Monday 24 October 2011

Making an Entrance

Having made the most of this lovely mild weather over the weekend by catching up on a little gardening, my thoughts now turn once again to inside the house, where I am (very) slowly turning my house into a home which reflects my tastes rather than those of the previous owners.



Note this is NOT my hall although I wish it were........

I am the worst kind of decorator in that although being quite competent with a sander and a paintbrush, I am very prone to acting on a whim and as the mood takes me.

Thus we have a very-nearly-almost-but-not-quite finished family room / dining room (really just the french windows to finish now, honestly that's all).

A half started study/bedroom ( two walls with one coat of paint only, so a long way to go with this one......)

And

a half finished hall

So it is with a sigh of regret that before I can honestly allow my conscience (and paintbrush) to tackle the living room, to rid the walls of their dark gold colour and replace with a paler colour (like in the images below).........



















and before I can start to paint over the gloomy battleship grey cupboards in the kitchen and transform then into something like those in the the lovely kitchens below.........

















 






I really must finish the hall first.

There's a staircase to prime/undercoat,  and then paint as it is currently stained dark brown.
Having stripped the newel post a while back and found the results not all that wonderful, I have decided to paint all but the handrail which I will strip and keep natural wood, along with the newel post.

Then there are the walls to finish - they've already had a couple of coats to cover the dark mushroom colour - and the woodwork - the picture rail and skirting board already primed and undercoated, just needing  a top coat of satinwood  - and then the 5 internal doors, thankfully only 2 left to top coat.

I think thats all :(

And so I thought I'd share with you some lovely photos of hall and entrance ways that I am finding helpful in making me grit my teeth and get out the dust sheets.

















all images from Vintage Home


I think this last one would be a little hard to live with, albeit it makes a most cheerful entrance!


Thank you for all your interesting comments on my last post - I hope you enjoy these images too!







33 comments:

  1. Those images are certainly inspirational aren't they?
    I especially love the kitchen with the the butler sink and floral curtain.Infact you've made me want to go into my kitchen right now and have a little sort out and movearound! :0)

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  2. You are very good at finding wonderful images Gill, it's just very unsettling seeing so many things that I too would love!
    Good luck with your decorating!!
    Vivienne x

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  3. Hey, our stairs and landing have been a 'work in prgress' for three and a half years now! We still have half painted walls, half stripped skirtings and half painted stairs. My only worry is that by the time we get around to finishing it, I will have gone off it and will want to start again! Love the images you have chosen. M x

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  4. Heavens, ALL those kitchens had me swooning regardless of whether they were small of huge.

    Don't you just love those multicoloured stairs too?

    Thank you for helping me dream away this rainy Monday afternoon.

    Good luck with it all ;-) Keep gritting your teeth.

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  5. Fantastic images Gill! There isn't any room there I don't like but I REALLY want that purple sofa.
    xxxx

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  6. Gorgeous images. It's the sitting room or lounge ones that appeal the most for me at the moment. Lots of great ideas here, thank you for sharing them with us

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  7. Oh Gill, you sound very busy! I hope you will show us some photo's of your home when you are finished. The ones you show us today look beautiful. I especially like the living rooms on your first few photo's. They look so warm and comfortable!

    Have a lovely new week,

    Madelief x

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  8. What beautiful inspiring images. I wish I had a whole house I could decorate! My poor little flat is too small for such lovely furniture, but one day I hope! Thank you for inspiring me!

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  9. You always find the most amazing pictures Gill. They are so inspirational!

    Can't wait to see *your* finished products though! (I haven't forgotten your kitchen! :o))

    Have a great week Gill.
    Love Donna xx

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  10. Lets just say I love love them all......I saved a few.
    Inspiration to spare!

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  11. Good luck with the finishing off - looking forward to the reveal! I need to do some finishing off of painting jobs too, but also find the lure of a brand new job irresistible at times.
    x

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  12. Hello Gill:
    Gosh, did even Michelangelo have quite so much painting to do in the Sistine Chapel? Plenty of inspiration here, that is for certain but those acres of walls needing priming, undercoating, glossing and eggshelling would make a lesser woman faint!!! We anticipate the finished results with keen enthusiasm!

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  13. Fabulous images - very inspiring! Have fun with your paint brush!!

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  14. Sometimes there is just too much to choose from!!

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  15. Wowee, what wonderful images you've found - I nearly fell off my chair when I saw that first one, because I did first think it was your house! I'm quite good at looking at all the inspiration, but less good at actually getting round to following it...
    Jane x

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  16. Some wonderful images there. I especially like the kitchen with the window seat, how I would love a window seat that I could sit on and watch the world go by.

