Repainting furniture

It has been too long since my previous blog post... That doesn't mean I have done nothing... I've been busy as always.

I felt pooped after all the sewing for the Craft Show in Norway; I didn't feel for sewing at all so to 're-set' myself I had to do something totally different; painting. 

If you have read my earlier posts, you may recall I did some repainting last year... I had to look back myself, and GOSH I can't believe that was April last year! You can read more about that here. 

I love how ideas evolve over time... I think that is the creative side in me; to totally change a room just by using different colors. When our house was built 7-8 years ago, I was fixed on terracotta colored tiles on the kitchen floor. Since no one in the family wanted MIL's old dirty kitchen cupboard, I saw the potential; it can be cleaned and repainted and that is what I did.... here in a terracotta like color... 

MIL's old kitchen cupboard! 

I have always loved blue & white... the ironic is we don't have any blue & white room in our house - why?! I don't know... perhaps it was not meant to be when we built... 

Back in October this year I spent some days at a dear friend's place, where I one morning was flipping through some quilting magazines. What caught my eye was an article about a lady and her blue & white house. Gorgeous blue & white quilts displayed on white walls - stunning! 

The idea of a blue & white kitchen has been there for quite some time, but that article triggered my creative genes even more; I've decided to turn the kitchen- and dining room into a blue & white room! This is a process that will take time... at this time of the year it is too hot & humid for painting (my opinion).

To make the glossy oil paint stick better to the surface, I used one layer of undercoat and then two layers oil paint. Quality tools are the most important; I used a small paint roller and paint brush made especially for oil paint, for best result.  

I brought the bureau from my home in Norway... It has belonged to my grandparents.... 

After several removals it had some scratches here and there, so I repainted it using the same color as for the cupboard; 'creamy vanilla'., a lovely warm, 'white' color...

Last year I repainted the 'big chair'. It belonged to my parents and I remember when I was a kid the chair was yellow. Mum hated that color and painted it light blue and later rustic blue. It remained this color for many years. 

After several removals the 'big chair' didn't look very nice. I decided to repaint it and here it is. Now it has the same 'white' color; 'creamy vanilla'. 

I'm taking a break from painting...Not sure what the next project will be.... That won't be until the Mauritian 'winter'. 

Heat of summer subside - Walk to the Sri Siva Subramanya Thirukovil temple

The heat- and humidity of the summer has subsided and we are finally into cooler days, which means walks / hikes. One can say I do 'hibernate' during the summer; I don't take heat- and humidity very well. A friend in another country once said; 'I exist during summer - I live during winter'! So true! That is exactly how I feel it too! Coming from a wintry country, I find it rather funny when locals are talking about winter! According to me they have no clue what winter is about, unless they have lived in a wintry country and felt minus degrees on their body. 'Winter' here means the 'cold season', when temperatures seldom drop below +10-12 C / 50-53.5F.

 

After a lot of rain this summer, the weather over the last week has been wonderful; sunny and not too hot. We decided to go for a short walk; to the Siva Subramanya temple, also known as the Kovil Montagne, located on the slopes of Corps de Garde mountain. This is one of the oldest temples in Mauritius and you can read more about its history here.

 

We've been here several times, but never counted the steps...

...246 steps to the top!

 

 

The view from the temple is breathtaking!

View towards Candos Hill and Curepipe (town on the plateau) to the right.

 

 

We also visited the Mariamman temple not far from Kovil Montagne on the Corps de Garde

Beautifully decorated and I believe it has been newly painted for the Sittirai Cavadee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goddes Mariamman (?) - the main South Indian mother goddes of rain

 

 

On the way back home we walked towards Rose Hill, along the side of  Corps de Garde  where sugarcanes are growing

 

 

The 'canal', which has been made into a beautiful path.

 

 

We went here last year; to my surprise (yes, surprise!), the path has been cleaned and lots of garbage has been removed! Keep it up! 

 

  

Beau Bassin / Rose Hill - Balfour Garden (part 2)

As the headline refers to, this is part 2 of my previous post, our walk to Balfour Garden.

Since we forgot to buy take-away food from Rose Hill, we felt rather hungry. We knew there is a KFC, Debonairs Pizza as well as SPAR supermarked down the road so we just continued walking. We reached KFC, but it was closed due to renovation, then we decided we didn't want to wait at Debonairs so we ended up buying freshly roasted chicken at SPAR - yummy!

We had a rest at the little park where the Beau Bassin Post Office is located. Once upon a time this building was the railway station...

 On the opposite side of the Royal Road (to Port Louis), is the church of Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart), built 1880(?)

Detail of one of the church windows

Behind the church - on the way to Balfour Garden - you'll find this beautiful, old house

Further up the road - yes, now it is slightly uphill - we found this very old shop, made of stones. This is important history of the island, but I'm quite sure it soon will be pulled down... sadly!

After strolling this very beautiful area, we finally reached the garden

As expected, the park was almost empty. It is a hidden treasure so I believe not many tourists come here. (at least one place on the island one is free from tourists!)

Soreze waterfalls into Plaine Wilhem's Gorge.

At the opposite side of the gorge is Ebene Cyber City

View towards Montagne Ory - part of the Moka Range

On our way back home... This is the old railway track - between Rose Hill and Beau Bassin.

We started out in such beautiful, sunny weather. It got cloudy in the early afternoon and just after hitting home, it started raining.

A wonderful day out!

Estimated distance walked; 12-15 km/8-9 miles.

Beau Bassin/Rose Hill - Balfour Garden - part 1

We had such beautiful and warm weather last Monday that we just had to get out for a walk. Where to go?! I didn't feel for any bus trip, so we decided to walk it down (it's downhill all the way!) to Balfour Garden in Beau Bassin.

