I like the part after the decorating/painting has been done. That part being putting old and choosing soon to be new little artwork/pictures/photographs on the walls. Books on the shelves. Equipment for the CDs and DVDs to be played. Coffee, red wine or bourbon to relax with. Writing the intended journal or blogs. Playing the guitar and finding new ideas to write songs.

The Study-Den is an intended haven of well being. Before it was my daughter’s, then my son’s, bedroom. Then a place of learning for my nurse study after they both left home. Then it became a dumping ground of all sorts after leaving work and beginning retirement. A right mess! Now? A place to find peace. An indoor man-shed. So is it inappropriate using the word ‘Study?’ My wife began the name ‘The Den’. She told the grandchildren it was ‘Grancha’s Den’. It was the go to room for education with nurse needed learning. So both Study and Den have the same association with finding knowledge. So ‘The Study-Den’ has been shortened to just ‘The Den’. And inside is relaxation, imagination, conversation, procrastination. ‘The Den’.

A comfy chair and sofa to sit at anytime of the day, with choice of either yourself, a friend or a few friends to exchange ideas and conversations together. A place of listening to music, watching a film, playing guitars or reading a book.

The living room, below photograph, is now liveability land. So a place that visitors can now find their way back to. Need some big old cushions and throws on that sterile sofa for them to hunker down in though.

After the above living room decorating was all but completed and simply knowing it will be a few weeks to get the end bits in situ, it was nice to focus on the ‘The Den’ for the past week. Painted from scratch and very enjoyable too. Bit of wallpaper stripping, plaster walls prepared with a bit of polyfilla for painting, skirting cleaned up, etc. Straight forward and with no major needs in DIY. Now it is virtually finished. Blind ordered, Sofa bed to choose, carpet bought and ready to be fitted, things of comfort to go in. Books and pictures to soften the blank feel. The shelf units to be straightened….old floor boards tend to be a little uneven! Two grab-able acoustic guitars hanging on the wall, djembe drum to slap some beats on. Shelves to slot in the units. The old science cabinet shelf unit shelves will be painted individual colours. Leave the central one pine with dark green like the wall, charcoal grey and sage green on the three others. And dark Oxford Navy blue on the big heavy base acting as the lower shelf.

All in all a pretty productive week.

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