LAST STAGES

Well here we are - getting ready for the carpets to be fitted tomorrow and the curtains next week hopefully.

Here is the new blue bedroom decor; and my efforts and black leading the original Victorian grates - done some time ago and ready for an improved appearance.

Thankfully I don't have to do these daily like they would have been in the early days of this house!

NEARING COMPLETION

This is the best part, albeit tiring, (we have been working our socks off for months - moving things in preparation and planning ahead). Now the rooms are being decorated following the excellent plastering and renovation work and we are beginning to see some great results.

The photos in earlier posts showed the back bedroom redecorated, but that room still needs carpets and curtains (ordered and waiting!) - and this is temporarily being used to house items from other rooms which are having treatment.

Soon all rooms will have carpets and curtains and then we will be very happy indeed.

The pictures on this post then are of the front Lounge with its great new peaches and cream effect; not sickly sweet at all but a mixture of cool and warm effects.

EMBELLISMENTS !

Some of the embellishments to the rooms have already taken place;

and some experimental ones are underway on mantels etc !

all of which are encouraging signs

The mantel needs painting and some other items not finished but it is fun to try things out where they look good etc.

MAKING PROGRESS

This is the stage which we have been waiting for! This blog has taken secondary place this week to the work that has gone on and the arrangements that have been made which means we are racing towards the finish !

One room (back bedroom) is painted as has been shown previously, and is just waiting for carpet and curtains.

The front room is completely plastered out and drying well and should be possible to paint in a day or two.

The carpet fitter has measured up both rooms, and the curtain fitter can come in due course (curtains being made).

THEN we will be able to get going with completing all the rooms.

[The third room that was repaired is also awaiting painting and then the new curtains can go up in there. ]

So it is all a lot further on now and we are very happy.

Some of the pics above show the progress in the front lounge ...

THRILLING THURSDAY!

TODAY the decorators Graeme and Stephen arrived as promised - bright and early and got going with the decoration of the back bedroom!

Nirvana colour (pale voilet) on the walls, whiite with a splash of Nirvana ceiling -
white paintwork including the covings - just lovely!

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY

As promised Stephen the Decorator telephoned to confirm that, as promised, he and Graeme woulld be with us in the morning (Thursday) and will start the back bedroom.
He has told us that the painting of room will be finished for the weekend. Yeh! Hooray!

Last week we ordered curtains and picked carpets - so the end of this big phase is in sight.

Later, the only things to do are a front door and a couple of windows in the middle room and kitchen - but not until the Spring weather!

SUPER TUESDAY

Today saw the completion of the windows fitted in the bedroom and attic office - and they look beautiful. Really special - they look as if they are just like the original style. But with modern features.

The rooms are so much warmer and quieter - despite the rain and wind blowing outside - and the windows being fixed make the rooms look almost complete - just the decorating to do and so on! We are getting there.

Brian will be back later in the week with George the plasterer and then they will finish the front lounge - plaster the two remaining walls when the damp proof stuff has dried - that will take a week to dry but then that too can be painted.

Those two rooms will get new 'old' ceilinng roses fitted too.

The lads will also do a small repair job in the front bedroom so that that room can be decorated out as well.

It is all very exciting; after all our plans and ideas they are now coming to fruition - it seems only yesterday since we first began our plans in some ways - although in others it has been a long haul and we are glad we can see the light nat the end of the tunnel !

MONDAY! MONDAY! MONDAY!

WINDOWS! WINDOWS! WINDOWS!

The new windows are here and being installed during today! Hooray!

The photos above are of the old windows before they were removed and replaced.

*****

And below are the new ones.

They are gorgeous, like the others Brian put in during the Spring. The old house is being updated with modern fitments - but in a style that suits it properly. The windows look natural.

These windows look and act like the old sashes - and slide up and down in the same way. HOWEVER, as well as being double glazed they also revolve for cleaning so that is good - the attic level especially!

As can be seen, Chez loves them as they keep us lovely and warm and draft proofed !!!

WEEKEND REVIEW

The end of the week (Friday) was a 'mixed bag' stress-wise!!! Having expected the builders to be here bright and early, with windows, we had had an early night, had got up at 7.00 a.m. and done our early morning routines - breakfast - etc. We had put the car out across the driveway to save space for the builder's van and so on.

However all this was in vain as by 10.00 a.m. there was no sign of any workmen and we went dog walking (later than usual) - keeping an eye out for the lads' van in the street. Nothing!!!

At lunchtime we rang up and - 0h no! - the windows had not arrived at the builder's place (although should have arrived the day before - Thursday). Brian was so concerned for us and promised to sort it out.

