Wednesday 22 October 2008

painting

I've been on a mission. A painting mission. Sometimes I just need to paint. I'll start painting,whether it's whilst cooking the tea,whether I've just come home from work totally exhausted or it's nearly midnight, I suddenly get the urge to paint walls. I find it therapeutic.
Our life-saving, all singing all dancing re-mortgage has fallen through so all my fancy plans are scuppered, we even heard the word 'holiday'mentioned ( ahh 'holiday'..hmm that must be one of those fun jollies we had 12 years ago) and that's down the pan too, I have the bank on my back, the mortgage company on my back and everything has got a bit rubbish again..so what do i do?
I Paint.
First off was stinky Harry's room..A teeny weeny box room a bed length long and not quite a bed wide, like the kitchen why oh why does our late 1920s house have these tiny rooms? Furniture was huge back then..all those cumbersome deco chairs and oak bedroom suites..what was the architect thinking?!
Pete had a friend cut down Harry's ancient (£10 bargain) ex boarding school bed for us and weld it back together so at least we can change the room around, the door wouldn't even open fully before! I unpicked the curtains and made them into roman blinds which look a bit more grown up now, The left overs will be made into cushions or something ,Then I made a Cath Kidston style duvet with some very cheap spotty sale fabric from Laura Ashley which I knew would come in handy one day. It still has that vintagey vibe but is a bit more suitable for a teenager.The remnants from a cowboy bedroom past, tucked away in a cupboard.. and the cowboy cushions haven't yet found themselves shoved under the bed. The nasty cheap 2nd hand chest just needs another lick of paint now. I really wanted to cover it in pages from vintage comics and add a red spotty oilcloth top but I got a very definite 'NO'.
...infact the tiny bit of extra weight of the comics would probably make the drawers collapse, that is just how cheap and nasty they are!(they certainly don't make 'em like they used to)

Awww I don't want the stinky boys to grow up.. in the shower for hours and and these deep voices I don't recognise, coming home from school/college and then disappearing only to return for huge amounts of food and disappear again with the odd mumble. It's scary thing, this adolescence lark.
I find it so hard to let go and allow them to choose their own things, to have their own style and be individual but at the same time you want the house to blend in room to room.Harry does seem to like vintage stuff but George on the other hand, wants his room to look like a Next catalogue. Not really my thing, as think I've said before on this blog.
He came home the other day and I had painted his room completely white..lovely clean, wonderful bright white. Clean bright white with a hint of rugby pitch mud by the same evening....how do they do it?
I want to add a huge Roy Lichtenstein 60s style comic book painting to the vast white wall on one sidebut he wants a Banksy (the hooligan) well I suppose it does have some flowers(!)
I would like him to have a crochet granny blanket and a red spotty beanbag but no, he'd rather have boring beige faux suede and cold feet.The cushions are an ongoing thing,I put them on the bed, he puts them on the floor in my bedroom.( I remember Jane from her blog Posy saying something along those lines with her teenage son and a granny blanket!)
I think I drive them nuts with my decorating obsession,they just humour me and hope I'll scuttle off and paint something else...Silly mummy.
I can't show you how the room looks now all nice and white and painted arranged in a different layout as it's nearly midday and he's still in it, still asleep. Festering like teenage boys do.
It will need fumigating before I venture in and open the blinds/windows and poke the stinky boy with a stick to make him get out of bed.

I have already got in my mind how this room will look when he leaves home, the blue and pink Cath Kidston rug that's in our room, the floral bedcovers and pretty flowery pictures and that modern lamp can go straight away, I have a pretty china one that belonged to my granny, I'm itching, itching to see what it would all look like but know it will be a good few years yet.
Poor George,turfed out onto the streets for the sake of a floral boudoir..hmmm no,now I would never be that mean, turfed onto the streets?..no, we do have a perfectly good shed after all! ;0)

34 comments:

  1. Lovely post!
    I bought some of that fabric too!
    The spotty one.

    My last piece is going to cover a Lloyd loom laundry basket which i am selling to Vintage Vogue....a shop near me(see blog)

    Just needs a lick of paint and a new cover.....job done!
    Then i will have some spends!
    Yippee!

