Firstly, happy new year I think I can just about get away with that and secondly apologies for the time spent away from publishing new blog posts…

An update from us

We moved into Coltash fully, just after Easter, as we had to make way at Casa BarBar an Richard Hull for the Flavells who were also doing a massive house renovation.     I was underwhelmed about the prospect of moving back in mainly due to the fact that it meant we actually had to live there…. all the time up to this point we always had somewhere clean, warm and dust free to lay our weary heads after a days work… but now, we were no longer doing up a house and living in relative comfort.  Instead we were living in the middle of the build.    Nothing was finished and we had no “sanctuary” against the rubble… floor boards were bare, the floor was cold and uninviting and the doors were all off.  It was depressing.

The only thing that made it bearable was the fact that Summer happened… holidays, housewarmings followed by festivals, followed by more holidays meant that the number of days in a row having spent at the house were minimal and filled with BBQs and days in sun.  This hazy period allowed me and Ian to forget about the horror of the house itself…

This worked for a while, but feeling like kids going back to school in September – summer was over.   The old feelings of helplessness against the massive task we had taken on came back and a familiar feeling of dread returned.   There was just too many decisions:

what colors should we paint?  what type of flooring should we have?  how should we change the fireplace?   it was never ending.

Now don’t get me wrong, each of these decisions were fine in silo, the issue was trying to work out what they would all look like together.  This indecision meant for a over 6 months that we made very little progress on the to do list.

I say little, as we did do some things, In September we had a Wood-Burning stove and new fire surround fitted.  It looks lovely and is extra special as the it comes from my best Friends firm and was designed by her Late Dad.   It really looks great as some before and after pictures show…

Out with the old, in with the new….  Fireplaces that is!

The breaking point came in December time, when we went to put up the Christmas tree.  I looked around and I could not bring myself to do it… no amount of fairy lights would dress up this place.  I couldn’t take it anymore.  So quickly I arrange for a painter to come and do the painting in living room and I called the flooring team back to lay the laminate I had chosen few months ago.

Painting Before & Afters:

New Floor – Finally!!

All in about a week or so we made some real progress, and have started to chip away at the list, we have contractors booked for some more work and we have started to get excited again.  Hopefully this bust of energy and funding lasts!