the balcony

Is it a balcony? Is it a sun room? Is it both? I haven't quite decided as yet. But it will be something lovely, soon... We are in the middle of transforming it, as of now it is half done. We we first moved in the room had peeling wallpaper in a dark brick pattern, and two different colour carpets, a raised floor with an even higher raised step for a seating area, it has pale blue roller blinds and an exposed pipe. So this is what it looked like.

On stepping into the room, note the large step and not so nice carpeting. That step has to go, there is something extremely unnerving about standing on a balcony, 9 floors up, with most of your body above the window ledge height. Especially if you don't much like heights...



And the carpeting, well its old, its dirty, it comes complete with its very own dead fly collection. Jealous anyone? So then the floor must be leveled, maybe place some tiles down? Or wood flooring? Because it is now an internal room, I reckon it could look lovely with a nice wood floor.. And some new panel sides, because they are warped from the weather, and while we are at that we might as well box in that pipe, and cover up the brick work, and then paint the wood trims and window sills all the same colour, because several shades of wood stain doesn't quite work for me in this room..

Firstly...

This is my first blog, and my first blog post. I have been reading several blogs for sometime now and although I rather value my privacy, I think it might be interesting to share some of my/our discoveries about my first ever decorating project.

We both come from Zimbabwe, the most beautiful country in the world. I have been in England for just over 6 years, while my partner joined me just over 5 years ago. Together we have lived in several properties, approximately 6 in England. It's kinda hard to keep track, this is house number 26 or 27 for me to live in (although 2 of those are a hotel and guesthouse which were my families homes for several months) - and I'm not 26 yet. Suffice to say I have moved ALOT. And although I used to think I enjoyed the whole 'moving thing', I have come to realise that I don't. I would like nothing more than to find and know that I have somewhere to live forever. But that said, this home is temporary although we are redecorating it.


To begin with, this is the largest place that we have lived in - in england that is (not Zimbabwe). It is has 2 bedrooms, a large kitchen, very green bathroom, lounge and balcony/sunroom, and is a whole 61 square metres, not including the hall and bathroom. It feels massive compared to the last one-bedroom flat which was all of 29square metres, including bathroom and hall, and although it had a lovely huge balcony it was a little cramped. Prior to that we lived in house shares with some rather 'interesting' people. So having 'a space of our own' is so important to us, and so nice at last!

I know that there are several decor blogs out there, but there seems to be a shortage of ones based in England, with people who have no money, no furnishings and yet still desire a 'home', even temporarily. So hopefully this blog will help reassure people that they are not alone out there, and maybe - just maybe, we will be able to make this new house home for a while.