While You Were Out...

There was a DYI type of show by this title, where designers and carpenters would sneek into people's home while a friendly conspirator lured them away.  During that time, an area in the house was given a face-lift.  Well, the same conspiracy is in motion at the Microcosm.  Pardon the blurry pictures, but I used an old phone to show the first steps in my stealth anniversary present to be undertaken next week while we are at camp.

The first step was to pull out everything so the baseboards could be cleaned.  I could not swim today as our road is being repaved and I got stuck at home while the asphalt was being poured.  I called TBG at work and told him not to bother trying to get home at lunch and that rather than my swim, I was going to tackle a bedroom deep clean.  Well, there was more that I expected!

Here's how bare it's all going to be.  The plan is for us to leave and Jimmy-Jam, our contractor to come in.  He can pull the furniture away from the walls and paint.  I've told TBG that we need to cull from that pile but not to rush -- just do an hour or so each day and finish once we are back home.  Only... once we are home, the walls will be a different color and a new ceiling fan will be installed.  Of course the trim and ceiling will need to be painted too.  Without divulging that plan, I did tell him once we culled the junk, I was repainting our dressers, night stands and vanity.  New furniture is not in the budget. In fact, I'll be dipping into savings to pay for this, but Jimmy is doing the labor for real cheap because he will be here staining the wood from the exterior renovation he did last year.

This wall is the reason I'm not doing the job myself.  Well, I am also a lousy wall painter.  This patch has been here for about four years and was the result of our bathroom renovation -- which Jimmy also did.  That's another reason he's doing the labor on the cheap -- he didn't have to fix it back then.  We've been looking at this ugliness for too long!

We are at our 31st anniversary and had no idea what to do about it. I remember one year at our old house, TBG was away for the weekend and his sister and I redecorated our TV room.  We put up a new ceiling fan, and hung pictures, and did a few other things.  Jim, our garden blogging friend, also helped.  Tommy told me it was one of the best birthday presents I ever gave him.  So, that is the concept again.

There had been dreams of a real renovation using custom cabinetry and adding some extra square footage.  With me no longer working, that can't happen for years.  This will be a way to make the room look better and I'll work on the finishing details as time goes on.  The big thing is painting over the patch and putting up a ceiling fan to replace one that isn't at all attractive.

Since hubby does not read this blog, he'll never know what we have planned.  I'll be absent while this is going on and may not post for a while as I prepare for this project and also get ready for a week away.  The house will be in good hands and I'm eager to pull this one off.  Wish me luck!