Orange Swan the Stripper There's a painting question in here somewhere. Of course you assumed that was the only interpretation possible given my title, right? →[More:]Well, I've begun working on Swan's End. I'm going to do one room at a time, and have chosen my bedroom for the first project. I should work on the basement first as I need to fix it up so I can rent it out, but I want an oasis in the house because the fixing up process is going to be one lengthy, arduous mother.

So far I have replaced the light fixture. I've bought a gallon of very pale peach-coloured paint and champagne and cream satin stripe roman blinds. Today I scrubbed down the walls, removed the light switch/electrical outlet plates and stray hooks and nails from the walls, took down the rattletrap blinds and removed three sets (!) of window treatment hardware from the bay window.

There are basically two kinds of paint in the house. The walls are uniformly white semi-gloss oil-based paint. I could KILL the brainiac who decided to use oil-based paint (which doubles the expense and work of painting as I must use a primer and then latex paint), but I will admit that whoever did put that white paint on the walls did a very profressional job.

The trim, doors and windows are done in cream latex, which is good, but they are horribly badly done, which is bad. Is there an easy way to sand down the trim? Should I just go ahead and buy some sort of sander, given that I have a whole house to do?

I'm feeling quite exposed in my bedroom now without any window coverings. Second floor bay window that faces a street busy enough to have its own bus... I'll have to remember to go into another room to change at night lest I give my neighbours a burlesque every night at 11.