Utility room makeover

When we bought the house the utility room housed a battered sink and unit below, and an even more battered boiler. When the new boiler was fitted, we were able to move it to the garage so now the room is fully available. Before John's illness we had spent a lot of time thinking about knocking it through to the toilet and making a second bathroom and renting out a room or two on Airbnb, but our ambitions changed and we have decided to stay with a guest loo and a separate utility.

Wren came to help us with both the kirchen and utility design and the end game was a simple row on one side of the room housing the washer, a freezer and having another cupboard for cleaning equipment - no sink. The remainder of the space could be used for the vacuum, clothes airers, ironing board and ironing basket. The we had moved the washer into the kitchen, but it was so noisy in there we were keen for it to be moved back.

As ever, an undertaking in itself, taking out the old sink plumbing, making good all the holes in the floor, refurbishing the original wood work, and cutting a new access panel in the floor to reach the underfloor space. John had to work out which underfloor pipework was redundant, move and improve electric sockets, block off the hole in the ceiling where the old boiler flue was, replace a piece of coving and fit a new carpet.

John used polystyrene coving, which is brilliant although you have too be carefully not to bash it as it dents easily. It's still £60 for six lengths, but it is light so one person can fit it easily with a bit of adhesive. I remember the awkwardness of having to hold the heavy plasterboard type for dad while he tacked it in place while the adhesive dried.

We started in December, stripping it all out, and when Kathryn visitied in January we got the paint on the walls and ceiling. Liz chose a lovely, warm coloured, textured paint with a sandy-papery kind of feel which has an ultramatt finish - very Japanese and very beautiful.

Wren fitted the cupboards mid-April. They returned to complete the worktop in May and, finally, it was done!