Work begins on my Edward Bulmer 'Sea Green' dream bedroom, but somehow I take a wrong emotional turn

Added: 2026-06-04

[00:00:00]Yeah, this is when I really wish I had someone to help me. Let's like let's elevate the content here cuz this backdrop here is a horror with the door.

[00:00:10]Do you see? So, yeah. So, that's good, isn't it?

[00:00:17]This is very sweet. This is Quincy waiting for me.

[00:00:21]What a darling.

[00:00:28]Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to another vlog. My name is Angie and this is Rare Birds, which is a channel for um smart, complicated people, mainly women who um in their prime who fully intend to grow rather than shrink as we all go through our lives. Now, um I Today is unusual cuz usually I don't film anything. Today, it's actually Monday because on Mondays I like to completely flatline. Um, however, it's lovely because I'm driving to London to see Charlie and Laura uh for lunch, which will be really nice. So, I I wanted to say hi really just cuz um I I probably won't I I'll try and film something, but because we're having lunch, I I maybe won't film, but if we go to um any shops and I see anything lovely, I will definitely include that. I wanted to show you I'm wearing my necklace. I didn't really know what to wear. I looked at the weather forecast. Slight chance of rain. Who can say? But um so I just thought I'd put this black t-shirt on with my new necklace. Haven't dried my hair yet. I bought some of some more of that Moroccan hair oil cuz my hair is still so dry at the end. It's weird. Um so yeah. So I just have uh my black tea with my lovely sorry necklace which I'm very pleased with. And I'm wearing my vintage jeans.

[00:01:50]you know, the super Ouch. Sorry, I just crushed my finger there. This um you know, the barrel leg ones. I haven't See, they're very, but God, they're so white, aren't they? Yeah, I don't really like that. Um I don't know if I'm going to wear them cuz I haven't had a chance to sort of do that tea bag dye thing.

[00:02:10]And when I do, I will show you how to do it. Not that I'm an expert. I've done it once on a linen shirt and it worked really well. Um, but I've got two items now that I want to dye. And this is just to Hang on. Let me stand on stand on the L. You see how white these are, which isn't great for my skin tone because I a creamier white is better for me. Um, so I use a teabag in warm water to sort of just take the edge off of the, you know, it's not that it goes tea bag color or anything. It just takes the edge off the white. It just makes it softer. Um, so I will show you I will do that very I'll do a little thing where I show you how to do that if I can remember. Um, anyway, uh, so yes, I might change these actually. But this week should be a good week. Obviously, there are two vlogs, but so the nice thing that's happening is that on Friday, so that will be in the Sunday vlog, I'm going to have lunch with my friend Dawn. So probably for that vlog I will do the you know that lovely sort of beetroot hummus sort of mess looking thing that I did in a couple of or I showed you um from the magic mix cookery class. Um and then yeah I'm starting work on on my bedrooms. The first thing that I'll need to do tomorrow is um I got to get that chest of drawers out. So that's a demolition job. That's a, you know, huge hammer, sledgehammer, cuz um, as hideous as they were, they were actually very well made, but they just don't work for me. Um, anyway, so I'm going to dry my hair and then get in the car. It's quite a long drive actually cuz I'm driving to um, Parsons, which is further than I usually go, but that's okay. It's all good. Anyway, um, I will I will be back. Oh, one thing.

[00:04:08]It's very sad. Look, my Triny bag has finally finally had it. Isn't that awful? Mind you, I've had it probably maybe 5 years. It's just a perfect little makeup bag size, you know, and I like that you open it and you can see in Oops. You can see in immediately what there is.

[00:04:30]Anyway, so got the cream earrings on just for a little bit of lightness and summeiness. We hope file arts.

[00:04:46]That's the most amazing fake artich choke. I picked it up thinking I've just made a fool of myself. It's a real one and it's actually not.

[00:04:56]>> It's not fun.

[00:04:57]>> Yeah.

[00:05:01]But these fake flowers are amazing.

[00:05:05]Really, really good. Look at this hydranger.

[00:05:09]Look at the leaf with the imperfections on the leaf.

[00:05:16]It's very dear.

[00:05:37]always true.

[00:06:10]Thank you.

[00:06:23]Hello. Just wanted to share my struggles with you today. So, it filled up my car again. Very, very pleased with the packing situation and we've got multitude of different things. They have a little sort of thrifted bit or I might try and pop that into a charity shop.

