Francis is still stuck on this notion of making the apartment look like a high-end London cocktail bar. Me? I still don’t get it. I mean, sure, the view is kind of reminiscent of that vibe (oddly enough, given that we’re in Carlton), but I’m not convinced that that’s reasonable grounds for said decor scheme.
It’s not that I dislike it on an aesthetic level. I’m just concerned that it won’t feel like a home if we start introducing features like an in-the-round bar with purple velvet bar stools in the centre of the main living space. Then there’s the structural design elements that Francis wants to introduce, like levels and platforms – I think he’s envisaging a suspended DJ booth from which to commandeer the entertainment system.
There must be a way to meet in the middle. We do need a kitchen replacement, so we could use that as an opportunity to integrate some dramatic design flair without upturning the entire structure of the apartment. One thing at a time, you know? The kitchen is really the place to start because we need a new one anyway (that old stove has to go), and also because I feel relatively comfortable with making it a bit more glam. Why? I couldn’t say… maybe because it’s not my go-to area for putting my feet up in a homely manner.
Once the kitchen is done, I might be ready to look at bathroom renovation ideas. Melbourne apartments like ours don’t have a huge amount of floor space, so we’d have to get creative is we wanted to do anything out of the ordinary, but that could be a good thing. Japanese style sit-up bath, anyone? I could really get into that, actually.
It might not go with with Francis’ London bar concept, though. He’s probably going to want the bathroom to look like… well, a high end bar’s bathroom. I’m not entirely sure what that entails, but probably stuff like all-black tiles, sink and toilet, plum coloured toilet paper, and everything smelling like mandarin.