This afternoon, with only light rain falling, I excavated the sinking corner of an old shed and got a hydraulic jack under it to bring it up to level.
But the base is rotted so I'll need to cut away the punky wood and put in something treated. Then I can build up a foundation with better drainage.
I ask myself why I am painting the cornices of this bedroom with such care when I will never sleep here again.
“It’s pride in a job done properly,” I think.
But deep down, I know it’s because I want this to be a sanctuary, and for no other woman to wish that the painters had done a better job.
And so I take the time and care to do it as well as I can do, and hope that the future residents never spend the time examining the ceiling at all.
Nearly done! Tradie not only finished the retaining wall but cleaned up afterwards and filled the skip! I have my patio back from under mounds of dirt, and tomorrow I can start replacing the plants and reticulation.
Not only that but we have a decent thunderstorm and rain which is settling the soil behind the new wall.
Brickie needs to come back in a few days for the acid wash.
We have ordered another skip.
Feeling much happier with the progress today.
Day 3 of the retaining wall project. Wall is being raised but not finished. Mud and dirt abounds. Plumber comes at 7 am tomorrow. Brickie is at another job tomorrow. Maybe back Wednesday. Maybe.
Note to self: when the tradies say 3 or 4 days, ask if they are consecutive!
#renovating
#gardening
We are Day 2 of the retaining wall build. There are piles of dirt on the patio, the builder's trailer is in the garage, there is a pack of bricks in the carport, my plants are all over the place and I need a plumber and a skip.
The middle of any project is much worse than the beginning.
Removed the old door in my replacement project to find an almost literally bailing wire and chewing gum structure behind it.
While I can easily fall into the usual "what were they thinking?" exclamations of #renovating a century-old house, at the end of the day they got their task done, and it lasted for 45yrs or so. Won't begrudge the misguided handyman that.
There'll be less chewing gum in the rework at least.
Whilst the weather had been dry the builders have working on the conservatory and so it took a bit longer to get the skylight installed. It’s in now though and looks amazing. Having a single pane of self-cleaning glass in here is a massive improvement over the shoddily made wooden framed lantern window which was here before and leaking all over the stairwell. Another job ticked off the list! #renovating
I get the feeling there are some of you who are pros on window replacements. Our house is over 30 years old and still has its original windows. All of them are failing and we will have to bite the bullet and replace them. We currently have vinyl contractor grade. What windows do you recommend? How much do you think we will have to spend? We are in South Jersey. Thanks #ArtistLife #Windows #Renovating #OldHouse
There’s good light all over the house this morning. #renovating
End of day 10 in the hallway: another one done! The last of the wallpaper went up in here today and this project is now done. Same deal in here with some small remaining jobs - hanging new lights, getting mirrors up on the wall, finding furniture and also sorting out the flooring, but I’m enjoying this part being over with. #renovating
End of day 15 on the bathroom: the decorator will be back tomorrow morning to stick some sealant on the edges of the woodwork and take his stuff and then it’s done and usable. The remaining jobs in here (hanging a medicine cabinet and adding some freestanding storage) will get tackled shortly, but for now I’m going to enjoy being able to bath and to shower without having to go to the gym 
#renovating
Okay, #Introduction time.
I'm a #DataEngineer in #Perth who keeps trying to pick up her #clarinet again.
I'm also a #vegetarian which I say to preface that I am trying to #LearnToCook from the very basics, to establish a #CookingHabit so I'm starting *very* slowly. Like learning to chop + cook specific things.
Otherwise, I spend most of my time #coding , building #DataPipelines (yes, at home, in my free time), and #renovating our home, for which we paid off the mortgage just under a year ago!
I’m Stuart. I work in tech running design teams and write about design at https://designleadershipmemos.com
I live in #Devon - in SW England - where I’m #renovating a Victorian house having moved from #London after almost a decade in #Amsterdam and spells in #Aotearoa and #Japan before that.
I have a degree in #Japanese and I occasionally make #music and #okonomiyaki, take #photographs & videos of the sea and tap on about #cycling and Coventry City (#pusb) and #tech my #HondaElement.
