I'd like to know...

How do you get grease on the ceiling?
How do you neglect to wipe down a shelf once in 20 years?
How do you not notice puddles of ??? before they harden into an irremovable lump?
Why would you seam drywall with masking tape?
Why would you use paneling as ceiling board?
Why would you create a pantry along the outside of the house and not bother to do anything more than remove the siding?

These questions and many more entertained me as I scrubbed, painted, swept, scrubbed, and cursed my way through the junk room reno. I didn't want to do too much to it, as the room may one day become a half-bath or a more proper storage room, but using cardboard as shelf-liner and trying daintily to avoid brushing against the shelves when goinging in and out isn't a long-term strategy. So no point putting up drywall or new shelves - not yet. Just soap and paint.

This is the before:

can you see the yellow grease marks on every surface???

note the ripped wall on the right - this is where the house siding was before it became an enclosed storage area/pantry. nice construction work, eh? very thorough.

And this is the after:


no grease marks!


And in other areas of wonder -
How is it possible that my grape vines look like this:


And the roses look like this:


And finally - why, after all of this, am I surprised when I rip up the carpet in the living room and learn that the wood floor has been painted around the perimeter instead of the whole thing?