Completely in Love

It's true! I am completely in love. Who? A Man? Well I might be but that's not what I meant. I am currently, totally and completely in love with Vivod again. Just like when I first found it. I adore it . I, once again, want to make Vivod the most beautiful and loved home on the planet. I love coming home, love cleaning (! seriously), love just being here and love love love doing things to make it more beautiful. This weekend I have devoted a lot of time to doing just that.

My weekend project has been the stairs. It's taken a while to decide what to do with the stairs. I was planning on a stripy carpet but then somebody suggested stripping the bannister, and painting the spindles white. Initially I wasn't sold on the idea but then a little googling later and I extended that concept to the stairs too. (Stripped and varnished steps with white risers.) I think the arrival of all the flooring for the attic may have helped this idea along too. It is beautiful, after all.

So let me remind you. This is how my stairs have looked since I moved in...

Grim really. So I dug out the heat gun, the sandpaper, sanders, and even purchased a little corner sander too. I made a start, there is plenty more to do but I already love the stairs that are done (that's very much the minority too!)...

Plenty more to go...

It's not easy. The heat gun makes the whole area like a sauna and I've burnt myself about 4 times so far. The sanding with the electric sanders is ok but it's far from simple, and that paint and grime has been there for years and years so persuading it to leave isn't easy. The little sander for the corners and stubborn bits is ok but takes ages, and then the hand sanding, well, that just isn't fun and dries my hands out loads (not ideal for wool lovers!). But it's worth it. Each little sanded area is like a triumph. It's great.

The unsanded ones look so dirty now though. It's probably a good thing because it will motivate me more to get on and finish them. This week I also hope to be busy varnishing the attic floor so that I can move back up there. 

So other than the stairs I have spent the weekend hooking along with the blankets (some of which was done in the park while child #3 launched himself off ramps on a BMX - still scary). I've cleaned, tidied, and spent time googling other ideas for Vivod. 

Hopefully I can show you the finished stairs quite soon.