Debenhams My Dream Bedroom Competition

We did it! We decided to rip out all the fitted wardrobes/dresser from the master bedroom. It looks so much lighter and more spacious (pics to follow), only trouble is we now have yet another completely bare room with no storage - oops! Anyway, keen to keep the light we have decided on white and/or light wood furniture with just a touch of colour - purple if I get my way.

This is where Debenhams comes in. They are running a competition encouraging, nay insisting(!) I theoretically spend up to £5000 on my dream bedroom. £5000! To be in with the chance of winning £500 of vouchers, or £50 if you're lucky enough to be a runner up. All the details can be found here.

Now unfortunately, Mr Rob isn't about today, so I have had to dream all by myself. Here's the result:

My Dream Bedroom from Debenhams

First of all, how cute is that dog?

Here's what I used:

Graham and Brown Charcoal/cream Vitality Floral wallpaper (x3) - £22 a roll

J by Jasper Conran White 'Beaumont' bed linen - £66.40 (king size)

Two tone 'Burlington' triple wardrobe - £624 (was £1560)

Two tone 'Burlington' dressing table - £240 (was £600)

Plum Miramar bed frame - £792

Litecraft Shenzhen 1 Light Plaster Ceiling Light Pendant - £99

Litecraft Hollywood Chrome Table Lamp - £179.10

Graham and Brown Printed canvas Good morning New York wall art - £59.99

Abigail Ahern Designer purple schnauzer cushion - £40

Star by Julien Macdonald Designer purple floral heart cushion - £25

At Home With Ashley Thomas White wooden peg photo frame - £22

Two tone 'Burlington' bedside chest (x2) - £184

Total - £2581.49

Right, I'm off to check out the other bargains on Debenhams website, they had some nice sofas if anyone's on the lookout for a new one.

Wish me luck :)

My love of baking

So I suppose it's time for us to get a bit more personal. Like many people at the moment (I think it's in fashion) I love to bake. I say 'at the moment' but truthfully, I always loved to bake right from when I used to help my grandmother to create her legendary pies and biscuits as a kid. She was a proper old-school baker though, nothing needed to be weighed, recipes didn't need to be read and re-read - she just knew what needed doing from years of experience, a skill I'm yet to master.

Anyway, now the electrics are well under way, I've been told by Rob we're going to need to choose a kitchen soon - eek! I was thinking I'd be given months to decide and choose the perfect first kitchen. This is a really important room to me, possibly my favourite in the house, but the electrics need to be put in according to our layout.

We have had a quick, fantasy-led, look at some posh kitchens we could never afford but other than that, haven't even started. But what I do know (and I have put a lot of thought into this!) is that I like love wooden worktops. Something like these oak worktops from the Natural Wood Floor co (who I have never used so don't consider this a recommendation!) would be perfect in my opinion. Rob, however, wants more of a dark marble effect. We will see...

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The Master

No, not Rob - of course I mean the master bedroom. Well, I must admit this room actually looks smaller than when we saw it before purchase with a bed and assorted other knick-knacks.

So, at the risk of stating the obvious, there is a lot of storage in this room. It's ok, it's useful and neutral but I want to rip it out. I really want to rip it out! But Rob's not so sure - is this a good idea? Will I regret it? Opinions below please. As for the carpet, look at that fashionable, 'dip-dye' effect! Feel free to make an offer if you want it in your home...

The master bedroom

Loz x

Elec-trickery

One of the most immediate things we had to get sorted was the electrics. While we had no idea these needed doing on viewing the house before purchase (the dads' only decided to mention it once we were in - thanks dads'!) a few things were pointed out after making it quite obvious. Things like live wires sticking out where wall lights used to be (before the owner left) and brown plug sockets with no on/off switches.

So electricity quotes begun. The first two, both recommended, made our lives a whole lot easier, one was £3,700 (ouch!) and the other...£3,699! We looked at them in disbelief at first, how could they be so incredibly close? But it was reassuring to safely assume both were fair quotes. We were calculating how to afford this new expense when we decided to get just one more quote from someone else after discovering a site listing all registered electricians (www.electricalsafetyregister.com). Rob got a little carried away on his day off (I work 9-5 Monday to Friday but he works weekends and has a random weekday off) and called several electricians from this site. So the second round of quotes begun.

It was interesting how varied the quoting technique was, one guy just looked from the doorway of each room and picked a figure out of the air. Another got out a little kit and did some test on how good the existing wiring was. Overall, the quotes varied from £2,500 to £5,200! We went with an in-between one and the guy who seemed to listen to what we wanted rather than what he wanted to do. Hopefully it will work out, he's working on it now so I'll let you know.

Loz x

Welcome home

It was a really long 18 months but finally, after countless viewings (one Saturday involving eight different houses thanks to Rob's perseverance and planning...), one failed purchase (involving a very angry, survey-hating vendor) and two mortgage offers, we picked up the keys to our very first home.

On walking in, terrified something would be amiss after reading so many horror stories, there was nothing. Empty, dusty, tired - we should have been relieved but this was not a home. It was sad, cold. I turned to Rob thinking he would at least be excited, happy like these young couples you see in various adverts but his expression was blank. I know at this point you're probably thinking, 'selfish...ungrateful...' and in a way you're probably right but this, the house we'd chosen and had to pay 3% stamp duty on after negotiations pushed us over the £250,000 limit set by the government had every penny invested in it. Years of saving, a year and a half of searching, the plans we had made since having our offer accepted evaporated as reality came crashing down. We had bills to pay, serious bills.

That was 13th July and since that day we have made the house livable. A good clean with the help of Rob's parents, a donated bed with the world's most uncomfortable mattress, his old TV and a tiny coffee table that my dad repeatedly looks for before I remind him that I 'borrowed' it! He doesn't mind of course, just a bit forgetful. We are lucky. We are happy. But we need help.

I have set up this blog to share this house with you (not literally of course!) and if you would like to make suggestions or help us make one of the hundreds of decisions we're being bombarded with daily, please stick around.

Loz x