Study 055 Wm[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=

 
 

It’s a while since I’ve written about The Study.

You know how it is. A job gets to within a gnat’s crotchet of being called done and something intervenes. If you are a gardener then Spring is a pretty big something. The call of the wild was just too strong and the finishing touches got left for a rainy day. As luck would have it, or not according to your point of view, precipitation has been generous of late. At least, if you live in the south west of England it has.

I moved back into the study on Easter Sunday. Yep, that long ago. Just after I’d applied the final coat of wax and buffed up the floor. The liming wax went down fine on the original old wood but the replacement boards turned out to be a different matter entirely. Perhaps there was residual moisture or natural oil left in the centre of the beam from which they were cut, but something certainly resisted the wax. I stripped the whole lot back twice and started over again.

And just when I’d declared it as good as it was going to get this happened..

 
 

Study 047 Wm[1]

 
 

The edge of one of the ‘new’ boards started to cave in and had to be repaired.

Mike did a good job; we now have to look very hard to spot the mend. And anyhow, it’s supposed to be a rustic floor.

 
 

Study 056 Wm[1]

 

The replacement radiator arrived, after an 8 week wait. You’ll recall that plumbing skills are still in their infancy chez rusty duck and tensions were running high. No leaks. So far..

 
 

Study 057 Wm[1]

 
 

A further trip was made to the salvage yard to get more of the wood from which we had constructed the door and given the aid of a friend with a garage full of carpentry tools there are now architraves too.

Really pleased with these. Simple. Low profile. Rustic.

 

So what is left?

 
 

Study 043 Wm[1]

 

Ah yes..

 

For a veritable small fortune I purchased specially made extendable brackets to suspend a curtain rail a distance out from the wall and thereby overcome the slope. We didn’t even need to screw the rail assembly to the wall, just offering it up was enough: it was grossly overpowering for the size of the room and an expensive mistake. A roman blind, which would be my preferred solution, is tricky here because the window opens by tipping inwards at the top. So it was back to the drawing board with a completely different idea. An idea that I also bounced off Mike.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so quick to tease, a few posts back, about chainsaw envy. Because a couple of days later, this appeared..

 
 

Large Drill 001 Wm[2]

 

Oh my..

 

And what exactly is he going to do with this beast?

Drill a hole, two holes, in my RECENTLY RE-PLASTERED AND PAINTED STUDY WALL!!

As Mike squared up to the wall I wafted the hose attachment of the vacuum underneath in a somewhat futile attempt to suck up the worst of the debris. It was a lot like being at the dentist really. Except that we could laugh about it afterwards.

 
 

Study 058 Wm[1]

 
 

The resultant holes are deep enough to allow a metal rod to be inserted and manoeuvred across the window recess

 
 

Study 059 Wm[1]

 
 

Study 061 Wm[1]

 
 

Study 062 Wm[3]

 
 

It’ll probably only get used on the very coldest of winter nights, when that little bit of extra cosiness wouldn’t go amiss. Given its size it is rather a faff getting it into and out of position, which may prove to be a showstopper if I’m honest. But for now it can simply be folded up and stored away and I have a clutter free window for the long summer days.

 

Getting there?

 
 
 
 [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]