handles and headaches

 

When I was renting this house out, I once did a painting job in an amazing apartment in Brighton. It was in a beautiful Regency building in a posh part of town called Lewes Crescent. It has views over gardens and the sea.

 

Lewes Crescent

 

The owner was restoring the original features, so I did faux woodgrain and marbling, and gilded some decorative cornice (sorry, no pics). Anyway, he was taking all the handles off and replacing them. He was mixing all the original features with completely contemporary fixtures, fittings and furniture. It looked beautiful, very eclectic.

 

I did some scrounging, not something I like doing, but he was throwing out MY perfect choice for a handle.

My perfect choice has always been glass knobs, with stars etched into the back end.

 

 

He was literally throwing them out, I couldn't believe it. I don't know if they were original or 20th century replacements but when he said yes, I just ran for the hills back to my place !

 

They sat in a basket for over six years, waiting for the right doors and when I knew I was returning to this house, I went to count them (because I knew my house had handles that I'd never liked) - and there they were, 12 old and slightly shabby identical crystal door knobs with brass back plates.

 

12 knobs equals 6 sets -

I have 6 internal doors -

HALLELUYA !!

 

Now for the headaches. I asked my brother to fit them.

Doors one and two went well.

I love them on my old pine doors.

 

The doors downstairs only have ball catches, so there are no spindles, it was just a case of screwing them on.

Upstairs, there are four doors, that didn't go so well.

The spindles I had didn't fit, they were too short and tapered.
My dear brother decided that door No1 upstairs (the bathroom) didn't need the spindle, because the catch didn't fit anyway, and it had a little hook, as a lock.
That worked, till the warmer weather came and the door slightly swelled, and I got stuck in the bathroom after a shower, unable to turn the handle, because it was spindleless !
OMG
I shouted for him to come help me, but he always has his tv too loud, so I looked around and found the bottle soap and managed to push the spout into the gap and release the catch.

I pushed the spout in here to unlock the catch

 

There might have been a rather loud conversation that day !

 

I came home another day, to find doors No. 2 (the toilet in a cupboard) and No. 3 (the guest room) all done.

HOW EXCITING

So I did something quite normal, I used all the handles and closed the doors !

 

 

It's a natural thing to do because I just love them, especially on all the chippy, shabby doors upstairs.

 

Ah, big mistake, the toilet door opened ok, but I couldn't open the guest room door. It was shut tight !

I called my brother, who started talking about kicking the door down !!

YIKES

In the time it took him to repeat this, I rushed down stairs, got a screwdriver and a pair of pliers and took the handle off, and used the pliers on the spindle and the door opened !

PHEW

 

What a headache, my brother had decided that if he pushed the short spindle into the inside door handle, then at least whomever was in the room could get out, we just couldn't get in !

DUH

Have you got a headache now too !

 

The doors remained handleless for a while

 

Eventually, my dear brother went and bought new spindles, and cut them to size.

Slight headache - I normally do the measuring, but at least I have 6 doors, with 12 old crystal and brass knobs,

looking pretty perfect to me.

 

Answer, I never shut any doors if I'm on my own in the house, (especially not the 'toilet in a cupboard' door as

I'm claustrophobic too !).

 

Better answer, buy a little kit for every room - a screwdriver and some pliers.

 

 

And if you ever want to stay (and you're all welcome !) i'll provide you with a little bucket,

 just incase you get cut short in the night and you can't get out ! 

 

And if you need to use the 'toilet in a cupboard', don't turn the knob on the inside, as you may squish your fingers,

because it is very close to the door frame.

 

 

And it's probably why all the handles were lever handles, like this -

 

 

YUCCY !!

 

And the moral of this story, if you want something doing, probably best to do it yourself !

 

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decoupaged ikea drawers

A little while before Christmas, before my break with blogging, I had two days off work and time to spare and just wanted to create something. I had wanted to decorate the little ikea drawers for ages, and now they were in the guest/sewing room, I thought they would be perfect for all my ribbons and beads.

I really enjoyed doing these so much. I brought everything into the living room (my studio was too cold) and had great fun with scissors, paper and glue, and a little gold and silver leaf.

I glued the metal leaf to the front edges of the frame (I had seen it somewhere on a much bigger piece of furniture, and loved it). Then I just stuck different papers on the front, and used a stamp pad to darken the edges.

 The script is a piece of wrapping paper.

