“ Lessons learnt from living in a house I’ve renovated”
HOMEinsider THE
The bath’s plug mechanism. It’s probably my biggest bugbear,
but the smallest problem. When I go for a soak my knee hits the cold chrome fitting – I even sat in the tub before buying, but didn’t think of this particular problem at the time.
The kitchen extractor. This one isn’t entirely
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my fault as my husband and I were warned that the builders may have made the duct out of the wall too small. It’s noisy and I really should have checked the decibel rating before buying the appliance – lesson learned.
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In the spirit of our anniversary issue, features editor Georgina lists 30 things – good and bad – she’s found after a year of living in the property she and her husband renovated
LET’S START WITH THE BAD... 1
THE EXPOSED SHOWER. It looks great, fits the part-
industrial feel I was going for, but it doesn’t half get water stained (Which I didn’t think I would mind, but actually... I do).
The big showerhead. Although the water pressure in our home
is fine, it’s not really good enough for the shower fitting we went for – so it’s more of a pleasant wash than a powerful clean when I’m in it.
No window in the kitchen. It’s not a natural light problem – we have plenty of that, thanks
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AND NOW FOR THE GOOD... 11
The bin’s position. It was a happy accident, but it’s
right under the tea and coffee making station. Perfect.
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UTILITY ROOM. We’re so glad we went for this instead
of a large open kitchen-diner. The room is now broken-plan and we have a place to shove things quickly.
We did the finishing touches in stages. The house
didn’t need to be done all at once, for instance, so we only installed built-in cupboards a few weeks ago. This decision not only helped us manage our finances but stress levels, too.
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Chose shutters. We fitted window dressings later, as
well. They still let in light, but give us some privacy from passersby.
INVESTED IN OUR BED. From the mattress and
frame, to the sheets and pillows – I’m so pleased we went all out. A year in and it still feels like a treat.
Cloakroom. Using space to create a downstairs WC has
to be the most life-changing aspect of the renovation. I won’t go into details.
Overall décor. We went for what we like, instead of
34 KITCHENS BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS l SUMMER 20
to a skylight and bi-fold doors – but there’s nothing we can crack open when cooking or if it gets a little hot.
THE GARDEN LOOKS LIKE A BUILDING SITE.
A mixture of time and funds, this is something we’ve learnt to overlook – for now, at least.
Wish we had a boiling-water tap. But doesn’t everyone? We
were indecisive about buying one when we planned the kitchen – in the end we didn’t do it, due to our budget. We’ve regretted that choice ever since.
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Swapping our bedroom. The benefit of hindsight! In
short, with a choice of two rooms, we picked the wrong one.
DOORS TO PAINT. It’s a job neither of us can bring ourselves
to do. Aſter all the sanding, stripping and DIY-ing, we’ve taken a well-deserved break.
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Already redecorating. The paint we chose for the living
room looked like drying plaster. We lived with it for a bit, but soon decided life was too short for ugly walls, so it’s now a nice, vintage green.
“USING SPACE TO CREATE A DOWNSTAIRS CLOAKROOM HAS TO BE THE MOST LIFE-CHANGING ASPECT OF OUR RENOVATION. I WON’T GO INTO DETAILS.”
what’s on trend. I still love the feel of our space because it’s all ours.
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BUILT-IN SHELVING. Hiring a joiner to create
cupboards and shelves in our living room has really added interest to the room – plus much-needed storage.
Fridge vs freezer. We looked at the way we cook and decided
to have a large integrated fridge and separate mini freezer in the utility.
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Choice of tradespeople. Our due diligence paid
off – we took our time and we’re still happy with the finishes.
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other details
I’M GLAD WE THOUGHT ABOUT
21 Radiator style 22 Kitchen handles 23 Detailed skirting boards and cornicing 24 Dimmable lighting 25 Plug socket location 26 Types of material for the flooring and worktops 27 Door bells and smart meters 28 Exterior lighting and electrics 29 Towel rails 30 Storage in the bathroom
KBB
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