BURKATRON

plants are one of the most important elements in our home, i don't seem to be capable of going through a week without adding another to my collection! i've been meaning to make some plant stands for a long time- i adore the classic standing mid century styles but i wasn't in the mood to cut up all the dowel to make them so when i saw this metal  square planter  on pinterest i knew i could recreate it with wood and make a simple stand that just slotted together- yay!

so terrazzo, when did you become the trendiest thing ever? i've always had a soft spot for the retro marble chip pattern but lately it seems to be popping up everywhere from home decor through to DIY (check out these cool examples from  brittni ,  fran ,  claire  and  marwa !) i'm pretty darn happy about it as it's a fun technique that you can try at home yourself.

i hadn't been to barcelona since i was 15 so revisiting it last month was like discovering it all over again! it's a beautiful city with plenty to explore making it a perfect long weekend destination. we went for 4 days this time round and i'd definitely recommend going just before peak season- the weather was gorgeous plus we didn't have to rush to beat the crowds- winner! i wanted to share a quick overview of my favourite experiences in case any of you guys were heading there too.. 

after this week's trip to ikea (and the inevitable plant purchases) i've come up with a simple wall planter to house my new additions! this was an off the cuff DIY that actually turned ok... i was initially worried the wood was too thin to support the pots but once they were mounted they were perfect, hurrah!

mothers day is only a few weeks away and i really want to make my mum something extra special this year. i always struggle to find a gift as sweet as her so i decided to find a way to surprise her with something a little different. i toyed with the idea of making a personalised gift box and decided to add an element i know she'll love- flowers!

sometimes there's nothing as satisfying as a quick DIY and this storage grid totally fits the bill. you may remember i posted this metal  memo board a few years ago but with this version you can store stuff in a handy pocket!

i figured i'd start off the week with a super simple DIY. i love making soaps, they make great gifts and you get to melt stuff (which is always high on my agenda.) in the past i've generally stuck to novelty ones like this but today i'm sharing a more grown up version- detox charcoal soap!

happy 2017 guys. i thought i'd start off the year by sharing some seriously cute projects for your home! i love the simplicity of these DIY's- they're modern, functional and perfect for a contemporary space.  i've had a very unproductive january so i've decided to redecorate, pop up some new shelving and undertake a life/home/work declutter. i figured the best way to get inspired is to make a few changes..? so whilst i work on getting my mojo back here's some v.nice projects for you to check out. -  triangle mirror by almost makes perfect. -  wood towel hooks by the merrythought. -  scandi shelving by sinnenrausch. -  mini plant stands by homey oh my. -  rope shelf by burkatron. -  magazine stand by passion shake. back soon! caroline x

i have a new bathroom unit and i think it's mega cute! i wanted to make a shelf to store bathroom essentials- it turned out so nice i thought i'd share it with you.

let me introduce you to my favourite new addition- the acapulco or string chair! this little beauty is my latest obsession. if you're into retro chairs you'll know this style was popular in the 50's/60's and they can be used both inside or outdoors! i wanted to show you a few pictures so you could see how i've styled mine, it's quite an unusual chair but i think they fit effortlessly into a modern home. my chair from  cox and cox * was destined for my living room as it's the perfect match for my fireplace- hurrah. if you've never sat in one before they're actually rather darn comfortable, like sitting in a cocoon that curves around you! (i guess it's the closest i'll get to having a hammock indoors...) grey string chair*  | cox and cox slogan light box | urban outfitters sheepskin throw | ikea record player | urban outfitters  plant stand | ferm living berber rug | john lewis ( similar here ) to style mine i decided to keep it simple, i...

i'm a sucker for a clean desk but as much as i try i find bills and paperwork still sneaking their way back. i want them close to hand but i also want them tidy so when i get round to going through them i've not lost that all important receipt or appointment card! i always keep my wood offcuts when i'm working on DIY's- you never know when they may come in handy for propping up furniture or testing out power tools! turns out they're quite handy for making a desk tidy or letter rack- who'd have thought it? all you need for this DIY is plywood (i used offcuts but you can cut yours from a sheet of ply) and some wood glue. easy peasy! here's how i made my letter rack! 1. cut a thin rectangle of plywood or balsa wood to use as a base (mine measures 7 x 14cm.) 2. cut two wooden triangles (mine are 14cm across the bottom and 7cm high.)  3. apply wood glue along the bottom/base of the triangles and glue them onto the rectangle base as shown in the image above. 4. le...

the bathroom..  aka the home of bubble baths and pampering! generally speaking i find them to be one of the smaller rooms in a house so maximising storage is key for me. when i first bought this place the original bathroom location was tiny so we extended into the garden to make it bigger. ideally i'd like to redecorate ours with floor to ceiling subway tiles and possibly new flooring but to be honest we're pretty happy with the current one so there's no huge rush!  restyling a bathroom definitely helps to keep it looking fresh, after having a huge declutter and getting in some new accessories i'm really happy with how mine's looking again. i wanted to share a few simple tips on bathroom styling in case you felt like giving yours a quick spruce up..

my love of terrariums is still going strong, they're such a cute and simply way to bring nature indoors! i tend to associate terrariums with succulents (maybe cause they're such trendy plants?) but i've seen a few recently using more traditional plants like ferns and ivy so i wanted to make another...

my mudcloth love affair is still going strong, after making this tote  a few months back i'd been thinking about trying another tribal inspired textile project! i have quite an extensive mud cloth wishlist on etsy but i'm loath to spend too much as i've got a few holidays coming up i need to budget for.. dang. the good news is it's super easy to DIY your own mudcloth inspired fabrics and it costs a fraction of the price- these cushions will definitely help scratch my shopping itch for the time being. i've shared the tutorial for these mega easy stamped cushions on ehow  (go peek) you can apply the technique to any plain fabrics so grab some fabric paint and get creative! are you a mudcloth fan too? back soon caroline x

when i was in brighton i found yet more posters for my collection and couldn't resist snapping up these cute butterfly and insect designs. i have a lot of prints in my home but i've grown a little tired of my gallery walls so wanted to display them differently. 

when i got home from santorini i wanted to avoid post holiday skin peeling at all costs! after a week of sun worshipping i decided to make my own aftersun lotion and it's worked miracles- this is my second batch and i'll definitely make more as its a great all round moisturiser!

i love ikea and i will do anything to visit. i will come up with alllllll kinds of reasons to justify a trip (and the inevitable trolley full of plants that comes back home with me) but now my latest and best excuse to persuade james to come? RESEARCH!  james: what kind of research?  me: oh you know DIY ikea hacks and stuff, so basically it's work. james: i guess so then. me: *fist pump*  but seriously, even when i visit for a specific piece of furniture i can't help but hunt out smaller items to makeover. i've been planning this particular hack for a while and i'm dead pleased with the result. you may remember my wood slice hairpin table from the start of the year -i'd originally planned to make this stool but when dad brought back a huge piece of wood from ireland i made a coffee table instead. fortunately for me i was home in ireland last month so i picked out a couple of smaller slices with this stool/side table in mind. want to make one? all you need is a ...