De-ninetifying our house.

[ExConstance]

We bought our house in 1996, when it was new. We have maintained it well, new front and back doors recently and a new kitchen, with removal of doors through to our “not- conservatory” a sort of garden room with tiled roof and Velux windows. All that part of the house is just fine. I’m retiring this year and we have ruled out moving due to the cost, and the fact that as we have 4 bedrooms and a good-sized dining room here, we can have a yoga room and a sewing room for me.
I feel that although we have kept everything updated there are a few areas we need to tackle this year. The bathroom and two ensuites are as they have always been but the tiles are lovely in all of them – large but plain with just a perfectly OK border in the main bathroom – Do you think it would be OK to just replace the fittings and flooring. This would mean having shower panels and a more up to date shower in our ensuite.
Artex – it is very unobtrusive artex but it is there. We had the kitchen ceiling skimmed but it would be a big job to do the rest of the house. I’m thinking about hall and landing this time round and leaving the rest, would that put you off our house if you were buying?
What do people paint white woodwork with these days, all the doors need painting and gloss doesn’t look right anymore, but it must be durable.
Internal door handles – ours are the gold/bronze swirly ones and they make me cringe; I want a plain steel looking one but the quality in B&Q etc. isn’t good any recommendations for steel type ones?
Bedroom – certainly getting rid of the cheap wardrobes that flank our bed with cupboards over. I might get free standing replacements as we have a lot of wardrobe space in two other bedrooms.
I will be getting Karndean fitted throughout the downstairs to replace some tatty engineered maple and have some rugs for the sitting room and study. We have perfectly good high quality wool carpets but may have to replace some of this if the same carpet isn’t available to replace what we have in the bedroom when the wardrobes go.
This is just a bit a of a ramble really but I wondered if anyone else has done this exercise on a limited budget and what made the most difference?

Question what are non-dates doors?????

I have white panelled internal door. They don't offend me but I also can't say they are attractive.

What are seen as modern internal doors?

@BornBlonde I was wondering the same thing- could someone post a picture?

I have no decent advice, my my house is the same - 1997 - with the original kitchen. I do think the artex is unobtrusive, although I am not a fan of it.

What is your banister like? I've started noticing that as the thing that dates a lot of houses - orangey wood with detailed carving as opposed to white or a nice oak in a simple shape.

We recently bought a 90's house - we skimmed the ceilings - the artex was just so dated to me. We changed the handles for screwfix ones, they're reasonable quality and really updated the look for not much money.

We didn't have the money to get rid of the overhead wardrobes, so for now we painted them a more modern colour and changed the handles, we'll probably get rid eventually...but the artex was the single best update, it really changed the overall look of the room!

Jim lawrence have lovely handles. Really heavy and great quality.

If Jim Lawrence is a bit steep (it can add up if you’ve got lots to buy), try Ironmongery Direct online.

You need to be a bit canny though about what you ditch.

My parents had a 70s house and watched with amusement as all the dark wood flush internal doors were stripped out and replaced with regency style "modern" doors in the 90s.

When we sold last year their "period" features (read the original doors and blue bathroom suite) were actually a big attraction!!

Replacing the doors makes a big difference if you've got those hollow, 4 panel ones. We bought second hand solid wood doors from gumtree and they made it look more expensive.

@PenelopeProsser

You need to be a bit canny though about what you ditch.

My parents had a 70s house and watched with amusement as all the dark wood flush internal doors were stripped out and replaced with regency style "modern" doors in the 90s.

When we sold last year their "period" features (read the original doors and blue bathroom suite) were actually a big attraction!!

wrote the same thing at the same time!

If you’re on a limited budget I would leave the bathrooms alone and focus on the rest of the house. Then any new owner can do the bathroom to their own taste and will also look at the house from a ‘ well only the bathrooms need doing’. It’s better than having a list of things to do (however minor) in each room.

We have just updated our 90’s bathroom, only cost in the region of £800 bathroom was in good state of repair just needed updating. We simply bought an ex display plain white bathroom suite from B&q then covered the walls with panelling which was so easy to fit (imagine tongue and groove flooring but bigger pieces that slot together) panels can be cut with a Stanley knife and we’re simply glued on. If ever we need to change them they can easily be pulled off and changed. They are completely waterproof even inside the shower and no one can believe that it was all completed without any trades in.

If I’m honest op, very few bathrooms knocking on thirty years old don’t look it. Artex is seldom unobtrusive and wardrobes over the bed even when painted are incredibly dated,.

On saying that though, if you’re selling someone would renovate. If you’re not, then make it work for you and don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks.

Do the artex over the bathroom if you can live with bathroom for a while.

No one is going to like artex and its a pita job. Its next on our biggish jobs list when we redecorate the 2 rooms its in.

Door handles are an easy win.

We went from 1970s sapele doors and brass coiled rope handles - to cottage style oak/white doors and brushed chrome handles as we just didn't like the hallowed 4/6 panel doors so just lived with the originals till nicer doors became more widely available!

