The results of building work, painting and shopping

Remember when hubs went into hospital and we had the builders in to put in some Velux roof windows above our dining table and above the kitchen?

And then the windows weren’t spaced out right, so they had to be removed and then a bigger hole had to be made in the roof and then the windows had to be put back again.

And then the plasterers came and the end result of that looked like the plasterers were plastered while plastering our ceiling. So they had to come back and do a lot of it again.

And then the electrician came to put the spotlights in the ceiling and above the windows. But the holes for the spotlights above the windows were too big for the lights. So the builders had to remove the plasterboard above the windows, put new plasterboard in with smaller holes, and then the plasterers had to come back to plaster the new plasterboard.

But apart from that *sigh*, everything went well and the end result is pretty nice.

 

before (windows too close together)      after redoing that                               

End result: lots of light above the dining table. I’ve painted the fireplace in a Histor colour called ‘Pizza’ and chosen the extra mat paint from Flexa, mixed in the Pizza colour. Very happy with the colour and the finish. It’s almost velvety.

We’ve painted the wall on the right side in a Farrow & Ball colour called Joa’s White, which doesn’t look anything like the colour on the colour card nor like the block we painted with the tester pot, it is much lighter, but we still like it. It’s a very warm, yellowish off-white. And we bought metal radiator covers (Sentimo) for the hideous radiators. You just stick it to the radiator with magnets. Great solution if you don’t want the wooden, more traditional radiator covers that I do like but hubs doesn’t. And this modern look does go better with our modern interior. It’s available in every RAL colour, but we’ve just chosen white (and I’m not even getting paid for promoting all this stuff. They should pay me though. So if Farrow & Ball, Sentimo, Flexa or Histor read this…)

And as we were on a roll, we also bought two luuuve-seats. I luuuve the luuuve seats. Luuuvely to snuggle up in, in front of both telly and fire. Let winter come.

Need a new coffee table now. Or just have to put this one’s twin (we do have another one, but it has a job elsewhere in our house) next to it. Looks a bit tiny now, in front of the huge luuuve seats and the sofa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<—black thing is dog on sofa

 

 

(I’ve taken all the ‘after’-shots with my iPod)

Joepie de Poepie!!!

Sorry for letting you know a little late, but hubs is doing fine *collective sigh of relief*
The operation was yesterday morning. Keyhole surgery was successful and he doesn’t have a stoma. So everything went according to plan A.
And that’s why I’m yelling: JOEPIE DE POEPIE. For the very few Dutch readers perhaps a well-known yell from their childhood, made famous by children’s entertainer Ome Willem (Uncle Willem), and of course Mel knows all about Joepie de Poepie too, eh Mel?
Hans and I would like to thank all of you for thinking of us and praying, sending good vibes, caring, all your nice words. Very much appreciated and it really helps to have such a great bunch of people standing right behind you, wherever they are in the world. You are all very special people and I truly love you all. If only I could hug you for real, but I have to do it virtually ((((((you))))))
Yesterday was a bit of a mad day, hence my late post. Because, as if we didn’t have enough going on yet, we also have the builders in. Yup. A case of planning things before one knows one is ill. They started Wednesday a week ago and if all goes well, plan A again, they will finish the whole thing tomorrow.

This is our kitchen before the builders came (the kitchen isn’t on this crooked angle in real life. It’s just me again, incapable of taking a decent photo):






















Then the builders came:





















































This is the end result. Well, almost. The electrician has yet to install spotlights in the ceiling and above the windows in the coves. The plaster is still drying. The windows are Velux and can be opened, using a remote control, which also can be used to turn on and dim the lights in the window coves (eventually, when the electrician has been here and done his thing). We are amazed by the amount of light these windows have brought into our home. Should have done it years ago.
And the floor covers have yet to be removed. In case you were wondering what the hell these people have on their floor.


But this isn’t all the builders have been (and still are) doing.









This is the dining space before:








Again, Velux windows, but four of them. Unfortunately they weren’t spaced out correctly, so the outside blinds didn’t fit and the bottom two windows had to be lowered. But hey, when did building work ever go according to plan anyway. It has been resolved already. The windows are now in the correct place and today the plasterers are plastering this part, and the opposite part of the ceiling.





And then I can start cleaning. I’ve never looked forward to cleaning the house as much as now. But hopefully, when hubs returns home next week (still plan A), everything will be ready and clean and cosy again.
And now I’m off to muck out the stables, give the plasterers coffee, mow the lawn, visit hubs, ride the horses, send someone else to visit hubs, handle all the telephone calls and everything else that needs to be doing.
Love you all!