Monday 28 February 2011

Off The Wall


After a busy day I like nothing better than a long soak in the bath reflecting upon the ecclectic collection hanging from the bathroom walls. As I'm wearing a vintage wrap and my hair in a bun I thought I'd share the view from our roll top instead of a picture of me.


The burnished Florentine shelf was 50p from a car boot sale, the vintage glass decanters are filled with colourful Poundland bubble bath. The 1930's metal bluebirds were also car boot sale finds.

These Edwardian oak frames hold Hindu devotional posters we bought from temple stalls in Madras.



This cute ceramic plaque hung in my Grandma's nursery when she was a baby during the Great War.


The ceramic lambs were also from my Grandma's family home. The Kali wood cut was bought in India.


Souvenirs from our travels. The comedy mask was from Greece and the hand of Fatima was bought in Tangier in 1993.



My great-grandfather, Thomas Chapman, my Grandma's father.



The Edwardian mahogany mirror hung in my Grandpa's bedroom when I was a child.



My friend Liz painted this for my 40th birthday.


Jon's gold and silver discs, because awards always belong in the bathroom.



Our Lomography mural featuring pets, India and festival fun.


We hang vintage mirrors from the brick wall to bounce light back from the glass bricks.



The mirrors were from car boot sales and the sputnik clock's a reproduction.


We bought a job lot of these huge burnished frames from a car boot sale years ago.


Framed Victorian-era map of Lower Bengal


The matador print was something my Dad bought on his travels back in the 1950's. I hated it as a child but can appreciate the drama within it's simple lines now.


The Utility shelf is just the right size for our toiletries and limits us buying more than we need. The Lloyd Loom Lusty cupboard houses our towels. The vintage pewter mirror was another car boot sale purchase.


What's on your bathroom walls?

70 comments:

  1. O,darling,I so love your bathroom!! We don't have anything interesting in our bathroom;it's so small.We don't have a bath to lie back and enjoy pretty things,just a double shower.Our bathroom is a get in,get out room!! I do want to put a chandelier up,though.
    LOVE YOU!!! Helga xxxXXXxxx

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  2. cobwebs mainly!! lol Ooo how strange - I'm doing a bathroomy bloggy post next! AND..... I'm a Chapman (by marriage). doo doo doo dooooo! Loving your eclectic array of bathroom goodies. You've certainly got lots to look at whilst bathing. I'm so nosey - I love posts like this cos I love seeing people's homes. Thanks for sharing xx

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  3. You seem highly entertained in your bath with all those beautiful fanciable goodness on your loo walls. Hmmm, what's pon my loo walls?
    Hang on whilst I have a quick peek;-)
    Nothing utterly exciting as yours, my lovely! xoxo

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  4. Honestly? Vile 80s beige tiles with grout that just won't come up clean! I hate our bathroom but we can't afford to have anything done with it at the moment. Yours is gorgeous, it looks really big x

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  5. even your bathroom is full of treasure!

    Come enter my upcycled purse giveaway!

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  6. Wow Vix, your house is amazing! But to be honest I didn't expect anything less! Xx

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  7. I love it! You've got so many lovelies to look at. I'd never get out of the bath. xxx

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  8. Your bathroom always amazes me - it really is stunning and luxurious and I love to hear all the stories behind your treasures.

    Well we are still decorating but my favourite thing in our bathroom is the Parisian skyline shower curtain. We also have a vintage map of Russia I bought the Aussie for his birthday that will go up someday when it emerges from the packing boxes xx

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  9. At the moment, bath crayons. Grr. Thank god they wash off. I suppose they're handy for moments of inspiration in the tub.

