Design Dilemmas
Episode 92. This week we are discussing decent baths with showers over, tall hallway decor and lighting for low ceilings. Plus round coffee tables with storage and the Sunday Niche Edit.
[cover photo credit: Bill Batten for House & Garden].
Good morning! It’s rather a gloomy Saturday in York today so I have been perfectly content sitting and perusing your dilemmas with Radio 2 in the background. It’s gloomy but also warm and unbelievably, I don’t even have the heating on. As someone who is always cold and always wearing the wrong outfit for the temperature, this is quite miraculous. This week, I booked a summer holiday for the kids and I and am already counting down to a week in the sunshine. I am definitely a warm weather person; I usually wouldn’t dream of going anywhere that is cold for a break, although my daughter Ella is in Krakow this weekend and I am actually quite tempted as it looks absolutely amazing. I asked on my Instagram Stories for ideas from those who had visited before for ideas and there is loads to do and see, it appears. They’re going to Auschwitz today (Sunday) and am looking forward to hearing her thoughts, I am sure it is the most incredibly moving place to visit. I watched Lee last week, the story of Lee Miller who was a wartime photographer who visited there just as the war ended to document. If you haven’t seen this film, would highly recommend - it stars Kate Winslet and her life story is just astonishing.
My dilemma this week has been to start planning the courtyard. I say courtyard, it’s more of a yard, really, but it has MUCH potential. The quote has come in from the builders so I’m waiting to find out when they can fit me in - I have big plans for this little space and I cannot wait. Seriously hoping they can do before the summer so that I can sit out there with the animals and read a book with a glass of wine. Flo is a house cat, but the courtyard is completely enclosed and she’s too fat to attempt the wall (this is not body shaming - I took her to the vets for vaccinations recently and they said she was the perfect size for her breed, BSH’s are just porky) so this gives her an opportunity for some outdoor living. Also planning to plant the yukka out there - it’s been out in all weathers since I moved in and I’ve just noticed it’s got lots of new leaves so it’s obviously perfectly capable of being whacked in a border. Keeping it all crossed that the builders can do it in time.
But back to business and today, we are talking about shower baths for people who need to multi task with dog washing plus how to deal with stairs and landings that have big expanses to fill. We’re discussing how to use lighting in a cottage with low ceilings and coffee tables that can hide all the clutter yet still can be used for cat hiding and under vacuuming. And finally, the Sunday Niche Edit is a request from a subscriber - nice bath mats that look the part.
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