Posted by Futch
Around 6 months ago we bought a very ugly duckling in the Victorian countryside. It's been hard work but its coming along. We are working on the bathroom and kitchen right now. Lots and lots of paint needed, lots and lots. Here are before and afters of the rooms so far in case you missed some of them.The living room - bargain carpet and coffee tableThe dining area - love that bench seat!
The girls bedroom - with dresser transformed with Annie Sloan paint
Main bedroom - just love this one
More coming soon - still so much to do!
Posted by Futch
Back to our cottage living room renovation, see the previous post for part 1. The other big change we made is more subtle but was quite a bit of work. There was a door from the entrance area into the main bedroom which we wanted to close up. The bedroom doesn't need another door, it has one in the passage, and it made the entrance space very akward. More of that dirty mint paint too!
The amazing Mr B took off the doors and frames and framed up the space. We decided to use lining board to cover the entire wall on both sides, adding some sound insulation and also meaning no plastering was required. I love the finished look, very Scandi country, and it was definately a good option for both cost and labour required. I will be doing this every time we inherit a dodgy wall and is a great option for covering exposed pipes in bathrooms or kitchens.Of course I forgot to take a photo of the finished area, I have a put a large cabinet there with baskets on top and it looks really pretty. That's the problem with not having a computer at the cottage, you don't notice which pictures are missing before you write the post.
But what I can show you is how the rest of the room looks now!! But quickly just a quick look back at what the space looked like before.
And now the after!! It is quite incredible how much bigger and brighter the space feels, and it is really only a very small space. White paint rocks! and the wall coming down is totally incredible. Yes excuse the messy table, it's hard to make time for styling when you are in diy mode.
A prettier shot to finish up, and did I mention that I made that pendant lamp in the shot below? Pretty pleased with it, diy coming soon. You are going to love the price tag and just how easy it was to do.
And finally looking back at both rooms, you can see on the floor where the wall was. A lot of hard work, but so totally worth it.
Posted by Futch
With the bedrooms freshly painted and restored, if not totally finished, it was time to tackle the living room. This transformation is going to amaze you, it still amazes me! We have gone from dirty and unloved to fresh and cosy. Love it!! See the before and after progress below.
Like many old cottages ours was divided into tiny little rooms, teeny living room with a weird hatch through to the kitchen area, accessed via a door in the passage in the corner of both rooms. Weird, and hard to live in. There was also a doors from the entrance area into the main bedroom, who knows why as there is another in the passage.
It all seemed so simple: knock down the wall between the living and kitchen, close up the extra door to the bedroom, lots and lots of fresh paint.In reality it was a lot of hard work. This little house was filthy and I really do mean decades of dirt and neglect that just don't show up on the before photographs. Those curtains were just dusty, sun eaten rags, and the crackes between the cornices and the ceiling and walls just don't show up.Before painting each wall required lots of filling, and the cornices took more tubes of Gap Filler than you can imagine. That dirty mint paint just wouldn't say goodbye, lots of coats of paint.
We got a chippy to take down the wall, $500 very well spent! But the edges and ceiling had to be sealed and plastered. We still haven't quite finished this off, there are still a few gaps to be fixed and it needs to be primed and painted. Look how dirty the paint is below!!
And looking back from the kitchen through the hatch. All that yellow pine panelling - YUCK!
How amazing is the space with the wall gone!! You can see I have started painting the pine a lovely fresh white, more on that later.
Still a lot to do, lots more white paint required, but a huge improvement already. The windows in the kitchen area are flooded with north light, with the wall gone the living room is twice as light and warmer than it ever was before. You can just see the gorgeous old Aga range in the kitchen, can't wait until the rest of the kitchen, and especially those tile, is white and bright too.
I will be posting more of the living room soon. See the girls shared bedroom here, super sweet and done on a very tight budget!
Posted by Futch
I love the idea of my girls sharing a room when we are away. I want to make them a cute shared room, clean and bright with a hint of vintage.
This is my inspiration so far. Simple beds with a light directly above each, found this fab Ranarp lamp at Ikea which will be just perfect. I plan to bring colour in with cushions, I am thinking pom pom trim and vintage fabrics, and also with the dresser between the beds. So I am scouring ebay and the auction rooms for a good dresser to revive, and pretty fabrics to make pillows with. Let me know if you spot any good deals!
From top left: love the lamps above each bed, Ranarp lamp at Ikea, rustic bedroom, Winchelsea Beach Project with lamps on side wallsWatch this space, I feel a whole lot of DIY coming on...
The living room - bargain carpet and coffee table
The dining area - love that bench seat!
