How Felicity Finds

Category: Farmhouse Friday

  • My honest product edit — what has actually helped with the AuDHD, the perimenopause, and the renovation chaos

    My honest product edit — what has actually helped with the AuDHD, the perimenopause, and the renovation chaos

    This post contains affiliate links for some products; they will be clearly marked. If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I also have a personal discount code for the collagen I mentioned — I can’t share it publicly, but drop a comment below or message me on Instagram, and I’ll send it over. I only ever recommend products I actually use.

    Since hitting perimenopause, my coping mechanisms failed, and the mask fell off. My journey with AuDHD began, and boy, it’s been a hell of a ride. And whilst dealing with all that, we decided that starting a renovation project would be a fantastic idea! So what are the products that have helped me through these last few years, and what new ones am I using in the house to help with the reno and work with my neurodivergence?

    Products for AuDHD Women in the UK

    THE ND TOOLKIT

    From essential oils from Rebel Rituals to sleep sprays from This Works, these products help me calm my mind, focus my thoughts, and get a great night’s sleep. And when it all gets a little too much, the weighted blanket comes out to give me a huge, deep hug.

    FIND OUT MORE…

    Perimenopause & hormone wellbeing

    Supplements voted the Best Menopause Supplement of the Year 2025 by BBC Good Food help me get a full night’s sleep and the energy to function throughout the day. Vitamins and collagen, specifically designed by Elavate, are my secret weapons to fantastic hair and nails. Whilst my Caudalie Vinopure Serum has eradicated the hormonal acne that was one of my earliest and worst menopause symptoms.

    FIND OUT MORE…

    THE FARMHOUSE

    I’ve found some great kitchen products that not only look great but also help with an ADHD brain by reducing stress, visually and literally, and ensuring we don’t run out. When you have ND kids, it’s worth more than your life to run out of their favourites!

    As well as that, I know a lot of people have asked about the products and companies we are working with for the renovation, so I’ll be adding them here, too.

    FIND OUT MORE…

    RURAL & FAMILY LIFE

    Coming this week, I’ll also be adding in a lot of the products and clothing we use and wear now that we live a little more rurally. Think wellies, gilets, leggings, as well as gardening tools and more as time goes on.

    I’ll also list a lot of the items that have helped us as a neurodivergent family, such as labelling, vitamins and supplements, books on ND parenting, etc.

    COMING SOON!

    All the products listed, which we use and love, have genuinely helped us along the way. So, I really hope that they will help you too! If there is anything you want to ask, please just comment below!

    Fay x

  • Farmhouse Friday #2 — the kitchen arrived. We were not ready.

    Farmhouse Friday #2 — the kitchen arrived. We were not ready.

    Farmhouse Friday – The Kitchen

    Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only ever recommend products I use and genuinely believe in.

    I’d planned the kitchen renovation down to the tee. Spent hours/days (yep, really!) measuring, re-measuring and planning the kitchen by myself. We’d known for over a month what week it would arrive. So, of course, sods law we had no workmen here the week before. My husband was away playing in a squash tournament. The kitchen floor hadn’t been prepped, and it arrived a day early!

    When we bought the house, the kitchen was still quite intact. However, it was quite modern, and not at all what would be found in a Victorian farmhouse. We were able to remove all the units, but there is a small cupboard at work surface height, which was located in the corner of the kitchen. This cupboard is listed, so has to remain. It has been the hardest part of the kitchen renovation to design around, and I’m still worried it may throw us a curveball.

    Victorian farmhouse kitchen renovation

    Victorian Farmhouse Kitchen Renovation

    We’ve gone for a shaker style kitchen, with range cooker (from our previous house), kitchen island and integrated appliances. It is more of a simple modern shaker style than our previous kitchen. But still in keeping with the farmhouse. There will be some open shelving in the utility and boot room, but we’ve yet to decide on worktops… and flooring…

    We were obviously hoping to have the flooring ready so could have put the floor units ‘in place’ as they arrived. But, that wasn’t to be. The delivery guys were great and so accommodating. They kept the three deliveries (Kitchen, Boot Room & Utility) separated when storing in the dining room. This should hopefully help the kitchen fitter as he starts on the kitchen next week.