    Love the eclectic world traveller look you have. You are making me even more determined to get myself and my house in order.
    Lakota x

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  10. Wow. You have an awesome collection!!!! Love your bathroom:) happy Monday

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  11. I just replied and Blogger played up! I love your bathroom. You've got so many lovelies to look at, I'd never get out of the bath. xxx

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  12. Ahh, these pictures make me smile. I've only got a big batik print in my bathroom, but we also house a hand of fatima, Indian gods (Sarah is devoted to Ganesha) and a bunch of antique mirrors... xxx

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  13. I'm ready to move in! Will bring rose - by the boxload! xx

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  14. You have lots of lovely things. I live with my parents and they're quite minimalist so we don't have anything on our bathroom walls apart from a mirror. When i get my own place i'd like to have little shelves full of perfumes and spray bottles etc. I love the decanter idea though :)
    xxxxx

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  15. Your bathroom is wondrous and looks huge.. I hate our bathroom just a shower,tub and mirror, sink. Plain .. I love all your mirrors and cute keypie dolly .. Shower gel never looked so glam.

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  16. Your bathroom is decorate in a way that reflect your eclectic interests and personality!
    My bathroom has flower paintings, turquoise shower curtains and towels!

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  17. I love all your trinkets especially the indian ones and the Fatima hand.. l have a thing for jewellery with that symbol.. I will do a post on my bathroom as it is my little retreat too xx

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  18. Vix, your bathroom is a haven!!
    I adore the glass bricks, and the decanters with bubblebath is a great idea.
    Our bathroom is finished after 4 years, clean white suite, mosiac sea coloured tiles surround the toilet, and glass jars hold our bits and pieces and we've got a bright blue blind to cover Andy's bits and pieces!! ;)
    xx

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  19. Dearest Vix, I love everything! My favourites are the ceramic child plaque, the birds and the mirror collection.

    I have nothing on my bathroom walls at the moment apart from one mirror. It's the only room I've done nothing to since I moved in. I'm desperate for a new bathroom. I'd better start saving but there's always something else to buy!

    Have a great night, love C xx

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  20. I do love having a virtual nose around someone else's house - especially yours as you always have some lovely and quirky items on display. You're a source of bargain hunting inspiration! xxx

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  21. They should feature your home and lifestyle in a magazine you know Vix. It's unique and so charming :)

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  22. Gosh I love your bathroom how fabulous! Love everything in it. I do love our bathroom but I'm sad we removed the bath, it's just easier for Paul with a walk in shower but I miss a bath! You can see my tiny bathroom here http://straighttalkingmama.blogspot.com/2010/08/whoo-hoo-i-did-it.html

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  23. ahhh Vix, your blog posts always inspire me. What a wonderfully calming yet interesting space you have created.As you know I have used your idea to fill decanters with bubble bath. Fabulous post as always x

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  24. I bloody love that bubble bath idea! Do you mind if I steal it? =p

    Your bathroom is beautiful, it holds so many happy memories.

    My bathroom is rather small and not very nice looking.. white tiles, white cracking paint (because the previous owners obviously didn't use the right stuff!)
    I have collected a few pictures and pretty bathroom accessories for when we get around to sorting the bathroom out and giving it a makeover.

    Your posts always give me inspiration :)

    xxx

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  25. You bathroom is a delight! I love the frames and decanters: so perfectly balanced both decorative and neat.

    Ours is rental plan and used to have a badly placed in-bath shaving mirror which would swing out and hit your leg when showering. Until one day, while cleaning it, it fell off. Phew.

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  26. I love it when you take us on tours around your house, it is amazing to hear all the stories too. The only thing on my bathroom wall is a patch of hairdye which I can't reach to scrub off!

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  27. I love it when people treat their bathroom with as much respect as they do the rest of the house, yours must be such fun to use. We rent and our bathroom is tiny, so it steams up much too quickly to put anything on the walls and we aren't able to pain, how boring xx

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  28. Hi my dear-you have a beautiful and stunning bathroom, all the pictures, ornaments, photos and especially the music discs make it a very unique and wonderful space, it must be a joy to have a bath in your house!! My bathroom is positively mundane compared to yours, at least its just been newly painted, lol!! xx

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  29. A fascinating post, Vix. I love a good nose round people's homes. Love everything. Especially love the Lomography mural. Nothing interesting on the walls in our bathroom, white tiles and that's your lot.

