Lighting Design, Home Automation, AV and Home Cinema with Vivace Lichtma...

Mercy me! I am in Milan

Little did I think, this time last week I would be dashing off to Milan.  Despite having young looking parents, active and in their 70's.  Accidents do happen!  Two cataracts, one misstep and a trip to an Italian hospital.  The Italian health system is different, which I shall describe later..! But sad to stay my parents three day break in Milan, has turned into something  different.  'Break' being diminutive. More like smashed shoulder.

I can say 'aviva' #aviviainsurance have been fantastic and have ' stepped up' immediately. Repatriating my father, who has some health problems and funding my trip to Milan.  So one whole day travelling I have arrived to take over the role of carer, as Italian hospitals only supply doctors and nurses, no auxiliary to help with personal care, families are e levied to do this!  Roll on tomorrow.  Mum I am here to help!  Well you have taken care of me all my life x

Drill Hall Crieff

I just love it when things go to plan.  Or indeed all your hard work and investment pays off.  We bought a run down, almost ready to demolish building in the heart of Crieff in Perthshire.  In an area which had seen better days with a abandoned building plot on one side, a derelict site across the road, we still looked at the building with potential.

To the dismay of family we through everything we had into the purchase of the property.  Others could not see past the 86 tonnes of rubbish, the guanno of over 100 pigeons, the fungus and rot, the 60+ broken windows.  But we had vision!

As designers we seem to be able to see what it can be in 3D.  This is not a skill that everyone has, and it sometimes takes great description for others to get the picture.

So this is not an overnight project, with over 8000 sq ft to convert, we would not be able to do it on a shoestring budget, within 3 months and be in for Christmas, although at the beginning we thought we could.

Thank goodness we started this in our 30s/40's because I dont think we could do it now 10 years later with a little girl, as it was and still is difficult, but the difficulty is not so bad now as we muddle through.  Inspiration and motivation got us through the first part, not we live with it.

We expect it to take another 10 year.  We have heating now and dont live in a caravan in the basement any more so we are in 'clover' so to speak.