It all went a bit wrong today. We had to go to town and decide on all the 'wet furniture' for the build project (toilets, showers, hand-basins) so that appropriate drains can be designed and installed into the concrete slab base.
We weren't ready for these decisions and had kind of figured they were weeks away. It got off to a bad start and cross words were exchanged. All a bit fraught because there is too much choice and neither of us has a particularly developed sense for the aesthetic.
I haven't designed an exotic house - there is so much more wow factor I could have sought. However much I am in awe of architecturally exotic homes I wanted above all for our home to be sound and weatherproof by design, build, and materials. Architecturally exotic home of friends and acquaintances all seem to have issues with leaks. Houses that have well withstood the decades in our culture, climate and geological landscape (earth wobbles) have certain shapes and materials in common and I wanted to stick to those.
The result of that foundation principle is that whole catalogues of modern designed doors, windows, tiles, showers, porcelain etc are not going to sit well in our spaces. Sifting 1000 options to find anything suitable that we agree on didn't start well. The large hardware store environment didn't help. They stock what they stock (and they want to sell it). Our builder had suggested we visit the plumbing supplier with whom he had a trade account. I'd been reluctant; previous experience there told me it would be expensive and confront us with even more unviable designs that would make me regret my unimaginative house, but we went.
Reality and sunshine into a dull day came in the shape of Helen. She started like a mouse but warmed to the possibilities after having handed us about 8 catalogues each a good 70-100 pages of anguish. Despite their tiny showroom she was clear they could order virtually anything and after handling a few samples we carried off our tomes of purgatory and leafed through them over coffee - tearing out pages as we went.
It took only 1 coffee to reach conclusions on house shower, workshop shower, hand-basin (no 'vanity'), 2 small cloakroom handbasins for the toilets, and what style of toilet if not the actual model to get.
Strangely I developed firm views on toilet. Lots of the smoothed out modern designs look (in my view) like industrial wastebins. OK it IS a wastebin but heck the Victorians knew how to make a waste receptacle elegant.....
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| You choose... |
Pear-shaped came later when Mr B managed to bend the ignition key for his truck and couldn't use it to get the truck to drive anywhere after that. We had to walk about a 5km round trip to the only locksmith in town for a temporary fix. When we did get the truck going we went straight home, no stops, to fetch the duplicate key (with the fancy programmed electronic chip). There will be another trip to town tomorrow. Sigh.
(I must ring Helen and tell her she saved our relationship.)
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteIt is a reasonably well-established fact that anything to do with home (moving, alterations...building...) is up there in the top three stressors of life! I've seen too many go through it - and two cases that didn't survive it, so well done Helen! As for the bowl shapes: aesthetically, of course the pretty porcelain is lovely, but these days as I struggle with the bend and stretch, a boxed in plain sided version that does not require gymnastics to clean around, down, behind, looks all the more attractive these days... YAM xx
I figure I've got to be able to reach the floor in any event so might as well have pleasing shapes.
DeleteI’m like you. I don’t do Fancy. Sturdy and practical all the way.
ReplyDeleteAnd the plus is that if you need to replace or repair something it’s usually easier to find
The parts needed.
Hopefully it will all go smoothly and you’ll have made all decisions you need too
Ooh - don't mention parts.....obsolete door fittings comes to mind. Who wants to replace 4 bi-fold doors because the lock on the end one can't be repaired or replaced?!
DeleteI love the wedgewood looking loo and it's wooden seat. Anything I chose now would be at a decent height. Easier to lower and rise.
ReplyDeleteChoices choices. I hate deciding and usually want to change my decision once I've made it.
Your house is progressing. Wonderful
I love the shape - a bowl on a pedestal shape. Plain white would be my preference.
DeleteFunctional can be attractive as well. Everyone needs a 'Helen' at times like these.
ReplyDeleteNext day we were doing windows and after an equally demoralizing start we found a Matt - who was made in the same factory as Helen. Really worthy people.
Deletewell done Helen!!
ReplyDeleteThere is something to be said for simple easyclean shapes...leaving time to do the things you'd rather!
Even so such shapes could still embody some elegance.
DeleteAll the choices! It's so stressful, so I hope you get the simple but nice styles you want to live with.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Simple is the key. Less is more (except for toilets that look like pedal operated waste bins).
DeleteCan I say that pee corrupts the varnish on wooden seats? Ask me how I know! And yes, height of pedestal is important as we age. Charli
ReplyDeleteModern resins resolve that seat issue🤔😅
DeleteI prefer the top one, the bottom on looks a bit old fashioned, Helen sounds like she knows what she's talking about, love people like that, have a lovely weekend.
ReplyDeleteI like curves - I could do without the blue decorations and the wooden seat.
Deletethe bottom in all white with a white seat would be my choice. I can tell you that we have never in 41 years purchased anything, from furniture to TV to commodes like these with out a huge fight. NEVER. it tooks us 2 months of fighting to buy the sofa and love seat we bought in 2005. we can't even find a movie at night that we agree on. and now with dementia its even worse. It will never change, but what we did and still do is get mad, yell at each other, then forget it and go on like it did not happen. it was either that or split up
ReplyDeleteMaking decisions for anything that goes in a house is a real sore point, stove, fridge we never argued over things like curtains or decorations because I just bought what I wanted and put it out. he was happy to be left out of the decision making. you should have seen the 6 months fight over buying a new truck... that was in 2004. I once got so angry at him and the man selling the car we were looking at that I cursed both of them, and screamed at Bob to get in the you know what car and take me home, we were 50 miles from home and he would not shut up about what DEAL we had passed up. I had told both of them I could not see out over the steering wheel. they kept talking about the DEAL it was. I made him stop the truck and got out on the side of the road and started walking home the 50 miles. I tired after a while and got back in the truck... I could go on but will not
Man that made me laugh (and cry inside a bit - our relationship probably couldn't handle me losing my rag. Mr B is the one who throws tantrums. I'm the emotional regulator.) However I hear you - especially on trucks....I don't drive the new one I bought (for him) because it's like driving a tank - and I've driven a tank so I know what I'm comparing it to. As for the rest - I'm paying so I get more or less what I want - he doesn't seem to care about colour and stuff but did draw the line on a gloral sofa (I didn't want it either but was just pointing out the style).
Delete