Have you ever begun a job in your home and watched as the scope of the job increased as you went along? It is happening in our home. Our furniture in the living room is over 40 years old. The carpet was replaced in 2006 and is now showing its age. The original wallpaper in the dining room is approaching its mid-century mark.
Our 1980’s styling and decorating doesn’t work today. We are learning. In completely redecorating nothing happens quickly. There are no short cuts. Decisions made 40 years ago come back to haunt you.
We began thinking that we should start with choosing carpeting that runs completely through our home and up to the master bedroom. Many of today’s “home decorating” magazines focus on shades of greys and tans. That is where we began.
We found a tan with other hints of colour in it, but neither myself nor my wife were comfortable with it. With hundreds of colours to choose from and equally number of styles, we had forgotten how many decisions go into totally redecorating.
Then we realized that before the carpet could be installed, ceilings, and walls had to be painted and that included removing wallpaper.
The wallpaper was installed in 1981. I can remember how proud we were in gluing the paper to the wall and how we enjoyed the coordination of the colours to the seats on the chairs and the carpet. The bright floral colours made the room come alive. Over time the paper has faded. Over time, it has lost its appeal.
That terrific gluing job now haunts us. The “This Old House” television series had specific instructions on removal of paper. Two separate segments made everything seem simple. Each called for different mixtures of hot water, vinegar, soap, and fabric softener to use after the paper was scored. Each had different timelines to wait while the mixtures soaked into the paper and then could be stripped. Three days later only a third of the paper had been removed centimetre by centimetre.
Then someone who had removed paper suggested acquiring a steamer. The walls were still being scored and then the steamer covered a small area for 15 seconds and the paper could be scraped away leaving the glue covering the wall. After seven days, the paper was removed, but the walls still held the glue. Out came the orbital sanders to get to the original walls.
It is slow. The walls will have repairs made to them. And we will get back to choosing carpet, paint for the walls, and new furniture. There are hundreds of colours to eliminate in fabric and furniture styles.
There are cabinets and desks filled with treasures that need to be emptied, taken apart, and moved. All must begin before the painting begins or the carpet is installed.
