
You can get similar Light Oak Kitchen Island from our Etsy store now!
by Cherrie Hub
New Trend – Shaped Cushions
I love different and unusual cushion designs, one simple cushion can add plenty of character and personality to the room. So I love researching new designs online, and I noticed the cushions with unusual shapes are really trending right now. So not necessarily square, round or rectangular, they have the shape of a glove, head, underpants (!) or an animal. What do you think? I think having one single funny cushion like that as a feature detail on your sofa can add heaps of personality to your home. And the best thing is, you can easy make them yourself!
by Cherrie Hub
Reflect Seaside Location of Your Holiday Lettings – in 5 Easy Steps!
If you have a seaside holiday cottage, your guests will absolutely adore the coast inspired decor during their stay. They have booked the seaside location, and they crave all that will reflect that! So they will appreciate the effort you make to create the beach decor. The good news is that you won’t need to change everything around to add nautical feel. Few accessories, figurines, wicker baskets will make a massive change. Here is how to add coast feel to your holiday home in 5 easy steps:
1. Candles and Shells
These will add a strong coastal feel to the living room or bedroom, try putting few chunky candles in various sizes on the shelf, and add a glass vase filled with shells. And how about placing one candle in a glass bowl filled with a sand?
2. Rattan baskets
These have a strong beachy character, get few matching wicker baskets in various sizes for the bathroom to keep the towels, bathing products etc. How about also getting a rattan laundry basket and a magazine stand for the living room?
3. Anchor Cushions and Art
Nothing speaks a coastal look louder than a rustic anchor! Try this detail on cushions, simple wall hangings, wall decals and a bedding. Always a winner beside a seaside!
4. Beach Huts
Just like Anchors, these have a fantastic coastal feel, even one simple beach hut detail can create strong beach look in the holiday let. How about picking a tea towels, oven mitts and place mats in this design?
6. Twine on anything!
I’m a big fan of twine, and can add it to anything, from a lampshade, shelving edge, flower pot or a jar, it brings so much character, and can add a coastal look to any small item around the house within minutes!
Finding Your People: Forums and Niche Networks
Very well written post, in today’s era of Google supporting brands it’s more difficult to rank high in search engines, so focusing on niche market is even more important…
We spend a lot of time discussing ways to use social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram to grow your blog’s audience. Forums are another effective tool for increasing your readership: these niche social networks are a focused way for bloggers who publish on specific topics to connect, boost their blogs, and find new post inspiration.
Finding your people
Sadly, the needle is not always so easy to find — but forums and niche communities can go a long way toward shrinking your online haystack.
“Needle in a Haystack,” James Lumb.
Finding people on the internet is the easy part. Finding the people you want to connect with — the people who care about the same things, or share your values — is another matter entirely. Many new bloggers feel alone despite joining a community millions strong, because simply participating doesn’t mean you’re connecting.
There are many ways to ameliorate…
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6 Smart Ways To Sell Your Stuff with No Internet!
Inspired by a recent experience of having no internet for THREE weeks (due to moving the house), and an internet business to run (right…) I had to look at other ways to sell my stock during that time. As the Monty Python boys say: ‘Adapt, Adopt and Improve’. Although I love selling online, it is possible to sell in this mighty off-line world too… Below I have included the 6 smart ways to sell your stuff (without the need to actually own a store):
1. AUCTION HOUSES:
First of all, auction house, it can be a great place to sell quality wooden furniture and mixed lots. Also, pottery and ceramics often do well at the auctions.
- Find your local auction house
- Call in with your item for a valuation
- Set the reserve price, if required, so your item won’t sell if it is less than this amount – be wise with this, as sometimes you have to pay the entry fee to sell your item. Don’t price your item too high, but aim for the top end of the estimate given to you by the auctioneer
- If you have some very unusual item (like WWI memorabilia), it’s better to go to specialist auction
- Also remember that you’ll need to pay 10% – 15% of the price after the sale (the percentage can vary from one auction house to another)
- When selling furniture, the auctioneer can ask for the items to have the fire resistance certificate – it is usually the label you could find on the piece. According to the law, the auction house can refuse to accept the furniture which is not fire resistant.
Ben says: “When we disposed of my late mother’s estate we found one auction house nearby that would take almost anything and turn it into cash. I was amazed at what we got rid of for seemingly good money. There was stuff that I was prepared to throw out but thought I would pass by them first. They disposed of anything from boxes of kitchen utensils to cheap paperbacks. We realised we were onto a good thing and cleared out some of our own tat through this guy, as we had to make room for some of the nice pieces coming our way from my mother’s house.”
