Great big pole is fine, bedroom finished!

[JoceAndChris]

For those who were kind enough to listen to my whinging over my 55 mm curtain pole, I'm happy to say that once it's up you forget about it!

Moo, you asked about the history of the curtain pole, this was something reasonably interesting I found: http://blog.naturalcurtaincompany.co.uk/index.php/2009/01/a-brief-history-of-curtains/

If anyone needs some proof this morning that rooms do eventually get finished, here we are.

We started off like this:

but decided it wouldn't do because of rotten sill, lack of any lighting in the room, and decorations not to our taste.

So the familiar building site from April-October:

Gouging out cracks and filling them:

Repairing the sill:

Then all the other jobs I've moaned about, the wiring, the refilling of channels, the planing and planing and planing of shutters to get them to fit, the floor, the fireplace, the wallpaper, the paint stripping, the painting, the making of curtains, the installing of cornice.

And today at last I can shut the door and forget about it!

Many, many thanks to the invaluable support and help I've received from you all on the dozens of new things this room challenged me with - it couldn't have happened without this forum!

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Joce, it's absolutely perfect, what a lovely room. Great view as well.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thank you! Wish you'd put your decorating skills on here more too, they're brilliant!

 

[MdB]

To my uneducated eye, that curtain pole looks fine. The room looks great too.

 

[Penners]

I think it looks absolutely fine - you shouldn't have worried.

Every girl should have a great big Pole.

 

[Penners]

By the way, Joce, well done for showing everyone the finished result. I'm sure that the people on this forum who give useful advice will feel rewarded by a glimpse of the outcome of that advice.

It doesn't always happen.

And well done for all your own efforts, too. Permission granted to hug yourself!

 

[Nigel Watts]

Fantastic job - well done! Curtain fabric look most interesting and I love your headings.

In Rome just now. Hotel is on the Quirnale hill. Just sneaked out for a quick stroll and managed to slip into five baroque churches. Would like to type more but my blackberry is such ahateful thing!

 

[Flyfisher]

Wonderful Joce. It's certainly inspirational to see a lovely end-result when there are months-on-end (years even) of the 'before' repairs to slog through first. Proof indeed that all the hard work is not in vain.

 

[JoceAndChris]

there are months-on-end (years even) of the 'before' repairs to slog through first.

I'm doing those after. Otherwise it's all too depressing (and expensive).

I suppose we're lucky in that the interior, particularly on the ground floor, is without damp. I'm quite sure that if I were to dismantle things like floors I'd find problems, but I've made the decision that if my foot's not going through the floor and I'm not smelling mushrooms the joists are fine. It's so much easier to smash things up than to put them back. And I just can't bear to lose the original fabric. For example the walls and ceiling of this bedroom are lime plaster skimmed in sections with modern stuff. I could have taken the decision to hack off everything I perceived to be modern but I decided there was not enough justification to risk losing the original plaster.

I'm hoping that by 2011-2012 we will have sufficiently recovered from Chris losing the best part of last year's salary due to recession and companies folding, and instead of paying back debt we can pay for things like re-pointing and re-rendering. I'll probably end up doing it myself though, and I never expected that when we bought this cottage, and I'm still not really that confident about taking on such major stuff.

Thanks again for all the lovely comments, it's a huge learning curve and would be so much harder without you guys!


Penners- I agree it's lovely to see what people are up to and how they resolve all their difficulties, and we don't hear enough of that. I suppose it's unrealistic to expect it as things take so so long to get to a "we've finished this" stage. Also I think people are shy to reveal what they've done.

 

[Feltwell]

I don't think I'll be revealing my next project to anyone!

With baby due soon, my daughter is changing bedrooms to one in the attic, so we can have the baby on the same floor as us at night. Said daughter has very strong views on interior design for her new room, and shall we say that assertiveness is not an issue, even at the tender age of 5 years.

So far (interior design scheme no. 358) the request is Disney Princess wallpaper on 1 wall, shocking pink paint on another, green and blue stripes on another and yellow with "lots of fairies" on another. Sunglasses optional!

I think I will be doing her room in such a way that it can be easily and quickly re-painted in future.......

 

[Flyfisher]

, so we can have the baby on the same floor as us at night.

Might be worth you moving into the attic instead. Would save on the decorating and you'd get a good night's sleep. :wink:

 

[JoceAndChris]

I don't think I'll be revealing my next project to anyone!

Aw, go on! I love pink and princesses!

 

[judrop]

Absolutely gorgeous , beautiful well done, cyber hugs in celebration }}}}}}} XX

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks judrop that's very sweet of you - and far too much praise! Many on here make my piffling efforts appear a mere picnic in the storm of restoration.

 

[Feltwell]

Might be worth you moving into the attic instead. Would save on the decorating and you'd get a good night's sleep. :wink:

Not a bad idea. I've almost finished the garage, so I have somewhere to hide in the day as well.....

 

[Nigel Watts]

Joce you have been very courageous in sharing pictures of your wonderful house and I intend to follow your example, in the certain knowledge that there will be some disapproval.

Working on some rooms to create a haven before larger works is also a strategy we followed and I don't regret itM

One advantage of a blackberry: you can use it in the bath, as I am at present. Formal dinner
In Rome tonight (speeches from ministers etc) so need to be well turned out.

 

[JoceAndChris]

You lucky thing! Is it warm? Rome- not the bath. Have you been able to go bust shopping?

I post a lot of pictures in the hope that others will follow suit, partly, as I do think this forum should (and does) reward endeavour and small missions accomplished. And I don't think there will be any disapproval of your lovely house at all.

 

[Penners]

so we can have the baby on the same floor as us at night

We used to allow our baby to sleep in a cot.

But each to their own.

 

[Penners]

Have you been able to go bust shopping?

Er...

...no, never mind. Sometimes they're too obvious even for me.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Joce - a lovely room. Very well done.

I love the idea of post before, during and after pics that tell the full story. We should all do it more. I think the reason we don't is that a) we are shy (wot me?) and b) we never think we have got to the "after" stage!

But, well done again.