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The next step was to fix the shelves. I forget if I did this directly or waited til after work, but it was still done on the Wednesday.

The shelves took shape well and the instructions continued to be logical and possible - unlike that horrendous shed my son, cousins, and neighbors constructed a few years ago that has already fallen to leakage and disuse.

The shelves were manageable and I was quite excited to think of how the finished product would look - and that if I could manage this, then the closet and chest of drawers should be possible too. They were all quite good quality and price and I was pleased.

I popped the cabinet in the corner ready to pop the drawers in when they were completed - not exactly sure what was going where, as yet as I had 2 possible plans for the room layout. I took a moment break to enjoy my new curtains.

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Wednesday, before work, I began on steps 1,2, and 3...

I was progressing rapidly and fairly well - with the worst mishap so far being one screw-thing going sideways and a minor split in the wood. It made sense - and as long as I focused and made sure I had the right lump of wood turned the right way and the right holes to pop things into, all was well.

I did the next few steps and the bedside cabinet was beginning to take shape rather than be a pile of wooden boards and little carpentry gadgets.

It was soon a solid item and the backing went on smoothly. I was delighted to find that everything fitted well and that it wasn't as flimsy and wobbly as the bathroom cabinet I purchased to use in the kitchen was/is. Despite a minor sinus headache, I worked on.

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The windowsill was ready to have the curtains hung - painted and cleaned. I proceeded to clip on the 30 curtain hooks, hoping I had estimated correctly and got the right amount.

I had and the curtains slipped onto the hooks with ease. Tuesday was going well - new carpet and curtains making the room look really snazzy. It stunk of newness quite literally though. Tuesday evening I unpacked the first carton of flat packed Ikea furniture - the bedside cabinet. The floor looked a mess, despite being a brand new carpet!

New furniture fumes added to the new carpet and new curtain fumes, made the room stink of chemicals. Luckily, I leave the tiny window open all the time, so the aroma would go quicker than from most winter-rooms. I took a look at the instruction guide - hoping it wouldn't be in foreign lingo or illogical.

I had a hammer and the two types of screwdriver needed, and freshly laid carpet rather than a hard floor, but I did not have a wise and a dumb person - only myself and I did not need to contact Ikea, thankfully...as the instruction guide was logical enough beyond their introductory page.

So I began - by emptying out all the tiny screws and bits, and counting to check I had enough - I did - and with 2 spare thingies. I could proceed - but waited til Wednesday morning, as I was by now getting tired.

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As you can see, the coffee lounge is no longer suitable for sipping cuppas in. It currently houses bric a brac, books, etc for charities, junk, gum boots, semi-used pots of paint, and muddy stuff. This room may be tidied up gradually throughout 2017...

This is how the room looks as we enter the second week of January. Carpet was ordered and arrived. The carpet came and was lain on Tuesday and what a difference it made.

This is the second brand new carpet I have invested in within the past 6-7 months, having recently recarpetted the spare room. It looked really fancy and posh, and I was eager to proceed.

I popped back my modem/phone, and the tall closet that Liz gave me for a Christmas gift last year. Next task was to hang the curtains.

Oh they have changed, you noticed? Well....that is because I forgot that there are two curtains in a pack and that each curtain measures the width given - it is not the measurement for the window as a whole - so I picked up twice as much curtain as required. I got a refund and purchased an alternative, therefore.

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This shot shows the first full weekend of the new year's activity. I moved 3-4 cartons of books and some other debris from the lower hallway on Saturday, in preparation for the arrival of flat-packed furniture packages Sunday. I also mopped the floor.

Upstairs, on the blanket box, is a stash of goodies awaiting my new room. The curtains, 55 colored coathangers, brand new bedding set and a new pair PJs are among the goodies! It will be a special occasion for me in that I have never before completely redone everything all at once - carpet, paint, curtain, furniture....

But I won't let it go to my head - there is still a lot of work to be done before the entire house is palacial - just take a gander at the laundry tubs for example.

Sunday, I waited in for my furniture flat packed parcels, apart from an hour when I popped round Betty's to do her laundry while my son listened out. The parcels arrived at lunch time, after I got back - well, 5 of them did - one was missing.

This is annoying, as it means I have to stay home all day some other day, or get my son to house-sit and listen out. I am NOT pleased. It is bad enough not yet knowing when the bed will arrive and having had to ask my son to be around for an hour while I went out today. I wish all deliveries were 1-2 hour timeslots of ones choice like groceries are!!!!

