DIY corner

I never imagined that this would become a space for DIY talk, but the last few weeks here have seen me on the tools, and as happy as a lark about it.

We have a very “homely” (read run-down) 1950’s house, and we recently started a small renovation project in our kitchen. All of the tradies who looked at the area encouraged us to get rid of everything and start from scratch, which we didn’t want to do, so the decision was made to pursue the DIY route. This meant that my tiling skills went from none to some in a very short period of time. The whole process was surprisingly enlightening.

Post demolition

I discovered that tiling is a very peaceful pursuit. I am a really slow and methodical tiler, and obviously no-one had commissioned me to do the work, so there was absolutely no pressure. I had the prerequisite tradie’s radio, floating atmospheric music around me as I worked which was so calming. The whole feel of the job was very creative, which in turn made me smile, and be even more at peace in my little tiling world.

It also made me think. I had to really contemplate the more complex points, and each new section demanded decisions and planning. My tiling debut wasn’t a simple flat square job. It was quite a challenging project. I was expecting it to be difficult, but I didn’t anticipate the amount of thought I would have to put into it.

The tiling fun has begun

Lastly and probably because of the previous point, it was deeply satisfying. Every step of the way saw me learning and performing completely new skills, and the satisfaction of that was huge. I probably spent more time admiring my work than I did actually doing it.

Having the time to complete a project is so rewarding, and then to sit back and enjoy your handiwork while you contemplate your next one is even better.