We’ve almost finished our downstairs loo and utility room which has taken absolutely ages despite it being the smallest room in the house.

I’ve no photos of this room when we moved in but, as one of our friends put it, it was a shower room that you’d never dare go into barefoot and where you’d be convinced you’d emerge in a grubbier state than when you went in.

We ripped out the shower which had the same lino floor as you can see in the photos, with a concrete lip to contain the water, then we pretty much abandoned the room for six months while the rest of the house was done. When we found out we were expecting our little one, it gave us the kick up the backside we needed to get cracking on sorting the final rooms.

So, out came the weird plumbing around the room, the nasty old loo and sink and we added in a washing machine and some storage space around it.

We also ripped out the lovely brown carpet in the hallway as well as the lino and ran slates that I’d over-ordered from the bathroom throughout both.

The bonus we’d not expected is that the work top above the washing machine will make a perfect baby changing area with storage for nappies above it. Weird how our lives and house planning has changed in the last six months.

I still need to paint behind the cupboard, finish the wallpapering on the one wall and add a mirror but we’re almost there…