The Extra Loos Loo Series

When we arrived in Liverpool I was keen to find a loo, so keen that I was happy to contemplate a station loo. That was until I saw the queue, clearly we hadn’t timed our arrival so well. In fact I’d had a bit of a funny turn on the train, it was hot but I was struggling to cool down throughout much of the two and a bit hour journey, so I’d send MOH off to find some water.

I was putting it down to the coffee we’d had at Euston, although MOH thought it might have been some travel sickness from the Pendolino train. Whatever it was I was glad to get off and see the concourse at Lime Street. I felt so rough that while MOH went off in search of water, I moved into the window seat and despite it not having the cool air blowing onto it, I did start to improve. It really was quite odd, and either, or both of us could be right about the cause.

But anyway, back to the queue for the loo, which was out the door and onto the concourse. I thought there must be somewhere else close by and so was pleased to hear a lady tell another of the loos in the Wetherspoons just next door. Not needing to be told twice, when MOH returned we set off in search of a queue-less loo.

I wasn’t quite ready for what I was to find, but as you can see it all started out fairly normally. Classic tiles, a row of basins and ornate mirrors. There was still a small queue, or rather I was the start of the queue, but that was way better than the previous option.

And then I spotted this sign.

Heading down here.

So off I went, and found a whole other level of facilities. And a huge mirror.

So there you go, an unexpected find - but a welcome one - and the first double level loo for this series.

Who’d have thought?

Big Ideas: A cocooning kitchen

I can always tell how much I like a room set by the number of photos I take, and you can tell from this post I was rather keen on this one, and I haven’t included all the ones I have.

The Big Ideas for this cocooning kitchen are:

1. Dark & Dreamy, with the refined textures and handcrafted feel

2. Timeless flooring, decorative parquet always has the maximum impact

3. Tropical elements, whether that’s focal point plants, or the wallpaper, but it’s a great way to personalise your space

4. Gold accents add a luxurious touch and bring a boutique look

5. Wine & Dine, the bench style seating is great for entertaining.

Just look at the darkness of the colours, the texture of the tiles, the pattern on the floor and the pop of colour from the chair. Hang on, at first I didn’t notice anything wrong, but looking again the chair looked a little unusual. Stepping back, it was reassuring to know that even for room sets there are hiccups.

SOMETHING’S MISSING…

Although the legless chair does have a certain air of comfort about it!

There’s wood flooring, on the cupboards and in the dining space, along with the touches of gold, on the table and hanging above it.

I think it’s the tiles that make this work, they reflect light, add texture and look simply gorgeous. Clearly it’s not a proper kitchen, I mean where’s the kettle?

The wallpaper too adds some quirkiness and even though it matches the dark and dreamy brief, it’s also colourful and quirky.

It might not be an obvious choice of wallpaper for a kitchen, but it works doesn’t it? Though you do have to be careful for the insects…

What do you think?

Pots at Montemenardo

Clearly my pots obsession is high at the moment. I’d planned this post even before I knew I was heading to the garden centre to look at the new pots I have in my garden. Maybe, that helped me find the pots I was after, or maybe it’s just coincidence.

Either way, the pots in this post - and their contents - struck a chord with me and are all from our Italian break last October. We stayed in an ‘agriturismo’ just outside Todi in Perugia. It was quiet, it was the end of the season, and we had the place to ourselves, apart from the owners. The weather was mixed, but generally sunny and warm enough to make use of the terraces, moving to make the most of the sun throughout the day.

It wasn’t our most active of holidays, but it was just what we needed. Spending time looking at the views of the Italian countryside, tasting some local wines like you do, and marvelling at the geraniums still in flower and the mass of aloe veras.

But the pot that really captures the spirit of Montemendardo for me, was this tiny yellow pot of flowering succulents, which was just casually placed by the entrance. Some might never have noticed it, but once you did, it didn’t take long to realise its beauty.

So pots don’t need to be large and showy to bring joy, but where you place them is key.