My Vision.

Of course I could talk to you about tanking and supporting walls but I’m afraid that’s not the way I roll. I always start every project at the end. I need to be able to visualize the finished space and then work backwards. Next I begin sourcing products and materials. The practicalities, whys and wherefores are mere details which can be addressed later down the line, and by somebody other than me.

We’ve had a long time to think about this renovation and knew what we needed from this space, namely:

• A shower room and second loo
• A hard working utility/workspace/studio
• More space to relax
• Storage
• More storage
• Storage

The first problem we needed to address was how we were going to fit it all in. We think we’ve come up with a workable solution after many years of head scratching, do you want to see?

Room One.

The narrow little corridor at the bottom of the stairs . For a long time this was destined to be storage, a place for Mr. H to keep his vast screw and wall plug collection, but after trying to fit it in many other places and being unable to because of pesky supporting walls and soil pipes, we have decided this is where our shower room is going to be.

With clever planning and a no solids rule for the loo my bathroom in the corridor plan has been passed by Mr. H. There is just the small matter of getting the OK from the builder and then we are good to go. My sketch is more ‘back of an envelope,’ than architectural drawing but having a visual to sell my idea helped to seal the deal. A false wall will have to be built in the already narrow space to house the pipework, but I think its going to work.

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Details.

The end of the room will be partitioned off to form the shower cubicle because its very probably a cubicle wont fit, a bit like this. (Obviously we’ll remove the mushrooms and root growth in the corner first).

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I’ve had these pictures saved in my inspiration folder for so long, I love how the showers in both are an integral part of the room. You’ll find them on Instagram at @sissinghurstlocationhouse and @squid_and_goose

You’ll be gutted to hear that I’m not staying with the blood red wall colour. I’m all over the current mermaid tile trend, I’d love iridescent ones but I’m struggling to source them, turquoise and green are the ‘red thread’ * which links all the spaces in my house together so they will work equally as well.

(*A red thread is a common theme which runs throughout the house and links the space together cohesively).

The floor will be the same all the way through the basement, at the moment terrazzo is the favourite choice so far. I’m really feeling this herringbone pattern for in the shower room. This is still under discussion, so watch this space to see who wins (spoiler alert: it will be me).

These industrial sinks have been on my wish list for eons, something like this will go just about where the wellie store is.

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There will be a toilet and it will be wall mounted. All the ones I have found have been quite dull so far so I wont bore you with a picture.

My daughter asked if there will be a door. Of course there bloody will be and it will have a sign on just like this.

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So what do you think? please comment and let me know.

Plans for this week.

• Finalise my exciting plans for room two so that I can share next week.
• Take more shit to the tip.
• Meet with builder, electrician and plumber.
• Spend hours looking terrazzo flooring online.