The Shepherds Hut – decorating the inside of beautiful Belle

Happy Thursday everyone! I’ve been so looking forward to sharing this post with you all. Over the past few months you’ve seen many photo’s of the outside of Belle my beautiful Shepherds Hut. And until now, not too many of indoors. As with the renovation of our home, decorating the Shepherds Hut remains a work in progress, although at Belle’s I get to put my stamp all over her. Vintage this and thrifty that, no-one is raising their eyebrows at what is going on over there. So I thought this week you might like a little peek at Belle with her summertime vibe going on, before I start changing things up for Autumn and Christmas. Ready? Let’s go…

Lets start with the bed. This bed, oh my this bed… I have dreamt of a chippy old vintage French iron bed forever. And I am not even joking. Several of my dreams have come true this year; getting my very own Shepherds Hut was one and this wonderful bed is another.

Like many of us, when I was a little girl I would pretend to be asleep when my parents came to check on me and turn out the lights. Although on many a night, once those sheets and blankets had been tucked snugly around me, a land of childish make-believe would begin. I would lay on my side, place my favourite Pippa the pocket-sized doll carefully on my pillow and imagine we were flying through the night skies in a very old bed. Do you remember Pippa? Click here if you don’t or would like to be reminded. And now, many years later here is the bed of my dreams in my very own Shepherds Hut.

This little beauty came from eBay and let me tell you, you are never going to guess how much this thrifty buy cost me.  £20. £20. Unbelievable. This purchase was meant to be. I had searched for a very long time and had made many unsuccessful bids often going into hundreds of pounds. I justified the cost to myself and Mr M as an heir loom to be passed on to either Little Miss or Master M in the future. In the end though, I didn’t have to spend a hefty sum at all. A long time ago, this bed was painted a light grey (to match Belle I’m sure) so all I had to do was give her a thoroughly good wash and dry.

Back to Master M for a moment. He too is a thrifty purchaser. He loves a rummage at the charity shop, buys many of his clothes on-line from pre-loved sites and gets a buzz out of vintage and old. He’s been at my side on many a charity shop hunt for this and that. He recently requested however that I do not bequeath to him my vintage china tea cup collection. This is fine, Little Miss shall have the china.

They can fight over who has this bed because this bed is quite perfect.  Once cleaned, I helped Mr M heave her into place – she’s very heavy indeed – and then I dressed her. I do believe she would like a ticking mattress (all in good time) for now though she has comfy old sofa seats covered in a beautiful vintage tablecloth and many a pretty scattered cushion. There will be more cushions in the future too.

Almost everything inside my Shepherds Hut has a story.  These three botanical prints on string were bought at a recent brocante: I just love the beauty in their simplicity.

This old chair was bought and painted many moons ago for a very young Little Miss and her then lilac bedroom. And my desk is an old pine table that went into storage for a while and since then has lived in the garage. To be honest I rarely sit at the desk to blog, preferring instead my comfy bed with all the mod cons around me.

I’ve been without electricity in the Shepherds Hut until a few weeks back and survived this period with candlelight. No great hardship of course. Now though I get to blog into the night with the help of this pretty lamp which I’ve had forever, lighting up my cosy space.

Recently a fellow Instagrammer featured these delightful and inexpensive rugs from Aldi.  Who knew they were catching onto the shabby chic vibe? They sit happily alongside my old sitting room rug from Laura Ashley which takes centre stage on the floor. Perfect old shabby chic.

Infact very few pieces inside the Shepherds Hut are new. I love that as Belle’s character takes shape, most of what I see around me has a story to tell. For summer I’ve enjoyed doors wide open and endless perfumed sweet peas climbing around her frame. As autumn approaches and the nights draw in, layers of warm clothing and many soft blankets will be needed for warm and cosy.  Fragrant candles will do their job again, softly lighting my den until way into the night.  And then as we gradually move into longer chilly days and nights, hot mugs of cocoa will be the order of the day; I can almost taste them now. And I’ll stoke up the log burner with all the windfall Mr M collects on his weekends and write many more stories for you to enjoy on my blog. Oh, did I forget to mention? A sweet little log burner arrives soon to warm up those long winters days. Lucky me, as I get to enjoy yet another dream come true.