Bookcase

I can't remember not having this bookcase - not too sure if a bit of orange paint on the back of it was from my bedroom in Leamington, 40+ years ago, or from our living room in Edward Avenue!  I've always been a bookworm - so my bookcase has gone everywhere with me - but it has languished in the conservatory, empty, for a couple of years whilst we tried to work out where it should live.

It now fits in the dining room - but not the colour so it's been painted.  The tiles on top were the only thing we liked in the kitchen here - guessing early 80s - that I'd kept aside for reuse.
Tiles turned out to be annoyingly delicate, but Phil managed to get enough to work.
It now fits visually - and I'm so pleased we found a home for both the bookcase and the tiles.
Finished off with our travel books - and 2 vases acquired from Jacki & Paul's wedding.

Farewell to mustard - and to gold coloured scrolls

3 days of getting up to greet the plasterers, 3 packets of biscuits and the lovely mustard walls are no more.  They were impressively tidy too.
The only downsides are that we've realised that fitting the wall lights is going to be a bit more complicated than we anticipated (short cables) & the switch for the lobby light isn't working so are resorting to getting an electrician back in.
We made a start on the decorating this weekend.  Phil used some interesting concrete-mix-in-a-bag stuff to tidy up the floor of the fireplace ready for tiling, stripped & re-varnished one of the handrails (and the light pull in the cloakroom).  I started on de-golding the railings, painting all of them black - pleased that we got that job finished on Saturday.
Looking better already I think....

(Finally) Ready to Plaster

Most of our stuff is stowed in the conservatory & we've temporarily turned the guest room into a mini-lounge because the mammoth plastering project starts on Monday - about 6 months later than we originally thought!

Delays have included illness, a heatwave making wallpaper stripping seem like a daft idea, availability of trades, trying to find the flooring and hearth that meet at least a couple of responsible sourcing criteria, discovering that every Hetas installer seemed to have a different view about what we could or couldn't do....

Having said that, it's been good to spend a bit more time working out what we want and more time living in the room.
It's a big project as it's our lounge, dining area and hallway - and has 3 trades involved - plasterer, carpenter & Hetas installer.  And a little bit for a plumber to do - plus vast amounts of painting for me & Phil.

We have decided against retaining the lovely mustard shade on the walls - although I was pleased to see it used inside Mottisfont Abbey, complete with a trope d'oeil marble paint effect.

The banisters will be staying though - haven't got the budget to change 'em so hoping that a bit of black metal paint will suffice for now.

Dining Room - Furniture Change

 More grey IKEA Hemnes added...  We've been rethinking how the huge open plan space downstairs will work - and we're building the plan for the big overhaul that's waiting for my sharesave scheme to mature in December.  It does mean that we can make small changes secure in the knowledge that they will be right for the room in 6 months time as well as now.  


A very generous payment for a bike & housewarming gift from James & Freya enabled us to get 2 bookcases for the dining room.  Short term, it's meant the last of the boxes could be unpacked, freeing up the conservatory and giving me access to the cookery books.  Long term, they will stay there - and may be joined by another of the slim ones.  The pine dresser from our old house that I painted up fits beautifully next to the fish tank & is now overflow booze cupboard and table linen.

There was a wall shelf/unit in the dining room too - it used to be our TV stand in Edward Avenue, but became obsolete when we got a different telly that wouldn't fit.  However, combined with a blanket box, it makes a great suitcase/bag support for the guest room - not exactly elegant, but functional!  I don't know if I'm unusually lazy (probably), but I rarely unpack when staying at a friend's, but do like to be able to stow my bag somewhere - hence not worrying about spare drawers, but 2 places to shove and easily access a case.  after we redecorate this room, will probably put up some hooks so guests can hang up stuff....