My Favourite Thing in the House

I’ve been dreaming of home interiors for a very, long time.

Since I was a teenager in fact.

My tastes probably did change but I knew I wanted a pink kitchen and a cream living room.

When I bought my first house-a little terrace, I made my dream come true.

While the kitchen cupboards were not something I would have chosen myself, the walls were, indeed painted pink and my living room was cream.

When we moved to the farm, while the kitchen cupboards are now my dream, I was banned from pink. I don’t mind. I went for a lovely shade of blue after a million different colours were tried on the wall.

All the furniture and most of the accessories were brought to the farm but, as we have had more children, the cream has almost been phased out, making way for pattern and dark colours which are a lot more forgiving with stains.

There is one item though which I have loved for 20 years and it has a story behind it and, let’s face it, we all love a story.

In 1987, Chanel asked Andy Warhol to design some prints featuring their iconic Chanel No 5 perfume.

The pop art genius, designed a set of four, limited edition pieces. One in dark blue, one red, one green and blue and one blue and yellow.

Unfortunately, Warhol died and it took a further ten years before Chanel released the prints.

Now I cannot remember the whole story here but, when I was about 17 and dreamed of being editor of Vogue, I devoured magazines like they were going out of fashion. Pun intended.

There was a tiny little news in brief article in a magazine which said Chanel counters across the country were giving away a limited number of posters on a first come, first served basis.

The 17 year old me, made a bee-line at Debenhams in Wigan and brazenly asked if they had any posters.

They did.

Now I am not sure if they were supposed to be a free gift with purchase but amazingly, the lady gave me one, tied it with Chanel ribbon and a circular Chanel sticker and I skipped off, excitedly.

Much unlike me, I did not put the poster on my wall. I left it, rolled up and, every so often I would unroll it an admire it.

Until I bought my own house.

Together with a bag from Tiffany’s, I based my whole bathroom decor around them.

The towels were Tiffany turquoise and I framed my Chanel poster.

I am not sure that anyone really noticed the poster then. I did though. I was always looking at it, admiringly.

I also made a little frame with a miniature bottle of perfume and a Chanel bag behind it to go with the poster.

So when we moved to the farm, my beloved poster needed a new home.

It now takes pride of place in my bedroom.

Well, it did until we had Baby J. It is now tucked behind our dressing table until the cot goes in G’s room. Goodness knows when that will be.

It’s ok though. I can still see it and it still makes me really happy.

I think in our crazy world, we all need a bit of a happy place to retreat to and make us feel better.

My Chanel poster represents my life before children. My life before marriage and even my life before the farm.

I don’t think I really knew who I was at 17 when I acquired it but I knew where I wanted to be.

Some people may say it represents failure because I never got to be editor of Vogue but that is not the case at all. It is not failure. My dreams now are very different to my teenage dreams. We all evolve but we also all have something to ground us.

Through it all though, we could all use just a small spritz of Chanel.