A friend came over the other day. She hadn't been to visit for over a year and it was good to see her and catch up with all the news. The last time she visited we had just moved house and things were beginning to take shape here, but the bathroom was still a mess and very much "an idea waiting to happen". As she was walking round she couldn't stop smiling and finally said "It's so pretty, you've got flowers everywhere - how do you get away with it?"
I hadn't realised just how feminine our home has become. My poor husband certainly is outnumbered - 2 daugthers (1 of them teenage, with all those hormones), even the cats are girls, and then there's me! As I've grown older I certainly feel the need to surround myself with all things pretty and never have any complaints from the females around here. Is it an indulgence, I don't know?
Over the years in various homes I guess there have been elements of prettiness, but it is now that I am spending so much time at home that I feel the need to be surrounded by things that make me smile. What is it - nostalgia, sentimentality, romance or just plain growing old!?
Anyway, the bathroom is one place where we were able to start again, In our old house we had an old freestanding Victorian
bath in the middle of the room - it was gorgeous. (We rescued it from a scrap metal merchants, back in the days when nobody wanted them). Having another one plumbed into this house was too expensive. We were on limited funds by the time we did the bathroom here. So we had to make do with what we had and, yes, pretty it up. The awful tiles we covered in tongue and groove and painted in a favourite colour - softest, bluey green and the walls we painted vanilla. We ripped up the carpet and painted the floorboards. An old shelf and brackets, a lovely old mirror and towel hooks, and then, the icing on the cake (my favourite bit) all the things that we had gathered around us from various places over the years. If you can't indulge in the bathroom, where can you? And yes, my husband does like it (I think!).
25 comments:
Just stopped in to see whats new on my break,have been uop all night working on my cook book dummy.will visit more later
Totally relate to that. With two daughters too, it's just too darn easy to make everything pretty. I have a very tolerant husband though.
Oh you are right to make your house a place that creates smiles! And you have done it beautifully.
Thanks for the kind comment at my place.
If all that means old age then i for one am old and proud!!
Have a wonderful sunny weekend.
Tracy x
I love the shade you've used for the tongue and groove panelling, and it sets off your pretty things perfectly.
That warm feeling I get when I see something that is really petty is just great!
I love that pale bluey/green colour it is so fresh but at the same time calming.
Hope you can keep hold of the blue teapot cosie until payday...I'll email you soon. To much month and not enough pay this month!!!
Bye the way I found a copy of 'I Capture the Castle' by Dodie Smith in a charity shop in St. Ives today. I'll settle down to it with a cup of coffee later:-)
Bye for now.
Alison x.
I love the pictures on your blog, full of gorgeous pretty things. I have to admit I love to surround myself with pretty things, especially with two girls, and the two men in the house (well one man one boy) dont have much say at all!
Indulge in all that prettiness! There are FOUR boys in my house, and only two girls... so we are outnumbered 2:1! =) If it wasn't for the fact I can "pretty up" my daughter's room, I may not be allowed to squeeze enough pretty into the house!
Hi Kim
I think that it is charming. I would love a pretty feminine bathroom where I could relax and indulge in some girly pampering!
Marie
Lucky you! The only females in this house are me and the dog (and she's not at all feminine!). I try to surreptitiously get some pretty touches in the house (the guest room, which is also hubby's computer room, has a small table draped in an old linen tablecloth with a lamp and a fabric rose in a vase. I've told him it's to make the guests feel cosy even though they are surrounded by all his things!) Hubby also wanted to decorate the living room his way, so the dining room, kitchen and the bedroom are more *my* rooms.
Sounds like your old bathroom was lovely, but your new one looks good from here. :)
I think your husband secretly enjoys the prettiness... it all looks lovely!
Enjoy all your florals! I absolutely love floral things and luckily my husband actually likes them too! He is very complimentary and says it is the perfect cottage decoration. Sometimes I worry that I have too many floral and rosey paintings - but not for long when I realise how much I love them!
Your bathroom is fresh and pretty. We have cream painted tongue and groove in ours.
Lovely photos as always!
Clare x
I know that kind of comment can make you wonder how your husband really feels but I think he perhaps loves your home BECAUSE it reflects the woman he loves.
A friend made a similar comment to me years ago. It didn't even cross my mind that others might hold back for the sake of their other half (how selfish I was then).
All my husband wants is a comfy home with all of us in it. However I am sure he would like to see the back of all my quilts!
Thanks for a great post it got me thinking .... all good things about my husband .... bless.
I love the love sign. Mt bathroom is a total disaster ares. Unfortunately lack of funds mean it's going to say that way for a long time..sigh. You know there's some rooms that you just don't have the motivation even to spruce up a bit, well that's my bathroom.
bonjour ! just stopping by for the first time and really enjoyed your pictures - your blog is really nice !
I am getting more and more envious of your home. Its good to be back and to see everyones lovely spring flowers. I have missed it all!
It's the same in my house, all girls and just my poor husband desperately trying to find a place to watch the footie!
Know the feeling when it comes to doing up a house on a budget, we'll be doing it forever I think! It's lovely to see a bit of "girliness" in a house, we must all be very lucky that our husbands don't complain!
Lxx
Hi Kim
Gorgeous bathroom. I love what you've done, and that colour looks fabulous. I'm still working on getting ours right!
Shame you couldn't get to Ardingly (another time?) - I had a great day, as you'll see!
Sue x
Lovely photos and I really like the colour of your tongue and groove. Our bathroom is the only room which doesn't seem to have any feminine touches, I don't quite know how that happened! Recently our daughter moved out so I had the pleasure of turning her room into a spare bedroom/my office and because I feel it is just my room I seldom have to share with anyone else it is really pretty and feminine. I just love spending time on my own in there.
sounds beautiful and so very soothing* those color choices could very well have been my own!
I LOVE the color you chose for your bathroom! I also feel that need to surround myself with beautiful things..makes me feel good!! Heather
My husband keeps threatening to acquire a billy goat as he is so outnumbered here by females (2 daughters, me, 2 cats, dog, 7 chickens, 3 ducks).
A bit of prettiness never did anyone any harm,
J
x
Your bathroom looks beautiful Kim. You're right, you have to be able to indulge in the bathroom.
Cherry xx
Post a Comment