    Your house is really nice!
    xxx

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  2. A great post! I love your pics.
    We've just finished decorating our lounge..phew what a task! ;-)

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  3. Loved your post, I shall show (my) Harry the cowboy cushions and granny squares blankets; being 7, he still thinks they're the ultimate cool! Am so not looking forward to him getting older and (more) opinionated. I'll hope he still has some taste like your Harry, his room still looks great and not too teenage angst-y!

    I love your blue lamp, it looks a bit like a desk lamp but a millions times nicer. Is it still available, do you know? (Not that I need another lamp but then I have long admired it!)

    Keep your chin up despite the financial woes...

    Hen x

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  4. sorry to hear the bank has let you down with the remortgage. Have you tried moneysavingexpert.com ? Saves me loads of money.

    Great to see that you are not too down and that you can still write an amusing post. I can just see your son's face if you swap his lamp for a flowery one!

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  5. Thank you so much, i laughted and laughted. So you have the stinky boys too! its amazing just how bad they can get isnt it, s'pecially after Rugby.......... eeew.
    I'm off for a lookie at the rest of your blog.
    Thanks again for such a laugh.
    X x X x X

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  7. It's great to have a "thing" to do when you are stressed. Unfortunately, when I'm stressed I eat!! I hope things get sorted out for you soon. Keep your chin up (or on my case chins!!).

    Lucyxx

    ps I was dribbling over your "Corners of my Home" photos today with a friend....you may think it is small but it is perfectly formed to me.

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  8. Hi Sairer....I can honestly say I have never seen two more perfect teenage boy's bedrooms! They are SO immaculate! And well coordinated and gorgeous!

    I have three girls and there is no way I would dare show their rooms on my blog. All VERY untidy and full of stuff that they have chosen....not one of them follows in my footsteps....sniff.

    Hope things will be better for you very soon,
    Take care,
    Niki

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  9. Ha, ha! Hilarious! This is me now with two tiny boys, not sure how I'm going the get to the teenage stage holding back my decorating urges. Luckily both mine like crochet blankets at the mo but who knows how long that'll last!
    Love your make do and mend approach, there are a lot pressures these days - good for you!
    Stephx (beautiful pictures as ever.)

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  10. Keep your chin up, we're all battening down the hatches it seems, and a spot of painting is a great way to take your mind off money matters. I love your home, I can't believe your boys' rooms look so tidy, I would never show you my son or daughter's bedrooms, they're a disgrace! I get far more pleasure out of furnishing my home with old, painted furniture than buying new, even your old chest of drawers looks good to me.

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  11. Good grief I wouldn't dare show you my boys rooms, actually I can't remember what colour the carpets are there is so much junk all over the place.

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  12. thanks for posting the comment on my blog.

    Just to say, if you do get chance to go to TKMax phone up and see if they have any of the ck stuff in first. I think they will hold things for you for a day.

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  13. Banks are so rotten in times of crisis, been there hun as you know so keep painting to your hearts content, you will get through it.

    I love the boys room, they are very tidy, my little munchkins love wallowing in mess!

    Claire x

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  14. Gosh this post made me smile, frown, sad, happy, laugh and cry all at the same time. Chin up! I love your decorating style even if your oldest stinky boy doesn't!

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  15. What a super post. I do know exactly what you mean about..well..everything! I have a stinky boy too and he likes the whole "contemporary" look too. Saying that, he still loves granny blankets and has several that he wont sleep without. There is hope though because when i was little i wanted a modern penthouse apt. in NYC with lots of glass and chrome! HAHAHA! look at me now, you couldnt get me away from a floral if you tried.

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  16. You have a little award waiting for you at my blog! Claire x

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  17. Don't think I've ever seen nicer boys rooms! I will have to have Jack adopted once he starts having interior design opinions!
    Julia xx

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  18. Hi there so sorry to hear about the remortgage - hope you are OK and going to cope. You are so very talented you know - your house is wonderful - I was wondering how you were when up you popped cheerful as ever............We have one of those little rooms 6'10" x 7' and in there my 6foot welder son folds himself in and yearns for our last house where he had a double bed and lots of space! We are waiting to knock out the wall onto the stairs and build out a wardrobe so as to give him more floor space for his clothes!!!I love hime but gawd his room stinks on a morning he is clean but its just young man smell!! All you ladies out there with adorable young boys - just wait!!

