Tickety Boo Transformation!

I have, for a long time, wanted to change the interior of the boat. I have gone through phases with her over the years. To then meet somebody who was more than willing to help with that transformation was so exciting to say the least! Alan has transformed the boat and enjoyed doing it. Tickety Boo has never looked so good. The look I was after was modern uncluttered moving away from the cottagey look and Alan achieved exactly what I wanted. I will let the photos do the talking so to speak..

The original Tickety Boo was a typical narrowboat interior all wood warm and cosy, that was 15 years ago.

I then decided I wanted to paint the walls to make the boat look airier and lighter. I absolutely loved this new look I wanted it to look like a floating cottage and had it like this for some years.

Now for the transformation. Everything is new, spotlights and light fittings changed from brass to chrome.

The walls are painted in a lovely pale grey and all the woodwork white. As you can imagine the boat was a right mess while the work was being done, it's hard to keep such a small space tidy while redecorating so I stayed at Al's while work was in progress it just made things so much easier and I was very grateful for that!

Most of the time Tickety Boo looked like this but it was small price to pay for seeing the transformation slowly taking shape!

My fifteen year old stove was looking tired and tatty so I painted the stove black and the plinth so it looked lovely against the fab new tiles Al fitted.

                                      My gorgeous new tiles but a tatty stove...before

                                and the after, freshly painted stove. I wasn't sure about painting the plinth black at Alan's suggestion but I went ahead and it looks so much better.

                                                          Next the carpet tiles.

               I wanted new wall lights but was at a loss to find any I liked so we decided to keep the originals and spray the brass silver to go with the rest of the colour scheme.
 

I decided to do away with curtains and just have off the peg Venetian blinds. Luckily they all fit without having to be cut which was one less job to do. The kitchen units went from being duck egg to white and the new grey subway tiles Alan put up look great with the white units. The next problem was the worktops. When the boat was first fitted out we had a piece grafted on to the worktop as I wanted a dogleg shape to incorporate a small breakfast bar with stools. To buy a new worktop that width would cost a fortune so we came up with the idea of painting them. As much as I loved the solid wood in beech it just wouldn't go with the new scheme. It was a bit nerve-wracking painting the tops black as once done no turning back really!
                                 
                                       Alan took the plunge with the black paint.

                                          After! We were really pleased with the result
                                           and it tied in  well with everything.

                                         
                               

I wanted accents of yellow to go with the grey white and black but Alan wasn't too sure. As luck would have it we were gifted a rug and cushions in just the colour I wanted. Alan really liked the colour once he saw it in place, so we were really happy with the colour choice.
Finally, everything started to take shape, all the hard work Alan had put in was paying off. All the little jobs that had never been finished he finished off. Those little details made such a difference!

The side hatch on the boat had always been a pain, it had never fit properly from when the boat was built it leaked really badly and it was drafty. Alan came up with the idea of a double glazed window. I wasn't at all sure on that score as it's not really the done thing but I put my trust in him and I wasn't disappointed. Not really conventional but I think it's quirky and neat!

                                             Trying the window for size! This photo makes me smile.

                                               
                                                     The window is now sprayed green
                                                     outside to match the boat and white
                                                     on the inside.

                         Next job a nice new floor in the galley! I wasn't sorry to see the old orange coloured wood effect cushion floor go!

             

So finally after all the hard work Alan had put in transforming the boat

I got the lovely job of  clearing all the diy stuff out and adding the 

finishing touches a job I was loving every minute of!

The finished result! Over the moon doesn't quite sum up how pleased we

are with it.

The finished result!

Storage boxes from good old Home Bargains, great for storing pan lids tea towels etc.

Finally the bedroom is all finished too!

                                                                    Before.

After.

                                         
                                             

Alan has done a fantastic job he has made Tickety Boo a boat we can be proud of. 

Now to look forward to taking the boat out and enjoying her!