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  30. Is this seriously all in your bathroom? Dear God it is like a mini museum!
    You have alot of very lovely things. I like the fact you have alot of family history pieces also. The Mirror wall is GAWWWWJUSSSS!

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  31. Love the bubble bath decanters.

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  32. Lovely bathroom Vix. Ours is a complete shoe box and has very little on the walls (a vintage repro French bathroom ad bought in gay Pareeeee and a wee watercolour of a sunset). It steams up so quickly too that you don't want too much for the steam and wet to accumulate in! The wall with the mirrors and clock on is fabulous.

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  33. I dont think I have ever seen such a glamourous bathroom!! love the green birds and the vintage glass decanters.

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  34. You officially have the most fabulous home in the world. Oh my gosh. I wish I could see your place in real life! I would probably faint from fabulousness. And I love the old photo of your ancester. Clearly, you have some good-looking genes in your family. No surprise you're so beautiful. :)

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  35. I absolutely love your bathroom! I can't wait to move into my first proper house with my boyfriend (we're currently in rented accomodation, & can't make any changes!) <3 Its absolutely stunning
    xo

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  36. That room is great. I love all the mirrors.

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  37. I love your bathroom! I only have one thing on ours (apart from a huge mirror on one wall) and that's an old print of a painting of some flowers growing from a Victorian boot and some butterflies. It's in a funny old metal frame, I think you'd like it.

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  38. my new bathroom is far too small to decorate it.there's just an cute 50s pin up on the wall.

    http://wardrobexperience.blogspot.com

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  39. Okay you must have the most amazing collection in your bathroom it is official!!

    Amazing and the matador print is tops xx

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  40. I love your bathroom and love your blog. My house is soooo boring compared to yours! You inspire me with all of your amazing finds. xxx

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  41. I don't know where to start! I just love it all and keep running backwards and forwards between photos! Bloody lovely!

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  42. Just tiles I'm afraid :( Aren't we boring? It's a rented house though so not much scope to do anything. I've never been much of a one to lust over a big bathroom though - if I had a biggish extra room upstairs I'd turn it into a proper library!

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  43. Your bathroom is so home-y, and complete. Mine is just a boring rented one!

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  44. eer mould! I clearly need to get my act together - your bathroom is a sight for sore eyes - so many original and unique decorating ideas - I love that you keep the award discs in there!

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  45. I have two candle-holders with chunky candles that have only seen action once, that I can recall.

    Two Arts and Crafts pictures of ladies in mock Greek scenarios - Alma Tadema, I think (copies lol!)

    A medicine cabinet painted gold

    An ancient mirror that's probably as old as the house, the frame of which has also been painted gold.

    I never knowingly under decorate a room lol!

    Your stuff is WAY more fabulous, there's not a dull corner in your entire home!

    lotsaluv

    AX

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  46. Wow! What a fantastic room. Mine is so boring compared to that. Infect the only things on the wall are the shower and a heater!

    That said it's my favourite room in our house, as when it all gets too much I can lock the door and enjoy 5 minutes peace. It never used to work when the kids were little as they knew how to open the door from the outside! Darn those pesky kids!

    X x x

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  47. Even your bathroom is amazing! I adore everything...espially the pewter mirror and the little shelf.

    Our bathroom has a print of a 1950's pin-up in a washing room and a heart patterned shower curtain. That's about it!!

    Xox Claire

    PS. I did get both of your comments yesterday (thankyou!), but I moderate my comments now which is why the 1st one didn't come up! I think you are spot on about the deer thing being a vase :) xx

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  48. Admiring the mahogany mirror and the mask.

    We have framed dried flowers, arranged as botanical prints on our bathroom walls. A theme of green and purple. A collection of purple and green vases on top of the cupboard.

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  49. Ooh - the birds! The Lomography!!! The mirrors! And is that a vintage radio to the left of the glass bricks?

    I agree with tanvii - your beautiful home should feature in a style mah - I'd buy it!