@Poorlyplants

You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, if you really want to de-ninetyfie your house you are going to have to put up with some disruption, your tiles sound dated to me, a half hearted refurb with dated border tiles won’t look good against new flooring and fittings. Artex ceilings need to go. I suspect you have lightweight regency panel white doors to go with the swirly brass handles, one of the best ways to add some up to date style and gravitas is change them for solid wood either painted or stained depending on the look you want to go for, In my opinion the cheap white panel doors scream the 1990’s the difference quality internal doors make is amazing.

This. The tiles have seen their heyday, it would actually probably be much more difficult to find fittings to fit the current holes than replacing new tiles. If you want a cheap but modern look, I'd look into metro tiles, you don't have to tile everywhere and they can look really good. We got some recently from topps tiles and they look amazing. Artex needs to go, it may be in the back ground for you but it sticks out like a sore thumb to buyers (if you decide to sell) replace the doors too, or as some posters have said just the door knobs will make a difference.

PurpleBettina They look fab

Over bed cupboards/wardrobes save so much space in a bedroom- yours look very upto date and modern along with being very practical

My question would be are you actually selling? If not just update what you like.

Anyone would come in and change your updates to their taste. I honestly would change most items in homes form £250k-£1.5m in fact the higher up on right move I go the more I'd change!

If you do want to change for you then I'd suggest going on Pinterest and starting a few boards just search home interiors UK and start to get a feel for what you like, colours warmth and natural light etc.

First of all: do what pleases you.

We refurbished our house 11 years ago. We thought we would sell in 10 years. We now want to stay and we are both receiving our state pensions.

What worked for us was high quality finishes. We went semi open plan and made doorways twice as wide. The house flows better. Our en suite was remodelled.,No to metro tiles. The world and his wife has them. We use Porcelanosa. So many amazing large format tiles that look expensive. Metro tiles look like my local pub.

Our doors and door handles are all the same. Oak doors with Turnstyle handles. I love them every day! Decent bathroom fittings and no carpets downstairs. Get rid of your artex. We have the same carpet in all rooms upstairs except two that a wood.

We still like what we did. We also remodelled the kitchen and all windows are double glazed.

Last thing: don’t use Timeless paint. Another cliche! Add some design and colour. Use eggshell for woodwork. There are so many great colour schemes and don’t be afraid of colour. It’s fun and says a lot about you.

Metro tiles- plumber recently told me they are not suitable for showers even though everyone uses them, as they are too porous. He demonstrated with a metro and a porcelain tile, huge difference.

Which bits are bothersome to you? Frankly the 40-year-old (perhaps more?) sanitary ware in our bathrooms doesn’t impact my quality of life one single iota. It’s pristine condition, white, and much better quality than the plasticy crap most bathroom showrooms sell now. So I’m not going to change it, even if you’d say it was old fashioned. I’ll update the taps, though, as this is a cheap fix with a bigger impact.

Get a notebook and pen, and go round but-by-but, noting down EVERYTHING you dislike, and everything that’s worn out. From window figments to woodwork, lighting, sockets, flooring, plaster, spend ages doing this over a few days. Some things will be quick, cheap fixes, others not worth the hassle.

@TheFabulousSamathaJones

Metro tiles are glazed porcelain tiles. What do you (or you’d plumber) think they a made from? They take their name from metro stations that used them in the last century. However they are done to death as a design feature. Far more exciting options out there. They also have too much grout for a shower. Large format where tiles butt up closely are better. Less grout and neater finish.

[quote TizerorFizz]@TheFabulousSamathaJones

Metro tiles are glazed porcelain tiles. What do you (or you’d plumber) think they a made from? They take their name from metro stations that used them in the last century. However they are done to death as a design feature. Far more exciting options out there. They also have too much grout for a shower. Large format where tiles butt up closely are better. Less grout and neater finish.[/quote]
Actually that’s not quite correct they are ceramic, and that is indeed porous, but normally they are glazed and the glaze stops them being porous, which is what makes them suitable for showers.

It’s unglazed metro tiles you can’t use in a shower, but I doubt anyone does.

Our house was built in 1997. The internal doors and windows are all a hideous dark orange pine with awful gold coloured handles. We are about to do a massive refurb to put in new windows and change all the internal doors and skirtings to oak and the handles to chrome to lighten it up. We prefer a Scandi feel so we think this should work for us. Thankfully we did the kitchen and bathrooms already.

So you aren't actually sure if you will move?

If there is a chance you are doing to stay here long term, then a sensible thing would also be to look at what you can do now to make the house more user friendly when you are older and less mobile.

Converting a bathroom to a wet room or at the very least a large low profile walk in shower and set up to add in grab rails if needed. Ensuring enough space around toilet to add support rails in future. Electronic bum washing Japanese toilet maybe!

Widening doorways downstairs if they are too narrow to allow for a wheelchair or walking frame.

Changing a step into the house into a small ramp or level surface

@Rosebuud
Nearly everyone sells porcelain metro tiles. They are widely available. They are better for showers because ceramic tiles are slightly more porous. Glazed high quality Porcelain tiles are better for bathrooms and are a good investment.