Tile Trim... I'll Pass.

I love my little house for a lot of reasons but this tile trim is not one of them. All through my kitchen and hallways you can find this less than stellar trim around the base of our walls. Not only is it ugly but it’s also not installed very well. Lots of crooked lines and gaps. As soon as we saw the house I knew I would be removing this unsightly mess for something a little more this century. So last week I picked up a hammer and chisel and decided it was time what with the on-coming painting ahead of us. I severely under-estimated just how long it was going to take us to be ready to paint because there’s SO much prep we have to endure but we’re chugging along and getting closer everyday. For now let’s take a look at the first step I took:

I have to say I was a little apprehensive to get started at first because it was my very first official project as a home owner and I’ve never really used grown up tools for anything before if you can believe that. However, once I started boy howdy, there was no stopping me. I was a chiselling machine!

It felt really good to hammer away and get results. I could take out my deep seeded aggressions while advancing on fixing up our digs. As I got more and more tile off the walls the pride swelled along with the junk pile.

By the time I was done I had a ten thousand pound garbage bag of hideous white tile and throbbing red hands but it didn’t compare to by puffed chest and highly held head. I am woman, hear me roar! Anyways, let’s move on…

The walls didn’t look much better when I was done. It was very dusty and obviously pretty worse for the wear but sadly it wasn’t much uglier than the tile that stood in its place before.

 

It took a looong time and a lot of me scooting my butt around the cold tiled floors. It was in need of some serious sanding but I thought this was enough for one afternoon.

  I’ve since sanded it smooth and applied plaster to even it out for baseboard prep which only encouraged my obnoxious newly found pride. It felt like spread marshmallow puff but I found it very calming to do.

 

  The project was not without it’s snags though. I couldn’t plaster this deep little doozie. I guess I don’t know my own strength but I ended up ripping a hefty chunk of drywall off the wall with one of the tiles. That has been left for my fella to patch up with some new drywall. I’m feeling courageous but not to that degree just yet. 

 

  One thing that got me giddy was this hysterical wallpaper I found in the kitchen behind the tiles. The house was built in the 1970’s so I wasn’t shocked to see this but I felt strangely sentimental about it. I couldn’t bring myself to toss it out because I couldn’t stop picturing the little 70’s family having breakfast in the kitchen to the backdrop of this original paper. How could I banish the sweet memory of those who have loved my home before me? I know, I’m a little nuts but get used to it because I’m sure there’s plenty more to come.  So I think I’m going to save this little African shaped piece of groovy papers and include it in some sort of future project.

Stay tuned for more reno excitement as I bring you  along on our adventures in window valance removal, dry walling and (if we ever actually get to it) painting!

*Photos are property of Reckless Bliss*