Before the year, 2022, runs away with us completely, here is the long-awaited kitchen re-fit which took place this March over the course of 2-3 weeks all-told, amidst much upheaval in the household. The kitchen at Blackbirds, as will be described in fuller detail elsewhere (in Blackbirds Revisited, if ever such a thing is written...) has been almost six years in the waiting; and whilst the make-do-and-mend version which is featured in my book, Mid-Century Modern on a Shoestring was fairly functional and had a cute retro vibe (see also some early Instagram photos @blackbirdsandme), the dreadful tiles (these can be witnessed on my previous post!) and awful 80s cabinets really were beginning to wear thin. It was time for me properly to put the Blackbirds stamp on the house. This meant creating a kitchen which I thought would really suit the 70s-designed  property, whilst offering a practical space for actually cooking in and a contemporary flourish to bring it comfortably into the 21st Century. Mid-century modern would provide the main vibe, with pale wood-lined walls for a Scandinavian feel and contemporary accessories mingled in to keep the look relevant and fresh. 
     The initial idea was to go with white wood cabinets and teak-toned work surfaces ( I was under no illusion that genuine teak could be either afforded or sourced). However, the right tone of wood just couldn't be settled upon, and the white cabinets, whilst in keeping with the property's overall look, felt boring given that we would be replacing white cabinets... This situation gave rise to rather a fortuitous one: I had for some time secretly harboured a desire for a concrete kitchen, with a Barbican-style vibe and pops of colour, but had given up on the idea as solid concrete was too tricky and cost-prohibitive. Now I was to discover that a concrete-effect finish was available, and that such a kitchen was within my reach. A no-brainer! The concrete was paired with light oak-wood-effect surfaces and splashbacks to soften the concrete. The fun bit was the adding of accessories and cookery books in pops of primary colours: blue, yellow and red - a little Mondrian in air, without being overly obvious.
     The company we chose to go with after careful thought about the importance of good workmanship and the false economy of  a cheap-as-chips new kitchen, was a local, family-run small business, thecolytonkitchencompany.co.uk/. They did an excellent job, with much attention to detail and consultation over every aspect to ensure that what I visualized was in reality achieved. Although our budget meant that we selected mainstream units in our choice of colour and configuration rather than a hand-built option, the panelling which they fitted for us, along with the extra shelves and cubby holes etc. built to exact requirements, gave the overall design a bespoke element and certainly a very individual look, which is most pleasing.
     The piece de resistance, therefore, has to be the breakfast-bar wall, pictured below. The serving hatch, a much loved original feature, has - importantly - been retained, with matching light oak wood-effect panelling built around it, and a cubby hole shelf added to display some colourful cookery books.
      The curtains have yet to be hung (these will be worth seeing!), so I will picture  the room as a whole, in a forth-coming post once the finishing touches are complete. These shelves will soon be filled too...keep tuned!

October saw me rather busy putting the final touches to and releasing my second poetry collection, Beyond the Pale, (find it under my poetic pen name, Jana Synková) and rounding up my illustrator (this can be all the more difficult when one's illustrator is one's daughter!) so I was a bit too tied up to post here.  November saw me on catch-up, having lost a lot of time in October to this project. However, to make up for it, here is a 'healthy recipe' for scones to warm you through the colder and darker weeks leading up to Christmas.  Do give it a try!
       On my stories on Instagram (@blackbirdsandme) I held a poll regarding the age-old 'jam first or cream first' debate. See my stories for the result! Having had lunch at The Bedford Hotel in Tavistock, Devon a few weeks back, not to mention living in Devon for some time now, I had an inkling that cream-first was very much a Devon thing...but that everywhere else disagrees!  Whilst I live in Devon, I am not originally from these parts, so have to agree in this matter with the Queen (as revealed by a previous pastry chef ), that the logical way is to put the jam on first so that you can dollop as much cream as you like on top, and so the jam doesn't slide off or sink; however I do concede that the Devon premise (the Bedford Hotel, built on the ruins of a former monastery, claims to be the first recorded location at which a 'cream tea' was ever served...) may be based on the fact that the clotted cream used (at least if it's the proper stuff) was so thick that it was spread as if butter, hence first...
       Either way, we have avoided controversy here since these scones were spread, warm from the oven, with butter for me (goat's butter for my cows' dairy intolerant daughter), and jam on top. Enjoy whichever way you like - you can leave the raisins out to be more traditional too, but I like to add them for the added nutritional benefit. This is also why I use spelt flour (an ancient grain and far more digestible than hybridized modern wheat) and sheep or goat's yogurt (also more digestible); vegans can even substitute soya yogurt for sheep or goat's and all is good.

