The stag head (now affectionately known as Steve) was super easy to attach to the wall, only one (sturdy) screw or nail in the wall is needed, and the stag comes with a fastening with a loop for hanging already attached. I think he looks very majestic combined with our high ceilings! 

I rent this flat in the centre of Manchester with my boyfriend Paolo, so we don’t have much say in the furnishing as most of it was provided. However luckily for us our landlords have great taste – I love the hardwood floors and this striped arm chair. We also have a big leather sofa, which double as a very handy sofa-bed when required. 

Inkeeping with the furnishing which came with the flat, we try to keep the bits and pieces we have lying around fairly minimalist, but I can’t resist a cute picture frame (or little wooden cat ornament). I also have a (rather pathetic looking) orchid, which used to be very much alive and well but unfortunately is going through a phase of having no flowers at the moment, as you can see. The only photos we have printed are baby photos of Paolo which his mum brought over, so they have ended up in frames and on the wall. This was intended to be a temporary measure but I think they’re hilarious so they’ll probably stay! Paolo’s record collection and some of our books are out on the TV cabinet, whereas the much more unsightly collection of giant law textbooks and folders I have are hidden away inside. 

Perhaps the pièce de résistance of our humble abode is the shoe storage / display. I have a very inappropriate number of shoes and Paolo is partial to a few himself, so we needed a serious storage solution. We opted for a selection of Ikea Billy bookcases, which have proven to be ideal. Not only are they quite cheap, they are the perfect depth for most of our shoes (UK 8 and below), and you can add as many extra shelves as you like and adjust where they sit so that they fit the height of your shoes (or books…) perfectly. Putting them together is, in true Ikea fashion, very uncomplicated and I think will be easy to make work in another flat if and when we move again. Sadly the bookcases are now full, and we’re operating on a one in one out system :'(

Adorable wallpaper in our hallway!

We only have one bedroom and it is fairly small for two people, so storing all my clothes has been a challenge. I have my beloved 6ft sturdy clothes rail, as well as a a multitude of coat hooks on the back of the door, a chest of drawers and two more drawers in the tiny wardrobe provided by our landlords. Paolo gets the hanging space in that wardrobe and a box under the bed (haha!). I’ve also had to come up with storage solutions like this coat hanger / sunglasses and jewellery holder.

That concludes the mini-tour of my flat, what do you think? Have you posted about where you live? I’d love to check out some similar posts, so do leave a link in a comment!