Wasted Talents?

I would indeed consider myself quite a creative being but my ideas never get transpired correctly onto paper, let alone made into the real deal and I've always been slightly envious of anyone who possess that talent and in particular those who are too modest to share their creations; someone like, for instance, my brother.

Time after time, I've seen my brother work hard on something for a family member and the end result be of professional quality but I always end up thinking to myself that his talents are wasted because they never go further than the walls of our own houses; I'd bet money that his work would go so far and that he could end up with a business under his belt if he just showed someone! That is why I thought i'd spend some time writing this blog, this afternoon, in order for you guys to see what wonderful things my brother is able to do; I am truly very proud of him and I think he should be too.  Oh and... not only is Tom clever but piece that together with his Fiancé, Zoe, and you have yourself a design team made in heaven, wood worker and seamstress is a perfect combination, I hope you can see what I mean by the below images: 

THE KITCHEN BOOTH 

 Their most recent project: My sister struggled for space in her kitchen, unfortunately I don't have a very clear picture of the before (see below) but as you can see, the radiator was removed in order to add a 'booth' style seat, which includes storage space underneath and has been designed to save the children kicking the seat lots! The table is the same as the original but Tom cleverly slimmed it down, continuing the same finish and with the remnant wood he made a fixture at the end of the table, with a bracket, to lengthen the table when needed. The cushion was made by Zoe, she made the cover removable in order for it to be washed and finished the design with a piping detail. The cushioned backing was crafted by Tom to match the cushion and is attached to the wall. I wish you could see the difference the design has made to the room, it is so much more spacious and is perfect for a small family home! 

(Before) 

 THE DECKING AND POND 

Excuse me being in the photos and I could probably try to get some better ones, if needs be, but the decking, pond and fencing were all put together by Tom, with the help of my dad... All the different levels and lighting of the decking make the garden look really modern and quirky, the dark grey colour of the pond makes it stand out from the rest and at night, when the lights and water feature are on, it makes a really lovely feature. He also designed some plant beds for mum's salad growing and they match the colour of the pond, so everything really ties in. 

THE WALNUT TOPS

Tom is never one to go into a house and leave it how it came, in fact the whole of Draper House  was re-modelled by him and two of the best features, I think, were the Kitchen and Shower Room.

In the kitchen he fitted new cupboard doors and a large stainless steel sink but then to complete the modern look spent a long time fitting the walnut tops, ensuring they were oiled to perfection to this dark finish, it always got compliments but what got the most appreciation was the shower room. 

The Shower Room shared the same walnut tops and he structured it to be a 'one unit' piece; he picked out modern porcelain wear, including the bowl sink with water fall feature taps and the 'floating' toilet and (un-shown in this photo) there were also light fittings behind the wooden tops and around the skirting for mood lighting, it really was something special. 

THE FLOATING BED AND WINDOW SEAT 

Together, Tom and Zoe transformed their bedroom, they designed this 'floating' bed, to look like that of a modern hotel. Not only this, they also made two, wall mounted, bedside tables with a light feature. He fitted spot lights above the bed and, if you look closely, a speaker integrated into the ceiling! Every bit of woodwork and fabric finish you see in the photo was finished by Tom and Zoe; this literally is one of my favourite things they've done so far. 

To tie in with the modern design of the bed, they also designed a window seat with shelving and integrated drawer (which by the way, lights up as you open it)... impressive eh?! Unfortunately I don't have a picture with all the flooring finished but I think you can get the idea!

(Before)

THE WORKSHOP

Tom wouldn't have been able to do half of his work if he didn't have his trusty workshop, I won't show you the photos of this (even though I do love it) but here are some photos of the kind of designs  he comes up with, even for somewhere no one really will ever see. I just love all the little touches like the lights and the 'mirror' finish of the wood.

ZOE'S ETSY 

 Zoe is a seamstress whose main items include baby and toddler clothing and shoes. She also used to make wedding dresses but as you can see from the above photos, her talents don't just stop at clothing. Please take a look at the below link to her Etsy shop, some of the shoes I wish came in adult size - they are so cute! 

Go To: DottyRobin - Etsy

This was a Christmas present from Zoe to myself; it's personalised beyond the embroidered name - she knew I love leopard print and went for this as the main body but incorporated the fact my room has lots of grey too... bows (along with hearts and gingerbread men) are one my favourite girly things and... it's an owl... Hello Harry Potter! I love her and think she makes such a lovely gift. 

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So there we have it, just a select few of the brilliant designs that my talented brother and his fiancé have worked on, they're always doing something new and I would love to keep sharing them with you. If you have seen anything on here that you would like in your house, then please do not hesitate to contact me, my links can be found on the right hand side of my blog (or the drop down menu if you're on your phone); I can pass on your enquiry to them and they would be happy to work on something beautiful for you too. Thank you for spending your time looking at this post. 

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