[00:06:39]But it's just a mirror I never use.

[00:06:42]Decluttering. It's been torrential rain and sunshine today. So hopefully cuz it's sunny right now. Hopefully by the time I get to the dump it will be absolutely torrential rain. And I actually haven't packed a raincoat. So and not only that, but I'm still at home and I'm not going to go in and get one because that's how we're rolling cuz it's such an effort to go to the dump anyway. I don't want to delay a second longer. Anyway, that's all I have to say really and uh you take care and I will be back. There we go. empty car and did not get soaked. So absolutely delighted, delighted, delighted. And um yeah, we like that. So now we're going to be taking off wallpaper, which is gripping.

[00:07:27]I won't share that with you because that really would be a new low. Um anyway, I'll be back. Um okay, this is not the most attractive backdrop in the world. I will grant to you. But this is where that last remaining piece of the hideous uh wardrobe chest of drawers um combination was. And I took it out yesterday. Well, you saw it, didn't you?

[00:07:48]Cuz I took it to the dump. That was a big job. That was a sledgehammer. What did I need? I needed a sledgehammer and a screwdriver to get that out. and multiple multiple trips down the stairs because there were just so many elements to it, drawers and, you know, and all weighty because although it wasn't solid wood, it was that really solid um I don't know what it is, you know, it was laminated anyway and it was very very solid, but I've got it out. So, I have this space now. I know this might look like damp here, but actually it's not.

[00:08:23]It's just um you know where the original kind of stuff on the wall was painted over a bit in white and then wallpapered. Anyway, so I have to get the wallpaper off, but I'm actually not going to do this right now cuz I want to get I need to get some sort of a whim here. Otherwise, it's going to get horribly I don't know just depressing and overwhelming and I don't really want that. So, what I am going to do is not an easy thing to do as one person. I will show you. I'm going to move the camera around and I will show you. And I'm sorry about my paint splattered clothes. These are just what I wear.

[00:09:00]Well, they're just my cozies really, but my sort of um DIY decorating cozies.

[00:09:06]Yeah. So, I'm going to turn this camera around and I will show you. Okay. So, here we go. So, here's the bed behind me. So, what I want to do is I I well, I want to paint this first of all, just get a another color on it, which would be really nice. But in so doing, I I want to um I want to get the bed in exactly the right place. You know, nothing is ever simple, is it? Because obviously, if I do ultimately want to have a little slipper bath there and, you know, make make that sink unit really nice there, I need to have a little bit more space here. Obviously the chest of drawers isn't staying there. So that means the bed really needs to come over just even if it just came over a little bit here. I need to do that. And the reason why this is all quite important is behind the bed. You can see that there is that um I think it's a dado rail, isn't it? And so the bed is coming out further than it needs to. So, what I want to do is position the headboard exactly where it's going to go and then actually cut that bit of dado rail off so the bed is flush with the wall. And then I actually want to move the the headboard or the doors up, right? And then hang on, I should be standing here, shouldn't? So, I want to move this up a little bit. maybe to there, which I know will reduce space for pictures there, but I don't really mind that because I want to do something really lovely with this and I like the moldings of it. I like the detail of it.

[00:10:41]And so, if it's going to go up, obviously it needs to be flush with the wall. And I need to put a bat um at the bottom to hold it and then probably picture things to, you know, to keep it flush to the wall cuz it's very, you know, it's very heavy. But I think I can probably do it on my own. Just moving the bed out is the heavy bed. So, um, so I'm going to I'm actually gonna change this. This is going going to come out. And I found I was just looking around the house at what else I had. And I have just this little table here, which is lovely. It's um it's an old glass table, but I've got this leopard print um tray on it. And you know, I mean, the lamp will take up most of that, but I don't really care cuz I just I just want to get that out.

[00:11:34]And so, I want to move the bed over a bit and just have a sense of streamlined. I mean, ultimately, I don't want to have a bedside light at all. I want just a light fixed to the wall cuz there's never enough bedside space.

[00:11:47]Don't you think there is never enough bedside space? So, I think anything that you can get off of it is just better cuz ideally I'd like to just have sp have nice space for, you know, a book and somewhere to put my jewelry. Um, it's simple. Just keep it simple. I need to move all those books somewhere else.

[00:12:07]Anyway, that is the plan. I really Yeah, this is when I really wish I had someone to help me, but that someone would have to be a competent person as well.

