Carpet Cleaner Interview: Home life: Michael Bishop

This interview comes from HomeMaker. You can find the link to the article on the bottom of the page.

Michael Bishop has been a carpet cleaning ace for six years. During that time, he’s cleaned everything from fireside rugs to a caravan on an ostrich farm! Here, he answers questions about his home life.
When and where did you buy your first home?
My first home was a two-bedroom Dutch bungalow in Forest Hall when I was 22.
How much did you pay?




I paid £14,950 in 1983.

Where do you live now?

I live in a house that was converted from the superintendent’s quarters of the Memorial Church in North Shields, a Grade II* listed building.

Who do you live with?

I live with my partner Christine, Boris the cat and two gorgeous puppies, Otis and Dylan, aged 17 weeks.

How would you describe your own home style?

The house has all its original fireplaces and large oak doors. The furniture is modern and we have taken a minimalist approach.

What would be your dream home if you won the lottery?

We love the coast and wouldn’t move further than Tynemouth. An old town house in Tynemouth would be ideal, with a large garden to chill in.

We would also buy a place abroad; it would spur us on to learn a new language.

What are your favourite interiors shops and why?

Barker and Stonehouse for good quality and longevity and they cater for every style and whim. And IKEA for lots of other stuff, they are just good fun and you can replace things when you get bored with them (recycle of course).

What’s your best buy for the home?

Spending money on a new ergonomically designed fitted kitchen with solid wood worktops was definitely the best buy. The halogen hob is great and easy to clean. The only mistake was the built-in under-counter fridge freezer. It was later explained to me that the fridges are rarely cold enough and aren’t very energy efficient – so not very ‘green’ and a hard thing to go about changing!

What’s your biggest decorating mistake or most cringeworthy buy?

As most of the project money was spent on the kitchen, we cut corners by putting a cheap kiln- fired transfer border tile in the fully-tiled bathroom. It would be a major job to replace.

Many years ago Christine, trying to inject some colour into her mother’s downstairs toilet, painted it lilac with black gloss paintwork! An instantly cringeworthy result that took hours to rectify.

What’s hot and what’s not in the world of interiors?

Our living room has a strong bitter chocolate feature wall, the rest is pale mauve/grey.

Large print wallpaper is as hot as it gets, though, in vibrant colours such deep turquoise or even black and white. For bathrooms and kitchens, natural stone tiles for floors; walls and worktops. Anything with an Eastern theme, ie floral or bamboo etchings. Print cushions and lampshades could be added for an instant update. I think laminate flooring has had its day.

What’s your favourite TV property show?

Grand Designs is my favourite. All the couples start off with great ideas and it’s fantastic when it all comes together. Project managing is very difficult, never under-estimate the costs, plan for setbacks. If you don’t get the best results from your workforce, could it be your fault? Many of the ideas could be used on a smaller scale or an individual project for your own home.

Michael Bishop is the owner of Fresh & Clean Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Specialists, tel: (0191) 290-2547, or 07985 356930.

Do you work in the world of property or interiors? Perhaps you’re an interior designer, architect, estate agent, surveyor or have an interior-related business or shop. If you want to answer our questions email karen.wilson.ncj@ncjmedia.co.uk

Carpet Cleaning News Comes From : http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/...michael-bishop-50081-20961943/#story_continue