A coat of fresh paint holds wonderful curative powers.

After we tore down the ceiling tiles, the old plaster ceilings were revealed, with their cracking and flaking and sagging wallpaper, layers thick. So we scraped off the most glaring stuff, and cleaned up the walls and ceiling and the exposed 2x4s, and bought some good paint.

Now there’s a small comfortable place to sit amidst the demolition, and a carefully hung, colorful sheet hides the main demolition area at night, to give ourselves a visual respite from all the work left to do. Add a string of white Christmas lights, wound up rough 2×4 studs, for a festive feeling when we’re turning off our brains at night.