[NOTE: for a smaller, taller scone, roll the mixture out to 2 inches instead of 1.5 inches, and use a smaller cutter. You should get about the same number of scones]

​SPELT SCONES
INGREDIENTS
-500g white spelt flour
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
-1/2 teaspoon of salt
-100g butter or margarine (we used dairy-free 'Pure' soya spread) [if using margarine ensure it's very cold]
-60g caster sugar
-1 large pot of plain yogurt (sheep or goat's is best) [vegans can use Soya yogurt for a reasonable result]
-1 cup of raisins (optional) [pre-soak in hot water for about half an hour before starting, then drain off]

METHOD  [pre-heat oven to 220 C / 200 C Fan oven ]
1. Sift flour & baking powder & bicarbonate together, stir for even distribution
2. Stir in salt
3.Cut butter or margarine into small pieces and then combine with flour mixture using rubbing-in method 
4.Stir in sugar
5.If adding raisins, stir in now (pre-soaking them results in deliciously plump raisins and ones which will not burn at the edges)
6. Pour in 275ml of plain yogurt (if you're running low, 50/50 or 75/25 proportions of yogurt/milk of your choice will work)
7. Combine carefully with a spoon or flat knife, and gather together with hands to remove from bowl and place on a worksurface, ideally on greaseproof paper. Do not overhandle the mixture, it needs to be light, not overly compacted.
8.Gently roll or press down to about 1.5 inches thick (or about 3.5cm),
9. use a cup or large round cookie cutter to cut out 12-13 scones ( these quantities usually make a Baker's Dozen!)
10.Place on baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes
11. Scones are cooked when lightly golden and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom,

If in Devon, serve with clotted cream on the bottom and jam on top;
Everywhere else, especially in Cornwall and Scotland, and including Buckingham Palace garden parties, do the reverse;
When at home, do whatever you please!
We had these with butter and wild blueberry jam (St Dalfour, sugar-free!)

 As the evenings begin to draw in, there is all the more reason to make the most of the daylight hours, and to foray into Nature whilst the sun's rays afford some gentle warmth. The grounds at Castle Drogo ( www.nationaltrust.org.uk/castle-drogo) are exceptionally well laid out, tended and stocked, and are a treat to visit; but besides the castle grounds there are also extensive adjacent walks through the wooded valley along the gorge, perfect for September and the days leading up to and into Autumn when, as the evening chill begins to make itself felt, all good pubs light their fires...
   So if you venture in this direction, after such wanderings, why not try out the nearby Sandy Park Inn ( www.thesandyparkinn.co.uk/) a community pub in a most charming location, on the outskirts of Chagford, not far from Drogo itself, just off the A382. Dog friendly too.  Here's to September !

The table - whether set for a casual lunch, a ceremonious supper, or afternoon tea, provides one of the key areas in the home in which to be able to add personality and meaning ...all of which can enhance the enjoyment of the meal partaken of itself. And as the weather here in the UK finally improves after a somewhat cold, wet and windy May which 'shook the darling buds', bar the last gloriously sunny bank holiday weekend, the same precepts can be carried out of doors.
       It doesn't take much : a few pretty or smart, well-chosen plates and linen napkins which can be endlessly washed and re-used and alternated with different ones to ring the changes according to the occasion. Perhaps a candle or two, or a posy of fresh flowers, and if out of doors a citronella candle version won't go amiss to ward off biting insects.
       To add some mid-century modern style to this setting - and it's one we use often when not in 'full tablecloth' mode - I have used cotton napkins with a mid-century modern style leaf design (which were in fact bought a few years ago in a Cath Kidston sale), bright yellow mid-century plastic napkin rings (bought for £6 on eBay for a set of 6, complete with original box and 'made in Denmark' label), and placemats with a Peter Hall 'Verdure' design which were bought from Winter's Moon (Chichester).
      The very un-mid-century-modern plates demonstrate that you don't have to match in every single detail even when aiming for a mid-century modern look: a home should have an eclectic, comfortable feel about it and be easy on the eye; so, as long as the overall look sings 'mid-century modern' it's quite feasible to add in other details if they don't overwhelm. If it works, it works!!  Always consider that many of the architect-designed houses of the mid-century era would have incorporated books and artworks from earlier eras too alongside their mid-century prized pieces: a home can look false and overly contrived in fact if such inclusions are not made; If nothing individual or passed down from previous generations is included, or things which are collected and have meaning, the home will also lack soul.
       In my first collection of poems, The Memory of Walls, (currently available on Amazon), the dining room table has a starring role - do take a look whilst waiting on my interiors book : the concept of nostalgia and the home is almost as prevalent in my poetry as it is in my interiors writings.   See my Book Room for an excerpt of 'Dining Room Table', one of the many poems within.

My forthcoming work, Mid-Century Modern on a Shoestring which combines the mid-century modern interior modelled on our 70s house, 'Blackbirds' with a semi-autobiographical narrative, is now complete and being submitted to literary agents.  On my Instagram page @blackbirdsandme are many sneak peaks and teasers as to what it might contain, but the book itself , which includes photography, countless tips and examples, along with a final chapter on nostalgia and what I have termed 'the memory of walls' offers all these things rolled into one attractive and highly absorbing tome.
       Whilst waiting on a literary agent to take the plunge, I took the step of independently publishing my long overdue collection of poems, The Memory of Walls, which offers a 'potted version' of sorts of the main work's final chapter. 
This collection of poems includes themes central to my interiors book and the element of nostalgia is never far away.
        The concept behind my work ties in perfectly with my penchant for mid-century modern interiors which include a mix of old and new. It embraces the idea that the walls themselves have memory to which we are continually adding: by the lives we live within, the decorative choices we make, and the eclectic layering of meaningful objects inside.
       The setting shown in my launch photograph, pictured here,  is the 'End Room' at Blackbirds; the backdrop, aptly, a wall visible through the sliding glass door, and the teak, glass-topped coffee table is a favourite second-hand find. The front cover illustration is by @isabella_synkova who takes inspiration from British neo-romantic artists. The grape hyacinths are from the garden outside my window at Blackbirds.
To buy The Memory of Walls (Amazon, £5.95)
see link direct from my Instagram bio.

