Frugal Frump to Fab - 2015

lessonlearned

Rummer - great stiff.

It's so nice to catch up with old friends isn't it. I find mine very inspirational too and we often spark ideas off each other.

And heres hoping that by October I too will be joining you by dropping a dress size. Won't that be nice.

Well done on the painting MAman, what colour.

We emPtied the dining room yesterday. It's the worst room in the house to decorate because it contains the fish tank, which will have to be moved. The room will have to be done instages, whilst the tank is emptied, the fish given a temporary home, etc. So it's not just a case of clearing the room and getting the rollers out and getting all done and dusted in a day or so.

Which is why we have waited until DS2 is on holiday. He breaks up tonight, so hopefully if we start tomorrow we can get a straight run and get most of It done by the weekend.

Then over to DS1s for operation clean up prior to DILs parents coming to the UK In a couple of weeks. Renovation works will go on hold now that he has finished sanding floors. very messy and dusty everywhere, so a massive clean up, hopefully get some white emulsion on the new plaster - will keep the dust down and make it more comfortable.

Hopefully that's the last really dirty job done now. Then when her parents have gone back fun stuff can start, proper decorating, furnishings etc. He has been working flat out for months, a break will do him good. He has achieved so much and at least this winter the house will be warmer, cleaner and much more comfortable. Perhaps as well because I don't think the poor girl would have enjoyed it much if the house was in the state it was in last winter.

The new bathroom is gorgeous - very boutique hotel. Additional under floor heating so very luxurious.

We want to eventually replace the kitchen and put in an aga but as you can Imagine that is mega money so he needs to save up first.

I suggested we do a short term fix.

So when DILs parents go back we are going to revamp it by painting all the units and just giving it a temporary facelift. I saw a very reasonably priced free standing island in Ikea last week which would provide additional storage, so I think we could do a good job for around £400 all in and that will make a huge difference.

It's so nice to see both houses coming together now.

Anyway off to the diy sheds this morning for decorating materials....so smart casual.....jeans and a nice top.

Hope you feel better soon Chanie.

Ellsbel

I really hope you get a chance to do that blog, LL - I'd love to see the pics; sounds like you have some great ideas:) have you done interior design professionally? (Sorry if that's being nosey; I'm just fascinated by your posts on the renovating )

lessonlearned

Ive always been "arty". Can't draw or paint but ive always had ,"an eye".

On a practical level Im self taught. I taught myself to sew whenI was a teen, made most of my own clothes etc.

Then when I bought my first property on my own - a total wreck - all I could afford at the time - I had no money to pay anyone so I just rolled up my sleeves and got stuck in. I figured that if I could follow a dress pattern then I could teach myself diy.

I started renovating furniture out of necessity I couldnt afford new stuff....

I drifted into working for developers - more by accident than design - story of my life - and my interest just grew.

I had a break when I hit 40 and went to university.my course was called "Visual Cultures" - all theory, no practical. I studied film and TV, art history, interior design, fashion design, photography and architecture.

I thoroughly enjoyed it although I got fed up with all the Marxist preaching that was so popular at the time........I could see through it but I felt sorry for the younger ones because to me it seemed little better than brainwashing. A lot of the young lecturers were extremely naive and just gobbled up the doctrine without bothering to question it and thinking about the practicalities.

A shame because they passed this onto the younger more susceptible students who then had unrealistic expectation and goals. I think a lot of them struggled to,find work.

What my stint at uni did do for me was to point me into areas I had t had time to look at before. I became very interested in industrial design and the function of objects, how function determines aesthetics etc.

