Renovation Column: We’ve reached renovation mecca and all signs point to shopping
Everyone talks about the first fix like it's a renovation mecca—an important destination but one that can seem as unattainable as finding a unicorn in a field full of horses.
Making it to this point has at times felt very much like trekking through the dusty desert in search of an oasis only to discover said watering hole is in fact a mirage leaving you feeling defeated and gasping for a drink. But alas my thirst has been quenched as we approach the end of the first fix.
This week progress (the kind you can see with your own eyes) has been made and we're actually reaching a point where the bare bones of the project are nearing completion.
Getting to this point has involved rolling up our sleeves and taking on some DIY duties to save money from the dwindling budget.
We spent countless hours painstakingly removing the original parquet flooring to restore and relay it. My husband has also taken the week off work to insulate the external walls with his dad's help.
When renovating, there are certain jobs you absolutely must leave to the experts but if you have the skills, time and patience to take on some jobs yourself, both your budget and DIY street cred will be boosted.
And now the steels are being covered, the ceilings boarded and we have what feels like our first glimpse of what the finished space will look like. It's a bit like one of those magic eye images; you have to stare cross-eyed at it for quite some time but I'm finally beginning to see the vision
This pivotal phase has now opened the floodgates into the next (and most anticipated) part of the journey and all signs point to shopping.
From the moment the first brick of the first internal wall fell I have been day dreaming about buying scented candles and soft furnishings. Manifesting a time when we could pick the flooring, choose the kitchen door handles and adorn the new space with overpriced reed diffusers.
I've been secretly shopping in my head since before we even picked up the keys for the Vicarage and truth be told I have bought some home decor bits along the way. My premature shopping purchases were mainly a way of keeping my spirits up when the renovation felt like trudging through treacle.
The flicker of light at the end of the tunnel has brought with it a flurry of deliveries including flooring samples, kitchen cupboard samples and a very boujee boiling water tap. Yes I know I may be jumping the gun by purchasing a tap for a kitchen that has only just been ordered but it was burning a hole in my online basket, quite literally.
Keep up to date with all the progress by following @ohgodweboughtavicarage on Instagram.