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

Kitchen Tile Paint Before & After

It's time to update you on our first exciting little decorating project - The kitchen.

There is a pretty good base to be going along with. The cupboards are white, clean and modern, and not too far from what we would've chosen ourselves. They do seem to have been incorrectly fitted though, with the worktops not connecting correctly and a few dodgy doors, but it's nothing we can't fix. The glaringly obvious problem was the burnt orange tiling... 

*shield your eyes now*

We looked at Pinterest for some style inspiration and came up with these few images that we really liked. We are gray superfans and tend to plaster it everywhere, but I think it looks particularly scrumptious in a kitchen. I've just noticed that all of the images have subway tiles! Sadly, for anyone that has just decked out their entire kitchen/bathroom with them, I think they might have already had their moment in the sun and are on the way out of fashion. I'm still mourning the retirement of the chevron *sob* and am currently in denial about my chevron bedding and cushions...

My parents recently revamped their shower room, which involved painting the tiles. Now, I know I'm a mere decorating amateur, but I didn't even know tile paint was a thing - Apparently it is! So we thought we'd give it a try. At least as a temporary measure, until such time as we are ready to replace the tiles altogether. 

So, without further ado... Here is the first coat finished! 

The room looks cleaner and more modern already. We found that the key was to scrub the tiles thoroughly with a rough brush before we started, so that the paint was being laid onto a clean, flat surface. Nobody wants crusty old toast crumbs poking out from their freshly painted tiles, do they?!

We're really impressed with the paint (I'll add the brand here later for anyone interested) and happy with the results in general. I'll be sure to do an update once we've finished the whole room.

Before I sign off - Can we briefly talk about the incredible cuteness of our teapot kettle?! It's an electric kettle housed within a proper ceramic teapot, so it keeps the warmth in and looks bloody adorable too! I'd never seen one before so I had to snap it up. You can find them here from B&M home department.

That's all for now, I'm already planning our next post which will be about our last home, the apartment. Thanks for reading!