Split gateway......

going downstairs.

I believe you dear readers know by now, that I'm a slow doer.

Still my determination is just as strong as this iron gate! 

 

My truly beloved french antique find, bought many years ago,

 has finally been tranformed and split into two shutters

for the stairs leading up/down to my workshop.

I'm so fortunate to have the most wonderful and skilful blacksmith in

my team of craftsmen, we've been working together for a couple of days,

trying to figure out the best way to do this.

 Made-to-measure doesn't come prefabricated!

 

He's put his heart into this wicked idea of mine and

 I'm so grateful for his brilliant solutions!!!

 

My perservering plans are in progress, the next will be 

some work in reinforced concrete.

It's September and normally the beginning of fall should be 

crispy and chilly but the weather is absolutely gorgeous here 

in Stockholm,  the breeze is warm and the sky is bluer than blue!

Thanks!

❤

En weekend i pyjamas med Ottosson färg

alldeles för ivrig med att shellacka, grunda, slipa o måla,

när kakelsättningen väl är klar.

Greppa inte den där målarpenseln innan morgonpiffet är klart,

hela helgen försvann med i ett moln av annat spackel och damm

Otålig som man är måste det ju prövas lite på hyllorna

innan den bleka pärlgrå linoljan skall strykas och en del 

justeringar åtgärdas.

Nästa projekt som väntar, men nu är pyjamasen utbytt 

mot en ren och en skön kudde väntar på en kind!

❤

Never grab that paintbrush before the Saturday breakfast,

I've been in my pjs this whole weekend, once I got started I worked 

until I was out of shellac, putty and linseed oil. 

I will never let anyone else but myself to apply the linseed

oil indoors, it demands a lot of patience and meticulously

thin coats than need to dry up a couple of days in between.

Painting with linseed oil is an old tradition in Sweden.

Ottosson färgmakeri is today one of our best manufacturers.

The company has many good tutorials on Youtube.

This is one to start with!

I found a heart

a picture of a window shutter, I shot of my house one or two years ago.

I already knew by then what was meant to come.

I'm devoted to old houses and recuperating them is a tricky thing.

This is a town house, soon to turn a hundred years old located 

close to Stockholm. The area has a restricted cityplan but many

old houses in the block have been demolished by building

commissioners in favour for modern ones. Such a shame, I think!

This is what my house looks like today, after some two years of

reconstruction, starting with the hat going down.

Some things had to be done and balancing the decisions 

of right and wrong with what is best in a longer perspective

compared to what you really want to do has been 

one exhausting journey but also great fun.

 Lately we have slowly been deciding on which of all the 

old remnants we want to keep for the garden and what to throw away.

Now, there's a full dumpster standing in my courtyard,

ready to be picked up tomorrow morning. 

The french old boîte des fleurs was saved and has changed it's 

position in favour for the new bay window.

Here it is...filled with fresh violet hederaceas. 

They just need to spill themselves over.

We found a new perfect spot for it,

hanging on the newly built sun porch, made

out of old windows and doors to fit.

There is still some decor to finish up and 

then of course layers with linseed oil!

The house still has many happy hearts

❤

Perfect day for a spa....

     Hairdresser   ✂   ✓

   Workout session  ✓

     Facial treatment  ✓ 

The Polar icy winter hit us a couple of days ago, a little late this year!

and I'm truly grateful for some nice hot water and a tub.

The antigue towel bar needed an extra piece of mold, 

shaped as an identical copy, to fit onto the side of the tub.

Tricky slippery little thing working that saw!!

What a difference a door makes

Today at lunchtime......

with a recuperated window merged into the old door

This is pretty much a year ago.....

X-mas holidays are over
and it's time to go back to work!

Ia

Building a nest

takes time........trust me!

It's also a lot of fun.....

and educational

spending time at cabinet-maker's workshop.

A more than a 100 years old set of a glass-enclosed veranda

is being restored to fit into the kitchen porch.

Folding doors that easily open up on sunny days...

and one can slip outside to the joining porch.

This is the new fasad.....

and 

this is what it looked like a month ago!

This isn't over yet......trust me!

I'm working on it......  ☕  Ia