From Funk-hole to Bedroom: A Renovation Story

When we first arrived at the sorrily neglected Topsy Turvy, this was the state of the kids' bedroom which was to become ours:

It was the saddest little nursery we had ever beheld. Those black stains mark where their son's bed had been. Ick. We set up camp and got to work.

We used barrier pillows to separate us from the sticky walls.

Mike set about scrubbing the walls with game-changing sugarsoap.

Energy levels are initially soaring...

...followed by quiet contentment and a sore shoulder.

Then the sickly carpet came up and was stashed under the stairs until we could get a skip. 

Underneath the wallpaper, we found Pumba lurking with a cheeky grin. 

After doing the usual spackle-and-sand routine, we could finally begin painting. We relished the relief of the moment.

May as well do it in style.

It soon became apparent why Pumba had been covered up by wallpaper. Using the best trade paint we could find, still Pumba wasn't ready to take his leave. Three coats on, he was still peering out through the emulsion:

After six coats we were fairly satisfied, but if you squint, you can still sense the presence of the grinning warthog, watching over us in our slumber.

Once the murky ceiling had become white, and the icky yellow-lilac walls were covered in Valspar's Sleeping Inn, it was time to pick a floor. Decisions, we have found, are the hardest part of renovating, and we put off this difficult step for as long as we could ignore it hanging over us.

We then attempted to lay the floor ourselves, because B&Q tutorials make it look so god-darned easy. We did our best, but mistakes were made and we eventually ran out of floorboards.



We left it in a half-baked state for a few weeks, until professional laminate guy Jason came to do the rest of the house, and kindly offered to fix our mess for free 😏



Aaand.... it's done! Whoopee!! It looks amazing. Long gone are the greasy walls, creepy beehives, lilac sheen and diseased carpet. At night, I lay awake admiring the smooth covings and soft-grey walls. Through the skylight we can see the glinting stars and the waxing moon, or listen to a light rain pitter-pattering against the slanting glass. It's true what they say, that renovating truly makes it your own. We have changed every single inch of this room, and it is a joy to curl up in for a snooze. Now we just need a bed.

Oh, we do love our Topsy Turvy house. And it feels like it is finally starting to love us back.