About the Ugly House:
Background:
The Ugly House started off very Ugly! We purchased the 1950’s home in December 2013. It hadn’t seen any TLC since around 1980. It took 9 months. Longer (2 years) if you include the planning and preparation and aftermath. Nine months of highs and lows. 9 months of development and growth. It was a long hard labour. Unlike pregnancy, the labour itself has lasted 9 months and I have given birth to a monster! Like all mothers finally getting to see their baby, the euphoria of completion has almost eradicated the memory of the hideous process I have been through to transform The Ugly House into a beautiful home. Thankfully I took photos of the bloody gory mess along the way so that even rose coloured spectacles, flushing toilets and heating wont let me forget that it was beyond grim.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. It’s always illuminating. With hindsight I could have made the whole build much easier and less mentally disturbing. Still, at least my windows get cleaned on a daily basis as I rock gently back and forth and lick them. I’m hoping by recording all my gems, insights and hindsights I can save anyone thinking of embarking on a building project for the first time some pain and money. I can also re-read it should I ever consider doing this to another house.
I admit, having done something once (or a hundred times) doesn’t make anyone an expert. Professional people get really pissed off with you when you give them some expert advice and tell them how to do their job on the basis that you had a go at it once and had a modicum (great word!) of success. Equally, I get really pissed off when ‘professional trades’ spout like an eternal font of knowledge when you do a bit of simple DIY like it’s rocket science:
‘Oh, you don’t wanna do it like that… You wanna do it like this’.
‘Oh ok. Thank you Fat Bastard Plumber! I’ll remember that next time I turn a tap on!’
That all said, I’ve decided, having gone through a renovation and building process it makes me an expert, able to impart my expertise and wisdom on to those who need it in my blog. Not the ‘gloss and bollocks’ expertise you get elsewhere – but the truth – the ugly truth! And believe me… if you are about to embark on a building, renovation or DIY project, you need it! My hope is that by sharing the good, the bad and the ugly, you will avoid the bad and the ugly in your own beautiful home renovation projects! Its all in the blog!
Transforming The Ugly House on the outside from this:
to this:
More in the blog on ‘the inside’ of the house!
The Ugly House is now beautiful and my mission was to fill it with beautiful, sparkly and quirky decor and home-ware! I didn’t stop, and my passion for textile art began. You will find beautiful art and gifts in the Ugly House Etsy shop. The beauty to add to any home improvement you are mad enough to embark upon! …or find the perfect gift for someone you know with an Ugly House that needs some beautifying!
UPDATE
We sold The Ugly House in August 2022
The Ugly House Website is to:
1) share our art
2) To share The Blog and hopefully amuse, encourage and inspire
3) To share and sell the beautiful things we make with you in The Ugly House shops and on social media (links below)
Nothing you need- Everything you want!
Please check out and follow/like the social media if you liked this. I’d really appreciate a share and or a follow!
The Ugly House on FB
The Ugly House on Instagram
The Ugly House on Redbubble
The Ugly House shop