Last year we moved out of Manchester and further out towards the country. We had lived in the heart of Manchester for years, and it was very much home, but as our family was growing, we needed more space and a bigger house. Although I love my new home, it is still very much a blank canvas requiring us to put our own stamp on things. This is going to need some serious redecoration and some renovation, but I am excited and up for the challenge.
Living Room
We have just had our new sofas delivered, and carpets fitted so this room only requires a lick of paint and some new curtains to be hung. Colour-wise we are going for very neutral pastel tones throughout and as dull as it sounds I quite like the idea of making this room white.
Kitchen
This is the room that requires the most work. I want a family kitchen to be the heart of my home, and at the moment I don’t have that. I’ve researched the cost of installing a kitchen suite extensively, and I think it is definitely within our budget, and if I am honest essential to our renovation plans.
Children’s Bedrooms
Both boy’s rooms are in good shape, but they are both in need of some decoration and bespoke furniture. Henry, my eldest wants a cabin-style bed which is perfect for the shape of his room and will give him more floor space in the long run too. He wants a pale blue colour on the walls which will last even as he gets older, which is a bonus!
My youngest Hugo is 18 months, so his room needs to transition from baby to toddler. We are going to stick neutral and go for a grey wall as it’s likely he will want to pick his own colour when he is older anyway. I’ve just ordered some furniture because he only had a set of drawers that were on the redundant changing table.
Family Bathroom
It’s possible that we may want to upgrade the bathroom suite at some point in the future, but this is nowhere near an essential right now. The tiles are plain, so there is no rush in changing things too much at the moment bar a lick of paint. However, in the near future, we are looking to install a heated towel rail which will help dry the mountainous amounts of towels our family seem to go through in a day!!!
Master Bedroom
Except for the kitchen, the master bedroom probably requires the most work to bring it up to date. I’m wanting to have fitted wardrobes installed to maximise the space and make the room feel more practical. We also need a new carpet because it currently has laminate flooring down. In fairness, it does look lovely but is loud to walk around on and doesn’t have that cosy feel you want in a bedroom.
Although I would like to get everything done immediately, there are associated costs and timescales involved. Ultimately, I know my vision is coming to life so I am happy to see the small steps of progress we are making.