The contractor shook his head when he heard that, to ease the budget, the family was going to continue living in the house while the dreaded popcorn ceilings were going to be scraped, a multiple-day process filled with grime and swirling dust that wouldn't clear out for months. You sure?
Uh-huh.
At least there was no asbsestos in this vile popcorn texture (the husband referred to it as "ceiling snot"), so it would be more inconvenience than safety hazard for the homeowners. You sure?
Uh-huh.
Warning the clients that it would be unpleasant at best, and living hell at worst, they agreed to work together. The contractor braced himself for surly clients, but after returning from the first day's work he was greeted by...
He tried to clean up the dust as best he could that day for the clients, but grainy dust swirled everywhere. The following morning as he reached to open the window for ventillation, he found...
Intrigued by the mysterious heiroglyphics, the contractor continued with the dusty work, clouds of dust covering the images with every hour. He worried about the family who must be at their wits' end by now. They had suffered days where the only running water was in the upstairs bathtub. In the evening they scrubbed away at stubborn wallpaper that should have been removed 20 years ago. To top it off, the new school year had begun, and the family was trying to maintain some normal daily structure, while living off Taco Bell. They were probably ready to devour their young by now.
But the next morning he was greeted with...
Much to the contractor's amazement, the daughter maintained her cheerful disposition throughout the weeks-long remodeling project, and they got along famously. She enjoyed watching the remodeling process evolve, and didn't complain once.
The dusty work was done, and more remodeling followed. But there was one hurdle to cross, and the contractor mulled over it for a long time before calling the daughter and her family in to the her room, which he was painting. He told her his idea, which she absorbed with solemn silence, then nodded. She took final pictures of the wall next to her doorframe, then he handed her the paintbrush.
Then, with a quiet sense of ceremony, she painted over several years worth of pencil marks on the wall, tiny hatch marks celebrating the increments of her growing height.
To this day nobody believes that the family survived happily through the Popcorn Scraping Episode. But they're still grateful for the privilege of working with such a kind and thoughtful contractor.
Leslie Olson Interiors Marin County, CA www.leslieolsoininteriors.com leslie@leslieolsoninteriors.com 415.233.2633
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