Nothing says "Home" more to me than a fireplace.
We had a massive fireplace in the lounge room of my childhood home. One of those scary big brick ones you could walk around - it was in the middle of the room and so created a hallway behind it. I loved it, but I was also really scared of its sheer size.
This one? This is my size.
It started out looking like this (this was the real estate photo, I've discovered I was so keen to start changing the house that we don't actually have a photo of this side of the lounge/good/sitting room in its original glory):
Scared? I was. Very.
I mean, just how many plates is it possible to fit in one room?? Answer: too many to discreetly count with the vendor sitting in her favourite armchair. And while this is some people's idea of homely, to me it just screams CLUTTER! Oh, and DUST ME!
I know. Trust me, the room is unrecognisable now. The next door neighbour got a thrill the other weekend when we invited her to poke her head in the front door and check out a bit of what we'd been doing in here. She threw her hands up to her mouth, eyes wide with surprise and disbelief at the changes - it was almost like I was Suzy Wilks. Save for the hair, the figure, the boobs, the teeth. You know... Almost. Anyway, the neighbour went away most impressed and ready to put a bomb under her husband to start changing their own rooms (after 22 years living in the house next door, I guess there's no time like the present for her to start nagging).
It was the very first thing I painted, the fireplace, and I did so the day after settlement day back in November last year. It still could do with another coat. I suppose I'll get around to that. One day.
I'll put it on the sizeable list of Things To Do.
