Skirting Boards for every room

During our renovation, we totally re-skinned the house and took it back to its shell. As the house had never been modernised, we needed to re-wire, re-plumb, re-plaster…the works! So I was so gutted when I saw the original features like skirting boards and cornices not survive the epic amount of work going on. I love the character that they bring to a property, a bit of depth. Although I like modern design, I’m much more of a character kinda gal when it comes to my home….

The power of the Skirting Boards

Ha, even writing this, I’m trying to not make this blog post totally dry! I know skirting boards may not seem that sexy, but oh boy, they can be! The styles and designs on offer these days is just immense – there is literally a skirting board for every occasion!

Our home is a 1928 semi-detached and I love the art deco design of the roaring twenties, so wanted to keep that character and we opted for this skirting board design across our home as it had the sexy curve and simplicity of art-deco design and felt in-keeping with the original house but also contemporary and timeless.

What you might not know about skirting boards…

skirting boards hollygoeslightly 5 skirting boards hollygoeslightly

So being a blogger, I get invited to some really cool events (some pretty dull ones too) and I love it when I’m invited to something a bit different to the norm. So when the Skirting Board Shop were holding an influencer event in Manchester and I was told we’d get to be creative with skirting boards whilst enjoying a Prosecco and some sweet treats, my interest was piqued (I know, I’m sad aren’t I!?).

I turned up on the sunny weekday morning with my 3-month old baby happily sleeping in his pram, to be greeted by a lovely team of ladies and a bunch of canvases, each with a skirting board trim. Hmmm…perhaps I’d underestimated just how creative I’d be getting!

The next thing I know, we were talking about places that meant “escape” to us – places that truly took us away  – and this was to be the inspiration for our skirting board challenge! I instantly knew what place has become my escape in these recent years…

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside…

skirting boards hollygoeslightly seaside

Since having children, the simple joys of a seaside holiday have re-ignited within me. Breathing in the fresh, salty sea air, feeling the breeze in your hair and the sand between your toes – it’s just blissful. The joy of the seaside is not just the relaxing, white noise lapping of the seashore, but it’s also the unbridled free entertainment and joy it brings my daughter. The excited squeal she omits when we tell her we’re going to the beach. The way she dives, hands-first into the sand and runs away screaming from the icy cold water.

We can while-away hours on the beach, with just a sandy sandwich and cupcake to keep us happy. Phone away, work miles away in the back of our minds and just the simple joys of being beside the seaside.

So this is the energy I channelled when I created my abstract skirting board artwork of dreams (okay, I’m talking my artistic talents up a bit here!). I had to put myself back to AS Level Art, nearly 15 years ago (eek!) and think about how I wanted to “attack” my canvas. I went for some mark-making – just letting my paintbrush lead me…ha.

So what do you think?

Who knew that skirting boards came in different colours too – well you can paint them yourself obviously, but these days you can also get them pre-treated and sprayed any colour! The Skirting Board shop do them in over 200 colours, made to order and delivered free! So none of that awful hours spent on the floor painting your skirting boards…brill!

So, with this in mind, my skirting board became my beach…a lovely golden ochre representing sand in my place of escape. Because why shouldn’t a skirting board be ochre?

skirting boards hollygoeslightly

Where’s your place of escape?