Loos are, I’ve learned, surprisingly important purchases. In fact, the things in our houses that we interact with every day are often the things that need choosing with extreme caution. Ironically, they tend to be left off the list and then bought blind and under pressure. The light switches, door handles, locks and taps that we push and pull and turn and switch every day are an afterthought. As I’ve learned the hard way, it might not be the most glamorous part of decorating, but it really is worth getting yourself down to a few architectural hardware showrooms and having a go with the latches and the knobs rather than simply buying online. You will quickly find the ones that please you, and your choices will be driven as much by touch as by aesthetics. And remember that size matters: I know from experience that the wrong sized knob (in my case bought from Ebay) will skin your knuckles every time you throw open the door.
Unlike an impulse buy from Toast, when it comes to decorating, your ill thought through online purchases can be a lot harder to return than a pair of barrel leg jeans, particularly if the builder has already screwed them down or plumbed them in before you can admit your mistake. In my house in Suffolk, I recently ordered some new bath taps, the old ones having given up after a 12-year battle with some of this country’s hardest water. I had two tap holes, I knew I didn’t want a mixer tap or a hand-held shower, and I thought I was on pretty solid ground when ordering a pair of pillars. Newly installed, I realised that quite clearly I hadn’t measured them right, and nor would I be able to return them. Instead, I’ve had to resign myself to my dodgy taps. I must learn to navigate them, squeezing past them as I lower myself into the water, and never risking a top up lest I scald my middle.
Of course, not everything needs to be tried and tested before you press go on your basket. The risk is lower with those pieces you have already seen working in context. If, for instance, you love your friend’s sofa and they are generous enough to tell you where they bought it (and tolerant enough to let you measure it) there is no need to go anywhere but the virtual showroom (although it’s worth noting you should always order sample fabrics for upholstery). Similarly, if you are dead set on a free-standing bath and are clear about the measurements and the make then an online purchase should suffice. Then again, perhaps my best friend is the exception that proves the rule here. Thinking (in haste, again) that she had found a bargain, she bought a bath without reading the small-print, only to find that it was made of shiny white plastic. She tells me it retains much more heat than the steel, but we both know this is its only advantage.
SourcE: www.houseandgarden.co.uk
