This is mine in the house I just sold. it was £5 off Ebay (and my friend delivered it for me from Wales, happy days) My partner knocked the alcove into the wall and a space for the wine fridge. All the glasses were from charity shops (and some really lovely ones from Sainsbury's) The donkeys head was in the sale at Abigail Ahernes Debenhams and I call it the Nags Head. In my new place it will be called Bottoms Rest after the Ass in Mid Summer Nights Dream :0)

Hi Fortune, Even the simplest pools that I have worked on professionally, we have always hired a pool company / expert to work alongside with, so definitely do your research to find a good one you like (Or search some here). From a professional perspective I can give you the following guidance having designed and worked on a around five indoor pools, some super lux and others just normal. 1. Get clear on your design and don't change your mind - this will cost you probably quite a lot especially if they have started work already (don't forget that most things you see with pools are hidden). 2. Don't cut costs on heating (water & room), drainage, pool systems, tanking, filters and pumps. You WILL have to fix it over and over and it will always be a thorn in your side. And always listen to the requests for access panels (undoubtedly you WILL eventually need access to absolutely everything). 3. You will most probably need to hire a M&E consultant or a ventilation company separately to deal with the air inside if your pool company doesn't already cover this. 4. Try to cut costs and save money on the external structure and finishes. There are an unlimited number of ways to design a nice pool enclosure - don't get stuck on one way, especially if you are on a budget. Get clear on one idea (fireplace at the end or pitched roof, or glazed end and see that through - your costs will explode if you start believing you need everything. One feature will work - make it special, and if you cant live without the others, put in provisions but save for them later). Don't forget tiling and finishes will need to have slip ratings. 5. Don't forget that glass (and mirrors) if not heated will fog up, spoiling your view out of windows. 6. Don't forget to think about the lighting (and maintenance of it - especially if it is above the pool). 7. Keep all of your warranties in tact and in a safe place - (You will most probably need them). This is the end of my professional guidance! (Change of voice with an Aussie twang) ------The below should not be taken as professional advice or guidance in any way---- Now as an Aussie having worked on way too many pools that I think wasted a lot of money for absolutely nothing and having spent 28 years of my life swimming in millions of different pools, this is what I actually wanted to write to you! 1. I would totally explore European and Eastern European pools. Just like I would trust an Aussie company (but still use your brain, there are always duds amongst the good ones). 2. Never underestimate how strong the smell of chlorine is - you will smell it at least 10 metres away, behind air lock doors and even outside of the building (and don't let anyone tell you otherwise). 3. Salt water pools are superior and worth the investment. (My humble Aussie opinion). 4. Don't choose any plastic finishes for drains that are visible, they look cheap and tacky. There are some fantastic better quality ones (from Australia of course) - check out Aqua Bocci for drainage - its available here too. 5. Also, don't choose plastic edging strips for anything, not sure why these even exist on earth, no matter how expensive everything else is, it will look cheap and its one of the things you will always see. Think about the details and search online for how tiles are finished - there is always a way. 6. Consider an outdoor pool with a roof that closes and opens. Teamed with a good pool cover (electric of course) it could possibly be a much better solution depending on the location. I have always wanted to use Umbris, but haven't had a chance on a project yet! I hope this gave you a head start! P.S, I checked your idea board - your ideas for your pool are absolutely divine! I hope this helped because it would be a pity for such wonderful ideas not to become real! Jo and some pretty pics below, just because...

Hi Claire ! Adding some thoughts .... If the carpet is going - try to replace it with something equally sound deadening - as otherwise his late night games with the lads will keep everyone below up - with all that pacing and pondering before a shot ! Re decision to go for industrial or gentleman's club - (luckily the lamp will suit either) - which of the two fits in better with the other rooms that lead to or will be enjoyed by guests prior to entering this one.... and which style might you expect from the exterior of the house ? Do you want cohesion with the rest of the home - or is the the wild card room ? If the table is to be the main feature of the room - then don't go too dark on your lower paint colour or it wall blend in too well. But if this IS the effect - then perhaps try ALL graphite - ceilings too ( try a paint a photo app and see if this works for you ) Then add brighter bar seating and warm lighting in that area to make that the prominent piece . Add a separately switched strong white light to aim at the dart board - and I you do go for panelling here too- I'd suggest you mount the dartboard on a layer of either cork or dark rubber matting. I'd suggest, to keep the feel of a billiards room, only light the bar area, and have low lamps in each corner of the room, that can be switched off individually if they interfere with a shot. Nb. As the ceiling is so low - I'd suggest the bar be in the front of the window - so the players can stand upright in that bit much easier. Hope that helps a bit !

OK with Honesty... What you need for a successful interior is cohesion and an element of surprise. At the moment there is no cohesion in this scheme apart from the neutral colours, which honestly are a little bit boring as they are. White, beige and brown can be OK but you need to think about the textures and the other materials that you're combining that with. These things are too disparate for a cohesive scheme at the moment: farmhouse beam ceiling (I'm assuming - unless its painted stripes?!), victoriana style fireplace, shaker style wardrobe, contemporary lampshades (maybe 70's, hard to tell), 2x gold mirrors - one is kind of 1930's simple form and the other is a more ornate sunburst type style, natural wood side table (at least it looks like - though hard to tell, but its very rustic looking and completely different to anything else), black vase - stands out in the overall scheme and not in a good way... Eclectic mix can be good but you still need something to pull things together - be that a colour, or a material or a form or a style, just something... all these things don't work together. As far as layout goes - you can't really tell what the layout is from this kind of sectional interior elevation. You really need a floorplan to see the layout. Scale - the sizes of these things are all over the place. This could be to do with the tool you've used to create the image, but they are kind of wild in their range of scales. The wardrobe is huge and the fireplace is relatively tiny. The mirror above the fireplace also dwarfs it. The scale of things usually relates to the visual importance and it looks like the fireplace is pretty insignificant so the question is - do you really need it? What is it adding? I would also want to see the window and the bed - these are crucial elements in a bedroom. If there is a nice view from the window then perhaps position the bed to make the most of the view instead. The style of the bed needs to also be cohesive with the overall and usually in a bedroom the focal points are the bed and the window. A fireplace could be one too, but I wouldn't add a fake one in if it's not there already and if you do want to add a fireplace as a statement and focal point then use one that is big enough and visually powerful enough to make the statement that you want to make, rather than being apologetic. I suggest you start from the architecture of the space - if it has any particular style already then take inspiration from that. If its a modern blank box then pick one style and emphasise that. Colourscheme - neutrals can be great but to elevate them you need to consider textures and a balance of bright, mid and dark tones - you're kind of there with the white, beige and dark brown but do you really love those? Generally, unless you are trying to overcome something weird with the space by creating some kind of optical illusion or effect, then you wouldn't normally use dark stripes on the ceiling as it makes the space feel heavy and pulls the ceiling down. For a high ceiling or a big room it can work, but its not easy to get right. Gold with neutrals can be glamourous, rustic raw materials like untreated wood and concrete with neutrals can be calm and peaceful and contemporary, black with neutrals can be cool and sharp - but altogether, black and gold and raw materials, is usually a bit much and can look more messy than stylish. It's a question of proportion and balance. Having said all that you can break all design rules when you know what you're doing and you're doing it with purpose. Hope this helps!