Nice piece. I wouldn’t usually read anything about building work but that made me think, and smile, and empathise, which is not a bad combination for a short essay ostensibly on home improvement. And you held my attention first to last. Thank you.
(PS. There are specialist websites for finding husbands, too, you know 😁)
Thank you so much for your lovely comment Geraint. Building work is not my specialist subject, rebuilding life from rubble and dust unfortunately is. I’m glad you appreciated the amalgamation of the two. ☺️
I’m far too long in the tooth to be looking for another husband… I’ll leave that to the kids, I’d rather shop for new curtains 🤣
Our twinning 👯♂️is spooky now Rebecca. I’m living with a ground floor extension and renovation that’s been going on for months. I feel every bit of your angst, and more. Xxxxxx
In my head I had replied to you Maria - sadly not in real life!
God I feel for you - the bathroom has been bad enough. We did the downstairs a few years ago, seems ridiculous to say with all the stuff that is going on in the world but it was genuinely really stressful and so discombobulating. It was really worth it in the end though, as my bathroom is shaping up to be. Don't know how those people on TV build their own houses - utter madness! xxxxx
Oh how I empathise with you Rebecca. We currently have a lovely big damp mark on our kitchen ceiling below our bathroom that started as soft little dab of off-white about a year ago and is now a big snarly U shape of dark grey and rusty red. I try not to look up. I know it's only going to get worse. I sometimes worry that I may come crashing through the ceiling on potentially slowly rotting floorboards if I take a bath (like someone once did in Coronation Street).. but I still take a bath. I am in avoidance. I am paralysed with inactivity. The disruption. The cost. The finding someone reliable to do the work. I know I must do something. Your post has given me a gentle nudge. Enjoy luxuriating in your lovely new space. Any specialist websites gratefully received! x
Ooh I remember that scene from Corrie… was it Jack Duckworth? Must google it!
Take that gentle nudge and run with it. You will be glad you did (when it’s over).
We got a local supplier to design the bathroom (tiles, fitting etc) and then found a builder (after much searching) to do the work. ‘It’s all in the prep’ as my dad would say so getting ‘prepping’ now! X
I’m about to embark on the same thing. Two bathroom renos. The other interior work is already underway. But I need a proper bath if I’m going to make any real progress. At least that’s what I tell myself. 🙃
You can’t make an omlette without cracking eggs Kim and if a bath is your heart’s desire (and I totally get that) then its worth pushing through the pain. Thoughts and prayers though - it was a lot messier than I anticipated - bit like my life really! 🙃
I was a do-it-yourself person, but old age has me happy with someone I trust doing it for me. I remember before I started a project I would have this moment of panic where I was thinking, can I do this? But once I got started the fear would go away and I would deal with all the mistakes and decisions like I had been doing it for years. I envy anyone who takes on a project like yours and makes it come out just how you pictured it. Yours is beautiful.
Thanks Kerry. My house, my life, my happiness… all an ongoing project and not a one-woman job that’s for sure. Sometimes you have to create chaos to find peace… and it’s always an ongoing process.
The rest of the house is looking shabby now by comparison and like you, I used to do some of the work myself but my back is just not up to it. I’ll have to find a way around it… we all deserve a bit of peace at this time in our lives … outer and inner. X
True M… but you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs. Change is never easy but nor is living with the consequences of not changing. I’m in too deep now to go back…
Oh building work is the worst! When we had our whole house painted we came home at the end of 3 weeks away to find… they had missed a whole wall. I pointed this out to our painter who said, ‘oh, I never saw that!’ 😬 Thoughts and prayers, Rebecca!
🤣… good move going away though. I have been ‘living’ with my builder for over a month now….Learned a fair few Bulgarian swear words and things are not good with the wife back home if the tone of his phone calls are anything to go by 😲
I moved in last year to a home with... are you ready? A bright yellow kitchen with a green marble tile floor; black back tiles for the cooker, and a sitting room with bright ORANGE walls and salmon pink curtains. All with 70s red pine wood window sills, doors and skirting boards LOL
I got a colour wheel and teal is the opposite colour on the colour wheel to the orange which dials it down a lot.
