Living in an old house . . .

Living in an old house usually means a lot of work and this room is no exception. It is lacking one length of coving where the wall had been badly affected by damp, the old coving rotten and that wall had to be replastered. It is our grandest room, and was described as the "Morning Room" on the house details. In recent years it has turned into a junk room, when everything came down from the attic. My husband's going to replace the coving before the carpet's laid, so hopefully I won't be holding my breath too long!

I'm quite handy with a paintbrush, which is just as well as OH seems to be allergic to them! I enjoy painting with Radio 4 on in the background to keep me company (though today's play was rather strange!) and I even got the table polished up too. You'd never believe this was once covered in stick-on floor tiles would you? That was a Dorset farmer's answer to a kitchen table back then. It took my husband a week with a hot iron and lots of patience to soften the glue to get the tiles off and then he had to rub the table down so much it made the mahogany look like new, so I was polishing it today to get it to at least shine. That "newness" has taken away any real value, which is a shame, but it's still a lovely table.

This is one corner of the room, with one shortened curtain. I'm half way through the other one, and then it and the swags can go back up. The yellow - it's VERY yellow isn't it? - is just what the room needed as with a light colour in there - we've had magnolia, and we've had a washed out primrose - is just what the room needed. It's about 18 feet square, so can take a deeper shade like this.



The fireplace with my two x £1 plates which I found at the car boot sale recently. The marble fireplace is French and travelled home with us from Suffolk one holiday a few years back. I don't care for it, but my husband likes it and it quite suits the room.

This is as far as I've got (though I painted down to the skirting board after I took this picture.) The roll of carpet is the one to be laid in here, and whilst it might not go with the walls now, tough, as it's been sat there for 8 years waiting to be laid, so we're not changing now! The bureau bookcase stands in what used to be the main entrance to the room in Georgian times. If you're thinking, there's a lot of junk in there, wait till you scroll down a bit further!

The flash wouldn't work because of the light from outside, but it gives you an idea of the huge window (it faces North) complete with Georgian shutters.

I did warn you. LOTS of junk, waiting for my dearly beloved to carry it downstairs to be stored in what used to be mum's bedroom. Underneath all that are four more Victorian balloon back dining chairs in a state of great undress (e.g. NO seats!) so I will have to get my upholstery book out shortly. We are NOT looking forward to moving the pitchpine cupboard/bookcase as it ways a bloomin' ton . . . I'll update you when it's all finished and the carpet is finally laid . . .