My thinking on design now is comfort, practicality, ease of use, energy, and aesthetics, the use of light and creating additional space, In short my brief is always making a space that is both functional and beautiful......and preferably without breaking the bank........:rotfl:

Ellsbel

I think you're an inspiration LL I know you've had a tough time of it, but in spite of that you seem to get so much done and to be able to manage so many projects:)
Your posts always make me want to get busy and get creative
I'm interested to read about your experience at University too; funnily enough I'm toying with the idea of applying to study for a degree at uni as a mature (very!!) student - I'm not sure whether I'll go ahead or not but nice to read that the experience can be worthwhile whatever your age - although I'm ten years older than you were when you started your studies

lessonlearned

Go for it......find something you love or something that has always intrigued you and just jump,in.......

Oddly enough I went back to working for developers after my stint at uni .It might sound like a backwards step but in actual fact that Stint at uni transformed my working life, even though I was still doing the same job.

Perhaps it was just a confidence thing - I'd always felt ashamed of not having a better education. But Now I felt that I could hold my head up, and I found I became more assertive and my social skills really improved. I found I could talk with ease to anyone, my old shyness just evaporated.

When I got back into my old job - even with the same employer it soon became apparent that I could really add value with my new found knowledge and skills.

It was long before the days of Kirsty and Phil, or the house doctor but with my new found Knowledge of design principles I began to understand a lot more about the build processes. The management and the trades began to sit up and take notice of me. I was offered a Management Trainjng programme but declined, I felt my children were too young.

Instead I focussed on what I could bring to the table. I began to sell the concept of a "blank canvas". It was before the days of Pinterest so I would design room layouts and mood boards to help show clients how they could transform a boring beige box into a comfortable and elegant living space.

My sales figures rocketed and I started earning some serious money. My employers more or less gave me a free rein, it was like running my own business.

Whenever I was drafted into a new site I would make a point of visiting the local shops and tradespeople and forging alliances with them. I would send them business and they would ensure that my clients received top notch goods and services, with discounts thrown in.

I realised that many of my clients were extremely busy people so I began to provide them with a complete package, even finding them cleaners and gardeners, feeding their cats when they went away and watering their houseplants for them.....whatever it took.

I was repeatedly drafted into to revive ailing sites, they would give me double commission to get things moving again and a nice healthy bonus when I met my targets, which of course I always did.....My reputation grew and site agents starting putting in requests for me to,work with them.

I was given the task of training new recruits and becoming their mentor.

Once the boys were at university I left and set up my own business, selling oversees property. It involved a lot of travel and I couldn't have done that when they were younger.

50 is not old - it's the new 30.....:rotfl:

Go ahead, you'll have a whale of a time, learn new stuff, make new friends. You might not use your new knowledge in ways you expect but I think you will find that it opens the way to lots of new possibilities and adventures.

maman

Lovely chat on here this morning.:)


Sorry you're feeling poorly chanie, amazing what a bit of slap can do.

Ellsbel wrote: »

maman how incredibly frustrating that your painter left you in the lurch - it's so discourteous when they can't let you know they're not going to turn up - not the first time it's been discussed on here, I know, but it makes me think there must be a lot of tradespeople out there who have work coming out of their ears if they can afford to burn their bridges like this!
Glad your OH was able to step in and get it done.

lessonlearned wrote: »

Well done on the painting MAman, what colour.

I suggested we do a short term fix.

I'm amazed that he has taken the chance on wrecking his Checkatrade rating all for a phone call. I wouldn't have been happy if he'd phoned to say he couldn't come but to just not turn up is dreadful. I'm giving him a day or two to at least apologise/offer an explanation and then I'm going to write a review.


We had the paint mixed LL. It's an off white with just a grey hint. The sofas are more stone than cream. My plan is to have all the room in these shades and then inject some colour with cushions. When the sofas come I'll be able to take an arm cover round the shops with me to match things up. I know from experience how many shades of cream are around and the wrong tones just scream at each other.



I did a short term fix (lasted years;)) in my previous kitchen. We had white units that were looking very tired but I really couldn't fancy anything to replace them. Inspired by a trip to Monet's garden and his dining room I painted them all in two shades of yellow. I found the easiest way was to take the doors off and lie them flat.


