Blandwagon's Profile

This place ought to win. It's small and very, very cool. Totally unexpected yet totally liveable.

Go for a big-ass mantel clock. I think this one might work:

http://www.sweetpeaandwillow.com/rectangular-roman-mantel-clock

It's a lovely renovation. The only flaw was the feature tile on the floor of the shower - it doesn't add to the look and it will date much faster than the rest of the bathroom.

On a happier note, the neighbours will certainly get an eyeful if they happen to glance across when the owners are showering!

I agree thatkris. There's something very evocative about the Before.

A friend of mine picked up an old dollhouse from a charity store with an eye to renovating it for her daughter. I begged her not to because it was so wonderfully battered, with peeling wallpaper, dirty windows, grimy carpets. It wasn't so much a dollhouse as a model crackhouse.

She appreciated and even shared my opinion, but it got renovated anyway :)

Replace the brown carpet with a pale cream carpet, then embrace the nautical look with whites, creams, pale earth tones, driftwood and accents in aqua.

I agree with SophieRose - sacrifice the powder room and the storeroom to form a little guest space next to the front door. Move the door to Bedroom 1 up so that its ensuite becomes accessible from the hall, making it into a family/guest bathroom. Use Bedroom 2 as your master bedroom.

Permanently partitioning off part of the living room is a titanically bad idea.

People still do the holiday card thing? I thought that Facebook had pretty much eliminated the need.

It's worth noting that chiller rocks don't actually work. They simply can't get cold enough to chill a drink to the same degree that ice can.

It's also worth noting that in many cocktails, the very cold water released by the ice actually adds to the flavour and texture of the drink, mellowing the harsh edge of spirits like vodka.

And finally, it's worth noting that only a philistine drinks whiskey with ice in it.

The tablecloths don't have to be white to unify. I used a couple of single bed flat sheets in a taupe colour to cover a 16 place dining table (really three tables shoved end to end), and with white flowers and plates it looked more elegant than white.

People have a huge amount of choice these days, in home furnishings, Starbucks coffees, internet dating, TV stations and subcultures.

And this has leached over into their social lives. People expect to have choices, and actually settling on an option, way ahead of time, feels constrictive. Why decide a month ahead what you'll be doing on a certain Saturday when a better option might turn up on the Friday?

Also, in our age of Facebook-fuelled narcissism, it's inconceivable to us that a host might prioritise having enough food and space over the (unanticipated) glory of having us as a guest. When we actually choose to go to their party, we expect them to be grateful, even if we never alerted them ahead of time.

Al of this, it must be said, is subconscious. But it's there.