How To Create The Perfect Boot Room

Aaah, October. 

The cosier evenings, the warming drinks, the roaring fires....

....and the mud, the grime and the dirty leaves! 

If you have the space, may we recommend 

The Boot Room?

And if you don't have the space, please don't fret. It's an easy task to carve out part of your hall, kitchen, garden shed or utility room as a boot space.

Here's our Source Book of Boot Room essentials...

Lots Of Pegs

Peg rails are a great way to add multiple pegs to a wall. They add a touch of Shaker simplicity that feels right for such a busy space.

Try our stunning peg rails in unfinished oak. They come in lengths of 2, 4 or 6 pegs to suit your needs exactly. 

Boot Scraper

Choose one with a heavy cast iron finish to withstand all that your muddy boots can throw at it. We love this boot scraper with its antique finish and simple detailing:

Wellington Storage

We adore vintage boxes for boot storage. They're large, airy and are pre-dirtied! We're currently selling a range of old-style Coca Cola boxes that would work well for busy boots and shoes. With an aged patina and metal trivet detailing, these will add a touch of vintage charm to your space.

Alternatively, try our untreated oak Welly Boot Racks. These are easily fixed against a wall, and will make a great feature, as well as tying in with our peg rails. Too often, storage solutions are either stylish or practical. We're always thrilled to find products that manage to be both.

Cast iron boot racks can work just as well outside if treated. Ours is sturdy, strong and beautiful (and available in store). What more could you need?!

Baskets

Baskets are an easy and stylish way to give yourself more storage. 

At Relics of Witney, we have a whole host of gorgeous baskets in a large range of shapes and sizes that will give your Boot Room (or Boot Space) the wow-factor. 

With these Boot Room essentials in place, you'll have a perfectly prepared Boot Room, ready and waiting for the coming Autumn days.

college greenlight, coffee1, unknown, toddhunter earle, Lewis Alderson, Border Oak, Relics of Witney, finding home, Relics of Witney, wayfair, unknown, remodelista

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Earthborn Claypaints: Green And Gorgeous

Earthborn are the heroes of the green paint movement. 

There's no doubt about it. 

In fact, in honour of Earthborn, this month, we've restyled the window display at Relics of Witney. It now features lots of ideas to inspire you to get creative with this delicious paint.

Why do we love Earthborn paints so much? We're sure you don't need us to tell you that historically emulsions have contained VOCs but you may need your eyes opening to the fantastic range of truly stylish and environmentally friendly paints available, and that's where Relics of Witney can help.

The Earthborn Range Of Paints

VOC stands for 'Volatile Organic Compounds' which are emitted as gasses from some paints, not only when initially painting but in the weeks, months and years to come. We've been unintentionally contaminating our homes. All paint companies are moving away from using these nasty chemicals but Earthborn has taken an altogether different route.

Earthborn Button Tin, The Lido, Riverbank, Fuggles and Storybook

Earthborn come highly recommended by Relics of Witney for areas where walls need to 'breathe' because their Emulsions are clay-based, Eggshells oil- and acrylic-free and Woodstains water-based. You see, the water absorbed by old buildings needs to escape through its surfaces; if these are covered in non-permeable paint then you may end up with damp problems. Earthborn's gentle formula allows the moisture in older walls to evaporate freely.

Earthborn Vanilla

And there's more good news! Earthborn Claypaints have been created with an ultra-chalky finish that softens and enhances the light in your room. The thoughtfully put-together range of sixty colours allows these paints to be used right across the design spectrum. 

Earthborn Nellie

There's an Earthborn paint with your name on, whether your look is feminine....

Earthborn Lily Lily Rose, Cupcake and Eiderdown 

...country...

Earthborn Gregory's Den alongside Farrow and Ball Blue Gray

...contemporary...

Earthborn Muddy Boots

or coastal....

Earthborn Masonry Paint

Earthborn paints are fantastic for painting furniture. If you're looking for a paint that needs minimum prep work then have a look at Earthborn, as they are designed to be used with no primer at all. However, we do always recommend using primer for all brands because we believe more preparation means a better, more long-lasting finish. 

They can be combined with Osmo Oils for a really hard-wearing finish that's also good for your health.

Osmo Oils

Earthborn paints are the perfect excuse to let your creativity run wild. For example, we love the way they've been used on these tiles with stencils. The ultra-flat finish complements the matt-ness of the terracotta surface.

For more information that tailor-made to your needs, come and see us at Relics of Witmey, or visit our online store.

We've recently added these large wooden circles showing samples of Earthborn paints. Seeing is believing! 

Images via: Relics, Relics, Earthborn, Earthborn, Earthborn, Earthborn, Earthborn, Modern Country Style, Anna Starmer, Earthborn, Earthborn, Relics, Relics, 

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How To Decorate With The Best Brown-Grey And Greige Paints And Accessories

If the thought of decorating with browns takes you straight back to ugly memories of the seventies, now is most definitely the time to think again. Able to act as both a neutral and a colour, brown is a hugely versatile shade which is happy to straddle a whole variety of looks.This month we want to take you on a tour of the best that fashionably-greyed browns (often referred to as greige, a cross between grey and beige) have to offer, and that Relics of Witney have picked out for our customers.

First of all, Let's talk paints. Today's browns come in a whole dizzying array of different hues - from the palest of caramels to the deepest, warmest chocolate. 

We think these are the best grey-browns:

Little Greene Attic II:

Farrow and Ball Charleston Gray:

Little Greene Silt:

Little Green Chocolate Colour:

Farrow and Ball Mole's Breath:

These are fantastic choices for adding depth to your decorating - by painting and distressing a favourite but tired pierce of furniture for a gentle feel, or for adding a bolder hit on feature walls. None of these are run-of the mill browns; they will all having you looking again and again, trying to fathom their moody hues. 

And now onto our accessories. We are huge fans of our rattan baskets...we have a large collection in a whole gamut of shapes and sizes. They are incredibly popular, and rightly so. Strong, tough and beautifully elegant: who knew such a combination was possible? Their thick-stranded woven texture will bring interest to any area needing a bit of a nudge style-wise. And the possibilities for use in your home? Oh, the possibilities! Just take a look at some of these images....

And, lastly, for those of you who are looking to add a tangible sense of vintage character to your home, we have a fantastic Bakelite range of switches, socket and ceiling roses, as well as traditional fabric-covered flex.

Who said brown had to be boring? They clearly hadn't seen our stock! Come into Relics of Witney, or shop online for all your decorating needs...

Images via: Farrow and Ball, Vanessa Arbuthnott, Little Greeene, Farrow and Ball, Little Greene, Little Greene, Little Greene, Little Greene, Farrow and Ball, Modern Country Style, Garden Trading, quickcrop, Pinterest, Claire Mee, stilinspiration, woondroom, cox and cox, room seventeen, Relics of Witney, Relics of Witney

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