I have decided to re-style our tiny bathroom. It measures approx 8ft x 5ft so we don’t have a lot of space to play with! Currently, we have a half-size bath with the shower going over it, and some rather dreary dark blue mosaic-look tiles from floor to ceiling which make the room look even smaller.
Stage one – I got someone from Wickes to come and draft up some ideas for us. Things didn’t bode well when she laughed out loud at the size of the room. 2 weeks later, we 
got the plans through and they were disappointing. We could squeeze in a full sized bathtub but would have to compromise with a cloakroom sized toilet and sink. Rather than buying a new (inferior) suite unnecessarily, I decided to scrap the plans for a new layout and and spend money on new tiles and a professional fitter instead.
Stage two – I started phoning local tradesmen to get quotes. This, I discovered, is one of the hardest things in the world! The first tiler, who lives very locally, stood me up not once but twice. When I phoned to see where he had got to, he was rude, dismissive and totally unapologetic for wasting my time. I put the phone down in a huff, and immediately called 4 other local businesses. The first one “didn’t do tiling any more” despite having a current advert in the Yellow Pages, and the 2nd one was fully booked until July. The others didn’t pick up the phone at all. Arrgghh!
So that brings me to stage three – wondering if the whole project is worth the hassle, or whether I can actually put up with those dark blue, badly fitted mosaic tiles after all. I like to think that there is a lovely reliable man/woman out there who will come tile my walls in a clean and tidy manner and not charge the earth, but does anyone know where I can track down these knights in shining armour? Answers on a postcard please!
