The beginnings of a house tour ... main bedroom and entry.

You've seen the empty shell of the new house and you've been asking to see what it looks like with boxes unpacked and furniture in. Well ... let's take a sneak peek at a couple of spaces ... so far.

I'm determined to keep things simple.

I don't want clutter.

I want calm, peace, tranquility.

That's not a lot to aim for ... for me it is. It's part of my approach to the New Year.

You'll see I have a penchant for things Asian, Indian in particular ... I haven't been there yet, but it's high on the list, VERY high. I've been to Little India in Penang and Singapore and, oh yes, the Mustafa Centre in Singapore ... Don't go there on the Sunday night of the Festival of Lights ... crowded, REALLY crowded, like you can't imagine CROWDED, with young, male Indian migrant workers. Safe, but crowded.

But first, the bed. It comes with a story, of course.

I had drooled over this bed for sometime, but it was out of my league. I had a perfectly good bed. How could I justify buying this one?

And then fate took charge.

My house was broken into by some unsavoury, snivelling scumbags and some valuable things decided they would prefer to be with the scumbags than with me. Unfortunately, it happens.

At that point in my life it happened THREE times. One, after another, after another. Unfortunately, it happens.

Yet, it hasn't happened since. Weird.

So, I decided I would buy some things my heart yearned for. Things that would be difficult for the scumbags to suborn. Or things that I would wear all the time ... that again would be difficult for the scumbags to get their filthy fingers around.

And, hence, the bed. And my beautiful crown ring ... but that's not part of the bedroom.

The kantha quilt has a story too. Are you surprised?

I had drooled over kantha quilts for sometime. Do you see a pattern in my behaviour? But they were out of my league. Behavioural pattern?

And then I thought ... what about Mr Google, maybe he could help? And, like always, ta daa, he came up with the goods. All the way from India, at a fraction of the price I was facing in the fancy decorator shops. I was happy, happy.

I'm thinking about getting another one. I love that layered look.

Blue is not normally a colour I would choose, but I did and I love it.

The cushions extol my love of India and script and sepia. When I go to Target, I invariably find myself in the cushion aisle. I have a cushion fetish. It's a problem that I haven't yet solved. These ones just had to be bought ... ages ago ... I still love them.

I do get my money's worth out of the cushions I buy.

I'm not inclined to place a thousand cushions on my bed. I mean, where do they go during the night? And, how much time has to spent making the bed-of-a-thousand-cushions each day? Three is plenty for me.

The canvas print behind the bed is a cheapie that I fell in love with. I find old doors intriguing; imagine the stories they hold; I love the old knockers; and the colours. This print was a must buy.

And beside the bed two mismatched bedside tables: one a silky oak tea tray; the other a small silky oak gate leg table. Both adorned quite sparsely.

They work for us.

A spot for my morning cuppa that MLP brings in around six before he heads to work (Every week day! Spoilt, I know.); room for my glasses and the iPad or current book. No need for anything else.

My chest-of-many-drawers was another love affair. At first I was worried I'd never know which drawer held what, but, surprisingly, it works really well. I have grown to like the way it forces me to organise my clothes.

The smaller albino version on top holds my earrings. It's surrounded by a few special trinkets and that's it.

Cameron, the bear, made by my much loved and much missed sister-in-law.

Mickey, a new addition who was in my Christmas box from pineapple-loving Linda.

This Mickey has both arms intact. My sister hasn't been to visit yet!

A miniature dress mannequin also from the pineapple lover and another fetish of mine.

And that's about the bedroom done. A comfy chair for changing shoes. Oh, and an Indonesian window which hasn't yet quite found its permanent spot.

I'm loathe to hang it because it weighs so much and requires a more than substantial hook requiring a more than substantial hole in the wall. I'm not sure Mr DHA would approve.

So, it rests on an old Science room stool thinking about if this is the right place. It's not sure yet.

The entry is not really an entry at all but rather a hall, a long narrowish hall, home to my silky oak hall stand (Sensing a mania for silky oak yet?). Perfectly narrow and with plenty of hooks.