Moving forward and upwards

doingitanyway

Wow, what a day you had yesterday. The roast was well deserved.
Glad the flat is looking brighter and more in keeping with its age. It is lovely to 'witness' the changes along with you. I love painting things white. I enjoy the feeling of newness and potential (if that doesn't sound too silly)

I like when you said 'I think a lot before buying and make my money go quite far' 
Have a great day

Irenadler

I'm really enjoying reading how much you have done Babs, soon be done for Xmas! The light must be bouncing off the walls in the lounge... I recall decorating this place, really enjoying it, the only snag being that I didn't want to hang any pictures or mirrors to 'ruin' the perfect walls! Blank walls for a while....  

MovingForwards

Thank you DIA, waiting to buy allows me to see if it's a 'want' or a 'need'. Even with the charity shop visits I've a mental shopping list, usually paintings and ornaments. 

Thanks Ren, I may have cheated and left the hangings in and visible holes where some were to make it easier to put things up.

Only one more gloss coat needed on the door, unit handles are going on later.

The sad part:

Aside from the mahogany, the walls / ceiling were off white because of their age before the painting started.

I was left to pick colours, decide on internal decoration and how each room is set up as he didn't want any involvement in it. We had the paint before we even moved in and he knew everything was going to have a fresh coat on.

-- I even said what I was doing to the lounge, before doing it, just in case he did want to suggest anything and repeatedly said the art, ornaments and objects in the room are going to be the colour; which are all themed for his favourite colour. 

Unfortunately, with the list of colours TomBo gave me not to use, he didn't list white and admitted he felt the lounge was 'cold' last night; the fall back to earth hurt a lot! Deflated the happy feeling and I couldn't speak, I've busted my guts trying to get this room done for a few months now and I'm still upset today.

longway2go

Ohhhhh MF you poor thing, do you think he will feel different when everything is back in its rightful place? 

MovingForwards

I don't know LW2G, will find out in a few days 😐

A few weeks ago I asked him to show me ideas he likes, he said it was mine to do / pick.

I've listed the colours off which he said no to, added white into it and asked what other colours, nothing. So I said green for the hall (looked into greens after a few of you mentioned it), that got a wrinkled face, as did turquoise for somewhere in the flat. 

All I can do is get paint charts, keep pointing colours out and hope a few of them get a nod. If I pick too dark for the other rooms it's going to make them feel small.

TomBo's an awkward one to extract information out of, enjoys joking around but shuts down if it's a serious talk. Even looking for a home fell to me, with a 'what did you think' question after viewing resulting in 'buy it' 😂
-- I think he just doesn't like change and also doesn't understand we can do what we want as it's our home. Who knows, maybe men really are from mar$ and women from v3nus 🙈

Five unit doors have handles, need to drill out the screw on the sixth to get the new screw / handle on. Finish glossing door. Buy and fit door handle. Fit draft excluder.

savingholmes

I think it is pictures and accessories that make a room more than wall colour. Don't take it to heart - it's called a blank canvas for a reason - and you haven't finished 'decorating' / accessorising the canvas yet

longway2go

I agree about the extra bits that bring it to life. I can completely understand why you are upset and frustrated, remember that you have done a fantastic job, review when you have all the homely bits added maybe. 

MovingForwards

Thank you SH and LW2G.

I do really like how it looks and thought I was doing the right thing with the accessories being in his favourite colour. Even one of the cake day / Christmas presents I picked out for TomBo to buy / give to me was for his benefit and not mine; it will complement something of his as both are art deco glass work.

We've both got PC set ups / desks in the lounge, all I wanted was a nice focal point for the direction we spend our evenings looking at.

Makes me wonder what else he doesn't like, but hasn't said ☹️

doingitanyway

It's a tricky one. Your BF hasn't communicated his preferences and it sounds as if you did your best to include him by using his favourite colour. Maybe it won't look 'cold' to him when you have all your final touches like pictures and personal things displayed. You are doing really well in transforming your space. Don't forget that

MovingForwards

Thank you DIA, just a few more days to let the gloss properly dry and I can start putting the possessions back into place.