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The 3rd January is today's date - as I write this post, though not as I post it. I have now finished all the painting and purchasing and can watch the new bedroom come together, piece by piece. This photo shows the fully painted windowsill - and myself taking the photo is reflected.

The second shot above shows the actual color best so far. Most of the time it looks paler in photographs, but this is true to the actual color the room now is. Yesterday, on January 2nd, I had completed the painting and started the purchasing. These next two shots show the room when completed, paintwise.

The first place I went - with my 1 grand budget - was Ikea. I spent £288 and will have one bedside cabinet, 2 chest of drawers, and one 3-door with mirror closet delivered between 7am and 7pm in flat packs on Sunday.

Next, I went to Worthing Bedding Center where I bought a bed and mattress for the sale price of £349.99 - saving over £200. This is expected to be delivered at some point between the 12th and 25th January, as yet to be arranged.

Today, I finished my spending spree by ordering a pale gray carpet costing £275 - including laying/fitting, etc - which should be laid in the room between noon and 2pm next Tuesday. I can then take in the tall closet Liz gave me for Christmas last year, put up the curtains, and start to assemble the furniture - and wait for the bed to arrive.

Curtains? Yes, on my way home from selecting and ordering the carpet, I stopped off at Dunhelm and grabbed a sale-discounted pair curtains and some curtain hooks for under £25 the lot - the curtains were half price!

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New Years Day and I was back to work on the bedroom late morning. Earlier on, I did my favored chore of tidying up the pantry and reorganizing it based on best before dates. The bottom shelf is stuff like flour, rice, lentils, opened fruit and nuts that are in use. The next ledge up has my herbs and spices on the right, with items running L to R in order of use by date starting with April or May 2017 and running thru til mid 2018.

The shelf above this contains storage jars/tubs along with products with shelf lifes extending beyond mid 2018 thru to 2020. The top ledge is where I store my hot drinks, oils, sugars and salts, etc. I was soon back to work however, eager to get as much painting done as possible, ready to purchase goodies for the bedroom in the sales.

There was enough paint over to paint most of the closet interior. It only really needs a single coat, as its mainly for storing suitcases and shopping bags etc in - not for everyday use. The highest piece - a foot or so above the shelf - I have left for now, but will paint with spare paint if I feel like it when the rest of the closet paint is dry.

I used some more on the skirting boards - figuring I would undercoat them in matt and top coat them in gloss if there was not enough gloss to go round. I probably will have enough to double coat them if needs be, however.

Here you can see the two doors. The Tibetan gold exterior to the bedroom is staying - the red colors closet interior I have yet to decide upon. I began on the gloss - undercoating the windowsill firstly, and then the door surrounds and doors.

This last shot shows the coloring better - a sort of pallid blue. The whitish looking bits are just from light - everything is the same 'Mineral Mist' colored paint from Dulux - matt and gloss.

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I began to paint on the 28th December - and spent around 2 hours getting 1/3 the ceiling and a small portion of wall painted before being hungry and quitting to cook and consume dinner.

I can assure you it does not look that ugly a color in real life/light - but is a bit bluer than I had thought, and less silvery-gray. On the 29th, I painted some more - finishing the ceiling undercoat and 2 walls.

On the 30th, I top coated the ceiling and painted the other two walls. One more coat to go on each wall and I will see how much paint I have over. If there is plenty, I will third coat the walls and if not, I may single coat the interior of the closet.

On the final day of 2016, I completed a third coat on the walls. This left me a little paint to start the new year with. I am not as obese as I look in this photo - you must remember that it is winter and I have a window open while painting - several layers of clothing are therefore needed.

Looking back over 2016, I finished redecorating the spare room, completely redecorated the toilet, and top coated the ceiling and four walls in my bedroom. I am more or less on schedule to finish the painting in time for the January sales - at which I hope to score discounted bargains in the way of carpet, curtains, furniture and a bed!

My goal for 2017 is to finish the bedroom and use spare tins of paint to jazz up the coffee lounge after getting rid of all the junk in there. I then plan to save and hope to re-cover the poly tunnel and re-line the pond in the final 1/4 of the year -  leaving the bathroom and any major exterior upgrades for 2018/2019/2020.