Here at ReFound, we can get very attached to the furniture that passes through the shop, sometimes we feel like we are re-homing pieces just like a pet rescue! That’s why we love to get a peek at where they go after us.
We’re not straying too far in this catch up, as we’re having a look at the home of our very own Rachel Love Cameron. Rachel is our upholsteress, Masterclass maestro, and interiors stylist. She’s had a nearly 20 year career in creative display, and of course this shows in her quirky and comfortable home.
The above chest of drawers (which used to belong to ReFound head honcho Jill O’Neill Lowry) left our shop in December to take up residence in Rachel’s newly refurbished kitchen. They now hold napkins, spices, and other cooking accoutrements.
When Rachel and her gardener husband David moved here nearly a decade ago, they stripped the whole house out and knocked down walls. They installed a pretty stylish plain white gloss fitted kitchen, but over the years they felt that it was a bit boring, didn’t fit with the very personalized style of the rest of the house, and that it just didn’t “work” for the way they actually used the kitchen – both are keen cooks!
Having amassed a large collection of vintage crockery and kitchenwares, the stained and waxed plywood open shelving replaced the previous wall cupboards mean Rachel and David can now see all their lovelies all the time, and they also has to be kept tidy so they always look good; forcing these self confessed clutter-bugs into order!
The whole refurb was done on a tiny budget, with paint, beeswax and plywood being the only new materials purchased. In fact, Rachel had priced up the “Spur” cantilevered system before thinking to check if we had any here at ReFound and On the Square Emporium. Indeed we did, and yet another item was sourced more sustainably, and at a fraction of the new price.
A firm believer in the transformative power of paint, Rachel painted the walls a restful dove grey, the previously plain white tiles a matte black, and the existing floor cupboards a rich pomegranate red. The latter were somewhat of an experiment: planning to replace them with plywood if it didn’t work out, she stripped the white gloss laminate from the old doors with the help of a hairdryer and a palette knife. Thankfully this exposed plain MDF bases, perfect for painting. David had picked up some old wooden handles at a car boot sale, coincidentally just enough for the job!
The other end of the room features a selection of mismatched bentwood chairs from OTS, more plywood open shelving, and two feature lamps which Rachel and David made from two vintage oilcans from OTS and fittings from ReFound. The table was designed by David and made at a local steel fabricators. Under the table sits a pomegranate red Afghan rug, picked up at a local auction, which was the inspiration for the red cupboards, and adds to the cozy feel of the kitchen.
The sitting room also features cozy textiles and vintage finds; the picture,side table, and all of its contents are from various second hand shops and car boot sales. The sofas are covered in Indian kantha quilts and have a collection of cushions made from various world textiles, and the curtains are made from a plain white linen purchased directly from the local manufacturer.
The mantle of the antique Thomas Jeckyll fireplace is home to various tiny treasures, shells, and stones collected on various seaside walks.
This lamp was revamped with dark fuchsia spray paint and a bargain Designers Guild lampshade, and sits on the built in shelves Rachel and David made in the living room.
The cozy textiles (and cats!) theme continues in the bedroom, with a vintage 1940/50s “Cosy Quilt” bought here, and a patchwork crochet quilt made by Rachel to fit their superking size bed, made by joining David’s grandparents twin beds together. The quilt took over six months to complete!
The 1940’s tallboy also belonged to David’s grandparents; the cane sofa was a Freecycle find, and is covered with a traditional Moroccan wedding blanket, which the Love Cameron’s brought back from their honeymoon. The curtains are vintage Laura Ashley, bough for a couple of pounds in a charity shop.
Rachel’s experimental approach paid off in the bathroom, where the floor is actually made of varnished paper, which was screen-printed by Rachel before being stuck down with waterproof PVA to a plywood sub floor. So far this temporary fix has lasted for eight years! The doorstop in the bathroom is a vintage metal shoe last.
Not only does this home reuse and recycle to look great, but it also works well for the creative couple who live there.
Rachel shares her know how in regular ReFound Masterclasses, and you can also get in touch with her here at ReFound for help with custom furniture and interior styling.