home(t)raveling 2.0: week 105 = 2 years!

 #twocandlesonacake!

Well, it's a bit awkward to say but we've been caught in such a wonderful and overwhelming whirlpool of love, exhaustion, work, amazement, things-to-do, hurry, hugs and stress (but the good one, you know!), that we hardly acknowledged the "official" day - the actual, accurate date, aka "the anniversary". Not that we haven't been super incredibly happy and grateful to complete this beautiful and crazy two-year ride, since this Thursday, June 29th 2017 when we traded a big bunch of papers with our signatures on them for a big bunch of rusty keys to a rusty ruin.

the kitchen: 2 years ago (before) ; 18 months ago (work in progress) ; and now-ish but not finished yet (after).

We have been, indeed, super incredibly happy and grateful ever since. Even though welcoming and living with a baby in such a big and chaotic renovation project is challenging and takes a toll on your mental availability. Everything but the absolute priorities becomes irrelevant. Everything pretty much becomes just another line on a seemingly endless to-do list. And each to-do list becomes little more than another page among pages on the to-do-lists' scrapbook.

the living-room: 2 years ago (before) ; 18 months ago (work in progress) ; and now-ish but not finished yet (after).

Alright, let's cup the crap and get specific: over the past 2 years, we eventually managed to:
 - survive and maintain a decent degree of mental health (some would argue on this - they may, we won't),
 - define a first phase of work, aka Phase I, aimed at setting up a 90 square-meters apartment we call "the house",
 - destroy, empty and clean most of the spaces out of and around the house (we call them "the ruin"),
 - renovate/build the house to the point it is liveable and comfy (kitchen, living-room, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, toilet),

the staircase pantry: 2 years ago (before) and now-ish (after) ; same with the call-it-the-lobby, 2 years ago and now-ish (after).

 - "almost" (aaah, the joy of never-ending finishings) complete Phase I, which also included waterproofing and insulating the roof and changing some windows, as well as setting up a storage and laundry room and taking care of the staircase (deep cleaned ; walls and ceilings painted ; still requiring wood sanding and oiling, but we'll do!),
 - take care of the garden, cutting, pruning, cleaning, removing tons of accumulated dirt, garbage and junk,
 - create some nice open, outdoor space under the hangar: to chill, play and live as much as the weather allows,
 - have a baby! (we weren't so sure we'd be able to, back then: exhausted, skinnier than ever and 6kg less each...)

on the first floor: 2 years ago (before) and now-ish (after) ; looking to the bathroom*, same pattern.

Well, of course we also worked part-time to make all this possible. And tried and kept some social life, hung out with friends, shared a coffee or beer regularly. Climbed twice and finished a book once a year. And that's pretty much it. Talking about friends, all this was only possible with their invaluable help and support: for hard work and strong arms, for fine tools and skilled hands, for good advice and great ideas, for food and drinks, for company, gumption, love and laughter. So, well, thanks to y'all so much, again and again and again. Some special and warm thanks to the few professionals who helped us, too: Mr. K and Mr. T (!!) the hempcrete cookers, Mr. S the hunter-gatherer electrician, Mr. X the stunt plumber, the 3 crazy plasterboard jointers, the minions under the roof, the mighty eco-stove team: the sorceress and the wizard. And last but not least, the C. brothers for some expert, colourful and loving brushstrokes.

2 rows: upper = then, lower = now. the closet in the first bedroom (W&F's) ; the first bedroom (W&F's) ; the second bedroom (the family's).

We're so thankful that they all did what they did and did it so well!
And we're so proud that we did everything else with our own four hands:
learning, enjoying every moment and living with the mistakes!
Now, let's face it: we're on for another 2 years, insh Allah. And another 2 years after that.
And another 2 years after that, and so on.
For now, we'll inaugurate home(t)raveling 3.0 asap to keep updating these columns at the same, steady pace
(translation: "doing what we possibly can with the blog, posting randomly with an unpredictable schedule").
If you want to follow the next steps, stay tuned here or come say hello in the Ariège!

That's all folks!

We'll take a short nap

and get back to work, for

"This Sagrada familia of ours
is not going to build itself,
is it?"
xx

W.T.F.

of course, with the bigger picture, some stuff that still needs to be done
starts to become visible... season 3 is on its way!

