Have cane chair, will spray paint! I came across three weathered cane chairs destined for the council tip, whilst out for a walk with Buddy. (Yes, I actually carried them home – what a sight). They were prime candidates for a make-over, upcycle or whatever you want to call it. It’s one of the quickest DIY projects of this nature you can do. And, that’s three less things destined for landfill. Here’s how: Continue reading
If you’ve ever attempted a semi-small renovation, you’ll understand when I say that it’s the final stages that seem to drag on forever. I think it’s because with demo work, the results are virtually instantaneous – here’s a wall and now it’s gone. But the fiddly bits don’t have such instant visual gratification for me and I really have to push through to see my vision come to life… Continue reading
Fireplace after hours of trying to strip back the stain
I wish. There was going to be no lounging about in this room. Where to start…. Well the fireplace. I’m not sure if the surround was original or not. It’s hard to tell but the woodwork is not symmetrical. Certainly I think the tiles and cast iron hearth were but the rest, I’m not too sure. Continue reading
I think the picture speaks for itself. It wasn’t pretty. The skirting boards, door jambs, picture rail and timber fret work had the same maroon treatment plus there was the added bonus of a wallpaper freeze. I left Mum to tackle the removal of the wallpaper as I just didn’t have the time (or the patience) to give to that joyful job. Continue reading
And the winner is… EBB
The dining room is probably one of the darkest rooms in the house. I wanted to create a cosy dining room without closing it in even more.
IN MY MIND’S EYE I’D ALWAYS PICTURED IT BEING PINK
Yes, pink. Not a lolly-pop, girly, girly kind of pink but a more subtle and sexier pink. As with any colour there are thousands upon thousands of variations and shades but given I could picture what I wanted, I could narrow the field down considerably before I even started.
The stud wall had left its mark on the ceiling but it survived relatively unscathed. What it did reveal was the original (?) paint work. Someone had painstakingly painted each of the raised plaster grapes yellow and every vine leaf green. That person would have had a) a very stiff neck, and b) a lot of patience and dedication, and maybe c) too much time on their hands?? They are 12ft ceilings!
Trail of liquid nails on the ceiling where the stud wall was attached
Although the removal of the wall had let in much-needed light and created a more open space, the room was still dark and dingy, mainly due to the black trims and dark paint colour.
THIS IS WHERE THE HARD SLOG BEGAN…
girl up a ladder 