The serious look Builder Cat is giving us is indicative of the very challenging week we had here last week at Moregeous Mansions, one which we battled and got through to the end of by the skin of our teeth. We’re all guilty of thinking everyone else’s lives are so easy and perfect aren’t we, and they’re not, you know, they just look like it from the outside. One of the biggest challenges we face on a weekly basis is how my back pain will be, some weeks it’s brilliant and we get loads done, other weeks I’m crawling around barking orders on my knees and swearing like Mrs Tourette, but mostly it’s a nagging, tiring little voice that I try to ignore. I’m very, very good at ignoring it. An expert. Last week though we had to make big decisions on some legal stuff which has been ongoing for, wait for it, eleven years. Eleven bloody years, I ask you. Chronic pain and all it entails is enough to drive anyone potty. Anyway, I made a decision and there’s no going back now. It’s time to take things into my own hands instead of letting others control things, it’s always the best way isn’t? I was truly weary and it was only sitting in the garden, looking at that view above and all we’ve slowly achieved that got me feeling positive again. Listen, if you feel like this has been the endless reno, guess how I feel about it?! It’s been three years since we first demolished half the house and putting her back together again has felt Herculean at times.
Apart from Missy playing hide and seek in the vine leaves and copious peanut M&M’s, something else putting a smile on my face this week has been playing with Instagram Stories and creating a Lunchtime Live each day.
I could kick myself sometimes for not doing a You Tube channel of our building work but maybe most people would have got bored of all the dust anyway. We always seem to be doing something different, so sharing it and adding a positive vibe to whatever jobs we’re up to, even the mucky stuff, feels good for the soul. The ‘Lives’ are only short so pop over and have a nosey if you’re bored at lunch and fancy joining in, I normally do them between 1 and 2pm.
We finished up in the smallest room of the house yesterday, the teeny downstairs cloakroom which has just taken SO long to do. How much detail in one room?! My god, the Pavilion bedroom took less time. Is it because only one of us has been able to work in there at any one time? Possibly, but for whatever reason, I’m seriously glad it’s finished. 
What with all the nooks and crannies, boxing off, edging, wallpapering, individual pieces of timber and sexy floor, I think designing and fitting the kitchen might actually be easier! Watch out on Wednesday for those images going up 🙂
Now the loo is done, we’re moving upstairs to sort out the two extension bedrooms. Well, sort out the larger one by putting the flooring down and wallpapering, then moving my office out of the smaller room into the larger one, then plastering the smaller one, then painting it. Phewf! Then and only then can we finally get all our stuff out of storage. I haven’t seen my *stuff* for, literally, years. In fact I might just have a yard sale at the shipping container depot and flog it all. Start afresh!
Above is the palette inching towards being finalised for the two bedrooms, with lots of vintage timber furniture to add. The wallpaper on the right is a defo for Bed 1 – thanks to all who voted here on site. The fabulous 1950’s fabric on the left is going to be made into a Roman blind – anyone handy with a sewing machine? I think I’m pretty much decided on the grey flooring, but still have moments of doubt whether to go a bit more whitewashed. Then in the middle it’s a total toss up for the radiator finish as I love them all!
The only reason we can do that above is ’cause we’ve done this below. How interesting does this look right? Right? Sorry, did you fall asleep? Yeh, well, we would have done had we not kept slicing our arms open on the suspended metal ceiling. What a mare. The builders hadn’t put anywhere near enough cross bracing in the roof/floor joists so they creaked like mad and I couldn’t bear to put the bedroom flooring down ’til it was solved. So, we solved it and I’m very proud that we did. We put loads more timber noggins in and the creaking is pretty much gone – YIPPEE!!
From one very ugly but quiet ceiling here to a gloriously beautiful and acoustically perfect one in Stockport. Of course I’ve got some amazing food pics coming up on on a Saturday Share soon but for now, how about this for a kitchen work area? The Where The Light Gets In team worked like a whiteness of swans, gliding silently and calmly in this lovely space to create us and the other guests course after course of a spectacular meal. Design wise the room is brilliantly executed, with simple elegance pieces and clever additions. I enjoyed very moment of being there.
Right, that’s another update over! Like I said earlier, watch out for pics of the new loo – aka the Cabin – coming up, as well as more WTLGI images.
Xx
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