I wanted to start today’s post by saying a rather heartfelt thank you for all your comments on last week’s post and for your enthusiasm and encouragement to keep going with the Rock My Room challenge. There have been times when I’ve felt like I’ve wanted to give up, which I’ll explain in more detail in a moment, but reading back on your little motivation pep talks and seeing your own progress on Instagram has given me a much needed kick up the backside and spurred me on so thank you so much for taking the time to write something.

So week three. Already! How did we get here then?! Both rooms have come on leaps and bounds since my update last week and with nearly all of the plumbing now completed it feels as if we’re on the home stretch. We have had a bit of a palaver with the toilets in that they weren’t compatible with the frames that we had installed and plastered into the walls. But a phone call to C.P.Hart and a bit of ingenuity from our carpenter and plumber seems to have begun to rectify that situation. That’s not to say that I didn’t grow a few grey hairs in the process!

Shower Room

We have a shower! And a shower screen! And taps! And pretty much everything apart from the aforementioned toilets. That said our plumber is, as we speak, sorting this out for me so I’m hoping by the end of the day I’ll be able to Instastory them in situ for you. Stay tuned.

In the meantime I’ve been daubing paint samples all over the walls in the hopes of finding a shade that will work with the tiles whilst not making the whole room seem gloomy. My preference was for a grey hue which we would paint on both the walls and ceiling. I really like the colour range offered by The Paint and Paper Library so I tried ‘Masque’ (too pink) and ‘Cotton 1’ (too white) before settling on ‘Cotton 2’ which is the perfect grey accompaniment to the tiles.

We’re using Farrow & Ball’s ‘All White’ for the woodwork in the eggshell finish all over the house so we have decided to continue this colour scheme on the door frames in the bathrooms too. Initially we were intending to paint the doors in the same colour so as to provide a contrast to the grey sisal that I’ve picked out for the stairs and landing but the oak finish is so lovely that everyone has agreed it would be criminal to paint them. It means one less job for me anyway….

As for actually getting any colour on the walls, I had intended to paint last week but with the toilet situation I’ve not been able to get in and prep the space which has resulted in a delay…hence a few frustrated tears from yours truly. It means that it’s more likely to be a five week project rather than the four week Rock My Room challenge as promised. Sorry folks…

Bathroom

Like many of you commented last week, the introduction of white sanitary ware…in this case the bath and sink has actually served to lighten and brighten the room up. Thank the lord!

The question therefore remaining was what colour do we paint the walls? White to brighten the place but which would only serve to accentuate the slightly yellowy tones of the tiles. Or perhaps a colour to harmonise with the limestone i.e. a white with yellowy undertones such as Fired Earth’s ‘Apres Ski’ or Farrow & Ball’s ‘Pointing‘. Or did we fully embrace the fact we had grey grout and opt for a white hue with a smidgeon of grey/blue within it. The latter was most appealing once we’d swished the tester pots on the wall and I think the final choice has been selected – ‘Yes Your Honour‘ from Fired Earth.

Second fix electrics in both bathrooms have also been completed with shaver sockets and spotlights all in a chrome finish having been fitted. It makes such a difference to the space and makes it feel more finished somehow.

The Accessories

I don’t want to go too much into the detail of what I’ve purchased here otherwise there’ll be not really much to say in the final reveal of both rooms. But what I will say is that I’ve caved and bought an oversized mirror from The White Company. I adored the circular one but on reflection (no pun intended) realised that it would be too large for the area above the sink in the shower room, so I’ve opted for the rectangular design instead.

I’ve also discovered Urbanara who have the best customer service I’ve experienced in a long long time. Bath mats and sweet storage jars have been purchased from the store and I’d happily use them again!

At Christmas Ste purchased this amazing ebonized ash stool for me from Head and Haft which I intended to place in our dining area once the kitchen was complete but I actually really love it and know that it would be the perfect perch in the shower room. Does anyone else like sitting and chatting to their other half when they’re in the shower? I think it’s partly because they can’t get away 😉

And then my last tip has to be sharing the joy that is Shelf Direct which produce the best picture rails for those awkward spots where the standard sizes just won’t do. I’ve purchased two sets for the wall above the toilet in the shower room.

I’m hoping that this time next week pretty much everything will be complete. If we can get the toilet situation resolved tomorrow, all the painting will be sorted by the end of the week and there’ll only be the accessories to go. Easy peasy!

How are you all getting on with your own projects? Have any of you run behind like me? I swear it’s been all out of my control and I’m a little bit gutted that we haven’t been able to meet the deadline. That said I just know it will look fantastic once it’s finished. Please do continue to share your DIY progress on Instagram using the hashtag #RockMyRoom2017 so that we can take a peek too…