On Sunday evening we finally got our sofas and TV back in the lounge. There is nothing else in there but it means we can sit and appreciate our new fire and how relaxing the room is.
The fire has a remote control, which doesn't work. We are waiting for a the supplier to send a new one, or come and repair the sensor, whichever works. In the meantime it is no great hardship to use the button on the side of the chimney breast. The wire on the right hand side of the chimney breast is to connect the PC upstairs with the TV downstairs so we can surf the internet from our sofas! The OH is not going to set up the electrical equipment until he has a new TV/Audio stand as he doesn't want to have to plug and unplug wires more than once.
I love how the flames flicker and are reflected against the side of the fire. It is hypnotic and I can sit and stare for literally minutes, before I remember I have stuff to do.
We have always had an archway next to the chimney breast but until it was plastered and the wall light replaced we never really noticed it. Now we love it.
Another feature that has been transformed from the original state is the cupboard in the corner. This cupboard was really lifted by a lick of paint. It is White Cotton by Dulux in case you were wondering. The walls are also painted in the emulsion version of this colour.
I adore our new french doors. We took out one brick course and dropped the doors down but left the top of the door in the same place. Just a few inches more height has made the room much lighter. Even though the OH says that is just because we now have a white room.
We got all our internal doors dipped and stripped. I know that it isn't particularly good for the doors and all those nasty chemicals are not good for the planet, but the OH really really could not face spending the next 6 months with a blow torch and scraper. When we got our doors back eventually (they delivered the wrong ones initially) we were so pleased with the results. It wasn't until they began to dry out that we realised that we were lucky enough to have redwood doors! Apparently it was quite common for houses built in the 1930s to have this type of door. Once the doors are oiled they will be a pretty close match to the floor.
Ah yes the floor. Oh my, what can I say except it is GORGEOUS!!!! The floor alone makes me smile whenever I see it and makes the misery of the last few months disappear. The floor is jatoba, which is a South American hardwood. It was sourced responsibly and is FSC certified, so it was bought with a clear conscience. After looking at the engineered version and the solid wood version and looking at the difference in price we decided that for the extra couple of hundred pounds it would cost to cover the room, we were getting the solid wood. I am so glad we did because it has a real sense of solidity that engineered wood and laminate doesn't give. Once we decided on the floor we tried to find skirting boards to match. This was a total nightmare until we found a place that supplies oak skirting boards that they will stain and finish to match a sample that you provide. So we provided a sample and we are delighted with the results.
Here's another gratuitous floor porn shot.
When we started our enormous task of renovating our lounge, the trigger was getting the house rewired. We decided to gut the lounge and hall at the same time as we would need to re-plaster after the rewire. Right at the start of everything else we chose our lighting. I remember selecting it in the middle of a heat wave in August and having to leave the shop periodically to cool down. I had almost forgotten about the lights we had chosen until they were installed last week.
This is one of three wall lights. It casts a lot of the light upwards and the light that is cast downwards is very soft and subtle. I love the stainless steel and its contrast with the white glass.
I love the way the shadows are cast on the ceiling now. In particular that lovely arch we never noticed before.
The centre light makes me think of a UFO and is so different from the wooden gothic monstrosity we had before.
I love the fact that is neatly tucked up near the ceiling, unlike the candelabra we had before. I was always scared that one day someone slightly taller than average would knock themselves out on our embarrassing light. Between our four lights we have a great degree of control over how the lounge is lit, so we have perfect lighting for every occasion.
So there you have it. Our lounge, finally finished in time for Christmas. It probably won't get decorated in Christmas fashion but at least it looks very beautiful and it make us smile whenever we sit in it or even walk past it.
The only trouble with our gorgeous lounge is that it makes the rest of the house look as though it has been targeted with a brand new weapon - the scruff bomb. However, we are NOT going to do it all again upstairs next year. I have extracted a promise from the OH. If we do anything next year to this house, it will be done to the OUTSIDE of the house so I can have a little bit of peace and quiet to craft away to my hearts content!
