‘Expensive though, as I’m sure Jonathan has told you. All the walls will have to be chased and replastered,’ Hilary pointed out, shooting a look at Jonathan who gave a slight shrug.
‘Oh that’s no problem, we’ve remortgaged to get the job done. It’s fine,’ Andrea said airily. ‘I want to put my stamp on it and totally modernize it. All white walls, very minimalist, and wooden floors.’
‘Well off-white,’ Jonathan cut in smoothly. ‘With feature walls and splashes of colour in the accessories. You don’t want it to look too cold. I’m thinking crimson, mint green, and grey cushions, throws and lampshades to suit the look Andrea wants.’
‘Very nice,’ agreed Hilary, privately thinking what a shame it would be to change the relaxing pastel colour palette that Andrea’s parents had decorated the house in. It had a warm, welcoming feel and it didn’t need a whole lot of refurbishing, Hilary thought, eyeing the expensive luxury deep-pile carpets and the tasteful drapes and blinds. Even the softest of lighting could not completely take the cool look from white, no matter what colours accessorized the house. White was fine for hot sunny climates, she reflected as a sudden squall of rain hurled against the landing window and the dreary gloom outside emphasized the snug warm interior space she was standing in. House makeovers on TV had certainly caught people’s imaginations, but sometimes they were OTT and looked disastrous. Hilary had long ago learned that most clients knew exactly what look they wanted and it was up to her and Jonathan to advise and facilitate rather than impose their own tastes on a project.
‘Jonathan tells me you’re working on a lot of leisure centres and spas. I love going to Powerscourt Springs. Have you ever been?’ she asked eagerly.
‘Oh indeed we have!’ Hilary laughed. ‘When it opened a few years ago Jonathan and I hot-footed it down to Wicklow to see what all the fuss was about.’
‘We did a lot of “research” in Powerscourt Springs. Well that was our excuse,’ Jonathan grinned. ‘There’s a lot of new places springing up – if you’ll excuse the pun – but Powerscourt Springs led the way in health farms in Ireland, it was the first, and to my mind it’s still the best. Those views of the Sugar Loaf and the Wicklow countryside . . . wow . . . and that Tranquillity Room with the recliner couches – I have to admit, it was my inspiration for a few places I’ve designed myself.’
‘Me too,’ confessed Hilary. ‘I wouldn’t mind being there right now, sitting in that lovely lounge, wrapped in a towelling robe, looking out at that horrible weather, waiting for a facial or massage.’
‘Ooohh yes,’ agreed Andrea. ‘Or tucking into their gorgeous lunches. That walnut bread—’
‘Stop!’ commanded Jonathan. ‘You’re making me hungry. We need to focus on the job in hand,’ he added briskly.
‘Right well I’d like really soft lighting in our bedroom and en suite. Also I’m very tempted to break down the walls and have a freestanding claw-foot bath with antique fittings. I think that’s a fabulous look too. All white to match my white-lace Egyptian-cotton bedlinen. And I want white voile draped over the four-poster and white louvre blinds—’
‘I’m sure Jonathan has advised that you’d need to factor in steam removal so damp won’t become a problem if you go down that route,’ Hilary interjected, ever the pragmatist.
‘Indeed,’ Jonathan affirmed. ‘I’ve made all these points to Andrea, but this of course is just a preliminary discussion.’
‘Of course.’ Hilary smiled at her partner and he gave her a tiny wink.
‘And you know the way they play that very calming music in all the treatment rooms in spas? I’d really like to have a sound system installed as well,’ Andrea declared, waving a perfectly manicured hand in the air. ‘I don’t think Rowena has one.’
‘We can give you a quote for that too – we’ve worked with a firm who install them,’ Jonathan assured their client, who was seriously determined not only to keep up with the Joneses but to outdo them.
It was all about impressing and outdoing people these days, he thought, amused at the notion that he, who had grown up in a small semi in a country town, decorating doll’s houses made out of shoeboxes, was now working in a business that catered for the most affluent of Irish society. It was far from health farms and claw-foot baths and sound systems you were reared, he thought, looking forward to telling his mother about his latest client. It would be interesting to see if Andrea and her husband would follow through with all their proposed renovations when they got their quote.
Listening to Jonathan and Andrea discuss colour schemes for the refurbished bathroom Hilary felt
