See the beige box above my head in the shot taken earlier in the fall? It’s the door bell ding dongy thing. My initial thought was to leave it and just paint the cover white. That’s before I realized that the cord in the staircase that I‘d been wondering about belonged to it…
Duh! Can you believe it?
After ripping it all down I measured 10 meters (about 10 yards) of crusty yellowed cord. Ding dong, the witch is dead!
Because the old bell was obviously operating on electricity and I wasn’t about to revive the witch I bought a battery operated bell. Again, can you believe it? Why in god’s name do they not make them white but instead a beigy color with purplish grey as an accent?!
Anyway, a quick spray painting session later mine is white. Alas too big to fit the space…
…but nothing a little bit of chipping away with a chisel can’t take care of.
This bell has eight different tunes to choose from. We couldn’t choose the bell options because Bonus freaks out when bells go off. Also the doggy bark didn’t really fit in with our household so instead we opted for a fanfare. We now approach our front door after a tuttututututuuuu.
A tiny bit of touching up with an artist’s brush helped the chiseled and sanded ends blend in with the rest of the painted wood work (which could use a bit of touching up too by the close up look of it…)
And there you have it. A loooooong post about a dead witch.
Whaaaaat? There was no plug closer by? That's, well, freaky.
So the only wires that come to the bell now are the ones from the ding dong thing you press outside?
Posted by: Leena | February 23, 2012 at 08:08 AM
A vast improvement! Laughed my head off at your red illustration of the mile-long cord :)
Posted by: Judith | February 23, 2012 at 08:12 AM
Thanks for making me laugh this early morning :OD
Great story of a dead ding dong witch!
Silke
Posted by: Silke | February 23, 2012 at 08:16 AM
Yup!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 23, 2012 at 08:29 AM
Hahahaha, great story!
Posted by: Golla | February 23, 2012 at 08:29 AM
I enjoyed this post. One of the things I love about your blog, and by extension your life, is that you take care of all those little projects in your house. Those little projects that I seem to ignore, and put off to forever, you just plug away at, until all the small and big projects add up to your home being very pretty, organized, and calm. You're a constant inspiration, Benita!
Posted by: Julie | February 23, 2012 at 08:50 AM
I need to add changing out our door bell to my to do list. It has the most horrifying buzzing sound that makes me jump every time.
That cord is hilarious, all 10 meters of it.
Posted by: Monica | February 23, 2012 at 08:57 AM
AAwww..... and the previous owners must have been so proud of their handywork, how well they hid the cord.
I really like the spraypainted new fanfare.
Posted by: Petra from NL | February 23, 2012 at 09:03 AM
Hehe, some people actually manage to make their lives more difficult than needed! Complicated minds..
Posted by: Eleni | February 23, 2012 at 09:24 AM
The manufacturers of that bell probably thought it could camoflauge best in the average household. You do wonders with spraycans and common sense, in general!
Posted by: Jennifer in France | February 23, 2012 at 09:48 AM
This is the kind of thing I love to get up to - frustrating, but highly satisfying at the end of the day.
Posted by: R | February 23, 2012 at 10:19 AM
Det är de små små detaljerna som gör det!
Posted by: Malin | February 23, 2012 at 10:22 AM
my goodness, that looks like the plumbing in our cottage! you can hear it trying to go uphill and downhill and uphill again. i am going to have to remember that spray-painting trick, many a horribly designed bit of technology i might have just sprayed with white! x
Posted by: elisa | February 23, 2012 at 10:27 AM
Very nice! And may I ask where one might find a mirror like yours. Found a lovely round one in Åhléns, but the quality was appalling. Now have my heart set on a round mirror for my hallway.
Posted by: Linda | February 23, 2012 at 10:31 AM
"tuttututututuuuu" for a great "DAAAH (re: battery vs 1000 km cord) post :-)
Posted by: Zosia | February 23, 2012 at 10:55 AM
The mirrow is from IKEA http://www.ikea.com/se/sv/catalog/products/30133522/. As for the appallingly bad one from Åhléns... I got it too as you will see in tomorrow's post. I totally agree. I had to remove the black rubber and do my own little thing with it. Should have returned it but was too lazy.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 23, 2012 at 11:33 AM
This was a great post!
