Design Dilemmas

Episode 66: This week we’re talking how to dress a bay window, adding storage when you've no space and how to style a big landing. Plus in room toilets (brace yourselves) and the Sunday Niche Edit.

I’m currently on countdown to moving house and panic is starting to set in at the amount of work needing to be done prior to departure from this rental home. I have told Joe that this entire weekend needs to be spent dividing our time between the tip, the charity shop and box taping and as you would predict, his excitement is overwhelming. Long term readers will know that I have a seven day preparation period when it comes to asking my husband to do anything house related. Firstly, I tell him the week before that it’s going to happen. Day three, I remind him of it; ditto day six. Then when the day finally arrives and the job needs to be undertaken, he has absolutely NO get out clause whatsoever and he’s forced to join in. I did not marry a man of DIY or, indeed, any love of house decor which has the positive side effect that he therefore has no input into anything at all to do with interiors. Every cloud.

Anyway, I am writing this on Friday and tomorrow at 9am we’ll be in that cellar opening boxes and boxes of vintage glassware, tableware and crockery to be assessed and redistributed accordingly because there is NO WAY IN HELL it’s all going to fit into the new house. We are preparing ourselves for this organisational hell (entirely self inflicted due to endless charity shop and vintage purchasing over the last decade) by meeting our friends at The Fat Badger for drinks and chat to distract ourselves from the impending task in hand. The Fat Badger has one of the biggest beer gardens in York but not as you’d know one; it’s tiers of patio that back directly on to the York Walls (random fact of the day: they were built in stone in the 11th century which is quite mind blowing) and as you sit there with your drink, you are scrutinised by the endless tourists traipsing across them. They do do lovely wine, though, so well worth being the view.

Okay now back to business and this week we are starting with how to dress a bay window on the curve - curtains or blinds? We’re discussing ways of adding storage to your kitchen when you’ve got no room left for more cupboards, plus styling a large landing without it becoming a dumping ground. Dealing with in room toilets - yes, these are a thing - and the best ways to divide the space if your ensuite is super close and you don’t want to lose light. And finally, the Sunday Niche Edit is all about rattan bowls today, including an absolute deal of an Amazon buy that is comparable to the big guns.

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