[00:12:16]Otherwise, what's the point? They just do more harm than good. Um, so we shall see. Quinc is barking downstairs. Love her. God, it's a miserable day today.

[00:12:27]Um, anyway, I will I will press on and just see what can be achieved. Even if I just pull those out and start painting them, that would be an achievement.

[00:12:37]You've got to be realistic in life, haven't you? But I would love to get rid of that dark gray. Um the dark gray is actually Pharaoh and B um downpipe which I used in my London house. So before the London flat there was the London house and I used it. Oh, it's a fabulous color, but I'm not in that vibe now. I don't want dark gray at all. Um yeah.

[00:13:08]Yeah. Anyway, I will press on.

[00:13:35]Something very samurai about holding the sword. I nearly said sword. Obviously, it's not a sword.

[00:13:42]You say I saw. Hopefully, I can just chunk that off. And now I'm going to go and cut that side. Yeah, I started painting the doors. You can't see really. Never mind.

[00:14:24]There she is.

[00:15:09]I'm really hating my own content right now. I've got to be honest with you.

[00:15:12]This is a batton. So, I'm going to fix I've just cut it to size roughly. Going to fix that to the wall down there so that the doors sit on it and then I'll fix them to the wall. What I would say to you ladies and gentlemen, if you can get someone to do this for you, if you have budget for that, do it and then go out and enjoy the sunshine. Do something lovely because I Yeah, this is not ticking any boxes for me whatsoever.

[00:15:39]However, it will be really nice when it's done. I've already got I've got one coat of paint on the doors. I'll put another on and then I'm just going to get it up. Hope hopefully hopefully we'll see. Um, I think I found the right size and the right type of raw plugs and screws. Famous last words. And then, yeah, if I get it up and then I'll worry about the decorative elements of the headboard later.

[00:16:07]That's where I am right now in my world.

[00:16:10]Do you want to see something sweet? I will show you. Let's like let's elevate the content here cuz this backdrop here is a horror. What I'm wearing is a horror. But this is not a horror. It's a little teeny dog. Quite like Quincy, but maybe slightly better proportions than white. It's like one of those little Pomeranians, isn't it?

[00:16:34]I think Pomeranians should be called Kiki. Anyway, um right. Hopefully soon I'll just show you and it's done. And then we can just forget all of this horror ever happened. Okay. Sorry about that. The energy and the mood got a little low for a while, but I've had a break. had my lunch and um yeah, so this is the color that they are just going to be at the moment, which is the kind of caramel color that I have downstairs um you know, in my hall and what have you. Um so I think I think it's going to be totally fine because I'm painting something else on it which will unite everything. But I just want to show you how that color.

[00:17:15]Sorry, it still works with the curtains because look, you see it has that.

[00:17:22]Hang on. Let me do so you can see. There you go. You can see. And then also this as well, which is very So the combination of those two means that Yeah. It still works with the door. Do you see? So yeah. So that's good, isn't it? We like that.

[00:17:41]We like that. Um, yeah. Now, I've done the bat. That was a really horrible job.

[00:17:46]I'm not going to be able to fix these to the wall because to But I'm going to just get them on there and then just push the bed up and then that's going to be that because to fit these things.

[00:18:00]These are the little bracket things. I think they're called mirror plates. So, they would fit onto the back of the door.

[00:18:08]And then, you know, you drill them into the wall. But in order to do that, you have to be able to lift the doors up and you know, to make the marks. I'm not going to do that because my back feels quite weird. Um, and has done for a while, actually. So, I'm just Yeah, really noisy out there as well. I don't know what's going on. There's some work going on. But anyway, so I'm I'm still quite pleased. And um but I'm going to take Quincy out now for a little walk.

[00:18:38]That's lovely. I'm very tempted to paint the doll's house, just the exterior of it. But I thought, my god, what a masterclass in procrastination that would be if I were to do that. Although, it wouldn't take long. I've been cleaning it so that I could paint it if I wanted to. Might be nice. Um, might be nice to paint it the wall color, maybe with sort of setting room plaster window sills or maybe like a deeper red or something. It' be cool. window sills, window frames. Anyway, I'm sorry about that banging. I don't know if you can hear it or not, but it's incredibly annoying. Right. Well, I'm going to tidy up here, wait for these to dry, and then hopefully I'll be able to show you just that little kind of phase one of um bedroom stuff. Yeah, that's okay, isn't it?

[00:19:32]Okay, this is very sweet. This is Quincy waiting for me.

