An Executive Decision

As much as I love interiors, faffing about with paint charts, re-arranging furniture and bits and pieces, I am an absolutely, humongous procrastinator when it comes to making actual decorating decisions.

Ideas on colour, pattern and form consume me for ages. Like months - years even.

We've lived in this house for five years and 90% of our walls are the same colour they were when we moved in, perhaps re-coated, but essentially the same.

The practical side of decorating is down to me in this house - unless the boys bedrooms are the project of the moment, then Woody swings into action and progress is remarkably rapid. When it comes to communal areas of our home however, I must do it myself and it has always been thus.

In our dozen years together I have repainted 3 sets of kitchen units and tiles (some twice), 3 bathrooms (+ tiles again) and redecorated at least 8 bedrooms. I finally put my foot down a few months ago and insisted on a brand new, not make-do-and mend, bathroom project. I say project, we just had a new suite fitted for £500 and spent £300 on our first ever set of new tiles.

I was enormously impressed.Woody is still reeling - he thinks everything decor-wise costs less than £100.

Now I'm working full time though and we're back on a more even financial keel (for the time being), the possibility to tackle some decorating is back on the agenda. The awful, awful kitchen I make do with is on the horizon for a bargain Ikea refit later in the year, thank heavens.

 

In the meantime I want to spruce up the sitting room and a feature wall (the chimney breast) has been on my mind. It struck me as relatively thrifty to focus on a single wall and I can use up our stock of play safe, neutral paint for the others.

 (A flea market painting to add to my little collection of watercolours and it might hang on the chimney breast)

But what paper to choose?

Most "feature" wallpapers make my teeth ache if I'm honest. Screamingly loud florals, Gothic prints or graphic designs that I know will not let my eyes relax in the evening.

And then at my hairdresser's last month I noticed the salon door covered in "the paper". Following a little investigation I learnt it was a William Morris design - Marigold in Artichoke. I am saved.

This sample has been tacked to the wall for a few nights and is perfect. I think its just beautiful and is just the right balance of texture, colour and print for this room.

Thanks to the rather lovely Avenue Interiors in town, two pricey but pretty rolls are on their way to bring a focus to our front room. I even think our existing curtains can probably stay too, so all in all quite a find.

I'm *almost* looking forward to the decorating bit now!