The  middle top drawer and the bottom ones are covered in images from a magazine. The two middle drawers are covered with the frontispiece of some sheet music.

I really wanted to have the brass label holders that also have a drawer pull, but they were too expensive, so I used these simpler ones. 

I stamped the labels with a mini alphabet set, on parts of the sheet music, and I like the effect of the original typeface with my naïve stamping !

I put sheet music on the top and sides too, which worked well, because the view from my landing was the one below.

All these things are now in my new guest/sewing room, (though that table below is the one in my dining room), and I'm afraid to say I have put things in almost the same way, but that's another post !

As I have always said - more is more !

Less is more doesn't really work for me !

Btw, blogger friends, is it just me, or do you all get a lot of spam these days ?

 

Linking up with

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants

Wildly Original Link Party @ i Gotta Create

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Inspire Me Link Party @ Liz Marie Blog

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

What have you done every Friday @ Redoux

Be Inspired @ Common Ground

Shabbilicious Friday link party @ Shabby Art Boutique

Silver Pennies Sundays Link Party @ Silver Pennies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the kitchen

When I got the keys back, this is what the kitchen looked like, not bad really, considering I had tenants in here for seven years.

 

There is a space on the left for the washing machine. The fridge goes on the right. The boiler has never looked nice, but to build a cupboard around it, means filling in the cute little window.

 

I painted and distressed all the mdf doors, that we had made, and the little tongue and groove upstand, that sits around the worktop.

 

I had the larder cupboard built, with the dentil cornice, and painted the pine shelving in blue so that the kitchen didn't look like it was off the shelf.

 

My favourite part is the slate tile floor - I did some paint effects for someone, in exchange for these tiles.

 

 

I took the blinds down because they were really stained and covered in 'sticky dust', and it didn't take long to fill it all up !

 

 

 

There is a long list on the chalkboard, for my brother to do, which includes painting the wall outside the kitchen door - er white !!!

 

 

I like to think that my dog looks as perfect as the one in the calendar !

 

This shelf, I brought with me from the other house, and is definitely a favourite place to display stuff.

 

I might paint this piece white as well, as you know I just love a bit of white, and I think it's time for a change.

 

 

The view through the dining room and hall, to the front door with the stained glass.

 

I have a long wish list for this kitchen, but the main things are to paint the cupboards. I was thinking of a very soft grey. I have mixed Farrow and Ball's Lamp Room Grey with white before and it's a lovely colour. Then I will probably paint the blue piece. I am not sure about the distressing, but it may come through, as I used candle wax to inhibit the paint - silly me !

 

Then I really need to address the light fitting, as it's just ghastly, and the back door, and the windows, and the hob .....................................

 

I have to go now, my brother is in the garden pulling up weeds, and I need to go supervise

(but don't tell him I said that, or the neighbours will hear some colourful language !)

 

on the never never !

The sofa I had in this house before, is now in a friend's house, and they literally finished off their extension around it. They said if I wanted it back I would have to take out a door and a whole door frame, so I left it !

My second option was to buy one on the never never. Buy it now and pay for it later, which seems like never at first and then goes on forever and ever.

I couldn't get the credit, as they obviously thought that I wouldn't pay for it EVER !

Then I had a call from my BFF saying she had bought it for me !

I have mentioned Pandy before, still the bestest friend in the world  - ever !

I have to pay her back of course, but that won't be never, hopefully it will be in the not too distant future (I can't keep the rhyming up any more !).

 

It's just cream with buttoning on the arms and below the seat. It came with two of the cushions below, which are ok, but I'll make some more sometime.

 

It's not practical at all, with a dog, so mostly I keep it covered in throws.

 

This was the living room when I first got the keys back, you can see the very worn carpet in the middle.

 

 

Now it looks a little better.

 

You will probably recognise most things from before, at the old geezers place.

 

 

I love the tongue and groove wall that we put up when I lived here before, and the slimline cupboard behind the table, that houses the electric metre.

 

 

I don't think I have shown this barley twist table before, but I'm happy that it didn't sell on ebay, because it fits in pretty well here.

 

On the other side of the room, the cupboards were here when I bought the house, and we put the floating shelves up ourselves.

 

 

I just got my log-burner back today actually, with the help of my brother and the old geezer, and I need to take the plug off that lamp and feed it down the back and wire it up again as there is a socket in the cupboard.

 

This chair also came from Pandy, well her garage. It's in really good condition, though not covered to my taste, so I may just try and make a slip cover for it someday (don't hold your breath).