And the yellow and green? Well I put up a room divider, and have neutralised that with wooden accessories, as well as Swedish table cloths and seat cushions in a matching yellow (as soon as I am able - the floor is gone, if not the kitchen!) LOL
I can't decorate myself very well because of my legs and otherwise it's in very good order so its worth tolerating and just dialling back with accessories ;o)
We bought a bigger, newer house a little less than 2 years ago. It was a story and a half. The upstairs is done, main level has also finally been completed. Me and a master carpenter, whom I hire at times to help or sometimes I'm his help, both of us retired, have started on the basement, which is a wreck. The previous owner let their children do the "Lord of the Flies" thing in the basement during COVID, and virtually everything not in the HVAC/storage room part of the basement is broken, scratched, leaking, holey or marked up. We put new carpet, closet doors, handles, hinges, baseboards, light fixtures, outlets, wall switches, tv mount, window screens and blinds, in the one office/bedroom down there, as well as patching, sanding and painting the ceiling and walls. It turned out really good and we have a comfortable queen bed and wall mounted TV that overflow company have enjoyed at times. Now me and the master carpenter, his initials are JC, I kid you not, are starting with cutting holes for new recessed lights in the main part of the basement. All the flooring needs to be replaced bc roller skates, bicycles and scooters have scratched the heck out of it! It's way to much for two old retired guys to do, so we're putting together a remodeling plan to figure out costs, crews, supplies, timelines and critical paths. I retired bc I was tired of design and project engineering, but this basement project won't get off the ground and be successful without reawakening and applying those skills. Rebecca, please tell me this is gonna be worth it! The wife has nixed the neanderthal mancave look, so it's going to turn out really nice when it's done, because she has good practical taste. At least in houses, furniture and remodelling, LMAO!!! Oh, and I wish you luck, you've got this!
Nice piece. I wouldn’t usually read anything about building work but that made me think, and smile, and empathise, which is not a bad combination for a short essay ostensibly on home improvement. And you held my attention first to last. Thank you.
(PS. There are specialist websites for finding husbands, too, you know 😁)
Thank you so much for your lovely comment Geraint. Building work is not my specialist subject, rebuilding life from rubble and dust unfortunately is. I’m glad you appreciated the amalgamation of the two. ☺️
I’m far too long in the tooth to be looking for another husband… I’ll leave that to the kids, I’d rather shop for new curtains 🤣
Our twinning 👯♂️is spooky now Rebecca. I’m living with a ground floor extension and renovation that’s been going on for months. I feel every bit of your angst, and more. Xxxxxx
In my head I had replied to you Maria - sadly not in real life!
God I feel for you - the bathroom has been bad enough. We did the downstairs a few years ago, seems ridiculous to say with all the stuff that is going on in the world but it was genuinely really stressful and so discombobulating. It was really worth it in the end though, as my bathroom is shaping up to be. Don't know how those people on TV build their own houses - utter madness! xxxxx
Oh how I empathise with you Rebecca. We currently have a lovely big damp mark on our kitchen ceiling below our bathroom that started as soft little dab of off-white about a year ago and is now a big snarly U shape of dark grey and rusty red. I try not to look up. I know it's only going to get worse. I sometimes worry that I may come crashing through the ceiling on potentially slowly rotting floorboards if I take a bath (like someone once did in Coronation Street).. but I still take a bath. I am in avoidance. I am paralysed with inactivity. The disruption. The cost. The finding someone reliable to do the work. I know I must do something. Your post has given me a gentle nudge. Enjoy luxuriating in your lovely new space. Any specialist websites gratefully received! x
Ooh I remember that scene from Corrie… was it Jack Duckworth? Must google it!
Take that gentle nudge and run with it. You will be glad you did (when it’s over).
We got a local supplier to design the bathroom (tiles, fitting etc) and then found a builder (after much searching) to do the work. ‘It’s all in the prep’ as my dad would say so getting ‘prepping’ now! X
Think it was Cilla Battersby who fell through the ceiling due to the weight of her waterbed 😂
🤣… well remembered!
