We had a fab weekend with Dom's sister and family in Northampton. We hired bikes at Pitsford Water and went for a lovely bike ride in the blazing heat. Then back to Clare's for a gorgeous barbecue. No photos I'm afraid.

While we were away we had Rob the plasterer skim all the remaining upstairs ceilings: the landing and two of the bedrooms. This meant that Friday night was a late one dismantling the old fitted wardrobes, moving out the bed and other furniture, taking off the coving, then cleaning up the mess.

It was all worth it though as we returned tonight to a big job finished. Skimming over the Artex was a big first step towards modernisation. The remaining work upstairs now is mainly cosmetic - filling, sanding and painting, then laying carpets throughout. Although this is not to be underestimated and will still take some time, it feels like we are making real progress. As you can see from the pics, the previous owners had bad taste in borders and carpets, so the sooner we get rid the better.

Labels: d.i.y.