eclectic gallery wall

So finally, I've finished the gallery wall. I didn't mind what I had before, but I really wanted to get rid of the red in the room, so I needed to add things and mix up the photos that were at the far end.

I'm not going to go through everything today (it would drag on too long), but I'll just show you the basics.

So this was the before.

And this is the after, with a mix of photos, prints, beach junk, my butterfly and blossom canvas, and wooden block creation .

That's not the corner of a new sofa you might have spied, it's just a throw (the sofa I want is still in a shop down the road - unfortunately it might have to wait a while before it comes home with me).

I wanted to have a break in the middle of the pictures, and a gap around my little hatch which I posted about here. It took me forever because I needed the balance just right. I wanted to have something of each type on both sides ie. white frames, photos, ornate frames, prints etc. I've made loads of holes in the walls, because it just didn't work laying it out on the floor, but I'm finally happy with the result, and the room is due for a lick of paint anyway.

The large photo is one that the old geezer took in New York years ago, and the one saying Madison Avenue was given to us, because that's what we called our cafe. The frames for these two pieces were from a charity shop, just painted white and distressed.

There are another two of his photos on this side, and the botanical prints which I talked about here. The piece of beach junk I found just as it was and the gold ampersand I have had for years.

I wasn't actually going to have any gold in this room, but the whole wall started with this print of Mont St. Michel, which I originally posted about here.

And when I found the perfect sized frame for only £10, everything just worked out so well. This is it, with a landscape print, not my cup of tea at all.

And now with the mount painted white, and gold leaf added along the inside edge, I'm really pleased with the result.

I used the same technique on the tiny little print. This was it before.

And after with a bit of white paint and gold leaf.

It's sitting on a piece that was originally part of the wooden block thing-a-me-jig, but it didn't work, so I just turned it into a shelf.

So I'll show you some more another day, I'm all posted out ! I shall just sit and look at my gallery wall in the mirror.

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my finished kitchen !!!

At last it's done. Can you believe we actually started it in June, but then life got in the way ie. working for a living, and choices to be made, with finances taken into account.

Just a couple of notes first -

1)   We DON'T really like the unit doors, BUT financially we couldn't do everything.
Our biggest expense was having a new boiler and having it moved, including all the pipework.
It cost loads and added to the other necessary items, the doors will have to stay for now.
I know I can paint them, but these doors are a horrible kind of plastic shrink wrap and I don't think the paint would survive - not in our household anyway !!!

What we did change -
the oven and hob,
the sink and taps,
the work surfaces,
the back door,
the flooring,
and the fridge freezer.

Then we added a couple of new units, shelving, the cupboard door, and the wall covering.

My old geezer in a BEFORE pic. Luckily his 12 year old daughter took these photos of her Dad at work as I took none - I didn't blog then !!!

You can just see the fridge freezer that used to be in the space on the left at the back, and the boiler.

The ceiling had been re-plastered ages ago and we hoped to have at least one wall of exposed bricks, but they weren't any good.

THE AFTER - a shot taken at virtually the same angle.

Another BEFORE shot.

There's the ghastly old boiler, the dropped ceiling, that accommodates a section of the stairs, and three layers of tiles, that the old geezer is trying to prise off.

And AFTER.

The wall units came from the other side (they seriously blocked out the light).

One new double unit at the end. A new fridge and freezer (well actually second hand off ebay, but in very good condition). Re-purposed wood into new shelves (no cost). And of course a new work top.

Before this, there were two butchers blocks and a little drinks fridge here - so hardly any work top at all. And also there was yet another inbuilt cupboard at the end, but we blocked this off because it can be reached via the hall.

And the last BEFORE shot I have.

Old oven and extractor fan, beech effect doors AND work top AND floor actually !

And NOW.

My nice new induction hob and oven. Less cupboards getting in my way. New 'cashmere white' worktop - it's the best we could find for our budget.

Another view. The wall units used to be here blocking out the light !

My new ceramic sink (ebay), and taps (local diy store) and OOPS I've forgotten to silicone round the sink (truthfully I've been putting it off because it's not easy stuff to use).

Also apologies - please don't look out the window. The 'lean to' (not posh enough to be called a conservatory) needs some serious work.

I love my little fan, but even more I love the little pully system that opens the top window.

This house was built in 1935 and this is original, so I can't bring myself to re-string it or change the 'ends', but perhaps I should ?

Other favourite things - my little hooks,

Painted white of course.

My duallit toaster - a gift ! Everyone should have a best friend like Pandy.

My £3.00 shelf, which I wrote about here

And the doors I wrote about here

and here

And I'm loving the new darker laminate - you can see the old one in the hall in this picture.

We have enough of this to do the whole ground floor, and it was on sale. What would have cost us about £500, cost us £250 - for the whole lot.

So, it's done YIPEE. I love my new kitchen and so it's onto the hall - I may just be injecting a little bit of colour, and thanks if you stayed for the whole post. You know what it's like though - keeping a diary like this is quite a cathartic process.

Thanks to everyone who visits x

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All the best to all of you for 2012

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