It feels like an age ago that we were in Bristol, and a completely different world. Perhaps the saddest aspect of leaving, apart from the distance from a fabulous dinner with Matt and Jenny et al., is that we had so little time to enjoy the fruits of our (and a few charitable friends') labour. Especially Beth, due to a six month placement in London.
By far the thing I miss most is the gorgeous parquet flooring. I still remember that lustrous first morning after the varnish had set, the sun streaming in the windows and illuminating the bare living room. It was magnificent. I'm sure Beth, Will and Ross mainly remember scraping the old, crumbling tar off the bottom of each wooden block. Truly it was a labour of love and friendship. And mitre saw.
Realistically though the shower is probably what we would have brought with us given the chance. The bathroom being too small for a bath we plumped for one of the largest showers we could find instead. Set off against the lemon marble tiles and warm wooden glow from the floor it was a Happy Place, especially after a cold, wet, blustery commute home, or a chill early morning run.
Our favourite room to be in though was the kitchen. Very much the room we spent the most time in, we had it kitted out just the way we wanted. It's also where most of our wedding presents ended up, a room full of joy and smells, memories and cakes. We're very much looking forward to rebuilding our new home from its heart-room first.
Although there wasn't anything extraordinary about the bedroom, it was very much a sanctuary. A quiet room with a warm snug feeling, the scratchy carpet underfoot such a contrast to the hard wood and pale morning light filtering through the curtains, it felt very much closed off from the world. The warm grey-blue hue set against white surrounds and looking out to the garden was gentle and relaxing, light and homely.
We had been very lucky to stumble upon the flat on its quiet, grand street. Walking back along it on a crisp winter's evening after an occasional visit to the Souk Kitchen, or turning down to face its length on the way home from a balmy summer trip to the cinema made it feel so far away from the bustle of a city.
Ultimately though we had outgrown it. I had too many tools, too many bikes, and I'm sure Beth had too many of something too. Shoes probably. Coats too.
Here's a little before-during-after montage of what we did:
