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Pat me on the head and tell me to stop being so dumb!

14 replies

FishfingersAreOK · 04/11/2012 15:12

House renovation nearing it's end. Wood burning stove in. Cast Iron range in. Oak flooring in. Bathroom/ensuite tiled. Kitchen being fitted. Bathrooms ready to go in. Soon we can move in and leave behind the static caravan...(thank heavens).

And now I am suddenly sick with nerves. I love how it is going to look - we have gone pared down classic - white paint throughout, smoked oak floors, shaker kitchen with granite tops, black and white tiles in the bathroom. Very monochrome. We will be adding colour with the finishing touches - the vases, fruit bowls, roman blinds, cushions, bookshelves.. Because this is what we like. And because I am rubbish at colour and so scared of getting it wrong I would rather go "safe".

But the nearly finished house is soon going to being nosed around by various friends and family. And this will probably be before those finishing touches will be in place. So suddenly I feel really scared and nervous about what other people think.

I know for a fact my sister will hate it (she is good with and loves colour - I am rubbish with it and I don't actually like houses (or living in houses) with colour on the walls - makes my head feel messy). Other people are surely going to have opinions. It is very simple. Or very boring. Oh help. How have/do you cope with the people coming to have a nosy around? And I know, I know it doesn't really matter what they think - it is our house. But I will care.

Help. I want to feel excited about moving in. Not feel sick.

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 04/11/2012 15:51

tell them "we've had a lot of work done, it's not finished yet" just once, don't keep saying it or apologising

then as you walk round you can say "we think we might put a ..... on that wall, what do you think?"

If anyone gets critical and tries to impose their taste, you say "I'm sure orange tiles would look lovely in your house, but this is mine, and I prefer white" (or whatever)

amazonianwoman · 04/11/2012 16:01

Well it sounds lovely to me Smile

And just because your style/taste may differ from friends & family, it doesn't mean that they won't like or appreciate it. I don't like modern & minimalist decor but I can still admire friends' houses decorated in that style.

And I'm still Envy at your cast iron range. And the woodburner!

FishfingersAreOK · 04/11/2012 16:05

Oh I like that. Repeats Mantra "We have had a lot of work done...it is not finished yet". Yep That will work.

And I was waiting for the opportunity to say to my DSis "Did you mean to be so rude?" Because she will be. Rude that is - thought probably she will not mean to be - she just has not realised she is not 8 years old and I am not 6 years old anymore. Maybe I will use your phrase instead.

Piglet - have you done this before, I luffs you. (And I am still very pleased that I have my non-mould-creating-drying-clothes-in-the-house plan - thanks to you)

OP posts:
FishfingersAreOK · 04/11/2012 16:07

amazonianwoman - I promise to post some pictures when it is all finished. Range in no longer hidden by a box...I stroke it at every opportunity Blush

OP posts:
avivabeaver · 04/11/2012 16:34

i have a sister like that. When we did our kitchen, i actually told her in advance that I was not asking for her opinion- if I had wanted it, i would have asked before planning. the only thing she was allowed to say was that it was lovely, else she couldnt come.

She still managed a barbed "its very you isnt it?"

FishfingersAreOK · 04/11/2012 17:00

YY aviva...I am going to get a similar line....or a "well, if this is what you have chosen...". With very pointed . . . bits IYSWIM. Yes is bloody is what I have chosen. Yes it is a lot of money for a cookery. Now just say something nice and let's have a cup of tea. Hurumph. Grin

OP posts:
financialwizard · 04/11/2012 17:48

Our new place is being painted white top to bottom, and I am going to add colour with curtains and cushions and bedding and the like. I am also rubbish with colour, and I also like a nice clean look (not that colour is not clean). Frankly I don't give two figs what anyone thinks. If they don't like it they can keep their opinion to themselves.

INeedALieIn · 04/11/2012 17:58

Be very positive. Say how much you love it, have worked hard to achieve this and are so excited and lucky to be living here.

It takes someone with a cold heart to then utter anything negative.

Sounds lovely. I am excited for you.

FishfingersAreOK · 04/11/2012 18:23

Amusingly I have to keep reminding myself that the white look is not actually an absence of making any colour decisions. Honest Grin ..but it has always been a dream.

Never been that into interiors, and never thought we would ever, ever take on a "project"...however the only ever time the interiors pages of the Saturday/Sunday papers caught my eye was with the white look. I remember saying to DH years ago (before DC even) when such a white interior caught my eye "I know we never want to do it Mr Fishfingers, but if we ever do tackle a project please can we do it white like this please?"

OP posts:
nocake · 04/11/2012 18:37

Tell her that lots of colour is a bit too 80s for your taste and you wanted something more modern...

ClareMarriott · 05/11/2012 18:54

House renovations are not done and dusted in a day so your friends and family will have known that the work was ongoing for some time. As they stream through your doors they should be only commenting on how wonderful it looks after all the hard work you have put into it. I bet your family are thrilled to be finally living in it and how great to be able to go out and buy lots of things for your new house!!!!

frostyfingers · 06/11/2012 10:59

Well you'll be living there, not your sister. A new house takes a while to grow on you, and you can always say you want to get the feel of it before you start adding any (more) colour etc. Rugs, throws and cushions are a good way of brightening up rooms if you want to. It's a lot easier to paint a white wall red than a red wall white if you don't like it!

SufferingLampreys · 06/11/2012 11:02

I like colour but even I would do it all white to start with
I think you have to live in a room to get a real feel for it before doing anything else so white is a nice canvas

SoupDragon · 06/11/2012 12:01

You just need to tell them you want to live with the house and get used to it before making an decisions about where to add colour.

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