Whatever, just pick one

We bought this house from a couple called Tim & Joy. We met them, and we figure they're in their late 50's/early 60's. Not depression era folk. Both employed by the university. Living in a really nice neighbourhood. Which doesn't explain at all why all the house repairs and maintenance done look the way they do.

Perhaps at one point they were infected with the Good Neighbours disease (a show we really like btw) in which they were going to be self-sufficient? Why do it right, why buy the right part, why buy a matching unit, when you can just make do with this, this thing you've found lying around in the shed, or by the side of the road, or that little scrap of plastic your neighbour put out with the trash? Yeah! That will do.

And even if you do need to buy something, hell, just grab the first one you see. The first photo gallery of what we call "tim jobs".

Light switches and electrical outlets. First floor sampling only. Open floor plan. Only 1300 sq feet on this level. But a veritable United Nations of outlets.

Brass? Yeah, brass is nice.

No wait, maybe beige plastic is better.

Oooooh Joy! Look - 3 switches, and a dimmer! I have no use for the middle one but that's OK. Tim, make sure you wire it properly. We don't want that new girl Hornblower getting zapped & having the dimmer blow out the first day she touches it. Yeah, yeah Joy. I know what I'm doing.

You know, brown is nice. It's like, almost antique looking. These young folks like that. We'd better keep it.

But brass is so nice. Maybe a nice square one this time, for a change?

This - now this is a NICE unit. Lovely dark plastic, and just look at that big round button! Don't you just want to fiddle with it? Don't you? It's great. It turns and you can push it in. The other buttons are a bit difficult. They're not quite buttons and not quite toggles. Kind of a mixed breed. You have to touch them just right. But man, it looks great.

But these brown things are just fine. And you know what, just for fun, I'll install some of the upside down, so the big round hole for the grounding prong sometimes goes on top, and sometimes goes on the bottom! 'Cause that's some much fun when you're scrambling around trying to plug something in, especially when it's behind furniture, and you're guessing which way and you get it wrong! Yipppeee. Makes vaccuming an even more exciting adventure.
And style wise? Well, you can't go wrong with brown. It's like chocolate. And everyone likes chocolate.

Hey Joy, when I put in the new tap in the bathroom, I thought I'd spiff it up a bit with one of those new lightswitches too. Whad'ya think? And yanno, 'cause I wouldn't want to get just the plain one for $3, I'll spend $30 on the dimmer. Because often, when I'm brushing my teeth, or hell, just sitting on the throne, what I want is mood lighting. I don't want that glare. I want to be able to dim my bathroom lights. Yeah. That'll be good. And I'll even install a timer for the vent fan. That will pretty much sell this house I think.

Now Joy, don't ask me to change this switch. This is a unique. I don't know anyone else who has this. It looks like it might be a dimmer, but it's not. It's just a switch. But doesn't it look important? I like to pretend I'm like an astronaut, going on a mission, and just before take-off, I need to turn on this switch - and that's totally what it looks like. Yeah, brass and beige plastic.

'cause brass and beige plastic are really some of my favourite things.

If you look at yesterday's entry, you'll see that we changed all the outlets in Amelia's room. They're all slowly getting changed into nice, plain, white ones. (yeah, I know, not very pc of me). That part is easy. I'm just a bit more worried about some of the actual wiring. Oh yes, Tim did wiring, with apparently the same reckless abandon.

(Oh & in my May 30 entry, just above Daisy sprawled on the floor, you'll see a sample of yet another outlet - beige with the grounding prong on the bottom this time. I'm too tired to take a close up of that one. )

Tags: home decor - diy