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  17. Oh la la. I love the first pic. How I wish that was our hallway. But unfortunately that is never gonna happen. I mean - n e v e r.... Our hallway is about 1 meter wide and 7 meters long. Do the math and you get that it is almost an impossible task to make this hallway functional for a family of five... I can always dream of a nother house though... These pictures are real dreaming material. I love the kitchen sink with the floral drape, The Swedish hallway with the door opening to the green staircase - how cool is that? The hall with the red door - love that red! I want a red door in my house! ANd the one with built in drawers and cupboards under the staircase - how genious! I could really need a make over of my home. Starting with the hallwat. Maybe I should browse this vintage home place to for some inspiration. Or just visit your blog as you are sharing :D Thanks for popping by and wishing me good luck. I am very excited to see if I can maybe at least support my hobby through running a shop. That would be great. Take care.
    Xxx
    Annette

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  18. What a wonderful collection of inspiring images you have made for us today, Gill! I love so many of the things here, I could look at them for ages! Good luck with your decorating....in my case it never ends as I always think of another thing to paint or another idea to try! Have a happy week. Helen x

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  19. Goodness me so many inspiring and beautiful images. Good lcuk with all the painting, hope you get the hall looking like your dreams.
    Lisa x

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  20. Where do I get that red velvet chair from??? I'm sure my kitchen would look like some of these pictures were it not for the piles of bills on the countertop, the multiple pairs of shoes strewn by the back door, the overflowing recycling box and the chicken feed bucket in the corner...

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  21. Hi Gill, I can really sympathise with you on this one. I am forever starting things and not finishing. I think about it, plan it , look at books, look at the internet. Then I start, and once I start to get the look I'm after, I lose interest...it's awful! I think you have got the bit between your teeth though, so plough on, you will feel really good when you've done it. You will also have all of us on your case wanting to see the finished article! I love all your inspiration pictures, but must admit to having the first of your last lot of pics, embedded in my head. It is so genius, to have all those rainbow coloured cushions in front of a wall of art, and to make it work so effectively!I love it, love it, love it!

    Many thanks for your lovely comments Gill. Good luck with your painting. Would you like some light refreshments to keep you gong? I'll send over the tea trolley! Lots of love, Linda x

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  22. Oh, goodness me, that's inspiring! I'd like to grab a paintbrush right now and tackle something in my own house. Lovely, Gill, thank you! :)

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  23. Hello Gill

    I love your enthusiasm and you certainly have made a good start.I love some of the images you posted today and in particular the room with the purple velvet couch.
    I am enjoying your blog as you new follower
    Helen Tilston

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  24. .... and when you've finished all that, it'll be time to start over again! But can you come and do mine first? Please?

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  25. My head is FULL of decorating business at the moment so these pictures are just the ticket. I love the idea of grouping pictures together. Not at that stage yet but will be soon I hope. C.x

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  26. Go Girl! Painting and decorating is such a soul destroying task - but when you see the transformation achieved it makes you burst with joy. Watching Sarah Beeny and her Regency platerwork ceiling made me realise that painting around our beams should be a doddle! Tee hee!

    Sarah x

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  27. Hi Gill, love all your inspiration photos! Sounds like there's no shortage of work for you at your home! I feel your pain!

    We've been in our home for 16 years and it's still not done! LOL!!! Is it ever done . . . You inspire me to pick up a paint brush, because at my current rate I'll be painting to infinity and beyond! LOL!!!

    Maybe now that we have power back after being without it for 31 hrs. I'll start painting the kitchen walls!

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  28. Gilly, I truly loved each and every one of these images and would be perfectly happy living in any of them...except like you, in the last one, though it is great fun to look at!!
    Best of luck with finishing your hall...just think how wonderful it's going to be when it's all done!
    xo J~

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  29. You have great taste! I wish my house looked like that.... good luck with yours, I'm sure it will look just as beautiful as the pictures when you have finished.

    Lou xxx

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  30. The vintage style kitchen with the flowery curtain to hide the contents of the cupboard is my dream kitchen fo all time. So pretty. I am rubbish when it comes to decorating. I loathe it with a passion. I love making the cushions and fabirc bits and pieces, but the actual DIY stuff I cannot seem to love! Em x

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  31. I really like this post. There isn't a room in this post I would want in my house. LOVE them all!! Enjoyed my visit.

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  32. Wow these houses look amazing, I love how cozy they look but at the same time so elegant, I will take any of these rooms any day! Your blog is awesome by the way and I am a new follower! Hope you will like my blog and follow back!

    Pop Culture&Fashion Magic

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Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to leave a comment - I love to read them!
Gill x