Some of you who reads my blog, know that we are walkers. I thought it is time to show you what is on our way to Rose Hill.

You may also know that Mauritius is a multi-cultural society, where it is common to see churches, mosques and temples next to each other.

This is a newly built mosque just outside the town center of QB.
I love the architecture of this one... and the color green in contrast to the blue sky...

A few meters down the road you'll find a temple...

...and another temple...

This sign is  hilarious!

I didn't know Mauritian dogs and 'other animals' can READ!!! I would like to know the specification of 'other animals'! :)) 

Once upon a time; the old railway station in Rose Hill is now the Post Office

You can still see very old shops here, which Sino-Mauritians are running

...another one further down the street...

Contrast to the old shops; new shopping center built a few years ago

Catholic church Notre Dame de Lourdes, erected in 1890

A few meters apart only, but opposite the road you'll find this church; Montmarte, dating back to 1940 

Maison de Carne - The Cardinal Jean Margeot Institute - an imposing colonial house. Research of the history of the house is going on...

(The link given is in French, but if interested you can always translate...)

Opposite the church, a bus stand...

Le Plaza - Theatre/Opera-  and Municipality of Beau Bassin/Rose Hill

Next up; Beau Bassin and Balfour Garden

A bit more work on the table

If you have followed and read my previous posts, you know I'm redoing some furniture. I haven't done much lately, except a little progress on the table.

The underside is stopped up (?) and covered with two coats oil painting. I didn't bother much about the color; who bother to check under the table?! :) I used what I had... 

The tabletop doesn't look very nice, does it?! It has been used to all sorts of work, so no surprise it looks like it does.

Leftovers from two floors; pieces of wood (parquet).

I glue one by one piece on to the tabletop... Tedious work, but I love it! :)

...and after some time, it looks like this; 

The parquet pieces are glued to part of the tabletop. I'm quite sure the tabletop has expanded over the last year, because I know I measured, counted and put the pieces on the table to verify if there is enough! It was enough! Serious!!! 

'Of course' there weren't enough pieces this time! I'm short of about 40 pieces! SIGH! :( BIL (next door) has the same parquet on his floors, so hopefully he has some leftovers...

When all the pieces are glued to the tabletop, I'll have to sand it and then add some coats of clear varnish.



Progress on repainting

I haven't done as much painting as I intended to over the last week, but there is progress! I have spent time finishing some UFO's.

The bed and bedside tables have got one coat of 'Greek blue' and are ready for the second (last) coat. I ran out of paint, so will have to shop for more one of the first days.

The 'big chair' has got one coat of 'light cream'. This chair is from my ex-farm and there we always called it 'stor-stolen', which means 'big chair'. I need to put some crack filler here and there before I do the next coat.

This table had almost seen its last days... MIL threw it out years ago and even said a few days ago to throw it on the street! - lol, but I thought it is possible to redo it. It has been on our porch for the last 5 years, nothing has been done to it.  Hubby sanded the metal parts (legs) and I added one coat of anti-rust paint and another coat of paint that is to prevent rust as well... Let's see how long it lasts... Red is not my first choice when it comes to colors, but I think this deep red - 'Basque Rouge' - is really nice. It'll match the table topper I made a couple of years back. :)
You may wonder why the bricks around part of the table?! Well, I had to glue part of the plywood (top) and the bricks are to press the layers (glue) together.

The metal parts for the swing have got its two coats and is ready to be mounted. I've used the same paint on the table and the swing, but look how different they look! The photo of the parts for the swing has the (near up to) right color - the photo of the table turned out too light.

I removed some loose paint from part of one exterior wall today too.... I wonder what the problem is; each year part of the paint falls off and I have to repaint... I wonder why it is on that specific wall only - not the other walls?! All the walls have the same undercoat as well as paint... Oh well, now I'm tired of it so I'll have to ask at the paint shop!

 

Redoing chairs

When MIL moved floor some years ago, she didn't have space for some of her furniture. None of her kids wanted those 'old and ugly' furniture. Except me; I saw the potential. Her huge cupboard as well as dining table and chairs are now in our kitchen/dining room. Even our bedroom furniture is from her. Those furniture are worth nothing, but for me it has some sort of sentimental value - they have a history.

Originally the dining table had 12 chairs. Kids have used them as 'rocking chairs' so there are only 6 chairs left, where two of them are in a not so good shape.

I restored one of the chairs some years ago, but I'm not satisfied. It is rickety (right word?) between the back and the seat. I know I can add a wooden triangle and shrew them in place for stabilization, but the corners do not hold 90 degrees. Well, it is 90 degrees, but I'm not able to explain in English what the problem is...  I have an idea how to fix it, but it has to be confirmed! :)

This is one of the 'good' chairs...  

... and here's the worst one... It was so loose in the joints that I had to demount it to glue it again. It is sanded and old glue is removed.

It's glued and in press. Now the glue has to dry some days before I can paint the chair.

I have a love/hate relation to redoing the seat - as well as the back...

Love; because it is a challenge and the pleasure of getting all the old stuff off... and the satisfaction when the job is completed. 

Hate; because I don't have power enough in my hands to remove those tiny, rusted nails. I do what I can manage; the rest is job for hubby! :))

Look at all those darn rusty nails! :( 

The white fabric is off... I have removed some of the rusty nails, but as you can see there are many left. I don't get the right grip because my arms/hands are too weak...

Restoring chairs is a challenge for a nonprofessional carpenter, but I do the best I can! :)