Sharing some zingyness

Just thought I'd share some zingy brightness on this cold snowy night.......

 amazing crochet stool covers - makes me want to get out my crochet hook NOW

 granny square blanket - love this touch of naive country brightness in an otherwise simple room

 wow! how long to make that?

 If I had a modern flat........love that bright ottoman, and how the paintings have probably dictated the room scheme

 what a great idea to mix these modular sofa cushions

 love the contrast of the bold floral wallpaper behind the functional black cast iron stove, and that inlaid cupboard and shaped mirror adds an oriental touch

 love this room with its unique light fitting, comfy furniture in such restful but pretty colours, and the amazing wall art - moths ?

 a simple table, lamp and wallpaper...........but what a brilliant mix of colour and pattern

 a new take on the victorian tiles patchwork effect that works so well,  using 60s and 70s tiles here

 and still on the subject of patchwork, so much in the fore front of my mind at the moment, take a look at this bright rug

 love the red and white scheme in this pretty bedroom - the red cushions and quilt, and red patterned lampshade, offset against the white, and then that lovely custard yellow mirror as a surprise element

love how the turquoise and brown work here with the pink valance and brighttly coloured quilts

 my sister would adore this room - since she was little, lilac has been her favourite colour

 and this one - the jewel-like colours in the patchwork carpet are amazing, but having the rest of the room in the same shade as the beautiful velvet chaise longue balances it perfectly 

and this looks the perfect comfy cosy bed for a cold, snowy winters night such as it is tonight - with a roaring fire in the background too - such a rare but simple luxury these days, having an open fire in a bedroom - but a basic necessity in pre-central heating days.

Funny how our perceptions of luxury change over time. 

To me these days, having moved from a gas centrally heated house (where it was warm enough to wear a t-shirt on the coldest day) to a much colder, larger house reliant on expensive oil for heating, luxury now is a hot bath in a warm bathroom!   

We rely heavily on our wood burning stove and electric room heaters most days for heating, especially if its only me at home during the day time, to conserve the oil (as it takes hours to warm the house with the oil heating and would need to be on constantly at great expense heating unnecessary rooms) thus only heating the rooms we are using, and using the oil minimally for an hour at the beginning and end of the coldest days.

We have got used to just adding an extra layer of clothing, making sure we shut doors to conserve the heat, and relishing the warmth in the rooms provided by the woodburner in the living room, and Rayburn range cooker in the kitchen, in contrast to the chilly hall and landing!

What's your idea of luxury? Simple delights, or can you imagine far more exotic luxuries???!!!!

Do share!

Whilst you're pondering that,  I'm off to pop a few more logs on the stove, curl up on the sofa with the dog on my lap, with a cup of coffee and a good book! My idea of luxury!

And then maybe a hot bath in a warm bathroom- luckily the chimney goes up through the bathroom so its always cosy when the fire's alight!

All images from Vintage Home tumblr