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2. LOCAL PAPER:
Most local papers offer the classified ads section, get one of the papers and see how to submit your ad, how much will it cost (some could be free), and for how long it will run (appear in the paper). I would pick a weekly paper instead of just a daily paper, as it’s got a longer life and people will have more time to look through it.
- Check how other people advertise their stuff, and how they price it.
- Keep the ad text to absolute minimum, include dimensions of the item you sell, condition, if you deliver or not, and also your contact details.
- Remember, one photo can speak a 1000 words, and it will stand out, so consider submitting a photo (usually a paid extra).
From my personal experience though, I did not have much luck with the local paper ads, so I wouldn’t rely on this as a selling platform.
3. LOCAL SHOP’S NOTICE BOARD
You know, when you’re in your local supermarket or a post office, you pass these boards, where you see ads with unwanted stuff for sale, rooms to rent, services etc. It is worth considering to place your own, if you do have some bigger items for sale (like a bed, car, wardrobe etc.)
- Enquire in the shop, how to place your ad, have they got special stationery to write the info on, or can you submit your own card
- Ask how much is it to advertise, and how long will the ad stay for.
- If you can submit the photo, it’s even better.
Worth considering, yet not the main money earner!
4. SECOND HAND FURNITURE SHOPS
That’s a good option to try, as many local furniture stores are happy to stock unique items and keep bringing new stock frequently. It’s better to target the second hand furniture stores than the ones selling brand new stuff, as the latter might be less likely to buy used furniture.
- Phone the shop first and arrange the time when it would be most convenient for you to come over to speak with the owner / manager.
- You can also email them the sample photos of your products and they could choose the ones they’re interested in. That way it saves you dragging all your current stock with you – just take the things they want to buy!
- When negotiating the sale, accentuate the fact how much their shop will profit from new unusual items, fresh stock etc.
- Also remember that the shop owner could haggle on the price, so start by quoting the price a bit higher than what you would like to get, which will give you some wriggle room, and it will leave the shop owner happy that he got the great deal!
5. CAR BOOT SALES:
Now these can be fun, if you do have plenty of little items you can flog for pennies – in my experience I didn’t have any luck selling bigger items, like furniture on car boot sales, people don’t take large amounts of money to car boots generally – they’re not prepared for large purchases.
- To make the trip worthwhile, stock up your car so your stall will look packed, attractive and you’ll have buyers queuing!
- Research in local paper on what days are the car boot sales held and what time do they start.
- Star Tip: as a seller you’ll need to be good 2h beforehand to get the decent spot!
- Expect loads of price haggling, take a water or a flask with a hot drink, something to read and some snacks – it will be a long day!
- Also take extra sheets of plastic for wet ground or covering books/clothes when the odd un-forecast rain shower goes over. Make sure you have a float of change – especially for those first purchases (always a £20 note for £1 item!).
- Remember about sun tan lotion and shades – it’s easy to get burned these few hours in the sun! Get everything ready the night before, check the weather forecast and pack the car.
- Pack the car strategically. Don’t put your table or layout sheet at the bottom of the boot. You’ll need it first
6. VINTAGE FAIRS:
Fairs are organised trade events, where many sellers set up their stalls and fill with vintage or antique items. This is the place where you can sell more unusual items, and for a higher price. The buyers who visit stalls are often collectors, looking for something specific. You can find about upcoming trade fairs in your area in local newspaper or buying vintage magazine. You would need to book your stall in advance, so contact the organisers, who will also give you some idea what kind of stock would sell best.
Once you are booked in the prospect of joining busy fair can be quite daunting. Please don’t worry, there’s lots of help once you arrive. But good preparation is key.
- Prepare swing tags with price clearly displayed and your stall / shop name on it.
- Price your stock carefully, the fairs are aimed at the affordable market and you don’t want to over price your stall. If it’s your first fair you could price accordingly but bring some sale cards or rail tags along, if certain items are sticking you can then quickly reduce rails or add offers to entice customers.
- You want to start with a smaller stall at your first fair. You can always bring extra stock with you and un-pack it as the fair goes on. Some stall holders bring extra sacks of stock and store it under their tables to re-stock quickly.
- Dressing your stall can make all the difference, bring with you anything you think may stand out from the crowd. Bring fabric to cover your table, signs to let people know your price points, flyers to promote your brand and if you do have any small items then a bargain bin is always welcome especially from the fashion students.
This is all based on experience of mine and other people, but it all depends on the items you do have for sale – the ads in the paper didn’t work for me, but I know some people who sell very well that way. Also I didn’t have a great profit from the auction, but others love it, and sell only this way! So it’s always good to try different ways of selling and pick the one that works for you!
by Cherrie Hub
Cherrie Hub 