More acreage to paint

And just like that, the plastering is all done. It only happens "just like that" from my perspective. The other perspective - that of a plasterer balancing on a plank that is resting between a rung of a ladder and another plank, with the second plank itself stretched between a second ladder and a set of steps, holding a hawk loaded with plaster in one hand and applying it with a trowel held in the other - doesn't bear thinking about!

Two men yesterday, and three men today. Five man days. It's a big job.

For my part, after two weekends of sanding the landing is ready to paint. Four doorways, skirting and dado rail. Only I won't start painting until the rest of the sanding is done. Prep first, paint last. So still to come, there's the dado down the stairs. Apron. Window on the stairs. Front door (all wood panels, the width of three doors), five more doorways. More dado and some picture rail thrown in for good measure. Oh, and the cornice in the hall. Then I can paint all that, together with two ceilings, stair well, and all the walls that'll need two coats of high density white emulsion, and then a couple more coats of the mid-gray tone we've chosen for the sub-dado area.

And this, don't forget, is not the aforementioned Large Decorating Project. Oh no. This is just the Piddling Little Decorating Project That Will Do To Be Going On With.

Here's some "before and after" pics to keep you occupied while I finish sanding. The "before" ones are post-wallpaper-stripping. The "after" ones show the new plaster in the process of drying out.