Painting in the loft

We've spent the weekend painting the loft, a deep red on one wall, white on the ceiling and other walls, gloss on the woodwork.

We'll finish the painting during the week and put the floor down next weekend.

Christmas is here......

The tree survived its trip on the tram and it now up and looking very christmasy.

Christmas is coming to Beeckman Towers

An 8ft Christmas Tree on the tram - fairly hard work, but worthwhile. Check back soon to see if decorated...............

The log burner - going at last

This afternoon we have christened the log burner. So far the smoke is going up the chimney rather than into the room!

There's a lot of heat from a little stove!

Uccle en Fleurs

Last wednesday we went to a reception in the maison communale and received a prize in the Uccle en Fleurs competition. We got a certificate, as well as some tulip buibs and a gardening book.

Lighting - Living/Dining Room

After a little stuggle the Laura Ashley/eBay special chandeliers are up and working. They look great and really add to the room that is almost finished now.

Dining Room Wallpaper

Emma spent saturday hanging wallpaper in the dining room, its a duck egg blue (the same as the paint) with silver pattern and looks great.

The final things to do in the living/dining room now are the lights, 'plumbing in' the fire and thr skirting along the wall with the wallpaper.

Sunflowers

The tallest sunflower is at least 12ft. They're all very impressive.

Living Room Floor - 3

All done - starting to take shape now

All in, thats a lot of floor in a big room

Living Room Floor - 2

3/4 done......

first few bits in - along way to go

Living Room Floor - 1

underlay down

The living/dining room swept, hoovered and ready to go.

Living Room - flooring preparations

After a day spent preparing and looking more like I've spent a day down the pit. the floor is ready to go down today. Yesterday various cables had to be re-routed, skirtings removed and furniture moved.

Project Living Room

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Garden Clearing

Last weekend ze hired a shredder to clear up the mountain of branches and twigs left over from when we ripped out the hedge. The end of the garden is now more or less clear and ready for a deck to be built.

Painting

Bedroom

Bedroom

Dressing Room

We have now finished the painting in the dressing room, the fresh plaster was coated first in watered down white paint, then a layer of white, the on the top is a Wickes professional high chalk content Harvest Moon. We have the window to tidy up and the wardrobes to buy and construct and the room will be done.

We're a bit further behing in the bedroom. The bottom watered down white coat and top white coat are on. It will be finished off in Harvest Moon this week. The bedroom is then done, although some new furniture and curtains will come along soon.

Outside Tap

Yesterday we fitted an outside tap to make watering easier - no less than two hours later we had a massive thunderstorm so no need for any watering...........

Speedfit fitting are great.

The outside sink makes an excellent paint brush cleaning place.

Plastering - Days 7&8

Dining Room Chimney breast, newly skimmed

Former brick arch newly squared off, main fireplace in the background

Main Fireplace, newly skimmed.

Sunday was spent cutting skirtings ready to fit on Wednesday and Thursday, no plastering was done due to no being able to use powertools (for mixing the plaster). Then today the chinmey breasts and were done - the living room is now finished. A final couple of bits were done in the hallway as well.

Sanding - Bedroom Floor

Emma took it upon herself to hire a sander and sand the bedroom floor. A vast improvement on the old carpet! The plan is to put a clear varnish on for the time being and then a carpet later in the year.

Fireplace

All the flue pipes have been installed. When the back has had the top coat of plaster put on it the logburner itself will be installed, just in time for the summer.

Plastering - Days 5&6

Loft alcoves done

skylight finished off

Hallway finished

Bedroom finished

After 6 days the loft, hallway and bedroom have all been finished. The chinmeys in the living room have also been started. The former brick arch is also being straightened.

The skirting boards will all be cut (and maybe stuck on) tomorrow. Before the dressing room and chinmeys are done early next week.

Plastering - Days 2&3

The loft was fully boarded out on Day 3, then skimmed on day 4. A vast improvement on the loft insulation ceiling that was there before - it's a proper room now. Just a few little bits to finish off, then moving on to finishing the hallway, stairs, landings etc.

Plastering - Days 1&2

Walls drying out

All walls and chimney breast done

Before

The plaster work started in the main bedroom, the ceiling came down, was reboarded and skimmed on day one. Then on day two all the walls were skimmed.

We also added a new slate window sill in the hall. Just some plastering and painting and the hall will be finished.

Slate Hearth

Evenings this week we cut and fitted our new slate hearth. Just needs a final clean up, then once the fire is in it'll look great.

Fireplace

The fireplace now looks like a fireplace! Luckily it all went back together more or less as planned. Tomorrow we'll tile the hearth with slate. Then fit the stove so the plasterer can make good when he arrives.

Sunday DIY - Painting and Blocklaying

Emma has been putting a second coat of paint on the walls in the stairwell. It looks great.

Ed finished the chimney breast. Needs to be plasterboarded now, before the plasterer skims it. Then we need to choose which colour it'll be painted.

Dining Room Chimney Breast

We're rebuilding the chimney breast in the dining room. It's half way up and the brickwork should be finished today before it gets plasterboarded and skimmed by the plasterer. It balances up the room with the living room really well.

The opening has been custom sized to fit the fire grill that you can see in the back of the photo.

Cutting the reinforced concrete lintle was interesting especially on bank holiday saturday and thereofre not being able to use a power tool.

Plastering

We've had the whole stairwell plastered. They'll be back soon to plaster the Bedroom and dressing room, downstairs loo and loft ceiling.......

So the bumpy walls have gone to be replaced by super smooth plaster. We're now putting on the first coat of white wash - 50:50 paint and water. The ceilings look even higher and when they're fully painted probably even higher!

Garden

Life Time Guarentee on our Wilkinson Sword Garden Fork - perhaps not so life time.......

Garden fork now in two pieces!

We taken out the hedge from the bed on the side of the garden opening the space out. We'll be planting Roses here.