Wednesday 28 August 2013

The dining room floor is in...

The dining room floor is in! And what a difference it makes!



The house was built in 1960 and SOMEBODY thought it would be a good idea to lay black floor tiles in the dining room. How wrong they were.




In the seventies the family that lived here could take no more and carpeted the dining room, hall, stairs and landing with this...


(for good measure, they painted the walls and doors green too!)

Hmm, not my thing. We lived with it for a few years as other big jobs have taken priority, like replacing the condemned boiler, radiators that were so tall, they stuck out above windowsills (!?) and windows that were falling out. Not to mention rewiring, installing a shower and a new fire. In a house where EVERYTHING needs changing, some things have to wait!

We tackled the flooring in the living room and hallway just before Christmas. Then I bought more of the same wood to do the dining room. It's taken this long to change the wiring in there and lift the radiator off and on for redecoration.

But today was flooring day!

It's also been switch the broadband provider day so I couldn't work my computer for 18 hours!

I'm not going to show you the set up room until I have had the light replaced, painted the skirting and finished 3 little painting jobs. I need to swap the curtains for a longer pair I have to hide the pipes. That will take me forever to get around to as they need shortening.

But it is the dining room of my dreams. Everything is ebayed, second hand and painted by me so it hasn't cost a fortune. Even the floor was paid for with pay pal. Which makes it free. I know I'm lucky even having a dining room. There wasn't one in my last house.

I am persevering with my bread board display despite what everyone says. Yes the plates were very pretty. I'm not really after 'pretty' though. I am after 'rustic chunky vintage breadboardery.'
And you can't do that with plates.

Plus, if I don't display them there's no point having them and I will be forced to sell them. :(

I did take on board Max's advice though and add some more. I had quite a few squirrelled away. They are my weakness. I oiled two of them so they look a bit darker.


I'm in the process of painting out that folk design I did. It irritated me. It looked like a stencil and I hate stencils!

I will leave you with a sneaky peak at the window I'm working on...

  
before  

in progress

Right, better get off the computer and get cracking...


22 comments:

  1. IT. LOOKS. FABULOUS Emma Kate !!!
    I finished my window last night - can't wait to see what you do with yours!
    XOXO

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  2. Thanks Suzan! Ooh, can't wait to see yours!!! xxx

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  3. I think most 60's houses were built with Marley tiles on their concrete floors, ours certainly was. The new floor is an improvement tho and I look forward to seeing the room finished. Can't believe you painted over all your hard work, I thought it was a lovely folk-arty design. The lettering on the window is very impressive.

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    1. Marley tiles, is that what they are? They are just grim.
      That design took ages but I don't think it worked. Tole painting is definitely not something I'm good at! x

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  4. Yep, those Marley tiles are a common thing in 1960s houses, I remember a lot of my childhood friends' homes having them.
    The new floor looks much better!
    I have a couple of those radiators but man, are they a bastard to clean? (Mind you, I'm a domestic slattern so everything is!) xxx

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    1. We had browny red in the living room and white(ish) in the hall. The hall ones weren't bad. But black?!
      The radiators are a total pain to clean. Luckily it's not something I do much of either! xxx

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  5. Marley tiles in our house too, pants : (
    The floor looks wonderful, the room is coming along nicely, can't wait to see the end result : )

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    1. I am beyond thrilled with it! It's been a long wait.
      :)

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  6. The bread board colours look good with the new floor. I liked your tole painting but that top shelf is begging for some clutter! Looking forward to the Reveal ♥

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    1. I've surprised myself with the amount of wood in there. I thought I hated it. It does add a warmth I think.
      I agree about some clutter! I'm in danger of being a MINIMALIST!!! That shelf is too thin for anything sadly.

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  7. It has been worth all the hard work, looks fabulous!
    I remember the horrors we found when we were decorating our old house, a 1960's bungalow. Orange swirly lino which was stuck to the lovely floorboards ( we sanded them down when we eventually got rid of it and they were gorgeous). I suppose that was the trend at the time. Black tiles? Hmmm something a bit weird about that though!!

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    1. What were they on in the sixties eh? I'd love REAL floorboards. We have real concrete. And lovely plumbing pipes everywhere because of that! x

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  8. That looks brilliant!! So different! Plus I definitely think the breadboards should stay!

    Kate x
    Just Pirouette and Carry On...

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    1. Thanks Kate! It's so amazing what a difference a floor can make! Breadboards are staying! Hoorah for breadboard love! xx

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  9. The floor has made an amazing difference and I am so glad to see that you've kept the display of the bread boards :)

    Your a little tease with that window your working on. Good luck in getting it finished xx

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    1. Thanks Mrs C. I need some luck in getting it finished. My schedule has gone bonkers. xx

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  10. Goodness me, the new floor certainly makes the room so much lighter, doesn't it? It looks great, as does the radiator, and of course the plate rack. Keep going, nearly done! xxxx

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    1. It's amazing how the black floor sucked all the light out of the room! Flooring is usually the last change you make to a room and has the biggest impact I think. xxxx

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  11. WOOHOO!!! Look at your floor! I hope you've spent time sitting on it with a cup of tea just admiring the general loveliness.

    "Breadboardery" is my new favourite word of the day. It sounds very Enid Blyton- boarding school with midnight feasts comprised of oodles of carbs.

    I'm very intrigued by that new window project- the lettering is fab! xxx

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    1. Sadly we've spent the whole day at Chessington World of Adventure so I have been unable to relax and stroke the floor as much as I would like. Ah well.
      xxx

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  12. I love the shelf with the extra breadboards in now, i love the variety of natural, subtle tones in the wood all together, it looks soothing especially with the decoration gone, it's just so soft and simple and lovely.
    as for the black tiles, OMG!
    i am so enjoying seeing your reno adventures, we are just coming to the end of out nearly 14 year reno-from-scratch but you make me want to start over again!

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    1. Thanks Max! I had wondered what I'd do to fill my time when the house is done! Move? xxx

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