Bathroom Choices - Braving the Blue?

Before Christmas we began researching bathroom installation companies, as our bathroom is one of the things that desperately needs doing. We had quotes from several stores but the one we finally went with was Wickes. They seem to get quite a mixed reception, especially online, but we liked the designer and he created a look we really liked. It's a huge decision to make; a bathroom is not something you can just start again with if it doesn't look right! (well you could, if you were rich and frivolous).

We got the call today to say that it will be fitted at the end of this month, and we're so excited! The only problem is, we are really struggling with choosing our paint colour and tiles.

 Right now in the bathroom, the tiles are a crazy aquatic theme with shells, swirls and angry fish. A visiting relative said that they looked like piranhas... Not very welcoming! The walls are mucky cream, and it looks as though the previous owners attempted a few DIY jobs such as the floor tiles and installing a delightful wooden cover for the back of the toilet. It just needs a complete overhaul. We begged the help of Pinterest, and found ourselves leaning towards three distinct looks...


Exhibit A: Moody Dark Blue (with gold / white accents)

I love this look. It's so much more exciting than picking something 'safe', and it might make the small bathroom look bigger. The downside is that, well, it might make it look smaller! And I feel like we might wish we'd gone with something less heavy come the summer months.


Exhibit B: All Things White & Beautiful

Ahhh, the sensible option. Classic clean lines, no fuss, lightens up the space. I do wonder how easy it would be to keep clean, though.


Exhibit C: Spa-like Serenity

Horizonal wood-effect tiling, greenery and taupey paint. Calming and restful.


Decisions, decisions. What do you think - Do you have a brave blue bathroom or is everything white? If so, do you have painters' remorse or are you loving it?

- Em

You Had Me At 'Fixer-Upper'

To set the scene, it was a lovely sunny Saturday, and our fourth weekend of house hunting. We already had a full day of house viewings booked, but noticed the listing of a rather scruffy little house on Rightmove. I grimaced at the decor but it was in a nice neighbourhood, so we thought we might as well have a quick peek, just in case. 

We rang the agent who said there hadn't been much interest in the scruffy house, and that we could view in the next hour or so if we liked. When we arrived, the estate agent unlocked the door, turned to us and said, "it's a bit of a fixer-upper..." and as we walked in, our hearts were won. Any home owners reading that last sentence will know exactly what I mean. It's the little flip your stomach does when you walk through the door and, no matter how bland and dark the colour scheme, you can imagine your life there in full technicolour.

Despite the imperfections and it being a 'project house' (or maybe because of that!) we hurriedly made an offer. It has two big bedrooms, two garages, plenty of quirky storage cupboards - and the important part - it's homely. When we found out it had been accepted, we spent the afternoon in an excited, shocked little bubble, and pretty much stayed that way until moving day (22/09/2014).

So here we are - Just about finished with unpacking having been in it for a week - Only one or two suitcases of clothes left to hang in the wardrobe tonight. Once that's done we can start with our plan of attack for the renovation! 

I hope you enjoyed this introductory post, I've got another post up my sleeve tomorrow with the to-do list of all the work that needs to be done... Follow us on Bloglovin or on your Google feed to stay in the loop with the updates!

- Em