If I don't post again before the end of year festivities, I hope you have a wonderful time with your loved ones. Try to appreciate the time you have away from your normal activities and don't commit any acts of familial torture that will be unforgiven until the next decade. I know sometimes holidays can drive you insane, but its only once a year, try to enjoy it!
I love how the flames flicker and are reflected against the side of the fire. It is hypnotic and I can sit and stare for literally minutes, before I remember I have stuff to do.
We have always had an archway next to the chimney breast but until it was plastered and the wall light replaced we never really noticed it. Now we love it.
Another feature that has been transformed from the original state is the cupboard in the corner. This cupboard was really lifted by a lick of paint. It is White Cotton by Dulux in case you were wondering. The walls are also painted in the emulsion version of this colour.
I adore our new french doors. We took out one brick course and dropped the doors down but left the top of the door in the same place. Just a few inches more height has made the room much lighter. Even though the OH says that is just because we now have a white room.
We got all our internal doors dipped and stripped. I know that it isn't particularly good for the doors and all those nasty chemicals are not good for the planet, but the OH really really could not face spending the next 6 months with a blow torch and scraper. When we got our doors back eventually (they delivered the wrong ones initially) we were so pleased with the results. It wasn't until they began to dry out that we realised that we were lucky enough to have redwood doors! Apparently it was quite common for houses built in the 1930s to have this type of door. Once the doors are oiled they will be a pretty close match to the floor.
Ah yes the floor. Oh my, what can I say except it is GORGEOUS!!!! The floor alone makes me smile whenever I see it and makes the misery of the last few months disappear. The floor is jatoba, which is a South American hardwood. It was sourced responsibly and is FSC certified, so it was bought with a clear conscience. After looking at the engineered version and the solid wood version and looking at the difference in price we decided that for the extra couple of hundred pounds it would cost to cover the room, we were getting the solid wood. I am so glad we did because it has a real sense of solidity that engineered wood and laminate doesn't give. Once we decided on the floor we tried to find skirting boards to match. This was a total nightmare until we found a place that supplies oak skirting boards that they will stain and finish to match a sample that you provide. So we provided a sample and we are delighted with the results.
Here's another gratuitous floor porn shot.
When we started our enormous task of renovating our lounge, the trigger was getting the house rewired. We decided to gut the lounge and hall at the same time as we would need to re-plaster after the rewire. Right at the start of everything else we chose our lighting. I remember selecting it in the middle of a heat wave in August and having to leave the shop periodically to cool down. I had almost forgotten about the lights we had chosen until they were installed last week.
This is one of three wall lights. It casts a lot of the light upwards and the light that is cast downwards is very soft and subtle. I love the stainless steel and its contrast with the white glass.
I love the way the shadows are cast on the ceiling now. In particular that lovely arch we never noticed before.
The centre light makes me think of a UFO and is so different from the wooden gothic monstrosity we had before.
I love the fact that is neatly tucked up near the ceiling, unlike the candelabra we had before. I was always scared that one day someone slightly taller than average would knock themselves out on our embarrassing light. Between our four lights we have a great degree of control over how the lounge is lit, so we have perfect lighting for every occasion.
So there you have it. Our lounge, finally finished in time for Christmas. It probably won't get decorated in Christmas fashion but at least it looks very beautiful and it make us smile whenever we sit in it or even walk past it.
The only trouble with our gorgeous lounge is that it makes the rest of the house look as though it has been targeted with a brand new weapon - the scruff bomb. However, we are NOT going to do it all again upstairs next year. I have extracted a promise from the OH. If we do anything next year to this house, it will be done to the OUTSIDE of the house so I can have a little bit of peace and quiet to craft away to my hearts content!
If I don't post again before the end of year festivities, I hope you have a wonderful time with your loved ones. Try to appreciate the time you have away from your normal activities and don't commit any acts of familial torture that will be unforgiven until the next decade. I know sometimes holidays can drive you insane, but its only once a year, try to enjoy it!