I too laughed at the long, red cord - oh my... :-)
And then I went and changed the dead battery to a new one in my doorbell.
At last!!
Posted by: Rosa | February 23, 2012 at 12:49 PM
Du är fenomenalt rolig, Benita! Och effektiv. Vi har planerat att byta ut vår ringklocka - som givetvis inte heller fungerar eftersom någon har slitit bort sladden som, även den, säkerligen gick ner till källaren - i några år nu. Det ligger en ny, batteridriven, i en låda. I helgen, kanske!
Posted by: Jenny | February 23, 2012 at 12:52 PM
I agree with the good morning laugh! And wow, it's amazing what some people think was a good idea at the time!
Posted by: Dusa | February 23, 2012 at 01:17 PM
LOL our wireless doorbell has suddenly stopped working too. It was all-white but the doorbells I've found have either bright blue/grey accents. Never thought to paint it, thanks :)
Posted by: G.Sims | February 23, 2012 at 01:55 PM
I am not thrilled with the wireless versions. I have had to replace it 3 times in 12 years. It is frustrating. Hope you have better luck than I have had.
Posted by: Debbie from Chicago | February 23, 2012 at 02:04 PM
What an inspiration you are... Long live Miracle Girl!
Posted by: Sara | February 23, 2012 at 02:22 PM
I love that you chipped away at the wood to make the door bell fit in that space. You think outside the box - which is why I love reading your blog. It inspires me to finish up all the little details in my apartment! I have to get them done!!
Posted by: Mona | February 23, 2012 at 02:49 PM
Mine's not wireless though. There are still cords connecting the push bell at the door to the door bell inside. It's just that it runs on two batteries instead of electricity now.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 23, 2012 at 03:16 PM
This was a fun illustration. When the batteries are low will it make a different ringing sound or will you run to the door because you think someone's there but it's just messing with you? That's kind of what happens with our fire alarms ;)
Posted by: Giulia | February 23, 2012 at 03:32 PM
I was just looking at an HGTV show called "If Walls Could Talk". The houses they feature are usually Victorian and very quaint and ornate. It makes me appreciate your clean fresh WHITE aesthetic even more. Really, Benita, your blog is a breath of fresh air every day...even when it's just about a doorbell! Thank you xxoo
Jules in Massachusetts USA
Posted by: Jules Means | February 23, 2012 at 03:36 PM
I don't know actually but I expect the batteries to last a while but after that I guess I'll find out :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 23, 2012 at 03:46 PM
Hilarious illustrations, Benita! I love your innovative fixes, with spray paint, a little chipping of woodwork, etc. Brilliant!
Posted by: Lisa Flaherty | February 23, 2012 at 04:25 PM
Is that piece of wood a floor sample?
Posted by: Norma | February 23, 2012 at 04:46 PM
awesome. how did you realize the cord was connected to the doorbell? this is the kind of thing that escapes me completely.
Posted by: jeannette | February 23, 2012 at 06:31 PM
After finding (and pulling out) ten meters of cord I'd want to find a wad of cash at the end of it. It must have been the previous owner's only option (no wireless then?) because, really, who would go through this much trouble if there was ANY other way?
Great idea to paint the new unit white. In a mostly white home, grey and beige accents aren't neutral at all and stick out like neon signs (although not as pretty or fun).
Benita, you look so tall and thin in that pic. Like a model, seriously.
Posted by: devil | February 23, 2012 at 07:09 PM
That was hilarious! You did a great job, enjoy your new doorbell.
