Shelves!

Lubo finally had some time (and we finally had the funds) to build the many shelves L. and I have been dreaming about.

First off, in the lean-to, Lubo built us a cupboard/desk to hide the washing machine and (soon) the freezer.

From March

He also added a nice long shelf which should be perfect for all of our plants (provided the kittens don't figure out a way to get up there)

From March

In the bathroom, we now have two shelves around the mirror.

From March

And much needed storage for our emergency supplies.

From March

L. spent much of today making use of the fabulous four new shelves that were installed in the cupboard.

From March

From March

It's so beautiful and organised now!

From March

I love all of the shelves, but probably the biggest improvement has been the addition of extra counter space in the kitchen.
This lovely structure will one day soon house a dishwasher (hurray!).

From March

I spent one evening last week finishing the top, so it is now lovely and shiny (and the stains just wipe away)

From March

Lubo was here on Saturday to finish things off and had the brilliant suggestion of making the countertop supports extra functional.

From March

Clearly, he knows us well.

From March

Going to the bathroom = education?

The paint has (finally!) dried on the door, most of the smell has gone away and I will get the final blotches of paint off of the tub one day soon. And, most excitingly, we now have a blackboard door!

From Jan 2011

From Jan 2011

From Jan 2011

We've decided to use the chalk markers they use on pub signs instead of conventional chalk (mostly so that it doesn't come off onto our clothes and/or towels).

And not only is it a chalk board, it's also magnetic - how cool is that?!

From Jan 2011

Trials of the bathroom remodel

Lest you think that this bathroom upgrade has been easy and always enjoyable, I present to you the counter evidence.

Case #1
The downside of the lovely slate floors made itself known early. A drawer that stuck a little before flying out plus the hard slate sadly shattered the old wooden knob for the sink cupboard.

From Jan 2011

It was a very sad sight, so I replaced them with shiny new black knobs.

From Jan 2011

From Jan 2011

And, of course, added a strategic nail to keep the drawer from coming out too easily.

Case #2

You might have to squint a bit to truly appreciate this picture. Basically, after three coats of paint, one stretch of paint decided to blister.

From Jan 2011

Unfortunately, it was the section right by the toilet, right where one would be terribly annoyed to study it in detail. So, I called in the consultant, and together, we decided the best course of action was to pop the air bubbles with a pin and smooth them down....however, the surgery turned out to be too delicate, so we left it over night and vowed to put a picture over the offending area if necessary.

When we woke up in the morning, though, we discovered the blisters had melted away overnight...

From Jan 2011

leaving a smooth wall....all except for the pin holes and tears from our surgery efforts.

Case #3
Case number three is still a bit tender. Today, I decided to paint the bathroom door. Photos to follow, but let's just say black paint gets everywhere! And believe me when I say there is nothing as depressing as finishing a job, feeling terribly pleased, taking a relaxing bath, and then watching as the draining water reveals that mysteriously the whole bottom of the tub is covered in blotches of black paint. Thirty minutes of scrubbing the tub later, and the paint somehow reattached itself to my body...and then back to the tub...and the floor...the camera is definitely not going into that room until there is absolutely no chance that the paint could leap from the door and onto it.

A blinding bathroom

We spent the weekend cleaning the whole house and, as an extra bonus, finally painting the bathroom. Three coats later and it is.....very, very white.

View from the bath:

From Jan 2011

And in the natural light:

From Jan 2011

From Jan 2011

We still have the towel rail and some shelves to put up and have grand plans for the door, so more to come in the coming weeks.

Bathroom: before & after

Thanks to Paul-the-builder's final push on Saturday, the bathroom is now (mostly) complete. But, as we need a bit of a break and the rest of the work we're doing ourselves, I think it's best to show it off now.

When we bought the house:

From Briar Crescent

Now:

From October November 2010

From October November 2010

From October November 2010

From October November 2010

And let us not forget the floor - before:

From Briar Crescent

And now, L.'s beloved slate (which I suspect was also Paul's most hated slate)

From October November 2010

Needless to say, we are very pleased. Now, we just have to decide on a colour for the walls....

Enter: the sink

With a new bathtub and a glorious new toilet (eco flush! very exciting, as you can imagine and a popular topic for dinner conversation recently), the only thing our little bathroom needed (besides tiles and floor) was a sink.

From October November 2010

As you can see, the space between bathtub and toilet is rather smaller than average....in fact, it turned out to be rather smaller than the usual 'compact' sink and cupboard. So, we had to get inventive. Once again, our beloved Recycling Centre came to the rescue with a darling little cupboard (for only £5). Here, the kittens are modeling its usefulness as a fortress.

From October November 2010

However, it needed a wee bit of height. So, we attached some lovely little legs....which started life as the ends to curtain poles.

From October November 2010

We fashioned a top out of a few left over boards and Paul-the-contractor plumbed and installed it.

From October November 2010

Feet in action.

From October November 2010

And we shortened the drawer so it would still be usable.

From October November 2010

And here, complete with the narrowest sink we could find, is the completed project.

From October November 2010

From October November 2010

Things get smoother

It is amazing what a thin layer of plaster can do. Compare, if you please, the difference now:

From October November 2010

So smooth and beautiful compare to the ugly bumpy paint from before:

From October November 2010

And, here in one picture, is the before (left) and after (right) of the plastering efforts.

From October November 2010

And finally, a taster of the tile loveliness to come:

From October November 2010

From October November 2010

Putting the 'bath' in 'bathroom'

A mere two days ago, the bathroom hosted a shower, red carpet, vinyl panels on tile, a very tired toilet and numerous affronts to good taste. And worst of all, it was bath-less.
Before:

From October November 2010

From October November 2010

Well, it's lacking in pretty much everything now.
Current state:

From October November 2010

From October November 2010

However, as of 15 minutes ago, it now hosts a working bath.

From October November 2010

Things are definitely looking up (not to mention soon to smell better....)

From October November 2010