____________________________

* about the bathroom(s): we built a new one next to the bedrooms on the first floor. This old one on the ground floor is still practically in its original state (once you pass the cool reclaimed and recycled sliding door). We want to refresh it someday and it's officially a part of Phase I but, you know, it CAN wait...

home(t)raveling: the side projects

#2 - le TRUC mural pour les épices...

...dont on parle et rêve et qu'on imagine en songe depuis des mois en se disant qu'un weekend d'hiver au coin du poêle, on aura l'occasion (enfin!) de passer à l'action et à la réalisation. Et nous voici fin mai (déjà!), aux portes de l'été suivant, heureux et fiers de vous présenter le TRUC - sur des airs connus qu'on ne vous sifflera pas*. Non mais!

ça se passe tout à gauche, juste avant d'arriver au poêle et, preuve à l'appui, c'est là depuis le tout début: c'est le recoin où installer le TRUC.

Pour résumer le TRUC en quelques mots: quand on a posé la faïence et monté la cuisine, il y a à peine plus d'un an, on a laissé au fond à gauche, un petit dièdre de mur blanc: nu, nu, nu et contre le mur une échelle (ça non, non non).

Nous, on s'voyait déjà préparant des quiches, en dix fois plus beau qu'un meuble IKEA le TRUC s'étal'rait.
 On sentait déjà, les fragrances riches, qui de ses tiroirs se dégageraient. Voilà voilà. Bien.

Du coup, au vide-grenier le plus chic de l'Ariège, on a chiné dix tiroirs fatigués.

On a poncé, lessivé, tout l'manège - et au final: ils semblaient en noyer!

les tiroirs: au naturel ; décrassés et poncés ; traités et passés au mélange d'huiles de lin, térébenthine et essentielle d'agrumes.

Ensuite, on a ajouté dans le creuset du TRUC un petit bidule de cuisine récupéré pour 3 sous (littéralement) à notre Ressourcerie préférée. Le porte-rouleau de Sopalin® mural style archi-ringard très rustique, avec 4 petits tiroirs en faïence assez mignons. Il coûtait (littéralement) 3 sous parce qu'un des tiroirs en faïence et en question avait disparu et que le bidule, du coup, perdait beaucoup de son intérêt. Mais en jouant de la scie et avec un peu de confiance...

On a pris la peine, de le regarder, le bidule crotté, nous qui ne sommes pas capitaines (??)
Et on a vu not' peine, bien récompensée:

Sans le tiroir du porte-rouleau, sans son tiroir cassé, On a trouvé un beau bibelot et nous on l'a ach'té.

le style ringard rustique du bidule (un modèle sans tiroirs), juste pour donner le ton ; et quelques coups de scie plus tard...

Bon, celui-là, c'est fait. Hop. Au(x) suivant(s)! Finalement, il a fallu mettre tout ça en situation et commencer à faire des essais, projeter tous ces grands fantasmes de bois noble sur le petit dièdre de plâtre blanc, mesurer, mettre à niveau, faire des choix et - pour parler comme un entraîneur d'équipe de foot - être solides sur les fondamentaux et faire preuve de réalisme sur le terrain. Donc, peu à peu et pas à pas, on est arrivés à un TRUC qui ressemblait à ça:

Il suffit de monter le TRUC et c'est tout de suite l'aventure

Laiss'-moi empiler les tiroirs, ça fera un' jolie devanture.

L'herbamare et le cumin aussi, le persil, la sauge et la sariette

Rangeons-les, guilleret, guillerette: il suffit de monter le TRUC.

les morceaux du TRUC ; le prévisionnel du TRUC ; les étapes de la réalisation du TRUC ; et le TRUC fini en situation!

notre conseil: en cliquant sur la première photo et en les faisant toutes défiler très vite par pressions successives sur la flèche droite (→) de votre clavier, vous aurez l'impression de voir un court film d'animation en stop-motion. Et nous, on s'épargne le temps et le travail de le créer pour pas grand-chose. C'est qui qu'est intelligemment flemmard**, hein?

Bon bin ça sera tout
pour aujourd'hui, on dirait.
Ah non! Il reste cet autre
MACHIN mignon mais pas assez
pour un post entier à lui tout seul:
"Peaufining la kitchen", qu'il s'appelle.
Bises de nous 3

en voici toujours une, tiens! ; puis une autre tant qu'on y est, hein ; et pourquoi pas cette troisième, en attendant mon scalp?

________________________________________

* à propos des airs en question: non et non, on ne les linkera pas ici. ce sont des classiques de la chanson française, c'est pas bien difficile, nom de nom! Demandez à Shazam ou à vos grands-parents. Débrouillez-vous... Nous notre bac, on l'a déjà.

