Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Video Et Taceo

Staircase Progress


Hello, there! It's me, Cottage. Hush, hush, come in. Don't make a noise, please. Petite Blonde is resting. She's a little too tired to write, but I'm a little too excited to wait to show you my new look. Now, before we go any further, you have to swear to make yours one of Queen Elizabeth I's motto, "video et taceo" (I see and I don't talk), because otherwise Petite Blonde could be really mad at me.

Coucou ! C'est moi, Cottage. Chut, chut, entrez donc. Mais pas de bruit, hein. Petite Blonde se repose. Elle est trop fatiguée pour écrire, mais moi, j'ai tellement hâte de vous montrer mon nouveau look. Avant que nous allions plus loin, vous devez jurer de faire vôtre une des devises de la reine Elizabeth Ière, "video et taceo" (je vois et je me tais), car sinon Petite Blonde pourrait bien être furieuse contre moi.

First, you won't say a word about that picture of her butt, will you? She just needed a nap after working her butt off (it's a butt story obviously) on the staircase walls and ceiling. She really impressed me there.


D'abord, vous ne direz pas un mot sur cette photo de ses fesses, d'accord ? Elle avait besoin d'une petite sieste après avoir travaillé sur la cage d'escalier. Elle m'a bien impressionné sur ce coup.

The first time she said she was going to paint a room, I was a little worried. But it was the kitchen and I thought the cabinets would cover any mess she did. But she didn't mess it up. It gave her some self-confidence, maybe a little too much.

La première fois qu'elle a dit qu'elle allait peindre une pièce, j'étais sceptique. Mais c'était la cuisine, alors bon, rien de grave, les placards cacheraient les dégâts. Mais il n'y a pas eu de dégâts. Cela lui a donné confiance, un peu trop peut-être...

 
Petite Blonde : I'm going to paint the staircase myself to save some money.

Cottage: Are you crazy? I mean... It's really high and you're only a PETITE Blonde.

Petite Blonde: I can do it.


Petite Blonde : Je vais peindre la cage d'escalier moi-même pour économiser.

Cottage : T'es pas folle ? Enfin, euh, c'est vraiment haut et tu n'es qu'une PETITE Blonde.

Petite Blonde : Je peux le faire.

There's no arguing when she's in that state of mind. And anyway, could it really be worse than it was before? I don't think so...

Ce n'est même pas la peine de discuter quand elle est dans cet état d'esprit. Et de toute façon, pouvait-elle faire pire que ce qu'il y avait avant ? Je ne crois pas...


As you can see on the pictures, before she remodeled me, the staircase had been inspired by Arlequin. One wall was half white, half wallpapered, one wall had a sponge like peach paint, one wall was half white, half orange, two doors were painted with country or desert scenes and the glass door leaded to the loo and Petite Blonde's bedroom. But the worst was invisible... There was no insulation under the peeking roof and I was really cold in winter.

Comme vous pouvez le voir sur les photos, avant qu'elle ne me rénove, la cage d'escalier avait été inspirée par Arlequin. Un mur était moitié blanc, moitié en papier peint à motifs, un mur était peint à l'éponge en pêche, un mur était moitié blanc, moitié orange, deux portes étaient peintes avec des scènes de campagne ou de désert et la porte vitrée menait aux toilettes (!) et à la chambre de Petite Blonde. Mais le pire était invisible. Il n'y avait pas d'isolation sous mon toit et j'avais bien froid en hiver.


Every wall was  torn down, insulation was added, walls were rebuilt which gave the welcomed opportunity to separate the loo from the bedroom... Petite Blonde and I insisted on keeping some beams showing. I think it gives me much charm to have such a high ceiling upstairs... But it left Petite Blonde with a lot of drywall to take care of.

