Having just arrived back from holiday, I am finding it a challenge to get back into the groove of creating. Formally creating that is. For I am distracted by the need to get our chambre d’hôte ready for the season; by the heady scent of the wisteria and the glorious roses; and by the sad and lonely mallard that has taken up residence in the frog pond. I have been busy cleaning windows. It’s amazing the difference a clean window makes to one’s viewing pleasure. And banishing vast numbers of cobwebs belonging to spiders that seem more interested in constructing dust collectors than in dealing with irritating flies. Numerous shield bugs need rescuing and the Cat has developed yet another allergy, necessitating several trips to the vet. The dining room decoration is complete… finally. The garden table has received a new coat of paint. Raspberry canes have been planted. And that’s not even half of the list. Phew. I need another holiday, especially as this last one was more of a road trip than a rest.
One of the several reasons for the road trip was to visit our friend Abel von Rust at his admirably tidy and organised wood-scented studio/workshop in the basement of an old farmhouse set precariously atop a steep hill not far from Himself’s home town of Ptuj in Slovenia. Abel has a wonderful eye for “junk” and a feel for wood, and gives discarded and forgotten items new purpose. He says that wood is alive and that it is important that you listen to it when making. I love the idea that the wood is guiding the maker, that it suggests what form will suit it best. The purpose of this visit was to pick up the Book Press table, which Abel had had in store for us for about three years, and the Plum Tree chandelier, the latter destined for the Cave. Himself has big plans for the Cave, some of which involve wine. He says he couldn’t resist this chandelier because, and I quote, “it’s fabulous and the shades are made from wire used to support vines and, look, there’s even vine thingies… tendrils, yes… still attached. And look, the branch is from an actual plum tree. And you know we, I, like plum schnapps. How cool is that?” It’s very cool. The Cave will be very cool. Even cooler than it is now.
We also collected the very generous gift of our good friend and talented photographer Tadej Turk, a large scale image of Jadranska Street in Ptuj. Himself spent, he says, many happy hours DJing in a club at the top of the street, and other happy hours at a bar at the bottom. I love the composition, the colours, and the twinkly lights. And that Abel made the frame from an old pine log. And that our friend took the picture. It now has pride of place in our newly decorated dining room.
“An interior should be so personal that it exposes all your passions, quirks and interests.”
– Karen McCartney, The Alchemy of Things
In the short breaks between cleaning windows – there are a lot of windows – I came across this, my favourite project of the moment, a guesthouse in Bath by the folks behind the London gallery 8 Holland Street. Its decoration certainly exposes all their passions, quirks and interests. Fabulous.
And while cleaning windows, I came up with a plan for a chandelier involving flowerpots, rope, paint and possibly/probably gold leaf. Himself is actually keen to give it a go. It’s been added to the list.
If anyone has any idea what can be done for sad and lonely mallards, do please get in touch.
A bientôt
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The featured photograph is by my good friend Tadej Turk. You can see more of his wonderful work here.