The Conservatory is Finished

After removing the carpet over a year ago, sanding the walls and ceiling, staining the walls and ceiling (2 coats), laying the tile, grouting the tile, and sealing the grout, I can finally say this room is finished. My tropicals finally have a nice space for the cool Winter months ahead!

To get into the room, you pass through a doorway which used to have french doors (with windows on either side.) These were removed at some point after the (previously) exterior porch was enclosed to make this room in 1949. I plan on putting in French doors and windows that match the rest of the house's windows in the future.

Morning Light

For a few fleeting moments, this corner in the inglenook is brilliant with sunlight every morning.

Tiling Done

After four afternoons, what a difference!

Just need to seal the grout, and stain the quarter round.

P.S. Don't purchase the 20 inch tile cutter from Lowe's. It doesn't work. Save yourself the headache (and broken tiles) and rent a wet saw instead. Works wonders!

Thanks to my roomie Chris for her guidance and help! (She is a whiz at planning it out!)



Doesn't it look like it's been there forever?

Before and After

Before the trees were trimmed (and before the rotten porch was removed):



And after I trimmed the trees:



Much better! The Prairie style influence really shows through now that you can see the house. I've been working on the glass porch (I call it my conservatory, because that is what I use it as, and I like that it sounds sort of pretentious) so that the inside is done before winter. When I first got the keys, there was a type of indoor/outdoor carpet (filthy, and teal) that I tore out the first week. I had to scrape up a lot of old glue with a square nosed shovel (worked great) and I am now JUST getting around to finishing the room.

I found a great product that is a stain AND a polyurethane (Polyshades by Minwax) to re-do the walls and ceiling of the room which I finished today. It looks great - I put on two coats for extra protection after sanding the entire room down with a sanding block. The wood had really taken a beating from the sun, and it was really bleached out. Now it matches the woodwork in the dining room.

Minwax Polyshades are available at the Home Depot in a lot of assorted shades and in two sheens - satin and gloss.

Here is a picture of the floor as it is now and you can also see the tile I will be putting down this week (laid on the diagonal).



Here are the walls and ceiling (one coat of stain) - with two coats, they are darker and glossier now. These were basically white from being so bleached out from the sun over the past 30+ years.



I can't wait until it's finished so I can start bringing in my more tender plants before it starts to get too cold. It's already getting down into the lower 50s at night - a little too low for some of my plants.

Also, a few more photos of the exterior of the conservatory, for reference:





More later!