ANOTHER, VERY DIFFERENT CHALLENGE.

When deciding to finish some renovating that I had started a few months ago, I had this idea in my head that perhaps I was finally too old, with my 89th Birthday looming, to tackle the last room which was the dining/lounge and kitchen area without help. I even contacted a painter in order to get a quote, when suddenly it struck me that I had never before thought that I was too old to tackle anything, even berating myself for even considering such a thing!! It was still a massive task as I had planned to replace the carpet as well and obviously the painting needed to be completed first. There were three heavy items of furniture that needed moving so a lot of planning was required before even attempting to paint.

So undaunted I commenced to empty the two display cabinets and TV entertainment unit of all contents to lighten the weight of moving them away from the wall, believing that the heaviest cabinet would be beyond my strength. If I couldn’t move it my plan was to paint around it and trust there would be an opportunity to finish the wall when the new flooring was laid.

Now it was time to make a start, and not wanting to use a roller which although would be much quicker would require moving all the furniture to the centre of the room, I brushed each wall with two coats of paint to give it a first class finish. This enabled me to tackle each wall separately and not disrupt living there during this time. The lighter of the cabinets was easy as I had moved this several times previously. The paint I had chosen was called ‘Moody White’ which was white with a hint of grey and would lighten the room with a fresh clean look.

Once I began was pleased that it was not difficult at all – home painting was something I had done many times over the years anyway and was surprised that it did not take all that long to complete. Of course I had to use a step ladder to reach the higher part of the walls, doing so with care. Only painted one whole day with the majority done gradually on a daily basis and was thrilled with the ‘new look’. As I had anticipated the heavy cabinet was immovable so painted around it but then discovered that I had not removed the two drawers which contained all my medals which were very heavy. Once this was done I was able to slide it forward sufficiently and then completed painting the wall.

With the new flooring waiting to be laid it required me to empty the room in readiness and this was another challenge in itself, but I’m sure the floor layer was very surprised that the room was ready for him when he arrived, apart from the two cabinets and TV unit, but he had been notified that these required assistance.

Need I say that the satisfaction derived from my D.I.Y. effort has given me a great sense of achievement and I can’t put a price on that!! I feel sure I will never doubt myself again. My next assignment is the antique table I bought which I’m sanding back before re-coating with varnish. Will always love a challenge.