Whilst 2020, thankfully for most, is over, Christmas, some may have forgotten, is not yet!  Indeed the message of hope and promise and peace continues until Epiphany - the arrival of the Magi, or Three Kings on the 6th January, with Twelfth Night, or the Eve of Epiphany, falling on the night of the 5th.   And so we are able to welcome both the New Year and Little Christmas as we like to call it, at the beginning of the Year. And I take this opportunity, whilst preparing our scaled down feast and celebration in a few days' time, to wish everyone all the best for 2021.
​Whilst we are all currently in more or less the same boat with Covid not yet banished from the horizon (with some of course still more fortunate than others) I hope that the ship everyone wishes for, if it's a reasonable and well-deserved wish, will come sailing in this year.  A toast to 2021!

​An empty room in a new house or flat is an exciting thing: a blank canvas; an opportunity to create; a fresh start maybe. ​But it can be tempting to rush into its refurbishment and get it wrong. At Blackbirds, I intended from the outset for the lounge to be the highlight of our home, and it had to be just right: a good reason for not rushing it. As the ‘before’ photo which I'll add in my next post will show, there was much which needed doing in this room. The carpet was threadbare; the lights, which were either broken or 80s misfits, needed replacing and the wiring, checking. The catalogue of horrors will be continued in the next post, but suffice it to say here that the decorating, and the selection of a new sofa, were going to have to wait until a carpet was fitted; and other work was to take precedence over this..
       This period of waiting meant that we had to make-do-and-mend, and whilst during this time it was not quite the perfect mid-century modern lounge aimed for, all the elements were yet coming slowly together. The colour scheme was establishing itself, encouraged by the prominent position of the green blown glass vase and objects on the sideboard. The sideboard was, in fact, the very first piece of furniture to arrive at Blackbirds, spotted in a second-hand shop for just £50. It not only provided a platform for the items which would determine the room’s colour scheme, but also gave the room an instant head start in a mid-century modern direction.
       It's important not to fall into what I term  'the Homebase trap': i.e. copying what appears fashionable at the time, but in fact quickly becomes ubiquitous with many households up and down the land looking identical and effectively containing no character. Don't follow a trend, follow your heart - and the heart of your home,  which should gently express itself to you if you take the time to listen and feel. Mid-Century Modern is a fabulous framework and helps  create a streamlined, sophisticated home which should feel warm, not cold ( it should not be confused with minimalism); but what makes it are the finishing touches, and these should be very individual to the property and be meaningful for its occupants. You will know that you have succeeded when it doesn't just look right, but feels right too! 
       Snippets, teasers, and details of the completed lounge at Blackbirds can be seen on my Instagram account @blackbirdsandme; the final refurbishment of the lounge in all its glory will be revealed in my forthcoming book, 'Mid-Century Modern on a Shoestring & The Memory of Walls', so I am hoping to have piqued your curiosity! But yes, simple or random as they might appear, there is method in my madness and the humble objects pictured were indeed the starting point for this room. I wonder what yours will be!
       

​For many years, we have travelled to Scotland for our main holiday (other short breaks usually consist of stay-cations in Britain or the odd long weekend in France, usually Normandy). We toured Scotland for our honeymoon trip, and in subsequent years stayed in various picturesque locations with our young daughters in tow; it has become very much part of a family tradition, and although our daughters are now 21 and 18 respectively, they seem to appreciate the tradition as they still - for the moment - want to come with us!
On our return, the advent of September is invariably nearing, and so I often associate the little knick-knacks we bring back from our travels with a fresh look in the house for Autumn, which begins almost exactly on my birthday (the 21st September) but which for me will always be associated with September as a whole.  Thus the Arran Aromatics entitled 'After the Rain' brought home have directed golden-hay hues for the downstairs cloakroom (see future post); and the blues and purples of the pieces collected and pictured here, add cool but dreamy tones to the Autumn vibes in the End Room, creating an air of reverie and reflection - all in good time for the fresh start which September will hopefully bring.

This is our second cheeseplant (or Monstera Deliciosa) here at Blackbirds, the first, and largest, is practically climbing out of our home office and will be shown in due course. This one is positioned in the upstairs lounge, and appreciates the useful extra light which filters through the frosted glass on the landing: one of the original features we were happy to find at the property. We bought this cheeseplant when it was fairly small and more affordable but it, too, has since increased in size fairly rapidly and has already been re-potted twice. Proving that you don't need overly green fingers to own houseplants (although I'm sure that always helps!) And of course, what could possibly be more mid-century modern than a houseplant or two, large or small?