** à propos d'intelligemment flemmard: il s'agit d'une expression tyipque empruntée à une prof' de mathématiques du lycée du Castella à Pamiers, aussi tristement célèbre pour sa méchanceté légendaire et sa gueule de porte de prison que pour son inégalable et apparemment inépuisable collection de pulls à glands, à pompons et autres flocons de neige. Si toi aussi tu l'as connue, laisse un commentaire et on t'enverra une carte postale exclusive "pull à glands"!

home(t)raveling: the side projects

#1 - the reclaimed wood bedhead and wall

our bedroom's wallpaper during the first 15 months of the project: happy to leave it!

Welcome to the first of what will (hopefully) be a long series of side projects to the main home(t)raveling renovation project, aka "our own little Sagrada Familia". Even though we didn't have a clear idea of what and absolutely no idea of how, we somehow knew we wanted some sort of special headboard for our bedroom. Something handmade and homemade. Something with wood, possibly reclaimed and something that would make an otherwise very "neutral" room unique. The neutrality was something we were and are still absolutely comfortable with: we wanted white walls and a white ceiling, natural (old) wooden floor and nothing too fancy, too bright nor too rococo. If you are to spend hours of sleeping, resting, reading and resting in a room, you should NOT be surrounded by such a wallpaper (pic): believe us, we've been for the last 12 months and it was getting increasingly challenging. Anyway, Futuna had already gathered a lot of reclaimed/salvaged wood, including some rare and funky pieces, and a little old door. Little by little, he progressively sanded them all, until one day, late August, he took 'em all upstairs, lined 'em all on the floor and called Wallis:

- Wallis! Waaa-llis!

...

- Waaaaaaa-llis!

...

(our own little Sagrada Familia is big and one has to speak loud and be patient).

- Waaaaaaaaaaaaa-lliiiiiiiis!

- Mmmh?

(there she was, like she just teleported herself at the door)

the reclaimed, salvaged, recycled and pallet pieces o' wood - including a very cool door - recruited for the project!

Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up in this room with all those set in a nice patchwork behind us? Okay, we'll make this short and easy: we attached four long 1x2's tight to the brick wall with solid screws and pegs after cutting them at the exact height of the room. Then, without planning too much nor overthinking it, we began to nail and screw our reclaimed/salvaged slats and boards, starting from the ground upward. About half an hour later it looked like that and we worried: "this is never going to end ; this is never going to work ; this is never going to look nice". We took a deep breath and stuck to it, nailing boards and screwing slats. We also had a couple of wine boxes we planned to use as a nightstand and bookshelf, plus some nice old oak lath to build another small bookshelf. And after two hours:

the first rows are the most challenging ; the tiny tailored oak bookshelf ; after a couple of hours: getting used to it and enjoying the ride!

Like the old man in the old book, we looked at it we saw that it was good. So we kept going and we kept doing. And later on that day (almost night, actually, because as you know, the old man called the light "day" and the darkness he called "night". And there was an evening...) we eventually got to that point, then to that other point. With the tiny tailored bookshelf just fitting in where it was meant to and the other winebox in position for a few more selected books. There was light, also, but it wasn't called "day" because it came from a bulb hanging above us and the old man had given another name to it: "lamp" it was... Anyway, we were getting closer to the ceiling and our stock of wood was getting dangerously thin. No worries, we improvised a blank space for a future framed picture/artwork:

the headboard/wall at that point and at that point ; the little door to rest our heads ; some wineboxes as shelves and the "art frame"!

Eventually we reached the glass ceiling and thought it was good. Dangerously cool. Somebody even said "funky", maybe it was Wallis. Or Futuna. Anyway, that was it but we still had some leftovers so we nailed and screwed them here and there. With no apparent purpose nor intention. Then, we looked at the whole room and thought: "well, ain't that too much? ain't that maybe SLIGHTLY too woody and colour-intense?" So we brought an old bucket of white paint diluted with water and a sponge, and we gently rubbed the whole thing with the mixture. We left it all white-ish except for the wine boxes and shelf. We partly sanded the door back to an intermediate tone. And we called it a day!

in [our]room: our homemade bed's headboard n' wall, with the bed, window, skirting boards and furniture missing. just a taste of it...

And that's all, folks!

Hopefully it won't take

a year and a half til we do

the side project #2... ;) 

Take care,

Usxx