Singing In The Rain

The seasonal down pours with which we have recently been blessed brought more than the usual frizzy hair, what shoes to wear issues.

Two painful realities have emerged. 1. We have bought an old, decrepit house, as with all houses of this vintage (decrepit) it is going to be eternally fraught with problems.
2. Our first set of builders were, it now emerges, cowboys.
How do we know these facts?

1. During one particularly heavy down-poor, I heard what could only be described as a river flowing outside the window. It was, in fact, a river. The guttering is literally hanging off the wall, therefore neither use nor ornament. It will need entirely replacing.

Having un-blocked the fireplace, I was under the illusion that it would be a little sweep of the chimney and all systems go, toasting marshmallows with Silent Night in the background and the tree in the corner (it would also be snowing and we would be in the Cotswold's not Hackney). So the chimney sweep arrived, 6.45am, 2 loud, cock-e-neys (Dick Van Dyke and a small child that went scurrying up the chimney in his flat cap). Delighted in showing us the brush sticking out of the top of the chimney, delighted even more by informing us that the cost of getting said fire working would be £1700. Marshmallow over a candle anyone?

2. The downstairs loo, fitted by building team number 1 leaks. I don't mean from the loo (although that too has been plumbed illegally!) or sink even. No, no, it leaks through the wall. The ground water from outside is seeping in through the wall and soaking the floor - nice! To be honest, the downstairs loo is a disaster, a botch job, I hate it and would like to pull the thing down and start again.

But folks, you live and learn - on we go!

The countdown has begun until the return of the builders. Ah how I longingly await the dust in the hair, coffee all over the worktop and 24/7 demanding phone calls. So before it is gone forever, I thought it only fair to show the hallways and ceiling as we currently know and love them. (the carpet will stay - OBVIOUSLY!)

The coving has been bought, radiator search on, the door is making great progress. I am still faced with a couple of serious issues to resolve.

1. Lighting - Current thoughts are repeated non statement lights in downstairs hallway with one statement light over stairs. However, having recently snooped on house down the street with a statement light on entry, I may be changing my mind.
Budget for lighting, is, well nil. Therefore I am trying be creative, I recently saw the lights above in a shop window and think a smaller version may work. Also considering something imaginative with clusters of vintage light-shades. Thoughts?

2. Colour - see shades of grey above that have been on the wall for about 4 months, obviously it has always been intended to be grey. However, something has happened to me, I do have a bit of a temperature so it may pass, surely just a little glitch in sense, but.... I think I might be going for... wait for it.... stop me if you will... yes I may have lost my mind...... WHITE.
There, I said it.