Tous les murs ont été démolis, l'isolation au chanvre a été ajoutée, les cloisons ont été remontées, ce qui a été l'occasion de clairement séparer les toilettes de la chambre. Petite Blonde et moi avons bien insisté pour que certaines poutres (enfin, des solives, entraits et autres poinçons) soient laissées apparentes. Je trouve que cela me donne du charme cette hauteur à l'étage... Mais cela a créé beaucoup de placo à poncer et peindre.


It took four coats on each ceiling and wall. Two coats of primer and two coats of paint. The ceiling is painted in All White (what else?) and the walls are Pordic White (a mix of All White and Wimborne White by Farrow & Ball if you're new here). At some point, I was tempted to tell Petite Blonde that it was quite useless to try to make clean lines as the two paints looked rather the same to me... But I hold my tongue and I was right to. When the sun is pouring, there's little difference, but on cloudy days or in the evening, Pordic White is a lot softer and I look cosier.


Il a fallu quatre couches sur chaque pente de plafond et chaque mur. Deux couches d'impression (ou sous-couche) et deux couches de peinture. Le plafond est en All White (what else ?) et les murs sont en Pordic White (un mélange d'All White et de Wimborne White de Farrow & Ball pour les petits nouveaux). A un moment, j'ai eu envie de lui dire qu'elle s'appliquait pour rien car franchement, on ne voyait pas la différence entre les deux teintes. Mais j'ai tenu ma langue et j'ai bien fait car si l'on ne voit pas de différence par grand soleil, dès que le temps est nuageux ou que le soir tombe, les murs ont une teinte bien plus douce qu'un blanc pur et cela me rend très cosy.


 She taped a paint brush to the future living-room curtain rod to make sure she could make clean lines all the way up and climbed the step-ladder (courtesy of the dumb electrician who never came back to pick it up) so many times I don't think I can actually count that far. But now, she doesn't walk up the stairs anymore, she dances up the stairs, I swear!

Elle avait scotché un pinceau plat sur la future tringle à rideau du salon pour pouvoir faire les angles situés en haut et elle a grimpé sur cet escabeau, cadeau de l'électricien qui n'est jamais venu le rechercher, si souvent que je ne sais même pas compter jusque là. Mais maintenant, elle ne monte plus l'escalier sans faire un petit pas de danse,  je le jure !


As you can see on the pictures, there's still a lot of work to do, both for Petite Blonde and for a carpenter. The guard and hand rail are actually a piece of compressed wood that was hastily put there at the end of the remodel. I'm dreaming of something beautiful, but I've been told I was asking for too much!


Bon, vous avez dû le voir sur les photos, il reste du travail, aussi bien pour Petite Blonde que pour des artisans... La rampe de sécurité est juste un morceau de bois compressé récupéré à la fin des travaux. Evidemment, je rêve d'une belle rampe, mais il paraît que je suis trop exigeant !


Of course, I'm counting on you. You will act all surprised when she writes her post about the upstairs door, her bedrom, the bathroom or the extra room or anything else you might have had a sneak peek of in the pictures. Also, not a word on the huge pile of laundry that needs ironing that appears at some point... We all understand that she can't paint and iron at the same time... God knows she has enough clothes with paint stains!


Bien sûr, je compte sur vous. Vous jouerez la surprise quand elle écrira son article sur les portes, sa chambre, la salle-de-bains ou la "pièce en plus" ou quoi que ce soit d'autre que vous avez entrevu dans les photos. Ah, aussi, pas un mot sur la pile délirante de linge à repasser qui apparaît à un moment. On comprend tous qu'elle ne peut pas peindre et repasser en même temps... Dieu sait qu'elle a assez de vêtements tachés de peinture !


Now, please exit quietly... Someone else is napping in the shelter I offer...

Partez sans bruit... Quelqu'un d'autre fait la sieste sous mon toit...