 

 

 

The view from living room to dining room and then kitchen.

 

The first job I really need to tackle is fitting some doors to this cabinet, that we never finished. I know what I want, it's just a case of how to achieve it.

 

Hopefully this won't be a never ever project but a someday very soon project.

 

 

 

 

changing places

Having moved back to a house I've lived in before, it was very tempting to make it easy for myself and just put everything back in the same place. I've got a few new things though and had fun trying to find space for them all. This is the dining room end of my lounge-diner.

The tenants left the house in pretty good condition apart from a very worn carpet, and although it could all do with a lick of paint (white of course) it doesn't look half bad.

The chandelier and the blinds have been there for years. The marble topped table I had hidden away in my studio at the old geezers, and the chairs were the ones that Pandy found me.

My favourite bit is the table and mirror on the right. I had envisaged the table in the corner where the light is, before I moved back (it was in the guest room at the old geezers) but as you can see below, it didn't quite fit !

Though I still tried wedging it in there !

Putting it on the other wall, worked out perfectly. The gilded mirror was a charity shop find, years ago and was also in the guest room before, and the pictures had been in the kitchen. The plant is a fake and had been in my bedroom.

 

I'm so glad I didn't let my most recent tenants paint the stripped pine doors.

In the corner is my painted bureau that I used to have in the hall of the old geezers house. Luckily it fits into the alcove where the table didn't.

 

 

Once I'd removed the large bit of driftwood (one day I'll have inspiration for it, so far I've only come up with hat stand), I started hanging things. The printers block tray never had a home before, but I love it here with a collection of beach finds and other junk, and I can keep adding to it.

 

It's already had a few additions !

 

 

Everything seems to be fitting in here a lot better. Everything has a place, and everywhere I look, everything seems really 'pretty' to me. At the old geezers I just used to close the doors of certain rooms I didn't like.

The only things I miss, are my stencilled walls and the proximity to the beach. I have just moved further north in the same town, and instead of a 10 minute walk to the beach, it's about half an hour's walk now, but I can't complain.

 

Next time I'll show you the living room end and my new sofa !

 

 

going home !

This post has had many versions, and has been going around my head for months. I have put off writing it many times, because I didn't really know what to say, and because it's going to be pretty boring reading.

It was originally going to be called The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and was going to contain a lot of vitriol but time is a great healer, and really I can't be bothered with all that anymore.

Suffice it to say, I do not live with the old geezer any more. It just didn't work out because our timing was all wrong.
When I was besotted with him, he didn't quite feel the same, and when my feelings started waning, his were increasing.
We actually finished our relationship last summer, but decided to stay living together for financial reasons and because we still got on.

At Christmas, things just became too much. He had been Skyping a lot of people through an adult game called Second Life. When I say adult, I mean adult and I hadn't realised that he had been having online relationships for about a year.
It wasn't very comfortable, living in a house with a man who thought he was in love with a 27 year old in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when all I could remember was how he treated me at the beginning of our relationship. He seemed to be more in love with a girl that he had never met, than he ever had been with me.
Btw, the old geezer is 62 !

It sounds a bit ridiculous because I wasn't in love with him any more but as I said, it just became very uncomfortable. Luckily I have a house of my own that I rented out when I moved in with the old geezer. Twice I have nearly sold it because of finances, but managed to keep hold of it. In January I gave the tenants two months notice, and moved back here on the 1st March.

The old geezer's three-bedroom house



My two-bedroom house

It's a much prettier house than the old geezer's, I can't really believe I moved out of here in the first place.
I spent a couple of weeks sorting it out, and then my lodger moved in, because I can't afford to live here on my own.
And therein lies another little drama !

My lodger is my 52 year old brother. He had been living in a bedsit (one room, a bathroom and a kitchen) in our home town and was pretty miserable. He moved in on 28th March and it hasn't been that easy, and is another reason why I haven't blogged. He has his own issues, so I'm not going to tell his story here, and also I started this post about two weeks ago, so I just think I need to post it !!!
Work is really waring me out at the moment, but I really do miss everyone in blogland, so sorry I haven't been around and hopefully the next post will be prettier.

Btw, the 27 year old in Tulsa, turned out to be 44, married and with six kids. The old geezer and I are getting on much better as friends and behind that blue door I have had so much fun arranging stuff, so life is looking a lot better.

Fiona xx