oh my god the drama!!!!!!!!

Our old front door used to be here. Yes, right next to another door! We ummed and ahhed over what to do on this wall and recessed shelves were the winner. I didn't want them all in a row, so went for this. I think it'll look better once stuff on shelves (oh and it's painted etc!). Still deciding whether or not to wallpaper inside them - what you think? I'm on the hunt for a console/buffet to go underneath.

Quick question: why is there always a bloody drama when it comes to renovations? Everyone has a story. Granted, I didn't have huge dramas like a caved-in roof, a burst water pipe or a budget blowout of thousands of dollars, but I do have a hole in my ceiling due to a missing cornice that appears to be unfindable in plasterland. Let me explain the annoyances that made up this relatively small job that is still unfinished after a week.

No more wall. But a lovely hole! Excuse the mess, I haven't bothered to tidy up yet!

Drama 1. Phone line got chopped during wall removal, so no phone - obviously - and no internet. Thank goodness for mobiles. BUT, electrician, who is moving wires and powerpoints etc can't do phone lines. Oh no. Apparently, normal electricians aren't allowed to touch phone lines now and have to get special phone and internet man to do it. Writes name and number on plasterboard (as you do). Plasterboard is nailed to studs in wall the wrong way around, so no more phone number for special phone and internet man. And can't get electrician for number again. So builder (!) fixes phone line temporarily. Phone ok, internet crap. Wireless especially crap. And not clever enough to steal nearby wireless even though no security on it. Decide to wait until job finished to get special phone and internet man to fix phone line properly and move it so it's no longer in the middle of the floor and damaged more by young son who likes to deliberately trip on it because I told him to stay away from it. Nice special phone and internet man came today and hooked me up.

Drama 2. Am deaf from use of vacuum cleaner. Dust everywhere. On everything, in everything - including my nose. Still. And the bad news is the worst is still to come. Plasterer still hasn't sanded back his job. Which brings me to point three...

Drama 3. Cornice crisis! The lack of wall left a big gaping hole in the ceiling - "F's hole" as Zak called it (F being Jeff, our builder who was often seen dangling from it while inserting the world's largest beam into the roof so the whole house didn't collapse when wall removed.) "F" attempted to remove cornice as neatly as possible so it could be reused to patch hole, but plasterer elloquently told me it was "rat sh*t" and that I needed a new one. So smallish hole in ceiling which was fine until I realised it could be weeks before it's filled. Having all sorts of horror flashes of non-existent possums falling through hole onto me working below. Zoom over to plaster place yesterday with incredibly heavy sample of old cornice in one arm, tired baby in another. Nice man helps me with door and then tells me awesome news: never seen that cornice before. Can't find it online, or in catalogues. So much for "common cornice". Am sure it was in 1952. But today? Maybe not. Ask plasterer what happens if we can't find cornice. He tells me I don't want to know. I think this translates to having to recornice entire living space which thanks to wall removal is now HUGE. Decide to just ask him to use "rat sh*t" offcut but then remember builder taken to tip. Crap.

The good news is my recessed shelves are going to come up brilliantly once sanded (whenever cornice is found and attached); I have lovely smooth hallway walls with no dents and the living room appears to have doubled in size. Yay! I also now have new phone lines and three internet cables dotted around house so I can work in bedroom, kitchen or spare room if I want to. Hooray!