I bet you’ve all been on the edge of your seats wondering what’s been happening with that plastering in living room haven’t you? Well sit back and relax while I bring you up to date.
Here’s where we left things.
Ready for gib finishing and painting.
Now don’t get too wildly excited, I’m not completely finished yet. Forget all those 24 hour room renos on ‘The Block’, this is real life. Which means I also get to cook meals, go to work, and fix water pipes when Fencer Phil and his lads ram fenceposts though them with their fancy post driver (more about the fencing project soon). Notwithstanding I would like to (proudly) report that after ten weeks of being bossed around by my brain I have made a start.
What is it with brains? Mine was very vocal in dissuading me from plastering. Whenever I thought about opening a tub of Plus 4, this loop track played — which I would try to interrupt every so often with some more reasonable points.
Brain: ‘Ooooh, that looks tricky’, ‘No, no, I don’t think you’ll be able to do that’, ‘You are going to make mess of it’.
Me: ‘Hold on, we have actually done plastering before you know. On a ceiling. Surely ceilings are trickier than walls’.
Brain: ‘Ah yes, but ceilings have matt paint which hides a multitude of sins, this is way more exacting’. ‘No… [examines wall carefully] No, I definitely don’t think you’re up to it’, ‘You’re going to make such a mess’.
And so it went, around and around, for all those weeks.
Anyway, the other morning I made a deal with my brain. I persuaded her that we’d work on just the 500mm of wall between the corner and the start of the ranch-slider. If it all went bad (Brain: ‘Damn right it will’) I would stop and ring a plasterer to finish the job. If it went well I would stop, have a cup of tea, and celebrate by ringing DIY Guy with the good news.
After much persuasion my brain allows me to make a start.
Well, I guess the outcome is obvious. After 20 mins of sanding it was all going rather swimmingly, and my brain had conceded that maybe things might work out after all. I had a cup of tea. I rang DIY Guy, who spoke suitably encouraging words, and I tackled the rest of that wall; section by section, tea break by tea break. This is the current state of play. Better, yes?
Now. With plastering and gib seal paint. You can see the ‘pine crime’ before pic here.
There’s still lots to do. Painting of course — this is just a primer — but also I’m thinking of using some of the pine we removed from the walls to create a taller skirting board. The one we have is way out of proportion for the ceiling height. Also I’d like to put in some wider window architraves (so perhaps the skirting board I remove could come in handy there?). But wait, there’s more… The reason I’ve left that right hand wall unfinished is that I’m going to create some floor to ceiling bookshelves. Even as I type the Forbearing Husband is on his way home from the Big Smoke with a car full of these. What do you think? Anyone, other than me, always wanted a library ladder?
Floor to ceiling bookcases! Library ladder!! OMG I hardly bear the excitement!!! I shall come and visit and sit blissfully amongst the books while Chicken Boy sits blissfully amongst the chickens.
I can’t think of anything nicer than to have you both here, feeling blissful. Hugs 🙂
What a great job!
Those annoying brains,overrated…
A long held wish of mine to have endless bookshelves and a ladder( not the least because I am vertically challenged!!)
All of us vertically challenged ex-librarians should surely be issued with library ladders as a matter of course, don’t you think?
Absolutely!
Thinking of putting one in my scullery,so I can reach all those shelves as I know my rather tall male child will eventually leave the nest x
Good idea. I guess it’s either that or adopt another tall person? A scullery ladder will be much easier on the food bill though.
Well done oh Plastered One – good job:)
Love the idea of library ladder and piles of books – can almost smell them! (I a good way) Reminds me of that AJ Fisk book:-)
Thank you! Love the smell of a new book, so exciting. Which one is the AJ Fisk? I don’t think I’ve read it. x
Sorry shd be The Storied Life of A J Filry: A Novel by Gabrielle Zebin. Nice 😍
Ah ha, will look for it at the library. 🙂
Could you maybe also have one of those cool library stools on wheels? I’ve always loved those. Stand on them to reach your book, sit on them when you’ve found it. No delay! And I think the wheeeled aspect might appeal to you? Nice plastering btw.
You mean the little dalek ones? I agree, they are very cute. I do have a thing for wheels. Apart from ponies (and the Forbearing Husband) pretty much anything is improved if it rolls.
Looking forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks whereupon you can inspect the plastering in person.
YES, The dalek ones! No rolls in the hay for the Forebearing Husband? Also looking forward to admiring the plastering in person. 🙂
You are so saucy!
Just looked at your dalek link. Such pretty colours! So cute!
Well done. The photo looks like a show home (if I close my right eye to avoid the white blotches).
You are sweet. Especially for keeping that right eye closed. Things are moving along. Keep both eyes on the IKEA outlet near your place as I empty it of Billy bookcases!
Sorry, it isn’t relevant, but want to tell you – W has been talking about how in future when we have driver-less cars, he is going to build old-fashioned cars that do need a driver. He plans to run his workshop in your barn! I suggested there might be an employee already on the premises, as surely any boy who takes toy cars to bed with them would be ideal. W has mentioned this idea to me several times.
What a sweetie. Yes the barn will be the perfect workshop, and our resident I-used-go-to-bed-with-a-toy-car-in-each-hand lad will no doubt be keen to get involved. 🙂