Thursday, August 9, 2012

Sprucing for spring and a pigeon pair


It's fitting that it's pretty much two years to the day that we moved into Betsy and finally I have some completed white wall pictures. Painting vj's can only be done with a brush and is slow, tedious, time consuming work. This was all done by me during toddler naps and late nights after the kids are in bed. (Legoman does not paint, he is way too messy both on and off the walls).

I finished a few months ago but with all the rain and sick children it just was too hard to find time to photograph it all. Not to mention the epic tidy up required to produce shots like this. When the sun was out today I decided to counter my post illness winter slump with a good spruce up.


Just look at all the white. Remember when it looked more like this?




So much better now it's all white. Pity all my hard work on this back wall will be demolished in a few months. Not going to miss the yucky barred windows though.


I will miss having  a wall space perfect for all the kids art. This wall will be going to make room for a much bigger kitchen and it will be good riddance to that nasty faux tasmanian oak laminate pantry poking out into my dining room. See how it is covered in art as an attempt at camouflage.


And the pigeon pair?  Well look what I found at the demolition yard. Initially I only bought the green one, but then I had the guilts over separating them. When I went back today to get the blue one, the lovely man gave it to me for free.


The green one is for my sewing table, not sure where the blue one is going yet. Just having fun moving my furniture around. I might paint them one day, but right now I like them just as they are.


I love seeing this change in Betsy, she is becoming more and more our home, and much more to my taste than the custard delight we moved into two years ago. I'm getting more excited about our having a new kitchen and there is definitely a whiff of spring in the air today.


33 comments:

  1. Wow Mel it makes such a huge difference. It's a beautiful space with a lovely homey feel to it. I wish my place was that tidy. Love your chairs and had a giggle that you went back to retrieve the mate.

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  3. What a perfect space you have, it looks like a really happy place to live! Those chairs are great, I think I would have had to go back too! Ada :) p.s. my Mr B doesn't do painting either! He's says it's because he's a Musician!

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  4. Oooooh.... getting just a BIT excited that I'm going to be seeing those white wonderwalls in PERSON fairly soon!

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  5. Your home looks beautiful Mel, love the chairs - what a score! Looking forward to seeing your up and coming renos, I will be following along with great interest! x

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  6. What a difference a lick of paint can make! Fantastic job Mel - it's only when you've painted VJs yourself that you can fully appreciate the amount of work involved. Well done! (and painters these days are using spray guns?!!!) the lazy buggers. xx

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  7. What a difference the white paint makes. Your home is beautiful, love your style.
    x

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  8. Firstly Mel, I hope you'll leave the chairs. I don't think the best paint distresser-er would be able to achieve results as lovely as that. Secondly I love the white, it's waaay better than alright. That custard colour was awful. Funny isn't it, how your furniture has stayed the same, yet (with just a coat of paint and hard yakka) the room looks completely different. Betsy's ging to be huge-she looks pretty big already in you pics. How exciting.

    p.s. I love the cushions sitting on your chairs. Gorgeous. Did you make them?

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  9. Who would have thought that white walls would make so much difference. I am not opposed to a bit of sunshine yellow, but the white really opens up the space and shows off your furniture to its full advantage. Beautiful work! Love those chairs too..I am so glad that you didn't leave the second one behind, they are made for each other..hehe.

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  10. Ooh it looks so beautiful! Well done on all that hard work, I feel your pain! Like you I have not taken photos of painting we did months ago here ... Time flies when you are NOT painting LOL. Love those chairs just as they are, and so happy for you looking forward to making good changes in your home.

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  11. Wow Mel, that looks amazing! All your hard work certainly paid off, it really freshens everything up an the light in that room is glorious! Love your children's art space too and the pigeon pair. I would have gone back too, and like Kylie, I think they are perfect just the way they are :) I have been meaning to repaint our living area after making a rush choice with a linen colour that I'm not happy with, you have inspired me to get on with it - thanks :)

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  12. Wonderful job Mel,funny how the custard colour looks a different shade at different times,much nicer white.Our hallway was that colour when we moved in.Now you can admire your handywork.Love the new chairs(I'm with Kylie)and the cool camouflage wall.

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  13. wow she`s looking fantastic!. Betsy sure is one lucky gal!. I also found chairs this week...4 little beauties identical to yours! mine are all white and chippy and staying that way. I love the sunshine streaming through your windows....perfect snooze spot...yeah right!! so much spare time for that!.Oh and well done on even picking up a paintbrush...i`m paintphobic.
    Ally

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  14. Wow!! I'm coming to live with you. A white television!

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  15. eek! I love your pigeon pair AND your amazing living space. nice one.

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  16. That looks absolutely awesome! De-custardfying has been well worth the effort. And I like your chairs too. xx

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  17. Kylie, I did make the blue cusion, the brown one was from my favourite homewares shop at Moffat Beach.
    Zigs, the tv is actually silver. I hate big tv's especially black ones but unfortunately husbands have opinions too so silver was the compromise. melx

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  18. I know that shop. It's on th corner, right? This year I sent the boys to the chip pie round the corner but the five of them followed me in and I couldnt get my usual self gift. One day we will bump into each other there!the white is dazzling!

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  19. Your home is looking so pretty! So light and airy with pops of colour everywhere. Just how I like it. I can't pass up a good wooden chair either. Your lounge is almost identical to mine!

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  20. It looks soooooooo good! And so CLEAN!

    x Rachael

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  21. Fantastic Mel! It just makes such a difference and (this isn't a comment on housekeeping skills!) looks so much cleaner and more spacious... Great job!

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  22. Hello from your newest follower!

    I too am a Brisbane blogger...and I too will NEVER
    paint VJs again!

    When we moved into our Queensland it was a mixture of pink walls and green ceilings...like living in a watermelon! We estimated that it would take us three weeks to paint. Ha! Three months later we were still going. And three years later some of our breezeways still haven't been painted!

    Anyway, yours looks great!

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  23. You totally inspired me!! I spent the weekend painting! Thankyou for the push :)

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  24. It looks fantastic. And I love the chairs. Such a beautiful home. Fx

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  25. Looking good Mel! I Love it! The White just transforms the whole room.
    Did you wave your magic wand to clear the mess before the photos were taken, I do that too... Such a shame it doesn't stay like it for ever...It's nice that you can find a balance for children corner and your pretty, tranquil and fresh together....Just wait till you get started on that Kitchen!
    P.S Hows the weather up that way?

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  26. I love that you had to go back and get the other chair. I would have to do the same. :) Thankyou for saying there was an epic clean up to produce those gorgeous pics. I was thinking it was way too tidy to have kids living there. Lol.

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  27. Hi, I've put you forward for an Award, pop over and 'pick' it up when you have a moment! Ada :)

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  28. love the white walls well done with all that painting prob tedious at times but well worth it. Love your little kids art area and your pigeon pair chairs (good move going back for the 2nd one)

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  29. I have been white painting out my floor to ceiling awful pine for two years now. Currently I am half way through the house.....sigh. Worth it though I guess. Yours looks lovely...sigh
    Mxo

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  30. I like those white walls, it looks so nice and fresh and spacious too:) Mel those chairs I love. xx

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  31. Mel, It took us 12 months to even start! ;)

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  32. Wow, loving the white walls. It makes it look so much fresher and lighter and brighter! Love it, great work :) Marnie

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