Enthusiasm level: Slight stomach knot
Progress: Talking about the finishes
Quote: “Marmoleum – it is a kind of posh lino”

Spare office carpet which is similar to the carpet Jimi had in the flat when he lived here.

Spare office carpet which is similar to the carpet Jimi had in the flat when he lived here.

Once again I seem to be discussing the finished product and it is at those moments that this all feels very real. Today’s thoughts were focussed on the various finishes to the rooms. Mainly what will be on the walls and floors of the new spaces that we are creating. There is even such a thing as a finishes schedule.

There will be large parts which will be plasterboard and paint – simple enough. Well until you get to colour but that as yet is not an integral part of the finishes schedule. Hendrix’s flat was entirely decked out with wood chip on the wall and mostly painted white so that seems simple enough. Sorry I seem to talk about the wood chip constantly but it does amuse me. The carpet in the flat was red and bought from nearby John Lewis. The carpet we currently have is red (although not the original) and suitably aged with stains and marks following 14 hard years of office use so we think we will probably be able to keep it – it will also be mostly covered with rugs. But new flooring is required in the new Exhibition Spaces and Learning Studio. Marmoleum has been suggested for the exhibition space which I think is a kind of rubbery, spongey, hard wearing material which can come in any colour and for the Learning Studio a solid wood floor. Of course these finishes are more than aesthetic considerations, they impact the acoustic, the feel, the accessibility and the wear and tear on the space. So we need to think about them seriously, although marmoleum sounds a little bit too much like marmalade to be taken that seriously.