[00:19:38]What a darling. Little darling girl.

[00:19:42]Even though you're now a major celebrity, you still have time for the small people and I really appreciate that quint. Thank you for your continued loyalty.

[00:19:53]Do handstand weis for the crowds. No.

[00:19:56]Okay.

[00:19:58]Okay. Well, it's um What time is it? So, it's almost 9:00, so the light is fading, but um as you can see, I finished painting this and it's not fixed to the wall to the wall, but it is it is there. I've just got to push the bed back a bit. Managed to get paint on my hands now. Um and I've painted the wall with as much green as I have. I' I only had about that much in the bottom of the tin, so I've got enough for one more coat. I don't know if you can see.

[00:20:28]Um I am pleased with it. I'm really pleased. Look, can you see? It's just a lovely See, see, look how I mean, and that cream was a nice cream. It was a nice warm cream, but it's um I am really pleased with the with it. I I think it's really nice. I think it's going to feel really good, but bedroom is in chaos. Um but look how well it all goes.

[00:20:58]because this also has the color of the headboard in it. So, and it's um you know, it all always comes back, doesn't it, to if you like the colors, you know, you can sort of inter interchange them throughout your house. And of course, I remembered now that my haul is that, you know, strange kind of greeny kind of sea green color on that side, you know. Sorry, got lots of messages, work messages coming through. Um, but yeah, it's been a hard day today.

[00:21:34]Oh, go away.

[00:21:36]It's been a really hard day. I don't know why. I just got stuck inside my head and I just couldn't get out. It's horrible. But anyway, we pressed on and um one of the great pleasures of painting, one of the things I really love about doing something quite mindless is that you can listen to wonderful things on the radio. And I was listening to some Deborah Levy interviews.

[00:22:02]Um because I've started reading her new novel, which is just wonderful, you know, they're always just so rich.

[00:22:09]They're so rich. Um and so that was really nice. that really uplifted me.

[00:22:15]But anyway, but tomorrow um anyway, I just I just wanted to um yeah, I just wanted to to say good night really um and to to uh wrap up this vlog because um of course it's Wednesday now and I I I try to post either on Wednesday or Thursday, so it will be Thursday, but I need to finish it um so that there is a sense of of completion. But um yeah, anyway, that is it for today. And um I will be back and I'll I'll show you it properly in daylight. Well, just as much as I've done anyway. I will need to get some more paint. It is mightily expensive, though. head.

[00:23:09]I I didn't remember it being as expensive as as it is cuz I think I'll need good probably 5 L, you know, cuz it has to be thick. But anyway, I've got a lot to do. I need to take wallpaper off and stuff like that. So, but I just wanted to get this bit done just for a sense of, you know, completion of one little area. I think it's really nice.

[00:23:31]And I'm very pleased with this color.

[00:23:33]Um, but remember something I'm going to I want to do some sort of surface design on this. I know it might be what one of those things where I have this idea in my head, but I'm actually doing this not a course as such, but I'm doing this thing to try and help me. Um, and I've got some acrylic paints and I've got lots of ideas. So, we will see.

[00:23:57]And then, um, yeah. So tomorrow um will be so in Sunday's vlog you'll see me I'm having I'm going to go to an art exhibition because there's a new one at Hower and Worth and then hopefully um well no not hopefully then on Friday I am going out for lunch so that will be really nice.

[00:24:21]There'll be a little bit of cooking um and I'm I haven't forgotten about the London exhibitions. Um, so I will do that as soon as I can. That will I'll probably try and do that um before the end of this month. Um, and lots of other things as well.

[00:24:40]Anyway, all righty.

[00:24:43]I will I was just looking I wanted to show you the cover of the Oh, here it is. The cover of the book that I'm loving so much.

[00:24:55]my year in Paris with Gertude Stein.

[00:24:59]It's fab.

[00:25:01]Anyway, okay, that is it. And um and I will be back. I just came back. I've turned the light on as well. Um cuz I've completely forgot to thank you for all of your lovely messages about the sea green and you all so lovely and you know, just always always so kind and um these things must not go unsaid. So, um I wanted to thank you cuz I'm very aware that I haven't responded to as many messages as I would like to, but um please know that all of you who messaged um I I read all of the messages and I'm just incredibly grateful and thank you so much. Um and that really is it now. I am off and um I will see you all I will see you all on Sunday. Okay. All right.

[00:25:51]Bye bye.