the last painting hurrah

The end is in sight. And only because it needs to be! Our wall to wall wool carpet (so luxurious - and durable - and a natural fibre too with a much less toxic underlay) is going in Tuesday and Wednesday next week and so this weekend is our last push to get all the painting done. So we don't spatter even one teeny, tiny drop on the new soft beauty under our feet. The wood floors on the 2nd floor were old, cracked, dinged-up, and very, very squeaky - coupled with a hideous green runner going down the hallway. So I can't wait to be able to play comfortably with Baby on the floor or being able to pad around in the middle of the night with warm and comfy toesies.

All 4 radiators have now been returned to us and are waiting out in the garage to be put back in. All 1000 lbs of radiators! We had them sandblasted of the silvery paint from before and then re-painted with a powder coating and baked enamel finish. They are a bit more glossy than what I expected but they look fabulous, all white and new, and will go wonderfully with our white trim on the doors and windows. (Still to be done!) The French door leading out to our upper front porch - off the joint offices and craft room - was also installed this week and though we need to replace the grill which was done in error it looks amazing and lets in so much light! I've found some chocolate brown Adirondack chairs for the upper porch and so we'll set that up soon with some tables and potted plants - all ready for my parents' and sister's visit in a few weeks. My then-retired Dad can have his morning coffee and a read on the porch in style!

Pregnant or not, I'd be insisting on no VOC paints and we've been really pleased with the CIL brand we found and the colors we've chosen. {Ok, really, the colors I chose ... though Sam certainly approved. He tells me that he is the Mike Holmes of the operation and I am Sarah Richardson, the down-to-the-details design decision maker.} For the hallway, guest room, and office we've chosen Contemporary White, which is the 2nd from the bottom on the Chocolate Brown paint swatch. Also the open can of paint and the wall behind is that color, though it's really hard to see the distinction. For the baby's room we'll have the lightest color on the same swatch, called Natural White, and the master bedroom is being transformed into a Blue Danube tone, the 2nd from the bottom on the blue paint swatch. Not very much a baby blue or a pastelly blue, more of a grey blue and a shade I duplicated from a Real Simple magazine cover. We're also wall papering only one wall of the baby's room in the cream colored wallpaper you can just see on the first photo, which has the texture and design of large mums on it. Love it! No color change in the room, but a way to bring out a feature wall without being too bold. I know Sarah Richardson would be proud of me!

So we're getting there! And after almost 7 weeks of living downstairs, sleeping in our dining room, I can't wait to move in back upstairs soon! Still, there's lots of small details to work through, but we're thrilled it's all coming together.

Ok, I've got to go put my feet up ... My ankles and feet having been swelling enormously lately (so much so, the ladies at work are a little horrified and concerned!) so my time on the couch with my feet up, iced bags balanced snugly, is a daily event around here. Oh, child, what are you doing to your Mumma ...?!