As ever, with an old building – an ours’ is nearly 200 years old – there have been challenges with our redecoration. Because we are stubbornly refusing to compromise and do things by halves, we are facing these challenges head-on. In the long run, it will cost less money, but in the short term, we have had to find the money to address certain things. These have been:

• restoring plaster work to the interior neo-gothic gerogian window arches
• roof work to reduce water ingress that was damaging the walls from the outside
• various damp patches caused by water damage over the years (leaks and condensation)

We decided to do things properly, taking things in stages, carefully, and taking the right steps physically and ethically. This means using certain high quality materials, including hard wearing paint, and also making educated aesthetic choices about colours. For the latter, we have considered both the setting and the usage, including for people with limited visual faculties. Of course, we have also considered how durable and practical the finishes will be.

Whilst this has taken more time, the end results are worth it. We have not gone over the top – that would be careless, but we have tried to end up with something that will last, serve and please for years to come.