    On weeks like this one, I’m especially grateful for Rebel Rituals — the hormonal chaos of perimenopause and ADHD, on top of renovation stress is its own particular kind of overwhelming. Having something that takes the edge off the symptoms makes the rest slightly more manageable.

    Victorian farmhouse kitchen renovation

    Next Steps…

    So finally this week, the kitchen was cleared, the underfloor heating matting went down and the screed went down to level the floor. Ready for the kitchen fitter on Tuesday. Floor tiles will go down after the units are in place. We also have to choose our worktop which I’m really undecided about. I really wanted wooden worktop, but I understand the hubby’s concern about burn/scorch marks from hot pans etc.

    So make sure you save this post and come back for Farmhouse Friday #3 — the kitchen goes in. This next week is going to bring such a big change in the house. If you are new here, then check out what’s happened so far with our Victorian Farmhouse renovation journey. And follow me on Instagram for real-time updates.

    Fay x

  • Farmhouse Friday – Family Bathroom

    Farmhouse Friday – Family Bathroom

    Farmhouse Friday – Family Bathroom

    Introducing my brand new series of Farmhouse Friday, where I’ll share a specific room within the house, and what’s happened this last week. The first room of the series is the family bathroom, which is pretty much done. It’s not been without its challenges; a Victorian farmhouse bathroom isn’t always straightforward. So check out the before and after, and how we managed to do this for less than £2.5k! I will caveat from the outset that the wall panels we used were kindly #gifted from Multipanel.

    Farmhouse Friday - Victorian farmhouse bathroom before and after (4)

    Small Victorian Bathroom Renovation

    The room itself isn’t small as such, but does come with some limitations. It was originally part of a much larger room, hence the stunning, large window. However, this doesn’t immediately lend itself to a bathroom. Not only that, but it is long and thin, making it difficult to change any layout with great effect. And let’s not mention the 70’s pine cladding…

    Originally, there had been a bath, basin and toilet, and the layout wasn’t going to change. However, with 3 boys, we wanted to go for a large shower, rather than a bath. I also knew this would probably be the most used bathroom, so it needed to be easy to keep clean, too!

    A monochrome bathroom to me is timeless, and perfect to pick up/refresh with simple highlights if wanted. I did feel it would be very stark on its own, and so wanted to ensure some greenery was added to soften the look. The renovation itself was fairly straightforward, although we did come across a few hiccups.

    What Worked

    • The layout was already there, so no major work was required.
    • The window added a fantastic amount of natural light.
    • The panelling was pretty easy to install and went up in a day.

    What Didn’t Work

    • There was a small misunderstanding around the wall-hung basin, which means the plumber had to cut out the panelling once it had been installed. He very kindly cut out along the ‘grout’ of the tiles, so once back in place, it should be unnoticeable.
    • The window gives no privacy at all.

    Period Bathroom Restoration Costs

    Here is the breakdown of exactly how much the restoration cost and where we sourced everything from.

    Wall Panels – Multipanel UK – Alpine White Metro Collection (Very kindly #gifted) – P.O.A

    Floor Tiles – Amazon #Aff – £127.60

    Traditional Concealed Shower – Victorian Plumbing – £249.95

    Shower Tray & Screen – Victorian Plumbing – £539.95

    Wall Hung Basin – Victorian Plumbing – £129.95

    Traditional Wall Mounted Taps – Victorian Plumbing – £139.95

    Traditional Low Level Toilet – Victorian Plumbing – £299.95

    Soft Close Toilet Seat – Victorian Plumbing – £79.95

    Traditional Style Radiator – Victorian Plumbing – £419.95

    Wall Lights – Dunlem – £64 (£32 each)

    Mirror – B&M – £8

    Shelf – B&M – £5 (have linked longer size for online, but shorter length available in store)

    Japanese Screen – Amazon #Aff – £89.99 The perfect solution to the privacy issue!

    Plants – My own

    Wooden Storage Unit – My own

    The bits you don’t think about…

    Shower Waste – Victorian Plumbing – £37.95

    Basin Waste & Bottle Trap – Victorian Plumbing – £89.95

    Total Cost: £2,282.14

    So, there we have it. The first of our Farmhouse Friday series, and a deep dive into our Victorian farmhouse bathroom before and after. If you have any questions, then please just ask, and I’d love to know if you like?!

    Would you consider using wall panels instead of tiles?!

    Fay x