Design Dilemmas

Episode 109. This week we're discussing paint colours, from subtle colours through to good neutrals. Plus swapping up a kitchen, sockets and switches and the Sunday Niche Edit.

Yesterday, I was supposed to go to York Races to the cheap side with my friend Pandora with a picnic, but the weather failed us miserably. Wind! Rain! General coldness not usually equated with June! Honestly, so annoying. After much debate, we decided that though we were prepared to tolerate a bit of wind but that we were not prepared to tolerate wet feet or bottoms. So we sat in my new courtyard and drank Daylesford Organic Prosecco (perfect for staying hangover free) and ate out of date hummus and crisps. I have no qualms about eating out of date hummus. I mean, what is the worst that can happen? Can you get food poisoning from tahini? After googling, I decided that no, it was unlikely, so we went ahead anyway. I can confirm that it was a full week out of date and no ill effects occurred. Just for future info.

I am always a little dubious about the sell by dates on food. I think that if you are eating meat or fish then obviously, that’s an issue. Or if you are eating salad where it’s blatantly obvious if something isn’t suitable for eating. But yoghurt? I’d eat it. Cheese? Of course. I used to work in Hotels when I was in my late teens and honestly, I can tell you for a fact that no one took the faintest bit of notice of sell by dates in the kitchens back then and no one ever got sick. Although obviously I am not suggesting that you immediately wolf back a packet of out of date salami but I do think that you can use common sense a lot of the time with no ill side effects. My kids would 100% disagree with me and won’t even touch a box of Peters Yard sourdough crackers that have been opened more than a week, nor cereal if it’s not eaten within two days. Honestly, so fussy.

But enough dodgy food chat and back to business and this week, we are looking at a seventh floor flat and checking out colour ideas, plus how to update and swap up a kitchen to make it a little more interesting. Then on to another kitchen to look at how to stop the walls feeling cold with a warm neutral and a look at the hardest wearing types of paint for each brand. And finally, we’re comparing similar brushed metal switches for style and price. The Sunday Niche Edit is a subscriber request this week - flip clocks (based on the one in my kitchen which is an old one Habitat brought out years ago but that is now discontinued). Paid subscribers, remember that you can add your dilemmas or quandaries below here in the comments or you can join in the Group Chat (the speech bubble on your app) where there are thousands of you waiting to help with any issues that arise (I pick ones from both of these locations for my weekly post, so whack yours in).

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