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  19. Hello,
    We would get on so well,my friend is constantly ridiculing me for painting away my troubles but it works to keep busy i know...so sorry to hear your news a holiday would have been great,i hope things pick up for you.
    Aaaaww the stinky boys bless them...love the rooms they look gorgeous and very stylish may i add,the blinds look great.
    Love Kristina XxX

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  20. Oh you have made me laugh and have now decided that I'm pleased to have two little girls into very pretty things and pretty bedrooms (well, for the time being anyway)...'Festering' teenage boys made me chuckle...do they smell of muddy rugby boots?!! That's what I imagine festering boys to smell like!
    I love what you've done though, The spotty duvet cover looks great.
    Jane. x

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  21. fab post made me chuckle :-) love the fumigating comment - my little boy is only 4 so is onlyjust commenting on what is in his room but im hoping he continues to be quite laid back about what i do in there! your two rooms look fab though i love that spotty fabric :-) Lesley x

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  22. I envy how you get motivated to paint and do something productive when the going gets tough. Things are stressfull here too and all I want to do is crawl under the duvet (the Autumn chill isn't helping either).

    My man and I have been lurking your blog for ages now...we LOVE your house and we LOVE what you have done to it. It's total eye candy for us. I dream of the day we own our own house and and can have some chickens.

    Hugs x

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  23. I'm the same as you I like to make the decisions for the decorating in my childrens bedrooms. Their only little now so I can get away with it but I'm dreading them asking for barbie or Spiderman duvets I couldn't bear it!
    I love what you have done in Harry's room the colours and tin signs look great. As for the picture your right the 60's comic book looks better!
    I'm sorry your having tough times with money I use moneysavingexpert.com and found it's helped to cut costs.
    Sarahx

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  24. Hello!

    I am selling various prints by:

    D*Face
    Banksy (DiFaced tenner and others)
    James Cauty
    Sick Boy
    Faile and others.

    If you are interested, Email me at artstar2009@gmail.com

    Thanks a lot!

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  25. God this takes me back a few years ..I did give in and allowed James to do his own thing in his room, I think he just wanted to shock me.
    You have made the rooms look great and I bet they love them too.
    I am like you love to paint and arrange things MY way!
    When James left home he wanted me to choose how his flat should be decorated...so there, that proves how all that we do for them when they are young and rebelious does pay off...they just will not admit we are right or were right until much older and a wee bit wiser!!
    But honestly, those are gorgeous crochet throws. I have just bought a new one on ebay..love it.
    I do hope that things pick up for you soon...the banks seem more like arch enemies now. Cant't live happily with them and can't live without them!
    xx

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  26. Wow what lovely boys bedrooms, I love harry's room, it just how I would have it if I had a boy (don't know how long it would last though!)
    Luck enough I have a girl, and at the moment I can indulge my pink and floral side in her room.
    I'm just spray painting a lloyd loom bedside cabinet germolene pink this afternoon as it happens (£4 at the car boot this morning!).

    Hope the library thing works out for you, I've just reserved "children's rooms" by Andrea Maflin which I saw on Posy's Blog the other day.

    Jessx

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  27. These rooms are fantastic!
    Happy Halloween!
    Hugs,
    Liz & Mabel

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  28. Oh you did make me laugh! My boy likes to keep his room all neat & tidy - I really don't know where he gets THAT from! He doesn't mind a nice cushion or the occasional blanket I sneak in. He is also constantly rearranging his room - maybe he'll be an interior designer rather than the current computer games whizz?

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  29. I LOVE your crocheted Granny blankets! They're gorgeous!!!I've made a Red one myself, Now seeing the blue one makes me want to make one in blue .

    Pattie

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  30. Hahaha so funny. Teenage boys just don't fit in with the shabby chic decor do they?

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  31. I saw this post and thought of you!

    http://vintage-home.blogspot.com/2008/11/wanted-do-you-have-1950s-home.html

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  32. So glad that someone else has a tiny house too ...

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  33. Now my Harry wouldn't notice if I painted his room pink and had CK plastered all over the place..
    I have however had quite a (make that total) influence over his decor.. Tintin posters, Elvis posters, Union Jack rug, iron bedstead... thankfully he seems to like it though he spends so little time in his room preferring to chat to me in the kitchen.
    I love your style Sairer...I would have loved a room like that especially full of vintage cowboy items!!!!!
    Love that tin!!!!
    Michele xx

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  34. If my mom decorated my room as a child I probably would have been turned off to design and never would have become an architect.

    PS. Banksy is the best image on this page ;)

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