Darkening things up nicely September 11, 2009

As one of the final touches for the stripey hallway, I looked high and low (okay, only on the Internet) for black and white polka dot clip-on chandelier shades. To no avail. The closest I found were perforated black and white shades made by Kathy Ireland and sold at LampsPlus. They were $9.99 a piece, plus shipping for a total of $65.00 for five shades. Well, after a long long wait and some calls to customer service, they finally arrived today. I think they may have been discontinued, because I just searched on LampsPlus to find a link to the product and couldn’t.

Well, they’re here. They’re pretty poorly constructed, the glue has worn away in some spots where the shade was attached to the wire frame (maybe that’s why they aren’t showing up on the site), but they look okay for now. I had four matching (quite nice but plain) silk-covered shades on the chandelier before, plus one that sort of matched the others. So if worse comes to worse, I suppose I can figure out how to re-cover the others and/or find someone to do it.

But I think these look okay — they’re pretty nifty with the light shining through them, and they darken things up considerably (I have two sorts of friends — those who love the old dark Victorian look, and those who are constantly nagging me to open drapes or get more lamps or do “something to get more light in here”).

Here are my photos, but please bear in mind what a poor photographer I am! I think they look better in person.

New shades, lights on, taken without flash.

New shades, lights on, taken with flash.

New shades, lights off, taken with flash.

Stripey hallway — almost done! August 26, 2009

Here are some views of the latest odds and ends I’ve done in the fabulous striped hallway. Got an INCREDIBLE rich teal blue silk velvet remnant at Osgood’s for $24.00 (!!!!), and have temporarily hung it with temporary clips on a rod with glass finials (Big Lots — $15.00). Also got a cool drape pulling rod (Big Lots, $5.00). Have to sew the drape up properly with hem and lining (I’m thinking shocking orange liner), and have settled on having the one drape only (since that’s all there was for the remnant and it was such a good deal).

Got a mirrored top for the table at ABC Glass ($35.00, custom cut — thank heavens I got the measurements right for once — I usually write the measurements down then mistrust what I’ve written and add a few inches to things for no reason), and will be getting same for top of armoire (in hopes of it reflecting some light into that very dark corner).

Cute little “PAID” stamp bank came from Savers (‘natch) for $3.99.

I went through FIVE paint colors and “custom blends” before I found the one that is up there now. It’s Pratt & Lambert’s “erica” (my name), so how could I resist? Plus, I like it.

Have to decide if I really want to hang the picture that’s leaning against the wall. But those are the last few things — oh, and the polka-dot lampshades. I ordered some from Lamps Plus. I hope I like them, because they were $10.00 each plus $15.00 shipping, so I’ll be out a pretty penny if I hate them and have to send them back….

This is the little sample pot (all I needed) of “erica” by P&L paints.

Painting the radiator.

Radiator, oh radiator. You are so much more lovely in white.

The lovely, lovely blue fabric, with the neat curtain puller thingy.

One side of the armoire papered. Still wet.

Not exactly doorknobs. These are hooks from Job Lots ($1.99 each), but they’re really spiffy!

Eeek! Several of the paint colors and why they weren’t working.

Ta da! The armoire papered and painted. Awfully nice, if I do say so myself!

View of the lovely blue drape beside the armoire.

Armoire in its natural state, somewhat the worse for wear.

Lovely mirrored table top for horribly warped, water damaged table top.

A favorite corner August 20, 2009

I’ve always loved this little corner of my house. I adore this funny little table-with-built-in-lamp (flea market find). The painting on the wall is a favorite (from an auction, probably cost $10.00), the one on the table is by my grandfather, and I’ve had it since I was a little kid. I just got it framed and think the framing shows it off very nicely. Found the shiny orange dish at Savers and got the dog statue in a box lot at the Golden Gavel. These are some of my favorite things! It makes me so happy every time I walk past this happy little corner, and even happier now with the stripey wallpaper.

Happy corner

Downstairs Hallway/Entrance TRANSFORMED August 16, 2009

When I first moved into my house in 2002, I decided to do the ground floor first — kitchen, half-bath, and what was then (and has now become again) my office. It took about six months, but it happened. All of the hallways in my house had a charming but very old and dingy brocadey green wallpaper. It was in really super dingy shape here on the first floor, so I had it removed and had the bare plaster walls painted a neutral beige color, a la restoration hardware catalog. So the hallway was beige with black and white accents. It was really cute for a couple of years, but the wall color turned dingy after just a few years. I also have a rising damp problem in one corner (which was less of a problem with the paper there; I believe it was keeping it down to some degree).

So anyway, I have just finished papering it. I got York paper — a classic black and white stripe. And did it on the ceiling too! It looks fabulous, if I do say so myself. I still have a few odds and ends to finish. Please enjoy the wallpapered ADT circuit box, and the wallpapered switchplate cover.

THANK YOU to my good friends Ann and Liz who helped me do the ceilings — and without whom the ceiling would have been a huge disaster. The cat and dog helped a lot, too.

This was a two-day project. On day one I moved all the furniture and did the short part of the ceiling and the walls directly under the short part of the ceiling. On day two, I did the rest of the walls and the longer ceiling parts with my friends. I’m still deciding what to do about the furniture, so that will be another day’s worth of work (painting and papering) once I decide. Also need a radiator cabinet (and will paper that).

Enjoy the transformation!!!

After: This is what the ceiling looks like if you faint from vertigo and are prone on the floor

Before: Hallway and downstairs entry door

After: The supervisor is satisfied with a job well done. :)

During: First wall is papered.

After: Hallway and downstairs entry door

During: Graceful yardstick usage.

During: My clever damp fixing technique

Before: Damp issue

During: Jerome, supervising

Before: Rising damp, falling plaster, peeling paint

After: Hallway going towards the kitchen

Before: Hallway towards kitchen

After: Can you find the switch plate cover?

During: The first piece of paper is up!

Before: Hallway with water stained ceiling

During: Ceiling partly papered

During: Trimming the final piece of ceiling paper

During: Skunkie is also supervising

During: That g.d. medalion was so hard to paper around!

During: Wall under stairs

Before: Corner under stairs

Hallways — carpeted August 13, 2009

This photo shows the late great Grigio the Cat (rest in peace, little grige) hanging her head in shame over the indoor-outdoor grotesquely stained carpet that covered the hallways when I first moved in, in 2002.

Gross!!! I lived with them for a few years, then with the help of friends (I have really, really good friends), pulled up the carpet and had professionals come in and sand and stain the floors.

Things found under the carpet: original linoleum (which decomposed upon being touched), keys, razor blades (?), and old newspapers from the 1930s (kept those).

Gross carpeted hallway