See you next time,

A la prochaine fois,

Hasta la proxima,








48 comments:

  1. SHHHH!!! Don't wake her up, but when she is awake be sure and tell her she once again did an amazing job. xo Laura

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  2. Cottage, it's about time you came around to give an update! I'm whispering as I say this, you are looking stunning with all the work from PB. I knew she would get it right, she just needed time. Perfect color for you, I love the whites and your beams, I love those! What a dramatic change and you will be all toasty warm come winter. I will come back later, I want to tell PB I like the header and pics..........

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  3. Ohhh Cottage, you are very articulate and your story was delightfully, quietly shared!!!!!

    I think every inch of personal touch is charming and the white with the stone, and the wooden beams and timbering are PERFECT. You have "good bones" as we say here in America about a house that has much character. And that dear Cottage, you are abundant in.

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  4. Hi cottage...hope you can hear me..i'm trying to be quiet..nice post..you did petite blonde well..i see why she fell in love with you..you're not just charming you're sensitive too..and she's doing one fine job of taking care of you..i'm impressed how she got around those beams..with white paint no less..she should take a well deserved nap..and don't worry about the other things your photos showed..i won't tell..and i do look forward to seeing what wonderful things that are yet to come that she has in store for you...

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  5. such a lot of work for a petite blonde to do - and it is all so neat - so hard to do all that reaching with a paint brush - and overhead work as well - the little blonde must be exhausted - it all looks so nice thanks for sharing :)

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  6. Oh mu goodness! This made me smile, laugh and tugged at my heart strings! Love following your journey, whether it's you or Cottage. xo

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  7. With the sweat of her brow, Miss Magali is hard at work turning you into a beautiful seaside cottage. No easy feat painting the staircase and ceiling walls. Enjoy your rest with kitty, Kathleen in Az

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    1. Thanks! It was a hell of a job... And the good news is the ceiling is the same in the bedroom and the extra room!

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  8. Cottage, you are looking absolutely charming with your beautiful new doors, lovely beams and painted walls - petite blond certainly knows what is best for you.

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  9. Hello Cottage. You have the best person making you their home. Petite blonde may be tiny but oh so fierce when it comes to making you beautiful. Looking good.
    Kris

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  10. Oh Cottage! What a transformation -- so clean, so fresh, so full of light! Absolutely charming!!! I hope you give Petite Blonde some extra love, because all that painting in high places is very difficult work. I always look forward to hearing from you two and seeing your progress! For now, I'll leave you and PB to your dreams!

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    1. Thanks! Petite Blonde and I are really trying to bring light inside as my windows are rather small!
      Cottage

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  11. rires, j'ai adoré lire cet article fort passionnant conté de main de maître par un Cottage au mieux de sa forme, je n'oublie pas que tu as du lui prêter main forte pour jouer du clavier comme du pinceau...
    Tu en fais vraiment un lieu privilégié et cosy, agréable et chaleureux... qui doit te ressembler sur beaucoup de points
    Assurément vous êtes en osmose lui et toi
    Belle et douce semaine, surtout repose toi bien
    @ tout bientôt

    P.S. tu n'as jamais pensé à changer de métier ?

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  12. Cottage, you are so sweet letting Petite Blonde sleep!! Lord knows she needs the rest after FOUR coats of paint on that lovely staircase and hallway!! Cottage, you are gorgeous!!

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  13. Dear cottage I'm so impressed with all the work she's done, no wonder she needs a nap and of course a cat needs a nap just on general principle. I promise to be surprised.

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  14. It looks beautiful! I love how you left the natural wood beams and the narrow one as well. It's so pretty. xoxo Su

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  15. Wow!!!!! You have done an amazing job on cottage. I love all the wood and the white walls or should I say the two tone walls. lol Keep it up sweet lady your home is becoming a show palace.
    xoxo Jo

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  16. I hope you know how lucky you are that Petite Blonde is taking such good care of you Cottage?! You are looking quite handsome these days. Petite Blonde has done good:).

    xxx

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  17. So lovely!! And the journey continues..........

