On Saturday night, Peter states confidently that we can complete both wardrobes on Sunday. Helen thinks this is unlikely unless we get up at 7:30am. Which of course, we don't.
We decide to make up the second wardrobe carcase in horizontal mode, as we now know how heavy the finished product is, and think we will be able to tip it up without killing ourselves. It is easier building it that way, and as it's our second time, we get it together pretty quickly. As we are finishing, we realise that we may have a problem. The Ikea instructions make it clear that you have to build it in vertical mode if there is not much clearance between the top of the wardrobe and the ceiling. With our Victorian high ceilings this isn't an issue, but the distance between the walls is! In order to tip it up we have to move the bed over so that we have the full width of the room, as the space we were using between the broom cupboard and the opposite wall just wasn't long enough. Even with the bed moved, it takes a bit of manoeuvring to get it vertical.
To avoid the problem we had with the first wardrobe, we've moved the fastenings down about 3cm and drilled a new hole for the fastening bolt to come through. Peter drills the first hole and yes! we are into a very solid brick. But Murphy hasn't finished with us yet - the second hole goes into mortar. We must have struck a vertical mortar line for this one. Curses. More fiddling around, until at last both wardrobes are securely fastened, and we can start populating the interior. While Peter was fastening, Helen made up the divider for one of the wardrobes.
(When we were designing them we decided to have two different layouts, so there would be somewhere to hang anything from a short top to a ball-gown, and spaces of different sizes for other stuff. So one has a divider and drawers that go two thirds of the way - the other has full-width drawers.)
After fixing the divider in place, we can judge the appropriate height for the upper shelf and coat rail, so these are fitted next. Then we decide that we should put the doors on as the next step, rather than continuing with interior fittings. Each wardrobe has two doors, one wide and one narrow. The only narrow door that Ikea sell is a mirror door, and we've chosen to have a fairly plain white panel door for the wider one. We're relieved when this combination looks not only OK, but actually very effective, as the mirrored door makes that part of the wardrobe quite recessive, and makes the overall thing look smaller as a result.
As a bit of light relief from construction, we bring the weekly wash in from our house, using it to confirm that both washer and dryer work well, and aren't excessively noisy, even with the cupboard open for the dryer. The fan and vent system also seem to prevent the living room from filling up with water vapour.
With the doors on, we return to the interior, and fit a single metal mesh drawer at the bottom of each wardrobe. (These drawers can be fitted where there are hinges. Above them we will have wooden drawers with perspex fronts.)
By the time we have the mesh drawers fitted, we've had enough for the day - the remaining drawers will have to wait until tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment