I've just been up in the loft; or, I tried to get up into the loft!
There are things I need to find, but it was impossible for me to get further than the top step of the ladder.
However, I did find this unfinished portrait of my daughter Tenpin. So many of my family portraits are unfinished; presumably because the sitters were too impatient.
I also found a painting of Lady M, which contained 'sections' that I really liked. The hands were particularly nice, as well as some of the overall painting. I hadn't seen the picture for years, and had forgotten how 'satisfactory' it was. I might bring it down, and photograph some of the best bits.
I am trying to devise a plan for the loft, using the rafters on either side to create shelves, which would house all the junk, and leave an empty aisle down the middle. It's do-able, but not (I fear) by me.
Something MUST be done, it's a nightmare up there; and it's filled with stuff that I value!
24 comments:
Good luck!
I'll need it. I shall mention my idea to Kimbo on Friday over breakfast.
Here our loft is tiny as our bedroom was built into the roof, I am so pleased to have the tiny space, it demanded everything was sorted and now tidy.
I dread doing it, but it has to be done!
That is a lovely painting of your daughter even if you say it isn't finished. Our loft has very little in it most of our tutt sorry valuable items are in the garage. When we downsized we recycled, donated, took to the tip most things we never looked at, used etc. It was quite liberating. Ten years on we have managed to keep things coming in to the house to a minimum and generally use the 'one thing in, one thing out' rule. Good luck with your loft mission. Regards Sue H
30 years of 'family stuff' got sorted when we moved two years ago. Our attic spaces here have very little in them, mostly because they don't have standing space and can only be accessed on hands and knees - not something we can do these days. (I like the painting.)
Oh what other treasures you must have up there. Good luck with sorting it all out.
Love the portrait of Tenpin even if it's not finished. To someone like me who does not paint it looks great, almost classical Greek. Show us Lady M please
Good luck with that Cro!
The roof space here is not really a loft as it's too shallow to stand up in. All my "stuff" is stored in two spare bedrooms. There's more "stuff" in the garage too, but I have plans to clear some of it and actually put the car in there!
What we really need is a bigger house. I hate the idea of getting rid of things that are of family importance. However, that will not now happen, so we'll have to be ruthless.
We can stand up in our loft but only just. Some of our neighbours have converted their lofts into a bedroom so there is probably more space there than it appears.
There are lots of antiques, paintings, books, and other treasures up there. I suppose what we should do is to throw away anything that isn't needed. Not easy!
At least you can easily get into a bedroom or garage. Here it's a nightmare!
We don't keep anything in our loft these days, since the mice chewed the xmas decorations and other stuff. We had a good clearout. I'd suggest you do the same - if you have things of family importance then give them to the family now, you can't take 'em with you and they're not much use in the loft where no-one can see them.
I have got a solution for the loft problem. Send up Super Kimbo and/or his missus Sweet Susie. They could take photos to show you as decisions are made. By the way, I applaud the unfinished portrait of Tenpin - she has got something of a Greek goddess look about her.
You are quite right of course, it's just so difficult to sort-out. We should never have put everything up there in the first place.
I suspect it'll have to be Kimbo who does all the work. It was HIM who put a lot of it up there!!! I shall have words with him on Friday over breakfast.
You could leave it for the kids and grandkids to sort out someday. Basically what my father did.
That's what my parents did, and I was the one who had to deal with it. A horrible job.
Suggestion...allot 30 mins a day to start categorizing what is up there, pick a category, and decide what you want to keep, what is of no interest in that category.
Even if you only manage a better path through the stuff, you will have refreshed your memory as to what is where.
And yes, I've done this with papers and have only tossed 1%, but the box got a bit better organized.
Good luck, it's much more fun to ignore the stuff.
We will certainly have to do something quite soon. It's such a mess up there that we can't see what's what at the moment. Treasure mixed with rubbish.
The portrait of your daughter is lovely. If there are other similar treasures in the attic, that is the motivation to take action.
I'd be tempted to convert the attic into living space, but that would mean a construction project. Kimbo likely knows a good builder to take on the project.
We have thought about it, but to add a new set of stairs would mean making our bedroom smaller. I would like to see what others in the street have done.
Younger people tend to have smaller homes and in case don't two of your children live overseas. Based on what I've seen of my retired peers, a lot of what is hung onto because it is of family importance is actually discarded by their heirs.
I imagine that will be the case with all our stuff too. However, in amongst all the rubbish are several rare and valuable bits and pieces that others may not at once recognise, and I'm worried that they might be discarded too.
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