At last I might be an adult….
…possibly. For the first time in 8-odd years of having this flat by the sea I’m investing in getting some work done. Sure I’ve painted (up to a point, as you can see from the door frame discrepancies in the image below) and I’ve replaced a boiler. But this is the first time I’ve forked out for work that isn’t urgent and doesn’t make anything prettier.
The desire to spend more time by the sea – even during the winter – means that the windows need done. They leak and clang and bang in the high wind – which on a cliff is a pretty much permanent meteorological state. They won’t open at the top which means – because the cat has form for curiosity about the 3rd floor window sills – they rarely get opened at all. Previous tenants have stopped up the drafts with plastic bags, which over years of exposure to sun and wind are disintegrating. White plastic snow falls to the floor like old fashioned soap flakes in a breeze. And because they won’t open, they are misty with sticky salt, giving the beautiful view a vaseline-on-the-lense 70s vibe. Enough.
Tomorrow morning a nice man on a scooter comes to take them all out and show ’em who’s boss. After that hopefully he’ll sand the floor. It’s exciting but I’m also nervous. I’ve got out of the habit of having anything done at all, and have stopped doing things to the flat, or buying anything new, in anticipation of the dust clouds that will come. But the hope is that when it’s finished I’ll have a warm, water-tight flat I can see out of, and a beautiful old floor for the cat to loll on. Another act of reclaiming this flat that for years was a sad and stressful place that I didn’t want to visit. Lavishing the love of a good tradesman on it is hopefully another step towards making it the place I can be in good weather and bad.
where did you get your desk from? shape looks like an ikea Lerberg but with wooden legs, very nice.
thanks! It is indeed from Ikea, and that model. It’s a light ply top and skinny metal bronze legs. They seem to only have the legs in darker colours now. I do love it – it’s very flexible and simple, but boy, those legs were murder to put together!
Oh oh oh – windows are such a problem. We’re agonising over ours at the moment – desperately need new ones but don’t want to ruin the house… Good luck with yours!
Love your style! I am new to blogging and appreciate your quirky (hope no offense) style – both in narrative as well as topics! Inspirational.
http://www.magpiehomes.wordpress.com
Oh so grown up. I can’t wait to see the ‘reveal’ or should I say room now with a view?