Steps 17-83

Finished! Walls have two coats of paint, trim has been repainted...oak floors oil polished - boy they sure perked up with that! Artwork and mirror back in place....I'm a happy person (tired and happy)(sore and happy).

Now the problem is- do I move south and do the living room next? or north to the kitchen...the living room will be physically hard - the kitchen will be physically AND financially challenging - we need new countertops and new cabinets...
I think I'll go south first...but not until after I visit our grandchildren!! (which means going north and east...;^))

In the first picture, that is a splice - our house is not caving in (yet...)

I couldn't wait until Monday...

...so this morning I painted the first coat on the walls....now off to get beeswax collage class supplies ready....

(I'm not a wonderfully patient person...it has to be done NOW! :))

Ceiling done!

After one week of neck stretching, the ceiling is patched, plastered, primed and painted...and the new light fixture is up - thanks to my dear daughter-in-law's father, who is an electrician - he saved my bacon! When I was tearing out the old fixture, I discovered the wiring to be more
of a challenge than I'd anticipated. Being the fraidy cat that I am around old wiring, I opted for safety, swallowed my pride, and called for help. Bless him, he came, and now we have our light!
Thank you, Jerome!!!


Tomorrow is break time- I'm teaching a beeswax collage class on Saturday and need to get things together for that....Next week I'll work on the walls and trim, and hopefully a week from now this room will be done. (I can dream, anyway!

Buster - my helper.....Step 6-10

As I was finishing the ceiling "patch, sand, and prime" process today, our cat, Buster, decided he wanted to be part of the action ---sort of. His first job was to look pretty sitting on the windowsill (yet to be painted) behind the curtain....and then, as I was finishing priming a plaster patch on the lower wall, he decided he wanted to help paint...and was reaching for the paintbrush!

Step 5 ...now on to the ceiling cracks

(click on image to enlarge it)
Halfway through the first patching....when done and dry, I need to wet sand the patches, apply second coat, when that's dry, sand again, and then if needed, do a third coat...or else after the 2nd coat, I'll apply a coat of primer, then my 'sand' textured paint (to blend with the existing plaster), and finally paint with the 'real' color - which is just a very pale cream color (already got that, to cheer me up! :))....that's the plan anyway, if my neck holds up....don't worry- I'll be wearing my respirator and eye gear when I sand- even though it's with a wet sander...

(oh - and the light??) we'll kiss that puppy goodbye when I'm done..my reward to myself for finishing this room is going to be a new light fixture! Yes!!

step 4....

Step 3 - Plaster patching...

Step 1 done....

..got the new archway facing boards measured, cut and put in....plaster fill-in comes in next...then painting will be done and archway moldings will be put up....one step at a time...where's the magic wand when you need it?
You wouldn't believe the long, long road still to be travelled in refurbishing this whole house..it could take me 3 years...by then I should be ready for the looney bin....it's been at least 20 years since I've done *ANY* interior cosmetic work on the house - of course we've had all the essential BIG things done all along the way - new plumbing, electric, roofing, etc.....but sheesh - plaster cracks, painting, wallpaper to be removed and either re-done or re-painted, new light fixtures,etc......I need to think ----just one step at a time.

The house 'project' begins....

I'm starting to tear out hideous old wallpapered panelling, replastering part of one dining room wall, and getting ready to totally re-do painting, papering, hardwood floor refinishing....but it'll all take a long time.
Bear with me if I #!@*)%$%&&* every now and then, lol...I plan to NOT rush this...and will do my art as much as I can...which will be often because there's only so much 're-do' inspiration in me...witness here I am on the computer instead of at Lowe's picking up some supplies....sighhh
Want to see something REALLY ugly (our home is 61 years old...same age as yours truly - I wonder if my insides look this bad? ----prolly......

Resurrecting my blogger, to share my journey of...

...refurbishing our house interior...long overdue. This is where the pics will be posted as I take this necessary trip down redecorating lane....
All my art and etc is still posted to my Typepad blog