Marianne Suhr: On the Home Strait

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The project: Honey Cottage, a 17th-century, Grade II listed, four-bedroom cottage in need of extensive repair and modernisation.
This month's challenge: To merge the last two rooms and decorate.

If endurance medals were available for services to old buildings, then Harriet and Brian would be tipped for a gold. For the last ten months they have managed to live in two little downstairs rooms in the far end of their house with their three dogs. The builders have completely taken over now, rebuilding entire walls, replacing windows and creating dust and mess of epic proportions, overseen by building surveyor Richard Cain.

During this time Harriet has broken her ankle – and set fire to the kitchen. ‘I left my much-loved Mulberry handbag on the temporary cooker, not realising it was on,’ she told me. ‘Luckily one of the builders noticed the flames and rushed in to put it out.’ With the bulk of the structural work now complete, Harriet and Brian have moved back into the main part of the house so the builders can start work on the two rooms that have been their home while the project was underway.

The luxury of space
When I arrived, I was greeted by a couple who were delighted to reclaim their home; you could tell that even the dogs were excited to have that extra space. There’s still evidently lots to do – the decorating has barely even started – but at last it is possible to get a feel for the space.

The bathroom has been a great success. For the last ten months they have managed with a grotty old shower, and Harriet told me how she had yearned so often for the comfort of a long laze in a big tub. So they wasted no time plumbing in a gorgeous free-standing doubleended bath. Even without a lick of paint the bathroom has now unexpectedly achieved a look of ‘shabby chic’. Harriet and Brian are debating whether to leave it that way or to decorate.

Budget decisions
Meanwhile the builders have set to work breaking through into the remaining two rooms to create a large living area. As the rooms had different floor levels, they have had to excavate the ground on one side – another enormous job that will create clouds of dust and a huge pile of rubble.

With funding for the project scraping the bottom of the barrel, Harriet and Brian have decided to complete the decorating themselves. While this may be a relatively straightforward challenge for the owners of your average modern house with nice flat walls, decorating an old timber framed house is rather more demanding.

Honey Cottage was last ‘spruced up’ about 40 years previously when Artex and white gloss paint was all the rage. Luckily Harriet has a very clear view of what she wants: she appreciates texture and light, and is prepared to be bold in her choice of colours – magnolia is banished. But already the furniture is creeping back into the rooms and I rather suspect that some of this decorating may never get finished…

ABOVE (L-R): Reducing the floor level; Surveyor Richard Cain inspects the propping as the last two rooms are knocked into one.
BELOW (L-R): Brian decorating the wattle and daub panels in the kitchen; Harriet mixed her own shades.

Marianne's Checklist: Choosing paints

• Pick appropriate paints For old plaster surfaces or new lime plaster, choose a breathable paint that doesn’t contain vinyl. I like earthBorn’s Claypaint range (01928 734171; earthbornpaints.co.uk).
• Think thrift For new gypsum plaster, a ‘contract emulsion’ from trade merchants such as Brewers is good, and often covers in a single coat (01323 411080; brewers.co.uk).
• Make up your own shade Can’t find an emulsion in the colour you want? Buy a white paint and tint it yourself with a finely ground powder pigment. Try Old House Store (0118 969 7711; oldhousestore.co.uk).
• Record colours Keep a list of all the paints used for future reference and always retain a little paint for touching up at a later date.
• Invest in brushes Treat yourself to a quality set of brushes at the start of the job and look after them.

Preparing old walls and woodwork for decorating
Preparation is key if you want a good quality decorating finish. It’s hard work, but is essential for a professional look.

• Any flaky paintwork needs to be removed. Modern paints on old plaster often flake off as they were poorly adhered to the original distemper paint, particularly if the building has been damp. Try using a wallpaper steamer to lift the paint.
• Flaky paint on joinery is tricky to remove. A hot air gun will do the job, but be careful not to scorch the wood.
• Removing old paint from exposed timbers is difficult and messy. I would usually recommend using chemicals such as ‘Peelaway’, but make sure you neutralise the surface after. Avoid sand blasting as this will take the surface off the timber and expose woodworm tracks, leaving an unsightly finish.
• For sound old paintwork, simply rub down with sandpaper and wash with sugar soap to remove any grease. Rinse properly and allow to dry before applying new coats.
• Prior to the mid-1970s paints contained lead so avoid breathing in dust or fumes by wearing a face mask.

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS MARIANNE SUHR
Featured in the September 2009 issue of Period Living