On Friday night, Lorenzo brought the hardwood flooring over in a rented Budget truck. I knew the painting had been finished, but I was on edge waiting for his call. I was half expecting him to walk in and be completely disappointed. Much to my relief, he was extremely happy with the results, and he says the pictures don't do the colour justice. He says it looks fantastic. There's a few little spots here and there to touch-up but it's finally done! And it only took three painters...

You might notice that the paint colour doesn't go all the way to the top of the wall; this is because a moulding will be going across.

Here's a little trip down memory lane - I've tried to find pictures taken from a similar angle to give a sense of what's been accomplished...

Original gloomy cottage...

Demolition - bathroom ripped out, new windows installed...

New wiring, plumbing, insulation...

Pine panelling installed...

Priming...

Painted, ready for trim work and flooring! I love our new wood stove. It reminds me of Snoopy...

Here's a few other shots:

Original spooky stairwell. This is after Lorenzo replaced the bubbly amber-coloured glass with a new window and trimmed it out in the arts & crafts style that we prefer...

Prime job that took 30 hours...

All painted...


This is one area where Lorenzo didn't replace the wood; this is the original panelling. It's a bit rough here and there, but it adds character. I can't get over the difference paint can make. The stairwell before compared to now, is incredible to me. The original light fixture will be replaced. I have bought quite a few fixtures from Lighting Direct on-line, and the amount of money you can save is incredible. Here is an onion lamp by Norwell which retails for $329...

This one is made by Kenroy, and retails for $142...

Then there's this one by Transglobe which costs $112....not much difference, is there?

Or, I could go to Rona and get this one for $54.99...

If you're willing to snoop around on-line, you can find what you're looking for, or something close enough, and save a ton of money.




Here is looking toward the bathroom door from the hallway:

We borrowed the closet from the boy's room, and half of our daughter's room to put in a family bathroom...

New panelling installed...

Doorway is trimmed out...

All painted a lovely buttery cream colour. (Man on the Moon - Benjamin Moore)

This light fixture was supposed to be for the outside; Lorenzo made a mistake. This is the fixture I bought for the hallway...I found this onion lamp at Norburn Lighting in their clearance section. Forty bucks! It has seeded glass, which I really like.

In any case, he prefers the one he installed and maybe he's right. It looks pretty cute...

Here is one of my favourite spots in the cottage, before and after...

I am so pleased with the colour - it's a true butter cream without any hint of lemon. Lorenzo says the cottage feels so clean and airy now...



Here is a picture of the west wall...

Front door, before and after...

All in all, we are very relieved that our painting migraine is over. Lorenzo organized a little painting area for me on the kitchen table. I have to paint all the trim pieces, but I can't go over this week because I have a bunch of stuff to do, and we have a Christmas party to attend on Saturday. So this week is off. Anyway, once the trim is in, the floors will be ready to be installed. And then we move in - I can't wait. The new goal is spring break....

I can't believe how much work Lorenzo has done. Everything you see, he has done with his two hands. All of it! I'm so proud of him.

Until next time!