04 March 2011

Papier peint, tu ne nous manqueras point

Work has continued over the past week. I ended up using a water-soaked paint roller, on a long pole, to wet and loosen the old wallpaper on the ceiling. That worked better than a spray bottle or a sponge.

The last bit of it — it looks dark because it's wet.

Looking across the landing toward the kitchen...

...and out of the kitchen toward the guest bedroom

Whatever possessed the people who owned the house before us to put wallpaper on the ceilings, I'll never know. When I get back from America, we'll paint these walls and the ceiling.

Meanwhile, the weather has turned dry and sunny. And cold. I just told Walt, though, that it's twice as hot this morning as it was yesterday morning: 2.4º instead of 1.2º. That's centigrade.

13 comments:

  1. No wind chill today either by the look of it. Well done on getting that wallpaper off. Horrible job that is too easy to put off.

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  2. Dreadful stuff! I expect the rooms look a completely different shape now, too. I've stayed in French hotel rooms where all four walls and the ceiling were covered in the same paper. It felt like staying in a dolls house.

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  3. You can cross that job off your list, Ken, good for you!

    I'm sure you remember my friend, Danielle, who lives outside Paris. Her foyer and all her bedrooms have papered walls and ceilings. I look at several French real estate sites regularly and I see many, many rooms with papered ceilings. It must be a French thing?

    BettyAnn

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  4. congrats on finishing such a thankless task.....the previous people in my house had wallpaper that was a plain tan/white with a tiny bit of texture......cant figure out why on earth they did it (and it was not just paper that had been painted over either).....i am not a wallpaper fan

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  5. I really like wallpaper :) Well... to look at it, but not to remove it. In our new house, I have had my first experience of removing wallpaper. The kitchen wallpaper actually came off pretty easily-- just using warm water and scraping, no scoring, no vinegar or special liquid product. We did have a strong sprayer, not just a spray bottle... gave a good soaking with each spray. BUT... the master bath had only a border at the top, and it was MADNESS to get that removed. It must have been attached with some super-duper glue for bathrooms???

    I'm happy for you!

    Judy

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  6. Judy, at certain places our wallpaper seemed to be glued on with some kind of glue that was waterproof. But not many places. Most of it came unglued pretty easily.

    Pollygarter, I've stayed in those hotels too. And yes, our space is much lighter and roomier-feeling already — even though we haven't done the painting yet.

    Yes, BettyAnn, I think it is a French thing.

    Melinda, go figure. We still have ugly wallpaper in one room. Getting rid of it is a project for next year.

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  7. A doll's house! That is exactly what it felt like when we stayed in a chambre d'hote outside of Giverny near Evreux! BUT, I loved it! The ceiling had wood-stained beams and the paper was corally-pink flowers. The rooms were in a converted attic of a sheepbarn - the downstairs was interesting, too! Leather sofa and chairs and a gorgeous fireplace. I would stay there again :)
    Congratulations Ken on getting your wallpaper job completed before you took your trip.

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  8. Happy birthday tomorrow, Ken. And many, many happy returns. Have a great visit with MA!

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  9. Happy birthday, Ken! Enjoy your day. Let us know what the menu is!

    VW: maire
    Are you maire for the day?

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  10. Bonne anniversaire, mon ami!

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  11. Des millions de touillous pour toi!

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  12. Thanks Ch., G., S., and CHM. It's been a nice day. The menu was choucroute garnie with smoked chicken and sausages. For dessert, a tarte au chocolat. And some good Alsatian Pinot Gris wine.

    I bet you are all wondering what touillous are.

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