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  18. Cottage, dear sweet cottage, thank you for the sneak peaks. I bet you are so happy with your new look. Poor petite blonde, that was so much Work! She deserves more naps. And maybe an apple tart. And definitely tea. I won't say a word, promise.

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    1. Petite Blonde is trying her hand at gluten free egg free pie dough and then she'll get an apple tart!
      Cottage

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  19. Dear Cottage, mum's the word. I really like what Petite Blond did and she really worked hard. She is really making you such a beautiful cottage and I know that you love it. I love all the sneak leaks you gave. Now don't wake her up, she need to have a good rest.

    Mary

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  20. c'est une cage d'escalier bien lumineuse que vous dévoilez aujourd'hui ! Il ne fallait pas craindre le vertige pour obtenir un tel résultat. Le Pordic "special Cottage" est doux au regard et invite au repos... bravo à sa créatrice ! monique59

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  21. What an amazing job she did... she deserves a good sleep.. Shhh!

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    1. She's resting a little before taking care of the living room!
      Cottage

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  22. Shhh... dear cottage. Your secret is safe. It is truly an amazing job and I commend Petite Blonde's diligence. Both of you (and the cat) will have much to be proud of when she can finally sit on her couch, prop up her legs and enjoy the warmth of the fireplace.

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  23. Cottage, you must be proud to have such a talented occupant. She always does such a good job. I'm nervous about painting our stairwell because of the high ceiling, and it's easy to put off as the tenant is the only one to regularly use those stairs.

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  24. Cottage - you are quite beautiful! I think your petite blonde did a fantastic job with the painting. I don't think you should ever doubt her again. ;-)

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  25. Cottage gracias por contarnos todo lo que sucede y creo que tu rubia petite trabaja muy fuerte para que estes cada dia mas hermoso y merece un buen Descanso y Hasta la proxima :)
    nelly


























































































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  26. Good luck with your endeavours. My brother does my painting.

    Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.

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  27. Cottage, you are looking quite beautiful, I must say! I am in love with all the pine woodwork and beautiful floors and of course, the excellent painting that petite blonde has done for you. Keep watch on her and make sure she is safe as she balances to reach the high points. She has certainly deserved her rest! xx Karen

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    1. Thank you very much. I still need some "make up" in the upstairs rooms, but I'm more beautiful than before ;)
      Cottage

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  28. Cottage is looking prettier every day...and he is getting a little bossy. Better put him in his place before he gets completely out of hand!

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  29. Excellent! I thoroughly enjoyed that, Cottage, and must say you're looking fab. But that was a bit of a sneaky photo of PB, wasn't it?

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  30. I can see why you are tired. You have done a lot. Things are getting transformed for Cottage!!! That is awesome!!

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  31. Cottage, you are so spoiled by petite blond; she takes such good care of you, painting your walls and purchasing pine doors all so you can look your best! Thanks for the sneak peek - I appreciate it!

    Poppy

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  32. Hello Cottage! My goodness, Petite Blonde has been working very hard. I'm glad you let her take a nap. I say this with love, my dear Cottage: perhaps at times you're a tiny bit of a slave driver. From seeing the earlier photos and the state you were in when she first found you, I can see that PB has worked hard to bring out the best in you, and she has succeeded beautifully. You really are lovely, as is she. Hugs.

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  33. Is it common to have carpet in the bathrooms and toilet rooms? We generally don't do that here in Canada. I am sure some do but it is not widely practiced. You home is going to be lovely when you are finished.

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    1. Carpet is not very tredny right now in France and most uncommon in bathrooms or loos. If your question is referring to the fact that I used seagrass carpet in my loo for a few years, it wa only to hide the really ugly floor that was there when I bought the house. Right now I have a painted wood floor in the loo (https://thelittlewhitehouseontheseaside.blogspot.fr/2017/05/once-in-blue-loo.html) and a secret floor in the bathroom!!!

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