Posted by: Design Style | February 23, 2012 at 07:42 PM
I don't think wireless was an option then. By the looks of things they've been up since at least the 70's :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 23, 2012 at 07:51 PM
I plan to paint the wood out and wanted to know where the weird cord lead to so I started at the bottom and worked myself to the top and ended up right by the back of the door bell :). I was so happy to get rid of it all.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 23, 2012 at 07:54 PM
Maybe :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 23, 2012 at 07:55 PM
Oh I bet that felt nice! It sure looks nice!
Posted by: Kristine | February 23, 2012 at 10:04 PM
Ha! That's the same line I used when my dad broke up with his girlfriend. :)
Much more appropriate here.
Posted by: Nichole@40daysof | February 24, 2012 at 12:36 AM
That looks so great. I don't think they did things the most efficient way in the 70s or maybe they didn't have an option. Love the spray paint.
Posted by: Beatrice | February 24, 2012 at 03:06 AM
Benita, this is a great post. I am just wondering are you use special spray paint for plastic or normal spray paint?? Normally I don't have luck on this, it chipped after it dry up.
Posted by: Sandra Yeong | February 24, 2012 at 04:59 AM
Hehehe. We're on to you!
This was a hilarious post. Thanks for the laugh.
Posted by: Messy | February 24, 2012 at 06:12 AM
Haha - that's really funny. I so want one!!! But don't think I'm handy enough. Might have to go to Ikea instead to get a mirror.
Posted by: Linda | February 24, 2012 at 08:37 AM
När jag först såg fotona i inlägget så tänkte jag: Oj, vad ovanligt att ha en RÖD KABEL....men sen insåg jag vad det var...ha,ha!! Och jag som tycker att din gamla ringklocks-dosa är så snygg!! Vi har en precis likadan hemma....med skillnaden att vi lyckades få vår vit igen! Men smaken är som baken!! :)
Posted by: Helena | February 24, 2012 at 10:04 AM
Jag hade tänkt låta den sitta men eftersom jag ville bli av med sladden så kunde jag inte behålla den eftersom den inte går att driva på batteri :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 24, 2012 at 11:21 AM
I just used what I had at home so I didn't go for a special one for plastic although I know there are some for that purpose. No peeling on this one yet!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 24, 2012 at 11:23 AM
This post really resonated with me, especially the part about painting it white. It is so nice to know there are people in the world out there who would care about it being totally white. It made me smile! I really love your blog.
Posted by: Jasmine Koh | February 24, 2012 at 12:03 PM
That is very cool!
Posted by: Debbie from Chicago | February 24, 2012 at 02:13 PM
Dear God what a cord!
Posted by: jja | February 24, 2012 at 03:39 PM
: )
Reading the comments are just as importing as reading your posts. Thanks so much for answering all our questions.
Posted by: norma | February 24, 2012 at 04:40 PM
Loved the red lines... That is a LONG cord! Amazing how useful white paint can be, right? What a vast improvement!
Posted by: Marjorie @ One-Parade.com | February 25, 2012 at 02:43 AM
Benita, can I ask you how you feel about the wall paper here? I have that kind of wall paper(''strie'' in norwegian, don't know if it's the same in swedish) in my entire apartment, and I hate it with a passion but i can't really deside if I can be bothered to get rid of it.
I have just covered the walls in one room with filler to get them smooth, and it really took forever with the sanding and the several layers. Are you planning to do something about yours, and in that case what? I am really not up to doing the entire apartment with filler and sanding although it ended up looking great.
Posted by: GMN | February 27, 2012 at 12:05 AM
I also hate it and will do something about it eventually but it's not top priority. I will use "renoveringstapet" over it though as it's much easier than going down the spackle route.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 27, 2012 at 07:47 AM
Great, I'm looking forward to see your results as I have heard mixed opinions about that option. Sure you will make it work, though!
Posted by: GMN | February 28, 2012 at 11:12 AM
This reminds me of when Monica wanted to know what the 2 light switches went to and it drove her crazy to flip them on and off and nothing happened....
Except for Pheobe thinking she could turn the TV on and off with her mind. LOL!
Posted by: Michelle | September 07, 2012 at 08:53 PM