The Dusty Victorian

Living in and caring for an 1878 Victorian home. Restoring, renovating, beautifying all while keeping the character of the house.

Painting the Hallways at the DV

Authors: The Dusty Victorian



January 2013 at the DV started in the spirit of renewal - fixing, refreshing and painting, which are basically constants when one lives in a century home. Hoping to be done by February 1st, many interruptions, distractions and unforeseen little problems put us behind schedule. 
Not the prettiest post you will see,...

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Custom Designed Guest Soap for the DV

Authors: The Dusty Victorian

Pears soap advertisement from The Canadian Magazine, December 1911
I remember when we first saw the bathroom of the Dusty Victorian four years ago, we went "Ooooo" and "Ahhhh". We hear these same expressions from our guests now that we operate a B&B. The previous owner put a lot of effort and expense...

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Peace Health to the Planet

Authors: The Dusty Victorian


Don't forget your local animal shelter!
Hamlet, one of many Kismutt's rescues.

...

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Christmas Wreath 2012

Authors: The Dusty Victorian



After Countess Papera Ephemera made her appearance this Halloween, I was given by friends and family several bags of unused coffee filters. Like me, they had changed coffee makers and had leftover filters. So here is my Christmas wreath for 2012.
If you don't have the time to make your own wreath or if you're not...

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Authors: The Dusty Victorian







...

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La Revenante - The Countess Papera Ephemera

Authors: The Dusty Victorian



It's again the time of the year when my friend the Countess comes for a visit and orders a new dress. For a change, she thought it would be fun to wear something from the late 19th century to fit in with The Dusty Victorian's surroundings.
Her dress is made of different types of paper products that I had already at home:...

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Dimmer Days the Imminent Return of the Countess

Authors: The Dusty Victorian


Now that the days are getting shorter, natural light in an old Victorian is making itself scarce, so my attention has shifted to interior lighting. The suspended light fixture in the English study was waiting for four matching glass shades. I found a suitable foursome on Ebay at Jimmy's Attic Treasures - Thank you Jimmy...

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Chandelier Porch Light

Authors: The Dusty Victorian


Patience is a must when owning an old home and following a budget. Tending to the 'container' must have priority over the content. Repairs, restorations and replacements come first, while decoration and beautification are a distant second. But sometimes, it's nice to break the rule and indulge in aesthetic improvements...

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Victorian Kitchen Door

Authors: The Dusty Victorian

The weather is changing and becoming unreliable for exterior painting projects, but I'm happy that my exterior kitchen door is all painted and back into the swing of things. The interior one can be done later in my studio.

Remember that sad looking door?


It really needed some TLC


Prepped...

primed...


and painted.


The etched...

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Back to my Wrap Around Porch

Authors: The Dusty Victorian


After painting the floor and ceiling of the porch, I thought I would go back to stripping my kitchen door, but of course I couldn't leave it alone. Those peeling gingerbread spindles were bugging me.

So I proceeded to paint the front portion of the railing along with its pillars. The stair railings and entrance had been
...

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