Lovely Hubby's main job over the Christmas break at home ... yes, he has to have a 'main job' ... was to plasterboard and decorate the understairs cupboard.
Ever since we moved in this has been a dumping ground for all sorts of things. We had no shelves or place to store anything except for on the floor, and of course when things are stacked on top of each other on the floor the thing you want is always at the bottom of the pile, so it's been a frustrating two years.
We did have the coat rack up but it was held in place with one gravity defying nail, which to give it it's due held up for the whole two years :-)
Now the back corner has been squared off, the redundant bricked up window and vent (from when the previous central heating boiler was inside the house), have all been plastered and covered with insulating fluffy stuff and plasterboarded over. It was all covered in lining paper and given two coats of white paint. Then the floor was covered with two layers of old carpets for added warmth.
Lovely Hubby remembered to cut out holes for the heating thingy that we need to see and for the water stop-tap, and all the pipes are now wrapped in insulation and behind the board at the back.
It didn't take me too long to get the things in there that needed to be in there, freeing up room in my kitchen cupboards at last and making the whole house a much tidier place.
Lovely Hubby was a bit worried while he was working outside and heard banging coming from the cupboard .... but it was just me adding some nails and hooks to the boarded wall to suspend a few bits and bobs. It worked fine once I realised not to go too far into the boards, they are the side of the staircase on the other side ..... although I could have hung a few pictures on the protruding nails on the other side and he would never have realised my mistake .... I forget sometimes how old our cottage is ;-)
Mavis got a special treat over Christmas, it was her 5th birthday on the 1st of January so we booked her in for her first ever professional grooming session. When we picked her up she looked just like herself in the face and feet ... but with Rosy's body!!
It was a bit weird seeing her like that at first but her rough coat will grow back in time, and she seems happy with all the fuss she got at the groomers. They asked about her history so we told them ....
.... so she got lots of treats and spoiling while she was there, and was even sent home with treats for her sisters. The bows are packed away now ready for next Christmas in the box of Christmas decorations that now resides at the very back of my posh understairs cupboard.
Sue xx
Happy Birthday to Miss Mavis, we are glad to hear that she enjoyed her birthday treat. She does look chuffed with herself.
ReplyDeleteLook at that dandy bow tie! Gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI bet you find that cupboard really handy. Mavis looks very glam! A good couple of jobs tackled.
ReplyDeleteGood use of space. I've got my Christmas decorations stuffed under the staircase. But I've wanted some hanging space for our coats there too. It is still possible, so I'll add that to one of my many lists.
ReplyDeleteLook at that gorgeous little face ! Happy belated birthday, lovely cute little Mavis ! xxx...x
We turned our understairs cupboard into a downstairs toilet. We have another small cupboard under the stairs but its quite low and its the glory hole where everything is shoved in.
ReplyDeleteWe seem to be the opposite to the mainstream in this house, with a downstairs bathroom off the living room and the tiniest little upstairs toilet room.
DeleteHappy Birthday Mavis, she deserves to be spoilt rotten, she is a sweetheart x
ReplyDeletesuch a great job!! Happy birthday Mavis!!
ReplyDeleteAn under-stairs cupboard is useful, I admit, but when our house was being built I requested that the space was left open and I've never regretted it - it has made the hall look much wider - well, it is much wider! - and instead of the glory-hole which I knew it would soon become, instead I have a lovely old desk and chair there with table lamps at either side. But your husband has made a lovely job of this renovation. But what are those things hanging up on the staircase wall? I would suggest to people intending on making a cupboard like this, though, if your hall is narrow, think twice about it - what do you want, a narrow passage way through your house, or an elegant hall? Fortunately I can use the airing cupboard for a few extra things and we have a downstairs shower room so have no need to turn this space into an extra loo. The one problem that remains - there is nowhere for the vacuum cleaner and so it is hidden behind our bedroom door with a cover over it.
ReplyDeleteMargaret P
Funnily enough when I was first putting things into the renovated cupboard I stood and looked properly at the layout of it and thought that it would be brilliant to have the space in the hallway, BUT and yes it is a big BUT there is very limited storage in this house and the hoover and all the things you see in here need to be where they are so I kept quiet about my little brainwave and filled up the cupboard.
DeleteWe have a really tiny hallway, literally the width of the doormat and to have any clutter at all on show would look messy, and the saving grace of this cupboard is its beautiful, original door, which Lovely Hubby was busy staining and adding a catch too while I took these photos.
And 'those things' hanging on the wall are all things that are in constant use and that were cluttering up my kitchen cupboards or stood behind the kitchen door, MY things ... don't sound so snotty about them!!
Sue, Your Cottage is the same as mine minimal storage so every inch has to be used, I believe homes are for living in and making family memories, not everyone wants a show home. My little cottage with it's scruffy kitchen is full of love, laughter, kid's and animals and I wouldn't change it for the world. Your house is beautiful Sue.
DeleteI have a cupboard like yours and almost the same things hanging on the walls. I would rather have the vacuum in a cupboard than behind the bedroom door. I like the bedroom to look serene and restful. Love reading your blog. Your life is so much different than mine and I feel like now I can almost have two lives.
