Renovations

The toll of constant busyness upon me is undeniable. Its pervasive reach has infiltrated every nook of my existence, rendering me almost unrecognisable to myself. The days of unhurried strolls and untroubled afternoons have become a distant memory. Now, I navigate a ceaseless whirlwind of activity, deftly juggling work commitments, errands, and appointments. This relentless cycle exacts a toll on both my physical stamina and mental well-being. Amidst this frenetic symphony, there’s one endeavour I am steadfastly committed to carving out time for—my home renovations. The bathroom has ascended to prominence on my renovation agenda, and I’ve recently engaged a local bathroom renovator based in Melbourne to orchestrate this transformation.

My bustling timetable scarcely afforded me the luxury of conducting meticulous research on the chosen company. Thus, I embarked on this endeavour with a leap of faith, hoping for a fortuitous outcome. Thankfully, the experience unfolded favourably, revealing a team adept in their craft and a paragon of professionalism. Having conveyed my vision to them, I entrusted them to bring it to fruition while I grappled with my ceaseless stream of emails. After all, they are the virtuosos, well-versed in the realm of bathroom design ideas, navigating the intricacies of tiles, grout, showers, sinks, plumbing, and storage solutions. In stark contrast, my own schedule scarcely grants me respite to draw breath.

Despite the relentless cadence of my days, I reserved moments to contribute insights to pivotal facets, such as the play of lighting and the infusion of natural illumination. The objective? A resplendent bathroom design that exudes elegance, primed to leave an indelible impression on prospective buyers when I list my house next year. As much as I yearn to be hands-on, the expanse of my commitments precludes such indulgence. Yet, I place my trust in the bathroom renovators’ expertise to manifest my creative vision. The incremental progress of their work, glimpsed amidst my bustling hours, fills me with eager anticipation.

The denouement, the final manifestation of my bathroom’s metamorphosis into a harmonious blend of aesthetics and utility, awaits. It serves as a welcome respite from the relentless undertow of my frenetic existence—a poignant reminder that my identity extends beyond the realm of ceaseless activity. The mantle of design responsibility assumed by these artisans liberates me to tend to my multifarious duties. Soon, my domicile will proudly boast a resplendent bathroom, poised to captivate and enchant potential buyers—an embodiment of my commitment to elevating my living space.

After a strenuous day’s toil, Reginald surrendered to the embrace of his bed, his stomach satiated by the self-crafted cheese and seed biscuits. As evening settled, he recounted the day’s exploits to his wife, who reciprocated with a plethora of her own narratives. Her occupation on the surface endowed her with a plethora of tales, a world largely foreign to Reginald due to the exclusivity of rat approval for venturing there. Stray rats, an uncomfortable subject, hovered unspoken on the fringes of their thoughts.

 

Sometime into his slumber, Reginald’s repose was abruptly disrupted by a cacophonous clamour originating from an adjacent room. Swiftly, he rose, urging his wife to remain as he embarked on an investigatory mission. The impending bathroom renovation had been scheduled, yet the hour seemed incongruous for the arrival of the bathroom designers. Notwithstanding, the tumult emanated distinctly from the bathroom, compelling Reginald to approach cautiously, cautiously nudging the door ajar.

 

To his astonishment, a rat not of his invitation occupied the bathroom. The rat’s back was turned, and a hammer wielded erratically caused wanton destruction—sink, shower glass, cabinetry—all fell victim to its unbridled force. Reginald’s sanctuary lay shattered, fragmented debris rendering navigation nigh impossible. A disconcerting twist awaited him as the rat pivoted, revealing itself as Remy, the very rat from the sewer subway, who had intruded upon his haven.

 

Aghast, Reginald articulated, his voice a crescendo, “What on earth are you doing here?”

 

Remy’s response carried over the continued cacophony of demolition, the relentless hammering gnawing at the remnants of Reginald’s once-intact sanctuary. “Word reached me that you were poised to engage the services of a formidable competitor, one of the best companies for bathroom renovation Melbourne boasts,” Remy clarified, his hammer arcing in a ceaseless dance of destruction. “I have embarked on this endeavour to exemplify the superiority of my craft.”

 

Reginald was rendered speechless, a tapestry of disbelief woven into his features. Here stood Remy, who had infiltrated his abode, ruthlessly dismantling it in a testament to his misplaced zeal. The sheer audacity was nothing short of confounding, an inexplicable and unwelcome intrusion that left Reginald grappling with an onslaught of emotions.

