From the day I first moved to Letchworth, it took me a mighty 3 years, 11 months and 22 days of saving to finally buy my very own home.  I am very glad to have moved out of my flat, there is nothing that I miss about it.  Its not that it was a horrible place to live or indeed a horrid flat (though the carpet in the bathrooms did drive me mad).  It was just a place to live when I had nowhere else to go.   It was a place to escape too when the days seemed so long and all I wanted to do was forget and shut out the world.  In time it became more, but it was always meant to be a stepping stone to something better.

On the day I moved to Letchworth in 2010 I also received a goodbye card with some very good and pertinent advice.  At the time I didn’t appreciate it, or realise what a selfless act it was but strangely with time it has become the mantra I live my life by.

Enough though dwelling in the past, I’ve moved home and I’ve moved on, so it’s time to draw a line.

I’ve now been living in “Hacienda Harada” for  2 months.  The first night was strange, I hadn’t realised how used I was to the sound of traffic for my street felt too quiet.  It took me ages to fall asleep as all I could hear was the house creaking.  It’s also strange how all the pre-move stress from chasing solicitors and estate agents  just disappeared  in a puff as soon as I got my hands on the keys.

It has been a long time since I last blogged (my dad even left a comment on the blog to say so….) but I have made some progress in the house, namely my living room.  The previous owner had magnolia painted walls, giant 60’s sideboards along its 6 m length, and a red brick fireplace.  My initial plan was to rip the fireplace out and paint the whole room white and have white furniture.  Many people commented that this would make it seem very clinical and cold, and actually now I think about it, the scene in Willy Wonka where Mike TV gets shrunk does spring to mind.  Anyhow from browsing my home magazines and the internet I decided to paint the room grey with a white ceiling and woodwork.  The fireplace I have left in as it would of involved replastering of some walls which I simply didn’t have the budget and plus its not like I hated it. So instead I’ve painted it white.

After much deliberation on colour and many people commenting that Farrow and Ball is over priced.  I selected Pavillon Grey in Estate Emulsion from their range.  The estate emulsion has only 2% shine so it has a very chalky finish which I love.   I also love their business.  I visited the Cambridge shop to look at the tester plagues and for inspiration.  I found the assistants very informative, and there is no pressure to purchase.  They chat to you about what you want to achieve, the light in your room, colour of your furniture etc..  not really a service you get down B&Q.  Due to my perfectionist nature I had to do it myself and I had  to have the best tools, I highly recommend frogtape. Only the most trusted of people are allowed to do jobs in my home.   Furniture wise I have purchased an 8 seater 2 m long white high gloss table from Habitat and 8 vintage school chairs in grey and red from a random internet website, http://www.cityfurnitureclearance.co.uk/.

The room isn’t finished yet, I still need to paint the wood for the fireplace and hatch doors.  I also need to learn to hang pictures, find a canvas print of the world I like, make some curtains….but it’s coming along and it definitely feels like mine, it’s a good feeling to have.

The living room VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL