Monday, March 22, 2010

The Great Castle5000 Bedroom Remodel

You might remember that Mrs.5000 and I spent a lot of time this winter finishing up a remodel of the Castle5000 upstairs bathroom -- a remodel that had, in fact, been chugging along off and on for years. And you might well suppose that having polished off that heroic task, we would just call it good and go rest on the fainting couches or something.

Bedroom ReModel 2010: The Before Pictures

But no! We are prolonging the winter housework season into spring this year, so that we can create some order and the semblance of a cared-for environment in the North Tower. Our boudoir has long been in a vaguely romantic state of shabby decay. Note, if you can see it, the dirty, cracked paint job, and the chunks falling off of the ceiling. (The floor isn't as bad as it looks here, with a dropcloth over newish carpeting.)


Even one of our own architectural alterations of the Castle, the his 'n' hers matched closets, are sealed (and only semifinished) behind these semifinished doors and walls.


The last attention paid to the room likely came during the 1960s or early 1970s, by my guess.


These built-in shelves combine a certain student-apartment functionality with an almost total lack of aesthetic appeal. We're going to make it all handsome (knock wood) and put in shelves that don't sway under the weight of books.


And we'll replace this with something a little a little less -- how to say it? -- elderly aunt-ish. Which, oddly, makes me feel a little sad, because it reminds me of lower middle class life in the 1970s. But it's time to move on.



So To Work!!

So, starting with the ceiling, we've been tearing into the project with characteristic vigor and zeal.


More updates on this exciting project as events unfold.

10 comments:

Elaine said...

I'm intrigued by the 'floating hammer' in the last shot. Yeah, yeah, I see it's on the ledge created by the trim when I zoom in, but the first impression was more...magical. Oh, and that light fixture screams Fifties to ME.

Onward, O Remodeling Warriors!

Michael5000 said...

Yeah, lower middle class life in the seventies involved a lot of second- and third-hand items that were around twenty-five years old. Or so I remember it.

gl. said...

i have the exact same expression as mrs5000 when sven tries to take a picture of me in the middle of a project like this.

MulchMaid said...

But just what is Mrs. 5000 doing washing the ceiling? Paint it, for goodness sake: only your mother might suspect you hadn't washed it first.

Elaine (must need to log back in to Google) in Arkansas said...

Janie,
(Love your garden hat)
I think they are trying to take off the 'texturizing' that was applied to the ceiling. Oh, if only they had consulted ME first!
But it's so cute, they way they are soldiering on....and after all, they'll never do it again.

Sail on! Sail on! Sail on and on!
(credit for identifying the next lines as well as title and author)
Two can play THAT game.

Fiendishly yours,
e

Jenners said...

Jeez you guys ... look like you're having all the fun I just know you are undertaking a home remodeling project like that!!!

mrs.5000 said...

@Jane and Elaine: I was rinsing off the worst of the dust, the weekend after we'd scraped off the poorly-adhered ceiling texture with its great cracked ugly blisters. We have no regrets.

@gl: I'm afraid I do look rather put upon, but given the circumstances...

Michael5000 said...

Gotta paint on a clean surface, ya know....

Rebel said...

can't wait to see the 'after' shots =)

but rather enjoying the 'workin' hard' shots. =P

Gilion at Rose City Reader said...

Good luck with your project! Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.