The colours are exactly the right choice, it looks like a very warm and inviting space now.
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And everything either was already here (wood, fancy brackets, the tan carpet) or from market place! The paint was expensive but we saved over $1000 doing it ourselves, enough for the storage space & there’s still left over we can use in our basement at home.
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This looks very calming and welcoming!
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So restful. Congratulations!
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This weekend, I’m going to force myself to do some DIY again! The weather has now turned completely, it was still quite sunny early in the week but since Wednesday afternoon it’s suddently cold, raining, stormy. We’re finally in the ber-months!
That means time for a second attempt at putting up a curtain rail + curtain in the hallway. The first attempt looked good, for 10 minutes, then came down due to a sudden crack in the plasterwork which apparantly had to do with the plasterwork drying too fast when it was applied a few years ago. I repaired the plaster, now it’s time for a second attempt. On the positive side, I drilled five holes in the ceiling and only one got damaged. So it doesn’t seem like there’s a big issue with the plasterwork, just one unlucky spot.
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It’s been 5 minutes since I attached the heavy veltvet curtain. Last time, this is when it came down, but it’s still up! Fingers crossed it stays like this.
I need to go wash off the dust but I can’t stop watching it for signs of imminent collapse.
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It worked!!! Finally. I’m really happy with the result.
We will eventually have wood panelling on the walls, and it will be painted in the dark grey colour of the floor tiles.
The curtain was just a little bit too long (one curtain hook’s width) which is fine because it allows me to fold over the discoloured bit at the end. It only needs a few small hand stitches to stay put.
It’s too short, but there’s a large hem I can unpick, that’s not discoloured.
The only issue is the bit that used to touch the floor:
It’s one thin line of damage across the whole panel. But then I figured I could hide that underneath some gold trim. I haven’t found something suitable in my stash, I might have to buy it.
It came from my grandparents’ house and it’s from the very early 70s. It used to have matching tassels but they were badly damaged. I always adored those sweeping red velvet curtains as a girl and from when I was little, I said I’d have them in my own house. I’m not super sentimental about a piece of fabric, I wouldn’t have taken them home if they weren’t in good shape. But I just get a kick out of reusing things and my grandma would have thought it was hilarious. My grandparents grew up dirt poor in the Depression and they partially raised us, they always thought it was so funny their frugality rubbed off on us. My grandma loved the colour gold so she would have loved the gold trim. I don’t usually use gold trim but this hallway is asking for it! Our friend lives in a Victorian house and our hallway is inspired by theirs.
I made very similar olive green ones for the living area, from brand new fabric. I went to several shops and markets looking for fabric and none of the fabric I saw for sale even came close in quality to this red velvet. The old stuff was made to last.
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I love how you’re making these work for you and your house! A little gold trim sounds like it will support your vision for this room and give a nod to your grandma and your relationship with her.
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I just remembered my mum used to have old vintage gold light fixtures that hung on either side of a mirror, a bit like mini chandeliers. Not sure where they went after my parents lost the house nearly 20 years ago. Let’s find out if they’re in a box in someone’s attic.
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I definitely think gold trim will make it feel lush and vintage. The heavy velvet will do its job of keeping out the drafts of cold air.
I love your resourcefulness in so many of your home projects. Your mix of old and new speaks to my own aesthetic.
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Thanks!
I think it helps to have a really good imagination. I can already picture the wood panelling on the wall and the colours after everything is painted and I just know the trim will (eventually) match, one day when everything is done. I think a lot of people lack that imagination, and they copy what they see in a store or a magazine. Sometimes that looks really nice, but to me it feels like a lot of homes lack personality.
I still need to swap out the hardware in the door to a nicer looking set, and then I can start painting. I’ve also bought a deadbolt for extra security. This door is the closest way out from our bedroom, so I’d rather not lock it at night for fire safety reasons. The deadbolt can be opened with one motion, it doesn’t require fumbling with keys in the dark while the house could be on fire.
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The never ending story … we spotted a big fat mouse again! Mr Imma was smart enough to go after it to see where it went. It ran to the corner of the living room where there’s a hole in the concrete floor because that’s where the internet cable comes into the house. And it has managed to dig a tunnel into the house right next to the cable. It’s definitely a tunnel made by a mouse, there are droppings and rub marks on the cable. I pushed a metal scouring pad into the hole and tomorrow I will get the sealant to fill it up. Plus a trap right next to it in case it gnaws its way through the metal tonight. I mean, it dug a tunnel through concrete…
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It is amazing how small a hole they need to get started! Our cables and wires come in through the side of the house at about 4 feet. Any hole is covered with this black almost tarry stuff from the outside, but somehow, they find a way in sometimes. I refuse to use the mice boxes our pest control give me, but I think my cats must scare them away as I have not seen one in the house nor any dead ones either. Our shed and our garage probably house a few over winter.
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