I’ve recently been employed as the principal of a very expensive private school in Victoria. The job is a dream come true; after years of low-paying teaching positions and moving up through the ranks, this has always been my goal. So far, I’m having a brilliant time. The campus is beautiful, and the students are not only well-behaved, but actually seem eager to learn. What surprised me the most is just how many resources are put into the buildings and architecture here. It looks great for prospective parents on open days, but do the students really care? Custom desks, custom whiteboards, custom bathrooms. It’s crazy. But I also know how lucky I am. Hundreds of educators would do anything for even an assistant position at this school, and I have the top job. Even some of Britain’s royals have been educated here. 

It’s been one week since I moved into my new principal’s office. So far, I’ve introduced myself at the assembly and signed a lot of things. Apparently, they’re hoping my presence will reinvigorate the school, which means I also get a lot of power when it comes to new building projects. The first major task I’ve been given is to create a list of the best bathroom design companies Melbourne has to offer, speak to them all, and employ the best ones. One of the school’s oldest buildings has been around since the fifties, so it’s definitely time for a bit of a facelift in the bathroom. It’s so much more complex than renovating a bathroom at home, but luckily there are dozens of resources to help me out. I have to think about things like cost and the budget I’ve been given, as well as preparation and demolition requirements so the students’ learning isn’t unnecessarily impacted. Then, it’s onto the actual style and layout, which includes things like fixtures and basins. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I’m determined to prove myself.

Remy was furious. After Ruby resigned and Paul the plumber refused to help him, he decided he didn’t need friends. All his friends had abandoned him in his hour of need; they didn’t deserve him, and they certainly didn’t deserve his artisan cheese collection. Since Remy’s prized bathroom was destroyed in the accident last night, he’d been living in the darkest part of the sewers. It was pitch black and the air was freezing cold, so he didn’t manage to get any sleep. Instead, he sat awake, silently stewing and formulating his revenge plan.  He would find the best bathroom designers Melbourne had to offer, and he would create a bathroom that would be the envy of everybody in the sewers – even the king.

He had a few ideas to start. While Remy’s bathroom did have working plumbing, it was quite small. His tiling was expertly completed, but it was old and outdated after half a decade of use. Remy had built the bathroom when he could barely afford materials – now, his delivery business had taken off, and he was one of the richest rats in the city. He could afford to splurge a bit. Maybe solid gold fixtures. Maybe a solid gold mirror. Maybe the whole bathroom, including the showers and sink and storage, could be solid gold? Yes, then it would be luxurious enough to invite rat royalty over. First, Remy would have to find some sort of company offering leaking shower repair services, as he didn’t know how to do that himself, and he wouldn’t be able to start his full bathroom renovation until his bathroom stopped flooding. Hopefully, the humans living next door had already called their own plumber, as Remy’s plumbing depended directly on the human apartment’s water supply. Just siphon off a little bit here and there, and they never know the difference. It was a smart idea. Of course it was – Remy had thought of it himself.

I’ve decided that I’ll have to talk to my husband about getting a kitchen renovation. He warned me all those years ago to not put the fridge where I put it, but ultimately he trusted my judgement. He hasn’t complained about it once in twenty years, but I think he’ll be very relieved that I’m bringing this up. What am I bringing up, I hear you ask? Well, if you read my last blog post you’d know that twenty years ago when I pretended to be a really professional kitchen designer (which I wasn’t – I had no experience in any sort of kitchen design), I decided to put the fridge in the dining room. 

It’s safe to say that this decision has haunted me ever since. I’ve regretted it for almost twenty years, and I have finally decided that we need to change it. I’m willing to give up a couple of years worth of holidays to finally have a functioning kitchen, but my husband and I are a team so I have to check with him. 

My husband is a great man and has never once made me feel bad about my regrettable decision, but it will be interesting to see what he has to say when I broach the topic with him. Will he be relieved that I’ve finally brought it up? I think so. 

I wonder if whilst we’re at it, we should also consider getting a couple of bathroom renovators located near Melbourne to check out our bathroom and make appropriate changes. I mean, we’re going to have to take out a loan for the kitchen renovation anyway, so we may as well take this opportunity to add some much-needed resale value to our home. That might be a bit too much for my husband to digest in one sitting.

I’ll update you on how my conversation with my husband goes once we’ve had it. I want to broach the topic in the right way, so it may take a while.