Renovation Man

Over the winter I got fed up with my tatty old lounge, with it's charity shop furniture. I had many decisions to make as well. Pool my resources and move to a larger house. Spend time in Europe and rent my house out. Stay put with friends close by, and a very cozy pub. Check out The Rose Inn at www.roseinnbaxterley.com/ In the end I opted to stay put. At least until some drop dead gorgeous and rich woman insists I set up home with her, somewhere exotic. Then as the Dinosaurs said as they left in their space ship "so long and thanks for the fish". Or was that the Dolphins sometime in the near future. Can't remember. Sorry. Once the "whisked away" scenario happens I have a dilemma. How to take the Rose Inn Baxterley with me! Also therefore would my rich woman have to adopt Tim, Sue and Star, and would St Austell Brewery be able to deliver Tribute bitter?

Note to self. No more oragne juews.

Business ideas are not working out due to this lousy recession. Investments in banks give virtually no returns. Returns on bonds are also disappointing. Invest in property in a falling market? Put it in a cardboard box under the bed? That is better than the banks probably. Get a job (ahhhh!). Take a lodger? In the end based on the difference in asking prices on houses identical to mine, but ranging from 1980's original to full contemporary make over, I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea at all to rip the lounge out and modernise. Pictures below of the end result. Heart felt thanks to Mick and Chris for their significant contribution to the project. 50% of the labour was mine, and all of the design. Actually is that true? Nope. Debbie had to sort out my colour coordination, and Sue the curtains. On those items I was struggling. I knew what I wanted to achieve. Thanks to all for helping me to realise it perfectly. The solid bamboo floor is wonderful. Claws and teeth don't scratch it. Nothing stains it either.

Another note to self: Stay out of the lounge during a full moon!

Above right is a picture of the rear of the house. There is a reason for this. I got the bug. I had the idea of extending the lounge into the garden, and as you can see I immediately ripped up the scabby old slabs and turned them into the foundation for a raised area outside the lounge sliding doors. 60 Buxton stone slabs arrived before breakfast this morning, so having got my lounge straight, my garden is now a building site. I looked at the task ahead and promptly crept away for a long walk in the sunshine. My courage comes in fits and starts apparently.

Phase three: I have Mick returning to swap the heating boiler and rip out the old hot water tank (I hope you are keeping up. Motorcycle adventure, mad parties, and girls later!)

Phase four: I get to knock two small bedrooms into one, before replacing a very tired bathroom (no rude comments please), and may be installing an en suite bathroom to the guest bedroom. This should all keep me out of trouble for a while. Cash flow ensures that the whole project will not be complete before February 2013. In the absence of anything else I think that is a plan!

Merlin