My task this week is to clean the plaster and orange dust from the timbers and stone in the study, ready for Cat and Colin to paint this room at the weekend. These are the tools for removing the plaster from the timbers, a chisel and a small wire brush the same size as a toothbrush. This could take a while!
I started with the rear window and lintels. They had been smeared in plaster so cleaning these was very satisfying.
It’s amazing to think these are the same dry timbers that had been hidden under cement for so many years.
The main beam in the study that we discovered had been roughly hacked at the bottom now looks great. The worst of the splintered wood was smoothed off with a sander.
The door frame and lintel to the sitting room all cleaned up. I have also been picking out the remnants of blue tape that was buried in the edges of the plaster. This proved so difficult to get hold of that I ended up using my eyebrow tweezers…
The fabulous old lintel over the front window. This is a huge old chunk of wood left quite rough and raw when the house was built all those years ago. It does make it quite difficult to clean though.
The lintel before it was cleaned, you can see the edges where the plaster needs to be scrubbed off. You can also see the original axe marks here.
These crocuses literally popped up over night.
This is the first radiator we have offered up to the pipes to see how it fits and it doesn’t. We repeatedly asked the old plumber to dry fit all the rads so the pipes were in the correct place, he repeatedly failed to do this…
He clearly only measured for one valve, not two, so we are going to have to move this pipe. The pipe is buried in the edge of the floor with lime mortar, so it should be possible to move. We are really hoping this is not the case for all the rads as none of the others can be moved as they are buried in the plastered walls…
Andrew the plumber has been here for 3 days this week and has been installing the copper pipes through Cat’s bedroom cupboard, joining up the new pipework with the boiler and water tank and replacing all the plastic pipes that the old plumber installed on top of the carpet.
Andrew has also been installing the last bits and pieces in the bathroom including the glass screens in the shower.
Jasper’s favourite window in the house where he can bark at anyone that dares to walk past.
Jasper quality checking the plumber’s work or about to fall down the hole at the end of the cupboard, one or the other…
Some peacock feathers rescued from a film set. We have always loved peacock feathers (doesn’t everyone?), the colours are divine.
I always wanted hair this colour.
The sample pots arrive from Fenwick & Tilbrook for the dining room, Pipit on the left, Promenade on the right.
Promenade being held up in the dining room. We plan to use this for the wall around the front door, a dark shade to hide the mud and dirt…
This is a true grey that has a hint of blue when viewed next to the stone and wood.
Pipit will be used for the rest of the room, keeping it light and bright.
