Bathroom reno

MORE PICS (will keep updating)0702BathroomR...

Since we first looked at our home here, we have had visions of home improvements to be done. Right up there was the bathroom. A tasty little number with large hole in the shower tiles, two different shades of drab grey tiles, some bright orange highlights, and leaping frogs across the walls. As it is next to our bedroom, the plan is to add another bathroom upstairs, and to convert the existing one into an ensuite. The logical thing (we had thought) would be to add the upstairs bathroom first, then do the ensuite conversion. We tried for a while to get quotes etc on our own and were largely stonewalled. Then hired a local architect to assist, who got us further, but not far enough. So when a colleague of Jamie's had a recommendation of some guys who'd done a great job on his place and who were available in the near future, we were pretty relieved, and thought we'd go with the mini-plan of at least getting the ensuite sorted.

They popped by to check out the work while the Kings/Meston-Buntings were here. Having done a new home build in Oz, I was very conscious of how communication with tradesmen can go astray with undesirable results (ie upside down bordertiles... incorrect electrical fittings.. in my case). So it all felt scarily ridiculous when our initial discussions were conducted in a hodge podge of French, German and English, with lots of handwaving and pointing thrown in. Given that I reach a point in conversations with French speakers where it seems easier to nod understanding than try and perservere to find out what the hell they are saying, I give little weight to others nodding their comprehension of my communication efforts.

They did seem pretty knowledgeable, had a solid referral, were cheap and available in a few weeks, so we thought best to just dive on in. The research and planning commenced... Early the following week Jamie received a text that they would instead be available to commence on the Friday - like, that Friday. For whatever reason/insanity this was agreed upon. Since that moment things have been FRENETIC. Just so many bloody decisions to make and things to consider. We thought we'd head to a bathroom place in Jamie's lunchbreak to order a bath and shower setup, toilet etc. Why we thought this would only take about an hour or so I don't know - but at 3 and a half hours we had to call it quits while still not finished. We have been caught in some crazy inefficient loop where we are trying to learn about the options at the same time as deciding on them. It is generally a good rule of thumb that knowing exactly what you want is an advantage when it comes to actually buying things.

We are in Day 4 at the moment. However the day has finished early as they have had car troubles which need to be resolved. But they'll be back tomorrow at 8. Who wont be here tomorrow at 8 is my husband, who has taken off to Italy today for a work conference, returning Saturday night, staying in a hotel with hot shower.. mmm shower...

I'll keep uploading pictures so you can see how things progress. But the pictures really don't tell the whole story. It is a complete sensory experience... Day 1 and 2 involved incessant drilling and banging as they removed the old tiles (I still chuckle thinking we were going to do the initial prep stuff ourselves. Hah!). Despite doing a fairly good job of keeping doors closed we had dust spread throughout the house, making a rather unpleasant smell. But then not quite as unpleasant as that which developed during Day 2 to peak Day 3... mmm drains... The sensory journey has continued today with them burning pipes or something - whatever makes that stinky metal burning smell.

On the positive side, we have managed to pick and buy most of our main items. Baths, toilets, cabinets, window etc are spread around the house in any spare space. We utilised Jamie's last afternoon at the tile shop yesterday and think we have something picked that is in stock (the 'in stock' issue has possibly been the biggest hurdle... you get so far, then... wham ' availability 3 weeks'). There is lots of compromising going on, which can be frustrating, but as I tend to be a paralysed perfectionist I can see that this post-haste approach may be a good thing. And I just can't WAIT to have a bath in our megabath!!! (190x90 double ended, no fights for the good end).