DeleteHappy Birthday, Mavis you look very chic.
ReplyDeleteMust go and tidy my under stairs cupboard now. Yours looks so neat.
xx
Lovely photo of sweet birthday girl Mavis (I think that little dog is just adorable - with her rough coat or newly groomed!!). I wondered in your post (last year)when you were answering questions why you said that you "liked" where you lived but did not "love" it. I am so envious of your cottage and land and somewhere like that would be a dream come true for me (and probably many other people). I seem to get the gist that it is because you have had to do so much work and sometimes you have felt very frustrated with everything. Well it all looks beautiful now and your hubby has done a very good job of the cupboard (so that it another "to do job" ticked off your list. Perhaps it is also the wet Welsh weather - I know how bleak it can be as we lived on Anglesey some years ago for a short period of time (but our dream turned into a nightmare). Hope that you fall in love with your home again and that 2016 is a wonderful year for you, your hubby and your animals. Regards, Louise S. Cheshire.
ReplyDeleteHow clean are your kneeling mats?! (I think that's what they are anyway). Mine tend to be under the porch all year round so Outside Cat (Miffy) likes to use them as a cat bed, and the mud from our paddyfields (sorry, garden) gets ingrained. All looks so neat and tidy in your understairs cupboard.
ReplyDeleteHere, hanging pictures has always been a challenge. Before we lived here, past generations of farmers "plastered" with cement (I kid you not) and even on the walls which still have the original 18th C lime plaster with cow hair walls, large rocks lurk behind and we get through drill bits at a great rate of knots. Our big oak beams have lots of nails still in them, which we use, but believe me, they will NOT be added to as the oak is like iron.
Haha ... those are both newish kneeling mats if you saw the ones out in the garage and the polytunnel you would know why they aren't in the house ;-)
DeleteWe have Tess's rough coat trimmed and she has ears, eyes and claws seen to and then she has a shampoo about once every two months. As her walks are always round our fields she does get very dirty, and I am sure she appreciates the wash and brush up.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! We're on our fourth day of heavy rain up here in NE Scotland and the dogs are getting absolutely soaked on their (shortened) walks. So, I've started drying them with the hair dryer after towel drying them. One dog stands very obediently and enjoys it. The other thinks it's a huge game and keeps running off then coming back to try to catch the warm air in her mouth - she doesn't get very dry.
ReplyDeleteHope this rain stops soon - houses and care homes are being evacuated and roads are flooded. Forecast says another two full days and nights of this along with gales.
I do hope the rain stops for you soon.
DeleteI was so glad when it moved away from us but it seemed to go straight up to Peebles where my lovely sister in law lives, and the surrounding areas. We were surprised at how quickly the River Tweed burst it's banks and affected the town.
Stay safe xx
I saw Peebles on the news, what a shame. It's a beautiful town. Still raining here. Due to end on Thursday evening I think. However, it's turning to snow over the hills which is taking the pressure off the rivers and the flooding, thank goodness x
DeleteA very happy Birthday to th lovely Mavis - and my doesn't she look smart :) I could with your hubby down here to fix my airing cupboard ceiling - he's obviously don't a great job!
ReplyDeleteHe just takes a long time to get round to it!!
DeleteI asked for this to be done over two years ago when the boiler was taken out just before we moved in. Instead we have had a Christmas break with the things from the cupboard all over the house, and our guests had to put up with boxes etc in the spare room. Oh well ... it's done now :-)
My Mother in law is called Mavis - I laughed! We have had lots of rain here in North Yorkshire - FORTUNATELY we had the roof repaired before the latest downpours. UNFORTUNATELY the damage done to the ceiling deemed our porch unuseable - next week the ceiling is replaced and we are having shelving and coat racks fitted - so this has been a great inspiration.
ReplyDeleteAww happy birthday Mavis xx
ReplyDeleteYour blog is very impressive ...
ReplyDeleteMavis looks lovely after her pampering session. I wish I had an under stairs cupboard for all my junk, it just sits there looking a mess, I would love a door to close on it.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you both.
I always enjoy your animal anicdotes, especially Mavis, she is lovely, we keep thinking we should send out JRT in to get some grooming, he is always shedding hair. It's amazing how the jobs like srting out the cupboard always make us feel organised and on top of things. I hope all the water round about you have subsided now, such a wet winter.
ReplyDeleteI wish my understairs cupboard looked as neat as that. There is a huge safety cabinet under there for hubby's shotgun (for clay pigeon shooting) a hoover and a carpet shampooer and that's it. What I would really like though is a proper pantry.
ReplyDeleteMavis looks so beautiful.
Wow you're organised! Happy birthday little Lady. You look very pretty!
ReplyDeleteMavis looks very cute after her pamper day.
ReplyDeleteMy understairs cupboard is a black hole. It needs a light fixing in there. Send Hubby please ;o)
Mavis looks very smart and tidy indeed! A happy doggie! Your new cupboard looks great too, it is so nice to be able to find things isn't it! xx
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