I’m about to embark on the same thing. Two bathroom renos. The other interior work is already underway. But I need a proper bath if I’m going to make any real progress. At least that’s what I tell myself. 🙃
You can’t make an omlette without cracking eggs Kim and if a bath is your heart’s desire (and I totally get that) then its worth pushing through the pain. Thoughts and prayers though - it was a lot messier than I anticipated - bit like my life really! 🙃
I was a do-it-yourself person, but old age has me happy with someone I trust doing it for me. I remember before I started a project I would have this moment of panic where I was thinking, can I do this? But once I got started the fear would go away and I would deal with all the mistakes and decisions like I had been doing it for years. I envy anyone who takes on a project like yours and makes it come out just how you pictured it. Yours is beautiful.
Thanks Kerry. My house, my life, my happiness… all an ongoing project and not a one-woman job that’s for sure. Sometimes you have to create chaos to find peace… and it’s always an ongoing process.
The rest of the house is looking shabby now by comparison and like you, I used to do some of the work myself but my back is just not up to it. I’ll have to find a way around it… we all deserve a bit of peace at this time in our lives … outer and inner. X
Another excellent piece Rebecca. And nothing tries relationships like a kitchen or bathroom remodel
True M… but you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs. Change is never easy but nor is living with the consequences of not changing. I’m in too deep now to go back…
Oh building work is the worst! When we had our whole house painted we came home at the end of 3 weeks away to find… they had missed a whole wall. I pointed this out to our painter who said, ‘oh, I never saw that!’ 😬 Thoughts and prayers, Rebecca!
🤣… good move going away though. I have been ‘living’ with my builder for over a month now….Learned a fair few Bulgarian swear words and things are not good with the wife back home if the tone of his phone calls are anything to go by 😲
At least if he doesn’t want to be at home he’ll keep doing your work!
🤣… happy to adopt him!
Great piece. I hope it's sorted soon.
Thanks Amy… counting down the days! 😆
OMG.
((((((((Hug)))))) I'd be hyperventilating. Poor you.
The partially done bathroom looks lovely though :o) Go with teal accessories maybe? ;o)
Ooh good call Dilli!
I moved in last year to a home with... are you ready? A bright yellow kitchen with a green marble tile floor; black back tiles for the cooker, and a sitting room with bright ORANGE walls and salmon pink curtains. All with 70s red pine wood window sills, doors and skirting boards LOL
I got a colour wheel and teal is the opposite colour on the colour wheel to the orange which dials it down a lot.
And the yellow and green? Well I put up a room divider, and have neutralised that with wooden accessories, as well as Swedish table cloths and seat cushions in a matching yellow (as soon as I am able - the floor is gone, if not the kitchen!) LOL
I can't decorate myself very well because of my legs and otherwise it's in very good order so its worth tolerating and just dialling back with accessories ;o)
Venceremos! We will win.
You bet we will Ruth…and it’s always easier once you have found your community to cheer you on! ☺️
We bought a bigger, newer house a little less than 2 years ago. It was a story and a half. The upstairs is done, main level has also finally been completed. Me and a master carpenter, whom I hire at times to help or sometimes I'm his help, both of us retired, have started on the basement, which is a wreck. The previous owner let their children do the "Lord of the Flies" thing in the basement during COVID, and virtually everything not in the HVAC/storage room part of the basement is broken, scratched, leaking, holey or marked up. We put new carpet, closet doors, handles, hinges, baseboards, light fixtures, outlets, wall switches, tv mount, window screens and blinds, in the one office/bedroom down there, as well as patching, sanding and painting the ceiling and walls. It turned out really good and we have a comfortable queen bed and wall mounted TV that overflow company have enjoyed at times. Now me and the master carpenter, his initials are JC, I kid you not, are starting with cutting holes for new recessed lights in the main part of the basement. All the flooring needs to be replaced bc roller skates, bicycles and scooters have scratched the heck out of it! It's way to much for two old retired guys to do, so we're putting together a remodeling plan to figure out costs, crews, supplies, timelines and critical paths. I retired bc I was tired of design and project engineering, but this basement project won't get off the ground and be successful without reawakening and applying those skills. Rebecca, please tell me this is gonna be worth it! The wife has nixed the neanderthal mancave look, so it's going to turn out really nice when it's done, because she has good practical taste. At least in houses, furniture and remodelling, LMAO!!! Oh, and I wish you luck, you've got this!