I have a nice minimalist flat again (until I put all the junk back)

[major_clanger]

Goodbye unsightly stained paintwork! Hello smell of fresh paint! Yes, five months after the saga of the persistent leak from the upstairs flat the decorators finally came today and seem to have done a very good job of fixing the flaking plaster in the ceiling and painting the walls. (It's taken this long because of the need for the management company to get the building insurers to agree that this is covered by the policy.) Mind you, this has meant emptying and dismantling the shelving in both my spare room and the flat corridor, so my main room is full of piles of boxes and books. I'll leave the paint to dry thoroughly - although it's pretty dry now - and put everything back over the next few days.