Anyway, all was not lost, because as promised earlier in the week, Brian and co arrived after lunch and continued plastering the front lounge - the ceiling - which turned out terrificly well.
[PICS Taken - see shortly]

Later that day, Brian went off in pursuit of the windows - and returned late p.m. to say they HAD now arrived annd that he woulld be returning on Monday and Tuesday to fit them and finish the walls.

ICING After tea the decorator - Stephen - rang to say that he and Graeme would now be available to decorate a room sooner than expected as they had rearranged some other work! Hopefully that means the back bedroom will start to be painted next Thursday (13th) and then we will have one of the rooms totally finished (except for carpets) Curtains can go up. Carpets will wait until that room is used to put a few things whilst the front bedroom has a bit of repair only and some coats of paint.

So as stated - mixed feelings; some good news and some progress - quite a good end to the week and lots to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Saturday and Sunday we can rest and get our strenth up accordingly ... ...

COLOUR CHART

As we were builder 'free' on Thursday we decided to put it to good use and go out and choose the bay window curtains - and look at carpets!

We copied the decorator's paint chart so we could be sure of the tones (although we had a lot of them in our heads!) We found some gorgeous rust material with leaf design woven in - a raised effect for the lounge bay. Also some blue mixed shades for the bedroom bay.

Both these bays are huge and the curtains will be very heavy so we have taken up the shop's offer for a specialist to come and advise on the rails needed and to fit them for us.

We also browsed for carpets for the lounge and the back bedroom - but it is too early to get the fitter down to measure up as the rooms are still being occupied by plaster - and before long paint!!

RESUME

The last ten days or so have been very difficult to live with but very productive and in the long run will give us much pleasure.

The photos on this page show that the coving is now in place in the back bedroom - which was affixed on Monday this week, and where we can now get some sleep!

The only thing left to do in this room is replace the windows

-and we hope that will be done this Friday.





And the view has not changed; the dear old trees and the rain !!!

One member of the family is especially pleased we are getting back to normal, as can be seen here!

MONDAY - PROGRESSIVE NEW WEEK

Following a restful day on Sunday, and the joy of being able to use the back bedroom again, despite the fact it only has essential furniture in it - we started a very fruitful week.

Monday morning was when we hoped the further windows would come - and they will be here this week.

However, the covings were ready to use and Brian annd John wasted no time in getting them in place. This made the back bedroom (already plastered) look much more complete.

Now if only we had some new windows ....hey-ho!!!

Anyway, a further bit of good news came later. We had arranged with the decorators, Graeme and Stuart, to call on us tomorrow to talk abouit the colour schemes.

However, they rang to say they were in our neighbourhood today, and could they call now? This was good news - so we had a good chat about colours and schemes and got a lot of good advice too. We showed them our folder of coloured photos from a Victorian book - and they left a colour chart to use to match up with our ideas.

They will be back soon when building works move on further and plaster dries out - and then they will be able to give us a date to begin their part in the house revival.

All in all a good day again ...

SATURDAY - AN OVERVIEW

As it is now the weekend and we have not had builders in since Tuesday, this is a good time to look back at the week.

On Tuesday the work done involved further and completion of plastering in the back bedroom. Most walls were drying nicely so George did wall 4 and the ceiling - which is strenuous work and very hard work. I told George his skills were very much better than my efforts in the front attic - smoothing plaster until it looks like glass is something of a skill!

The other job on Tuesday was to inject the Lounge walls with the damp proof stuff. As this apparently takes two weeks to soak in the lads are not allowed to do any plastering work in there until the two weeks are up.

Finally, so that the plastering can be progressed in due course, Brian and co. took all the rest of the plaster off and the ceiling. We knew the original ceiling paper was decorative and thick - but it was amazing to compare it with the wall paper (modern) when they were both removed.

Now, we are waiting for next Monday - when the double glazed windows are due to arrive - so they can go in and the coving be put on - all in the back bedroom.

This room will then be ready for painting !!


Here are pics of the Lounge - before ...

and after so far ...

things can only get better !!!

UP-DATE - WORK IN PROGRESS

Today is a "day off" from the builders and their hard work.

This is because the back bedroom has now had all the plastering completed - including the ceiling and needs to dry out fully so that coving can be added. This will take place in a couple of days - on Friday

The windows have been ordered but will not arriive until 3rd November - bit if a pane (!) Still after that re-decorating can begin and the work move on.

Furthermore, the front lounge had all its plaster removed yesterday and the Damp Proof materials were injected. This stuff has to be left to soak in for two weeks before any re-plastering can take place in that room.

There will be some pauses whilst all these things are taking place.

Meantime, photos of work to date will be added as we go along to show you the progress ...

HERE'S SOME WE DID EARLIER !

Just before we go on with our current restoration works - here are some photos of the new windows and works that were carried out in April this year .....