Friday 13 April 2018

Making Lemonade

There are many different approaches to unplanned, less than pleasant events.




We were faced with changed plans last week - the demise of the car scuppered our ideas of going anywhere, so we decided to hire a car for a few days. I was keen to visit the craft event in Norwich Forum, and also see the Damien Hirst sculpture currently on display outside the Art College. Jon was to take Bob to collect the car at 10 - but then we found out at 9 that we couldn't have it till 2. So rather than sit about sulking about being housebound [rain of biblical proportions outside] we decided to do some work on the Futility Room Project. This began last summer, and hasn't really gone very far since. I'd opted for a sort of French Farmhouse/English Country House Kitchen - and we even bought tester pots and settled on the paint colours. But Christmas came and went, and our spring visit...but at last we have done some painting.
Bob put on his Pastor Bob overalls, I wore a fetching paper onesie from Poundland. 
We removed the radiator, and all hooks and wall stuff, filled the holes with plaster, protected edges with masking tape, and began painting the walls in Wilko Cosy Grey
We got a surprising amount done, and were pleased with the colour - but not impressed by the cheap masking tape which caused more trouble than it was worth! Definitely a false economy.
We did two coats then moved stuff back in. You can see the results of our tester pots on the cupboard door - and how the grey walls are warmer than the original magnolia.
We also planned out how the units will look, when the extra shelving and beading doortrims are in place.

We're attempting to achieve the transformation at minimal cost -  I have two metal kitchen lampshades to repaint which were originally red [1996] then yellow [2006] and Bob has some spare wooden doorknobs in the garage to replace the horrid plastic ones.
But for now, the job is on hold till we return in August. I was intrigued by the diagram on the paint can "This can will cover [an area] about the same width as 6 small sofas" Who paints their sofas?
By the time we eventually got the car [well after 3] and drove into Norwich, the Craft Event had mostly finished, sadly, but we did get to see 'Hymn' - the Hirst sculpture.
It is twenty feet high, and not my cup of tea at all.
I wandered round the back, and found myself pondering on the question "Does my bum look big in this?"
When life gives you lemons, turn them into soap, and fix them over the sink!

7 comments:

  1. Glad you made good use of the time! There's a Damien Hirst statue in Ilfracombe, we were there on holiday a couple of years ago. It's of a pregnant lady, nude and with half of her skin missing (like the one in your post), so that all her muscles, ligaments, innards, etc can be seen in great detail. And also her baby! Fascinating but quite disturbing too.

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  2. OH horrible "sculpture" looks like something just borrowed from a medical training school.
    As you say a very strange paint coverage comparison,makes a change from double-decker buses or football pitches which would have been just as odd I guess

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  3. You made the most of a disappointing day. I do hope the car problems will be sorted out for you.

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  4. Some days just aren't meant to be! But I do like your paintwork - it looks like a grey with touches of blue in it in the photo - should be lovely and fresh for a kitchen.
    I can't say that I'm a huge Hirst fan - there was a display of his work the last time I was in London - and while it was interesting - I don't think I would have gone out of my way to see it.
    Hope the car gets sorted soon.

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  5. Someone else who takes the radiators off! My dad always did, and it looks like the previous owners of this flat did too. But I've lived in some places where at least one previous decor could be seen behind them 😃

    And I've seen Hirst's Verity statue in Ilfracombe and wasn't impressed...

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  6. I don't really like Hirst! All a bit odd!
    Well done for what you did in the time you had to wait for the car!!
    We've found a car to buy but it is sooo much money!!

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  7. Nice color for the walls. You made very good use of the waiting time! The sculpture reminds me a bit of the Body Works displays I saw in the Science Museum, here.

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