So much to share this week... and so I'll get right down to it! With our friend Shane's help, we are making incredible progress on a variety of fronts...
Although I must be honest, we hit a snag over the past two days with regard to the installation of the new awning for the RV. And of course, over the Labor Day weekend--a national holiday--the RV supplier wasn't open. So, we had to put that project aside after 2 frustrating hours of trying to figure out the manufacturer's directions.
We suspect that we are missing some of the parts and that the instructions fit a different awning. Ultimately, then, we have decided to pay the $150. to have it installed by the professionals next week..
Although I have no pictures of the new awning to share, I do have plenty of other progress photos to share with you. And so, without further ado, let's bring on the photos...
This first image is of the progress made on our RV bedroom this past week.
And yes, I'm a big believer in paying particular notice to all the nitty-gritty details... they do make a difference. In this photo, you will see that I have completed creating the relaxed Roman blinds in the cream and green trellis material.
I chose to highlight the blinds with navy blue ribbon ties so that the blinds coordinate with all the blues in the room. In addition, The blinds, like the curtains, are hung higher than the window in order to give the illusion that the windows are taller and a regular house size.
I'm especially happy with the trim work that Shane's amazing carpentry talent produced. You can see it on the mirror doors on either side of the bed. A small item that I suppose could have been skipped, but I really wished to give the built-ins more of a custom furniture feel.
Since such trim work is quite common in France, it seemed a great choice. In addition, I chose to design the molding in a diamond shape to reflect the trellis patterns that are repeated throughout our RV's decor.
And don't miss my lighting splurge! That's right. The reading lights are finally installed and I absolutely LOVE them.
Finally, I used a mixture of taupe colored paint and acrylic glaze to age the cabinets throughout this room...applying the glaze lightly to all the cracks and crevices of the cabinetry. I'm pleased with how it turned out because it complements my French Room divider/door very nicely.
Speaking of the French Room Divider/Door... May I have a drumroll please?
Here it is... finally installed in its place, its home.
I'm extremely happy with the personal and unique flavor that it adds to our "home away from
home." The personal touch is what makes a remodel fun! Again, I applied a glaze coating to the walls around it so as to complement the aged look of the door.
We have completed some renovation projects in Van Go's cab as well. I found a contact paper product designed especially for automobile dashboard detailing that is a beautiful color match for our new flooring. We applied it to the dash and love the result so much that we have ordered more to finish out the area.
Then, over the cab, we removed the cabinet doors and installed a railing or brace in order to create shelving area for books and tour guide materials. My BFF asked me how the books would fare once we hit the road. And obviously, that may very well be a question mark for many.
The good news is that gravity, in this case, is our friend. The books will fall toward the rail or brace as we accelerate. And guess what? This is a 26-year-old class A vehicle and not a Maserati. No rapid acceleration for us.
As far as braking the vehicle goes, the items on the shelves will tend to fall or slide toward the front of the vehicle rather than toward the railing. However, to increase the safe-keeping of the books and items in question, I have lined the shelves with Ultra-Grip Con-tact liners that can be readily purchased from DIY stores such as Lowes or Home Depot.
In addition, I have selected paperback books. Any additional decorative items are secured with
heavy duty Velcro. But if I find that the book shelve items shift any during transport, I will fit a small board between the items and the rail for travel days. I know some full-time RV-ers pack their shelving items away for travel, but quite honestly, we will probably move around by far too frequently for that. After all, I will be chasing the PERFECT landscapes to paint. I simply cannot imagine packing and unpacking things on a daily basis.
Here's a crazy little fact about me: During elementary school, I became infatuated with drawing and sculpting toucans. And so, more years later than I'd like to admit, it seems particularly apropos to include these two colorful bookends in our home/studio away. They remind me of all that initially caused me to fall in love with creating art.
And there you have it... the current state of Van Go. Later this week, we will be installing our new counters in the bedroom and bath. Until our new kitchen cabinets are installed, however, the kitchen counter will be place on hold.
Our next big project is the installation of solar panels on the roof of our RV. Why go solar? Well, we'd like to have plenty of freedom to chase those beautiful landscapes. With solar, we can venture "off grid," and that is truly a gold mine for an artist who paints en plein air.
Back soon in order to fill you in on our solar panel project. Until then, I hope that your week is filled with all things beautiful and all those whom you love.
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