Et voilà, c'est fini...

Finally, the room is finished. It is lovely and I really think it was worth the wait. I am very relieved to be back to normality for sure but the memory of the inconvenience and stress fades fast.

The photos really don't do it justice!

Now We're Cooking!

For one reason or another this redecorate has been a very slow job. Last week the white base coat went on and then all progress ground to a halt. It's been frustrating, and living on my bed surrounded by clutter is now getting to me. Still, today the work started moving forwards again and I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel now...which is just as well since the sofa arrives on Monday!

White base coat goes on

The gas fire in place

The green goes on

Window frame painted white

Getting Plastered

For the last few years I have opted to alternate getting away for the summer and getting a room in the flat redecorated. Since I went to Spain last year, this year it was the turn of the front room for a makeover. It is the last room in the flat to receive proper attention since I moved in. Other projects are still on the cards - the double glazing is shocking and the windows will need replacing soon, but that is the next project.

So once again I am living with half of my flat stuffed into my bedroom and spare room and I am living on my bed. I have to admit that at the end of day four the dust and disruption is starting to get to me. Still, the plastering is now finished and the walls and ceiling looks brilliant. I can see that the room is going to look better and better from this point on.

Clearing the room on day 1

It's amazing what shelves hide

New socket locations

The chaos begins

Day 2 - the boards come down...

...revealing a large area of blown plaster

Plaster board is the only answer

Walls PVA'ed

Day 4 - The plaster goes on

It's goodbye to the rustic walls

Endings and Beginnings

I have a new bedroom. After five weeks of hard work it is finally finished, and it is beautiful! I love it. I've gone from what felt like a cramped and cluttered hole to waking up in luxury and it just doesn't feel like my room! It leaves only one room in my little flat that hasn't been redecorated since I moved in and it is now shouting at me to be done. I guess I need to start saving.

The new bedroom has prompted all sorts of fresh starts for me. I have got back on track with WeightWatchers and I am starting to see losses again. I am clearing out cupboards and have been ruthless about throwing out a large part of my video and cassette collection (I bet the bin men love me!). I have had a new cupboard built in the front room which is big enough to hold the snake's vivarium. It is enormous so has swallowed a lot of my (now sorted) clutter. And of course the snake is home. It is lovely that he is back here finally and it seems only fair that his last days are free from the noise of a classroom. Having said that he seems robust and healthy just now and his no food fad seems to have passed. He certainly had no problem getting outside of his welcome home mouse!

All of this has left me feeling optimistic and ready to tackle the pile (literally) of organising that I still have to face in school. I am in a new classroom and I now is definitely the right time for a fresh start.