    Sarah xxx

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  50. Ah, so serene. What a beautiful setting!
    My bathroom has a lovely mirror and some nice clear blue plastic shelves but it is so bare otherwise, I keep meaning to do something with it and soon (its just me an my mum but I am the decorator truth be told). Thanks for sharing your lovely bathroom!

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  51. amazing amazing amazing... I always have to visit your blog only as a treat or I'd be here all the time! So I've only just seen the magnificent Mr Stephen Squirrel in his cravat... and that Jean Varon dress!! What a find!! So bizarre as I would have had no idea who he was except that I've just recently borrowed a library book all about him. Such a great story and fabulous pics, so I did intend to scan it and post... but didn't get around to it.. luckily I don't think many other ppl at my library would be interested so I'm sure to find it on the shelves again soon!
    Oh and I have just noticed the studded bangles you were wearing in the shot with the blue Jinty's dress - I have the exact same ones, I got them in India. Funny thing though, I got stopped a few minutes after I'd bought them by Indian women wanting to know where I got them - most of them only wear those very fine colourful bangles so I think they must only make these chunky ones for the foreigners!

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  52. There's so much I love here, but my faves are those amazing bluebirds!
    In our bathroom you can hardly swing a cat!
    xxx

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  53. What a gorgeous spot to relax in and sip a lovely chilled glass of wine!

    We have a big bathroom too, but I am ashamed to say I have only got around to fixing a pine mirror on the wall! ... ;0)

    Shirl xxx

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  54. I love the sparrows! Such beautiful decor!


    Fashezine

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  55. there is very little on the walls of my tiny bathroom - just a medicine cabinet and a towel rail..
    i love the lomography picture!

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  56. Thomas is a rather distinguished looking chap! I love the ceramic birds and have always had a thing for glass bricks too.
    Our bathroom walls have reuben's old pink floyd posters framed up, it was the only room i allowed it...i'm a bad wife, huh? ;)
    xxx

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  57. The things is so wonderfully arranged, like the Kali woodcut and the lambs. It is a contrast but still works together and feeds the imagination.

    The only decorative things I have in the bathroom is my collection of strange looking candle holders. Some are my mothers creations and look like mould.

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  58. Gosh your bathroom is stunning. I don't think I've ever seen a bathroom with so much character and decoration as yours, it's so wonderful to see. The vintage decanters are my favourite xxx

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  59. My bathroom walls currently have paint that's begging for a change. You sure have some interesting stuff in there! Love the colored decanters. They look beautiful and cheerful. What joy it must be to own this space. But then, i wouldn't have expected anything less from you. you have such a knack for putting together awesome things.

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  60. I LOVE seeing pics of your house Vix! Love that you have the plaque from your Grandma's nursery, love the bluebirds and love the Lomography display.

    But I'm afraid that 'comedy' mask gives me the willies!

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  61. Oh OH! What's Jon's awards for??

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  62. Why is it looking at your Loo, I want to go into your kitchen and sit and drink coffee with YOU? Your house reflects so much charm, interest and personality- kind a like you. I LOVE the brick wall with the old mirrors- that is just my style! xo. -Bella Q
    the Citizen Rosebud

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  63. Great post Vix. You have such wonderful treasures. I know I'd fall in love with your house. I've been wanting to paint my bathroom pink since it's filled with vintage lady pictures and antiques but after 8 years in my apartment I'm much too lazy, lol...

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  64. love your bathroom.. i love how you'v mixed vintage thrift items with personal treasures
    and its so eclectic which i love..
    love everything!!!
    aww thanks bubs aswell for your comment on my dressing table..its a work in progress i think !!

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  65. It's amazing that each piece in your bathroom has a story. I have nothing in my bathroom aside from tissue. After reading this post you've inspired me to at the very least buy a painting or print.

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  66. Now I've seen your Lomography mural, the Bossas are SO gatecrashing your house! xx

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  67. We've only got tiles on ours.
    I love all the things in your bathroom especially the 30s birds.

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Thanks for reading and for leaving a message. Please don't be anonymous, I'd love it if you left a name (or a nom de plume).

Lots of love, Vix