Thursday 20 February 2014

Vintage bathroom possibilities


I've just got back from York. The Viking Festival was on up there to coincide with half term and I'm well and truly Vikinged out.

I've been lying awake at night planning just how I can turn scaffolding boards into work tops and if I can join planks of wood without use of a biscuit cutter. (The tool, not the culinary device.) It would be so excellent if I had a dad, or a father in law or a brother in law with all the big scary expensive tools that I could learn to use. But everyone is too far away. I wonder how much training you get from a tool hire centre. Perhaps if I put on a seriously dizzy blonde act they would have to instruct me for a good while or fail their health and safety requirements.

Anyhow, I'll figure something out...my inner master carpenter wants to build stuff. The only thing getting in the way is that I have no idea of the right way to do things. Small obstacle really.

Here's a discovery I made recently that I think you might like. I saw one of these on ebay...

 

...well perhaps not quite as nice as this one, but I was really impressed. I've never seen one before but there are a few on pinterest...




Isn't it just the sweetest idea? With our minging original 1960's bathroom well past its use by date, I'm always thinking of how we can add gorgeousness without breaking the bank.
I excitedly showed it to my husband. ''Yeah, nice but there's no storage. We need storage,'' he said.
''But if you have this you'll just smile every time you go in the bathroom and surely that's more important than storage,'' I said.
He gave me a curious look.  Might have to work on him some more...

18 comments:

  1. I'm with you on this one Emma Kate but I have to say Tony would be exactly the same as your hubby!

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  2. What a clever idea. You can pick up the Singer stands for pennies too.

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  3. They'd be a bugger to clean though wouldn't they? All those nooks and crannies...

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  4. They ARE a bugger to clean Emma. I have one sitting in my garden waiting for the right top to make it into a table and I just blast it with the hose every now and then but I love the idea of having it in the bathroom. I also love the idea of painting it white - an idea for the future perhaps ....

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    1. Yes, for when we win the lottery and have housekeepers who do the dusting for us. x

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  5. You could put a box or basket on the foot pedal bit? TA DA - storage. xxx

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    1. Of course! You're a genius! A crate! I have one or two of those around the place... ;) xxx

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  6. WTF is a biscuit cutter? The Singer stand looks v. pretty painted white and you could distress a small cabinet for the wall in addition to the crate.

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    1. It's a joiner upper of bits of wood. A bit like the tiny dowel thingies in flatpack furniture from Ikea. The cutter cuts the holes and the biscuits sit inside. If you've measured correctly it all fits together like a jigsaw. Measuring isn't my strong point though.
      Our bathroom is far too minescule for any kind of cupboard. :(

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  7. Years ago I got a quote for a cheap garage and was astounded/horrified so persuaded hubs to go on an evening bricklaying course at Canterbury College. He built us a brick garage! He never did the roofing course so it only had a corrugated fibre roof. He's probably forgotten everything now ... but I expect there are courses around for power tools/carpentry. I think B & Q run mini lessons in the bigger stores. My family are all a very long way away so I feel for you as the men are all good at welding/sawing/joints/electric and it is a great pity. I would even do ironing if I could swap but it's just too far. That bathroom looks gorgeous, but personally I wouldn't go for it, we have multiple splashes here, and also those types of basins feel weird to use for anything more than hand rinsing. The best storage idea I've come across in real life are baths that have access to the underneath -like t & g panels that slide sideways - enough room to get a years supply of shampoo and bog roll underneath, and bleach and trays of makeup.
    My bathroom still has a 1960 bath and loo, it is only bearable because I have it loaded to the ceiling with plants, vases and pictures. Etc ♥

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    1. I can beat that! Our bath had a lino side panel that was covered in fag burns from the previous owner so I dispensed of it. We now have open plan storage for loo rolls and er, paint pots. Damn unnatractive but enormously useful.
      I haven't found any local courses at all. Shame I'm too old for an apprenticeship...

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  8. Liz and Adrian did that, too. Its a great idea for recycling the old treadle Singers, they are always on the flea market here.
    What a shame you don't live closer, Jon loves power tools! x

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    1. I love my jigsaw, drill and sander but anything that could take a limb off really fast frightens me for some strange reason. x

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  9. Ok I imagine the biscuit cutter is something way different to what I'm imagining and you don't really want to cut your workshop into heart or elephant shapes (sorry these are the first ones that came into my head) but storage - pah! You just need to create a cubby hole in the adjacent room in which to fling all the excess baggage in and then pretend to all that you are the queen of minimalism! Thus speaks the wisdom of someone who is as far away from minimalism as - oh I don't know as what but quite a long way - but has plenty of cubby holes! I bet your bathroom is just fab anyway x Jane

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    1. You are kidding me. Our bathroom is DISGUSTING. I won't share the true horror until we can afford to rip it all out.
      I think you can only be a minimalist if you live alone in a big house. And have an aversion to shopping. What kind of life would that be? xx

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  10. I love that idea i think its a fabulous and yes it certainly would make you smile ;-) dee x

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  11. The sewing machine stand idea looks cool, but yeah, the need for storage is pressing for most of us, isn't it? I am always terribly impressed with your fearless approach to scary tools and tricky jos, I am a total wuss! xxx

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