Our House

[TheRoost]

It might be obvious but are there objects blocking the light from the side panels, such as coats/bags on hooks etc? if so try clearing everything out of the way and see if it makes much difference.

If you'd rather keep the storm doors closed in the day, what about replacing the upper/middle solid panels with clear glass (or a nice wobbly plate glass?)

 

[kreyszig]

I haven't got a decent photo to hand but we've got a combination of cut and etched glass on the inner door and the panels either side. Could be a way of adding a bit of 'something' without muddling colours with the front door.

Our house faces north too, the front door has a stained glass panel, but it is not exactly light and airy!

Edit: Here's a photo of our inner door

 

[Cordwangle]

Our hall ceiling has a few of these corbels ( I think that's what you'd call them ) missing. Does anyone have any suggestions where I might find replacements?

 

[Roger H]

Does anyone have any suggestions where I might find replacements

Get a cast made of the existing ones (ideally a stripped back example). Seems unlikley you will get ones to match 'off the shelf'.

 

[Cordwangle]

We're trying that with some latex but it would obviously be better if we could find some off the shelf.

 

[noj]

If it helps - they're called Modillion Blocks

 

[livias]

Bit of a long shot but ...
You could look for a company like Stevensons of Norwich who bought up moulds from local plaster moulding companies as they closed down so now have an excellent stock of all the local designs

 

[Cordwangle]

I think it's about time for an update on the house we bought after that trip to the shops a few years ago.
There's light at the end of the tunnel at last. The middle floor bathroom is finished eventually, new sash windows et al. The bannister, spindles and stairs have been stripped and stained/painted ( a job conceived by Satan himself, I think ). The ceilings have been repaired on the hall stairs and landings with new modillions and other decorative parts being made by the father-in-law. We wanted to save the lincruster below the dado rail all the way up the stairs but to replace the bits that needed to be replaced would have cost £7k. It was more cost effective to replace it all with new. The hall, stairs and landings have been decorated, whilst doing this I removed a mirror and found what I believe to be the original wallpaper. We have left this in place and replaced the mirror after painting it. The chandeliers that I bought from Turkey, after reading a post on here, have been fitted. Whilst investigating a water leak in the extension, which was the former orangery, I looked in a small loft space and noticed that there's still the original glass that has been encased between a course of brick and breeze blocks. I'm not sure if I took a picture of that as I couldn't get particularly close to it. As I type the hallway is being prepared for tiling and then the stairs and landings will be carpeted. I'm not sure of the finish we're going to have on the internal doors yet, they've been stripped but that's it so far.
Not long to go now!
http://photobucket.com/albums/jj534/misterclark1

 

[kreyszig]

man o man I love your house!

 

[bobby spray]

Our hall ceiling has a few of these corbels ( I think that's what you'd call them ) missing. Does anyone have any suggestions where I might find replacements?

I don't know where in the country you are but I have used this company with some success
http://www.classiccornicedesign.co.uk/

 

[plasticpigeon]

It's a bit on the small side for me, and there just aren't enough features, but I suppose everyone has to start somewhere!

 

[kreyszig]

I know, its cute isn't it. One day he'll get himself a proper pad, but that looks like it will be just about be liveable soon enough :mrgreen:

 

[whathaveidone]

Wow your house is fantastic.

 

[Cordwangle]

It's the little things that keep you amused with this house renovation lark. They've somehow managed to balls up the tiles. Lots of heated whispering and shouting down the phone, I'm not quite sure what the problem is though.
You've got to laugh!

 

[kreyszig]

Can I ask what was going on in the photos that look like the textured ceiling is being repaired?
We have a water damaged lincrusta/cameiod ceiling, in similar sized panels to those in the photos. When I get round to it I was thinking of repairing by taking moulds of a good panel, just wondering if that is what you've done, if so what was the process?

 

[plasticpigeon]

I saw those boxes of floor tiles. Were they for the rather lovely bathroom floor, or are you making a geometric tiled floor elsewhere too? I hope it is sorted out, I know how expensive they are.

 

[Cordwangle]

Can I ask what was going on in the photos that look like the textured ceiling is being repaired?
We have a water damaged lincrusta/cameiod ceiling, in similar sized panels to those in the photos. When I get round to it I was thinking of repairing by taking moulds of a good panel, just wondering if that is what you've done, if so what was the process

We also had some damage to ceiling panels and called in a specialist who took moulds and made some and replaced those damaged as well as covering a small area not previously covered. It is not cheap. The material from Lincrusta is really dear, whether you could find a generic material to do the same, I'm not sure. My FIL watched the process and is sure he could do it himself now. He repaired lots of parts of the ceiling that had come loose and made corbels and modillions by making moulds out of latex and now you can't tell them from the originals.

I saw those boxes of floor tiles. Were they for the rather lovely bathroom floor, or are you making a geometric tiled floor elsewhere too? I hope it is sorted out, I know how expensive they are.

The geometric tiles are for the entrance hallway and I have ascertained that it is the factory who have sent the wrong ones, hopefully that will be sorted by Thursday.

It's a bit on the small side for me, and there just aren't enough features, but I suppose everyone has to start somewhere!

It is a very big house, growing up I can remember being three to a bed, now I can have three bedrooms to myself if I want. The story I told at the start really was true, it was love at first sight and we really had to be inventive to find the money to buy it. It's a house I didn't need, bought with money I didn't have. I now need to fill it with interesting things.

 

[Cordwangle]

They obviously had enough to make a start.

 

[kreyszig]

Can I ask what was going on in the photos that look like the textured ceiling is being repaired?
We have a water damaged lincrusta/cameiod ceiling, in similar sized panels to those in the photos. When I get round to it I was thinking of repairing by taking moulds of a good panel, just wondering if that is what you've done, if so what was the process

We also had some damage to ceiling panels and called in a specialist who took moulds and made some and replaced those damaged as well as covering a small area not previously covered. It is not cheap. The material from Lincrusta is really dear, whether you could find a generic material to do the same, I'm not sure. My FIL watched the process and is sure he could do it himself now. He repaired lots of parts of the ceiling that had come loose and made corbels and modillions by making moulds out of latex and now you can't tell them from the originals.

Thanks for that, it's quite encouraging. I had been thinking of hacking out a good patch, but seeing your photos makes me think I could give making a mould a go in-situ. One day..

 

[Westholme]

They obviously had enough to make a start.

Are the red and brown square tiles supposed to touch face-to-face at corners?

If the corner off the photo to the right is the same as the one on the left then would it not be possible to start with a "whole" square tile angled at 45 degrees in one corner, shift all the subsequent tiles over half a tile diagonally speaking, to automatically finish with a whole tile in the other corner?

The only new thing needed is the cut half triangle tile at each corner. Every square tile would have two corners touching the edging strips and two corners touching a corner of two other squares, as shown in this example.