We still have a few of those doors in the utility but now painted pale green and I'm thinking they may be revamped into pale grey soon.

lessonlearned wrote: »

My thinking on design now is comfort, practicality, ease of use, energy, and aesthetics, the use of light and creating additional space, In short my brief is always making a space that is both functional and beautiful......and preferably without breaking the bank........:rotfl:

That's roughly what I'm trying to achieve with Marie Kondo. I keep thinking of the William Morris quote and I find his designs very beautiful indeed.


ellsbel, I'd definitely recommend doing a degree course or some form of study. My background was all scientific so I did a degree in Arts/Humanities which included literature, art appreciation and even some music. I felt it made my general knowledge much more rounded. OU is to be recommended if you can't get to a traditional university.


Done all basic fabbing this morning. Off dancing again tonight so will need to choose an outfit for that. As the weather is absolutely dreadful it might be a long, dark skirt as definitely don't feel a summery, bare legged look is called for.:(

maman

lessonlearned wrote: »

Instead I focussed on what I could bring to the table. I began to sell the concept of a "blank canvas". It was before the days of Pinterest so I would design room layouts and mood boards to help show clients how they could transform a boring beige box into a comfortable and elegant living space.

Oh dear!:o:o:o


:rotfl:

lessonlearned

maman wrote: »

Oh dear!:o:o:o


:rotfl:

No I'm referring to the typical builders finsih of magnolia. Don't forget new plaster has to have specially formulated paint to,allow it to breathe and dry out.

Traditionally this was always a particulalry depressing shade of magnolia, always flat. I called it builders beige. A world of difference to some of the lovely neutrals you can get now.

Nowadays you can buy paint for new plaster in quite a wide range of colours, still always flat of course because that is the way it is formulated. When we moved into here we did the whole of the upstairs white and the downstairs cream.

I actually love plain white walls. As you say there are so many shades of,white, so many creams. and at the moment some lovely pale greys.

I love neutral schemes - they are always calm and restful. I save the pops of colour for artworks and accessories.

I personally would advocate that large expanses of wall, large ticket items such as sofas etc and flooring be kept as neutral as possible. It's much cheaper to replace cushions and rugs than it is to have to replace new floor coverings and sofas.

We are have chosen a pale silvery grey for the walls in both the lounge and connecting dining room, with just the fireplace alcoves highlighted in a stronger colour. Dulux Heather for,the llounge and Dulux Manahattan (mid grey) for the dining room. They both work well with the silver grey.

In the kitchen it's cream with just a pop of "luscious lime" behind the cooker......enough to break up the,expanse of cream but not give you eye strain.....

Your kitchen makeover sounds just the ticket. The units in DS1s kitchen are hand made "proper" solid pine, they are sturdy and still in very good shape, but the wood has darkened over the years and makes the kitchen seem very dark and oppressive. So a lick of paint to transform them into farmhouse/shaker style should really lift the room.

lessonlearned

Maman - have you visited William Morris's house - i think it's called Kelmscott. Lovely.

DS1has just come back from Barcelona and was taken with Gaudis house, so of course he now wants to do something with mosaics in the garden, but that will be a project for next year.

And he has also designed a stained glass window for his new bathroom. we have to keep the original window of course because the house is Grade II listed but he is going to make it up as a removable panel which can be fitted to the inside. He will work on that on winter evenings.

Although we've just bought him a huge Lego model of a VW camper van for his birthday and he's itching to to do that first.....

He's such a geek!!!

maman

lessonlearned wrote: »

Maman - have you visited William Morris's house - i think it's called Kelmscott. Lovely.

Thanks for that. I was only aware of his main residence Red House but I haven't been there either. Googling tells me Kelmscott is very close to Buscot a NT property that I have visited. It has the most glorious Pre Raphaelite panels telling the story of Sleeping Beauty. I might drag OH out for the day when the painting's finished!