Tuesday 27 May 2014

in the boiler room !


I recently took two weeks off work, because a) I need to use up my holiday time and b) an old customer was hassling me to do some work for him.

I have worked in this house on and off for about 10 years, for the previous owners and the current owner. I have hand-painted every single room except the laundry.


He initially asked me to come and fix one of the guest rooms because he had had some water damage from a leaky roof.

 The white paint is the stain block I used before re-painting the cream and then the green stripes.

He also asked if I could do anything with his laundry room. There were lots of holes, and dirty and unpainted walls where a new boiler had been installed.

There are also lots and lots of cable's and pipes.


The only thing I could suggest was to turn his laundry room into a boiler room and add even more pipes !

So instead of spending two weeks at home, decorating my own house, I spent 6 1/2 days in this boiler room.
As soon as it started to look ok, I stopped berating myself for taking on the work, and started enjoying it.

Mostly I was left on my own, given a key, and told to help myself to tea and coffee: so I just turned the radio up and got on with it.

I painted the back two walls in grey, stippled with silver, because there was already enough going on, on these walls and I knew everything would look good against a darker colour.


On the other walls I painted 'metal' panels because I couldn't cut round all the pipes. One morning the shelf had gone (a new galvanised one has been bought) and then the next day I was asked to remove the tiles. It definitely looks better without them.


I added a copper pipe, tap and gage, and rivets to make the panel look realistic.
 
 
I 'signed' my work (in the gage) with my initials and year of birth - though the client doesn't know.
 
 
I also added another panel on the wall by the door, with an air vent, and a pipe that runs around the back door and behind the washing machine.



 
 
I would have been happy to paint fake copper pipes everywhere, but it would have taken so long and turned the laundry room into the most expensive room in the house.
 
 
Oh boy, it was hot in the boiler room, I had to open this valve to let off some steam !!!!!
 
 
My client was very happy as he says he's always in here, washing clothes for himself and his daughter, and his OCD prefers the more finished space.

 
 
 
 
 

The white sockets and switches have already been changed for grey metal ones and I also painted a 'danger - authorised personnel only' sign, that I neglected to photograph.
 
Now every room in the house has a Fiona paint effect, though he's thinking of updating the hall.
Er, 'not this year' I told him, coz I'd like to keep my days off for myself.
 
The job was fun though and the extra money really helps !

20 comments:

  1. oh my--this is just amazing, fiona! not only is your painting fabulous--the creativity showcased here stuns me! where you painted that pipe to look like it busted through the ceiling--awesome! and i love spraying valve and the cool panel with a porthole looking out to the beach. love it all!

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  2. Genius!!!! Oh, what a transformation you could make in our dingy basement laundry room! Now I just need to save my change to transport you across the ocean. :) I have to go back and look at your photos again....AMAZING!

    I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation, Fiona! I've got a few days off myself, and I'm in heaven.

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  3. THiS is amazing!!! Your talent is huge! Loved seeing the boiler room in its new splendor!

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  4. Oh my goodness, Fiona, you did an awesome job! It is hard to tell which pipes are real and which ones aren't! That panel on the wall with the air vent looks so real, wow! Excellent work!

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  5. Fiona, this is fantastic! Clever and fun and cute all rolled into one. Love the view out of the beach and the signs gauge. So darn fun!

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  6. Okay, Fiona, that is AMAZING. I am so impressed. I hope you don't mind if I link to this on my blog this week. I am really blown away by this work. :) Talented Fiona has become painter extraordinaire in my books.

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  7. Oh.My.Wooord. No wonder your customer was hassling you! It is spectacular!

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  8. Fiona,
    I'm just blown away by your painting talent! I love your ideas and how you put them to the wall! Hope you enjoyed those remaining days off!

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  9. What a fun take on that laundry room. I would never have thought of anything so clever.

    Have fun back and work now.

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  10. Wow! Wow! Wow! This is amazing Fiona - I love it! The air vent is so clever with the beach peeping through - I think I'd like copper pipes all over my house - they look so cool! CJ

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  11. Your talent is absolutely amazing. Your client must have the feeling to do his laundry in the middle of a work of art!

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  12. Fiona I linked this up at my blog through a feature post. I absolutely love this.

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  13. Oh my God Fiona - you're incredible !!!
    Came by via Donna- and so glad I did - I'm just amazed at this - the customer must be over the top thrilled?
    XOX

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  14. My first thought was "this is how you spend your vacation??"!!! But look at all the fun you had with that room! You are one talented genius girl and I love it!

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  15. Is there anything you CAN'T paint?!! I hope not, since everything you do, whether it's trompe l'oeil, entire walls or cute cabinets, always is the perfect touch to your project in progress! This is truly amazing and I love the all the 'afters', as I'm sure the client did, as well!

    Poppy

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  16. I don't know how I missed this post but I am completely blown away with what you have done in that room. Aside from your obvious artistic talent, you have amazing vision for turning a space into something that is like walking inside a painting!

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  17. Absolutely amazing! I am so completely impressed by your talent. Great job!

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  18. Only just come across this page.Both brilliant and original Fiona, you have awesome talent.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, it was a fun commission to do.
      Btw you're a no-reply blogger so I couldn't thank you personally, hope you get to see this.

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