A new lease of life

Feb 15 2007 by Debbie Johnson, Liverpool Daily Post

Debbie Johnson meets the man who has just moved into his new apartment which has the 'Bold Street factor'

The apartment is clean, bright and fresh, with light-coloured laminate flooring and white and neutral colours on the walls, as well as nice big windows that allow the sunlight to flood in.
 
Mark says: "Nobody has ever lived here, which is quite nice - it's a blank canvas for me, really."
 
The living room contains chocolate sofas, bookcases and a coffee table, and two new goldfish - Obama and Castro, which will ring bells for the politically-minded - to compensate for the fact that Mark is, for the first time in a while, without pets. Specifically, rabbits.
 
He says: "I've always had rabbits. I really love them. I've got a nice ceramic rabbit, and a very cute sock monkey, but I thought I'd get the fish to try and compensate for the lack of livestock!"

The kitchen is fitted with beech cupboards, and the usual array of appliances, and the kitchen and lounge both have atmospheric spot lighting. Mark's bathroom is a modern white suite, with white tiling and a ceramic bath.
 
The room is stocked with essentials - like candles, and a Spongebob Squarepants radio - for when Mark feels like a nice long soak.
 
The bedroom features artwork that matches some of that in the lounge - limited edition canvasses by Caroline Shotton.
 
"They are of cows," says Mark, "and they just have these brilliant expressions on their faces - vacant and yet inquisitive. They reminded me of some people I know!"

Also on the walls are large posters Mark bought while he was on a trip to Nashville.
 
One is of Johnny Cash - a hero of Mark's, and of the thousands of people who use the website he runs, www.americana-uk.com.