Orchard Cottage Interiors

Orchard Cottage Interiors Painted furniture and recycled paper art. Hand painted designer furniture, decorating services, and hand made crafts in West Yorkshire

Rabbit in a carrot paper mache whimsy
31/05/2026

Rabbit in a carrot paper mache whimsy

The last line of this part-poem, A Man Who Used to Be’ by Fran Landesman, often pops into my head when I’m thinking of s...
27/05/2026

The last line of this part-poem, A Man Who Used to Be’ by Fran Landesman, often pops into my head when I’m thinking of saving an old piece of furniture:

Would you dance with a man
Who used to be handsome,
Used to be dashing,
Used to be brave
Now he isn’t so old
But somehow he’s slipping
Still he’s got something
Someone could save.

This piece nearly went to the skip because it had damage to the veneer in places. As I was preparing it for disposal, I noticed how beautifully the drawers worked, and that ‘woven’ feature above the top drawer, and thought, with a bit of jiggery pokery using
glue, filler, and patience, this piece could be saved after all.

I’ve finished the carcass with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Louis Blue and white wax wax, and the drawers with a landscape of blues, greens, pinks, sheep, flowers, and a running hare; very much influenced by the artist, Miss Mustard Seed.

I’ve always wanted a writing slope, but, even in poor condition, they are expensive, so I made one with cardboard, paper...
13/05/2026

I’ve always wanted a writing slope, but, even in poor condition, they are expensive, so I made one with cardboard, paper, glue, and paint. Inside is a hand embroidered and embellished scroll book, fastened with hand-stitched calico ribbon and painted moon button, a paper mache sleeping hare sculpture, ink well with a surprise inside, and pencil tray, containing a fountain pen reminiscent to the first one I had at secondary school.

I’ve found my furniture-painting mojo again … woohoo! French style cabinet on casters with free hand, stamped, and stenc...
08/05/2026

I’ve found my furniture-painting mojo again … woohoo! French style cabinet on casters with free hand, stamped, and stencilled panel. This is one of my favourite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint colours, Old Violet, and the finish is white wax.

I started this project at least two years ago - got as far as the platform, boat, and cat (which I used for another proj...
07/04/2026

I started this project at least two years ago - got as far as the platform, boat, and cat (which I used for another project along the way!), and lost interest. Then, a return customer asked if I would make an Owl and the Pussy-cat piece for her sister … huzzah! I revisited the platform, reduced the height, added the ‘hill’, then the animals, including dangling fish, and all the other accoutrements: jar of honey, £5 notes (featuring our beloved Queen Elizabeth), and runcible spoon). It’s taken a further three months to complete, and will be posted today.

I’m slowly tackling the backlog of half-completed projects … there are many.

What is your best ‘chippy tea’ memory? Mine is leaning against a wall on Canal Street, Manchester, with my best mate, Pa...
20/03/2026

What is your best ‘chippy tea’ memory? Mine is leaning against a wall on Canal Street, Manchester, with my best mate, Paul, and watching the world go by.

This piece was made from an Hotel Chocolat box, selflessly donated to me by my mum and dad (sans treats!). The long leng...
05/03/2026

This piece was made from an Hotel Chocolat box, selflessly donated to me by my mum and dad (sans treats!). The long lengths of doubled-up card are perfect for the process, and the reinforced sides make a sturdy rim for the lid. The rest is fiddling around with tin foil, paper, glue, paint, and wax.

It’s been almost a year since I posted the first stage of this project - I knew it was going to be a slow-burn, but not ...
17/02/2026

It’s been almost a year since I posted the first stage of this project - I knew it was going to be a slow-burn, but not this slow! At least I have the three sisters in situ now, but there is still a long road ahead.

I’ve been experiencing a real crisis of confidence lately, so working on one large, meaningful piece, sans pressure, is probably the way forward.

I wonder if the Brontë sisters ate pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?

At the moment, I’m planning to name this piece, ‘Three Sisters’, although that might change.

After Poppy passed in March 2023 (we’d lost Gracie in 2020), we convinced ourselves that Rosie (10) would be our last gi...
13/08/2025

After Poppy passed in March 2023 (we’d lost Gracie in 2020), we convinced ourselves that Rosie (10) would be our last girl, but … here is Betty Sweetpea May, commonly known as Betty Boo. She arrived on 1 July, and she is a very sweet, playful, and mischievous girl. Things we have learned about Betty so far:
- likes chewies and din-dins
- is a calculated thief of socks and cardboard
- she thinks licking your face gets her special hugs (it does)
- adores Rosie
- is a zoomies aficionado

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