Charles and Marie in real life

Oh quelle horror, still nothing to report and as at last count we had only found two builders who were available and happy to submit a quote. This is making me nervous because unless one of them can do the work for our budget, the process could start again (ie finding more builders and waiting another 3 weeks for more quotes). We can't carry on paying two mortgages and waiting. I'm feeling a tad anxious.

On the good news side, I've just spent three days in Milan hanging out at the Zona Tortona which is part of the Salone del Mobile ("the world's most important industrial design and furniture fair"). I spent many hours walking around via Tortona, taking over 200 photographs of various products and I still think I missed half of what was on show. When you've looked at so many products it's hard not to feel inspired/excited/broke.

I'm going to post various photos to catalogue what I liked for future reference. I may as well given that there are no new pictures of the actual renovation project to share.

So, on day one I went to the pop-up shop of one of my favourite websites, charlesandmarie.com at 12 via Tortona. The shop was filled with a selection of the witty and clever objects they sell online. I particularly loved the subversive pot plant ceramic holders featuring urban park scenes (eg the pregnant woman being flashed at, someone getting mugged, and a bit of boy-on-boy Hampstead Heath action…)

I was planning on going back to the pop-up shop to buy the Moose trophy hangers by New Zealander Phil Cuttance, but as I wandered along via Tortona a taxi beeped at me, and inside was an old colleague who I hadn't seen for nearly a year. I got in the taxi and was whizzed off to the B&B Italia store, it would have been rude not to go, when in Milan etc etc.

It was great meeting Marcus (one of the owners, pictured below) as I'd been emailing him fo many months (work related correspondence, not fan mail). He's planning on opening five C&M stores around the world by the end of the year. Hopefully one will be in London as I'll need to decorate my house by then.