The Great Study Makeover

Hestelle Robinson

On Friday, me and Kerry went to visit one of our fellow bloggers, Janice Anderssen, Wow, what a DIY Diva Janice is, her possie is just beautiful.  She has created a beautiful space filled with her own craft, a place where she can be creative and share her DIY Divaness (read all about Janice’s power tools workshop for girls). This visit left me with mixed feelings, inspiration, admiration and yes, I must admit I felt a little green. I used to be a DIY Diva, what happened? 

Back home I dream of all my I-still-want-to-projects.  There is my bedroom that got stuck in the 90’s, the living room that now doubles as a Wendy and club house for my kids, the kids-rooms ... are ok (she says trying not to make eye contact with the half painted Bratz mural).

Luckily with three small kids you do not have the luxury of spending too much time in your own thoughts and my DIY aspirations are soon forgotten.

Until Sunday morning that is...In my search for a pen and paper in my study or as my 5-year old call it my “flat” (have been spending a bit of time here to finish a big work project) I have to move 17 boxes (not exaggerating, wish I was) and do a stretch over old salvaged tiles that will make a contortionist envious.  I look around me, what a mess, how did this happen? When did this happen? My once pride and joy, the only room in house that is mine is one huge mess.  It needs attention. I start moving boxes from one side of the room to the other. Then it hit me, what this room needs is a makeover!  Voila, the birth of The Great Study Makeover.

All excited with my brilliance I find my husband and announce my intentions, he has been married to me long enough to know I am on a mission. 

Him:  “It is 11:00 you will never get it all done”
Mmmh maybe he has not been married to me long enough... I accept the challenge. 
Him:  “I’m not driving to Builders now to go buy paint”
Ha! I have it figured out.
Me:  “We still have the paint left from the downstairs living room”
Him:  “You need to wash the walls with sugar soap, I’m not driving ...” 
Me:  “We have some left”
Him:  “I am not helping you, this is your project”
Me: “Understood.”   Thinking; “Ja, Ja, he won’t resist, he will come and assist (turns out I was wrong).

The Great Study Makeover.



Gratification:

Brush to the wall, the fun part, with every brush stroke I see the rooms’ potential and dream of the final product.

The first hour of painting is fun, time to clear my head and boast about the fact that I am rekindling my inner DIY Diva.  Look at me, I am painting my own study...

Second hour, I have now mastered a technique that will make Mr Miyagi from Karate Kid proud; left hand paint, right hand paint, left hand paint, right hand paint.  

The study is a 9 sqaure metre room, by now it feels like 9 000 sqaure metres.  Who knew that black face bricks would be so difficult to turn white?

Motherhood, the gift that keeps you humble:

Third hour:  Enters the fun brigade, aged 7 and 5. “Ooooh this looks nice, can we help you, please, please, please” I ignore the small voice in my head, mistake. This could be a fun project, something we can do together and afterwards sit back, share a cup of hot chocolate and be proud of ourselves.  Turns out I’ve watched too much TV before I had kids.

What I’ve learned in this chapter of the makeover is:

1. a paint brush and baseball cap can “guide” two fighting siblings to kiss an make up.
2. that a seven year old has the unique talent to take 50ml of paint and spread it over 100 square metres of your home.
3. tha a five year old makes a gold fish seem attentive
4. Hamsters do not like paint.

The fun brigade sets me back 45 minutes.

18:15:  Two walls are painted and it looks stunning.  I might not be able to climb the stairs to my office tomorrow, but it looks stunning.

I ignore the scattered belongings of my study as I walk through my dining room to go shower.  Will worry about that tomorrow, my two painted walls look stunning.

Weekdays might belong to my PC, but the weekends now belong to my paintbrush.  Thank you for the inspiration Janice.

Watch this space!  The Great Study Makeover has just begun!