RENOVATION PROGRESS (POST 1)

so our house is progressing! i have been pleasantly surprised by our builder being on schedule and anticipating completion of stage 1 by the middle of next week! here are a few of the progress pictures so far (excuse the poor picture quality - they were taken on my iPhone)...i am very much looking forward to sharing with you all the pictures of stage 1 when complete!

so far all the structural and door changes for stage 1 have been completed, along with the plaster work and the new openings to what will be our deck as part of stage 1.

the bathroom area has been extended and waterproofed, and the tiles are progressively being installed. the kitchen is also a work in progress, with all the rough in completed and the carcass for all the cupboards in also. i am so excited about our new kitchen and bathroom!

this is looking from our lounge room into what was the kitchen and the third bedroom. having removed the wall between the kitchen and bedroom 3, and making the opening between the previous kitchen and dining/lounge, the space feels so much bigger and more open.

view into what was our kitchen! this is our new dining room. the width of the opening to outside stayed the same, but we dropped the sill to the floor as stage 2 will include a deck outside these doors. the extra opening size makes the room feel so much lighter and, combined with the extra width to the lounge room opening, the light in the lounge room is much better.

 

the opening between lounge and dining which is now much bigger. previously it was two sliding doors but has been cut now to be as open as possible while still catering for the joinery and the kitchen. the doors from the living to the corridor have also changed to bifolds, and joinery is going to go on either side of the bifolds. am very much looking forward to these cupboards and bookshelves, and think they will prove of infinite value to store bub's toys and get breakables at a height that is out of reach of little hands!!

the carcass of our new kitchen! i am most excited about a big clear bench space between dining and the kitchen so i can have preparation space, the new pantry with pull out drawers and the vertical storage above the oven and microwave. for the windows, we have gone for bifolds and are going to have a servery that will open out to the new deck. again, we kept the opening width the same to minimise structural changes and brought the sill height up to allow for the bench. this space was previously bed 3 which was originally a dining room that previous owners had converted. the conversion was done with minimal cost and had an awkward shape due to outdoor access also being from this room.

looking back to the living room which largely remains unchanged except that it will now just be living, not living and dining. this change will increase the amount of time that our family will fit in the home greatly. the ceiling has also been resheeted and cornices redone to ensure consistency!

the tiling in the bathroom is under way and i must admit, this was one of the things i was most nervous about because once its done it is an expensive thing to change. we are very happy with how they look so far. these white 300mm x 75mm handmade look subway tiles are being laid floor to ceiling in the main bathroom in a random pattern.

the floor tiles to the WC which are the same as the tiles in the main bathroom. i like the patterns, and am very happy with the colouring. i was a bit unsure if they would be too dark but the dark component is not black (but will still work with black tap ware) and there is enough white to balance. i think this also means that while the pattern is very busy and detailed if you look closely, it is not completely overwhelming on a large scale. the white wall tiles (which will have white grout) will also assist in balancing the floor.

a close up of the tiles on the floor

once all the works have been finished, i will do room by room posts which will include details of where the different components were purchased from etc. in the meantime let me know if there is a specific component you would like some info on!

THE BEFORE POST

we have finally gotten around to starting the renovations that we have been planning since we moved in (3.5 years ago) to our house. sure, we're on a tight time frame (hoping to move back in to a half finished house when i am 39 weeks pregnant) but hey, better late than never right?!

i have so many mixed emotions about this one...on one hand i am super excited to have our new kitchen and bathroom and deck, on the other hand i am super nervous about all of my decisions coming together. i have done all the drawings and obtained the relevant approvals (might as well use that architecture degree for something!!), and done all the research and made all the decisions about tiles and kitchen cupboards and lights and fittings and fixtures, so if it doesn't come together i really have nowhere else to turn except to myself (scary!!!!). i am very thankful to my friends who have spent many hours discussing the pros and cons of different light fittings and tiles and how everything is going to fit together!

originally, i was going to completely project manage all the trades myself, however when we found out we were expecting our first little bundle of joy, we decided (read: my husband insisted) that we engage a builder to take care of and manage the trades, particularly to keep things on a hopefully tighter time frame than if i was managing trades myself while working and being pregnant.

anyway, here are the before pictures of our little house that we love, and we are super excited to be having our family grow up in this house, particularly once we have made it ours!

WC

bathroom

living

dining

kitchen

kitchen

i will try and post a few pics along the way also - at the moment i just have a gutted kitchen and bathroom, will also try and put some pictures up of the plan for each room and the products we have chosen!!

EASTER STYLING & A CHANGE OF SEASON

soooo... i know it has been a while but i am back! and hopefully a little more regularly now! today is my first day of working for myself (really excited and totally freaking out). i am hoping this new change will really give me some decent chunks of time to work on my designs and work through the best method for printing and making. so as of today, wednesday's are 'owl & bridge' work days. hooray!! i will be adding new things up on my blog as they develop as i will be too excited not to share.

anyway, enough of that...on the weekend west elm, pottery barn, pottery barn kids and williams sonoma in sydney had an easter styling event where four different stylists spent half an hour styling an easter table for one of the stores. some of my favourites (sibella court, megan morton) were there, along with a couple of people i hadn't seen the work of before (cameron kimber, marco meneguzzi). here are a couple of iphone snaps i took on the day.

SIBELLA COURT FOR WEST ELM

i really like sibella's mismatch style that is brought together by colour a consistency in colour. also the different textures of timber, ceramic, glass, enamel create an dynamic tablescape and keeps you interested after the first glance. Sibella and her team dyed the eggs themselves using a martha stewart 'how to', but her brief to the team was 'to keep all the ones martha would have rejected'! Also as a must, greenery! Books were a clever trick to change up the heights which can create a flow to the table. she did put a rug on the table as a tablecloth which looked good, but i don't think i would be that game.

Sibella's encouragement was to use the things already in your house. walk around and find a whole lot of things and then pick and edit from that to create your tablescape. you will always have left overs but that is how styling works - you always gather more than you need so you can pick and choose and edit.

MARCO MENEGUZZI FOR POTTERY BARN

i hadn't come across marco's work before, but what i did like about this tablescape was that it wasn't overly spring. so many things around easter are to do with spring, which is totally understandable given that it is spring in the northern hemisphere at this time but we are in the southern hemisphere! i like that this one suits more the autumn climate at the easter time of year - it looks like an autumn table because of the colours without taking away the eggs and chickens etc. which symbolise new life. it is also very american and county in style which is not traditionally my thing, but it works here and is effective in grasping both the climate and the celebration.

A CHARMING RENTAL

i know, i know, where have i been? i am one of those people who become really into things for a while and then i kind of come out of the cocoon and back to reality. well here i am, semi back in reality after discovering a new series of books. i am still reading (its currently a 7 book series with each book being about a thousand pages (literally!)). i am, however, determined to get back to reality as much as i would like to live in book land forever!

i started going back through all the blog posts i'd missed from the last few weeks and came across this cute vintage home. i think what captured me the most is that it is a rental. granted, work has been done by those renting it, but they have made it home for them and a charming home it is. and one of the most exciting things about a fantastic rental is that it doesn't seem so far out of reach - imagine what you could do to your place, rental or no!!!!!

image: house nerd via desire to inspire

image: house nerd via desire to inspire

image: house nerd via desire to inspire

image: house nerd via desire to inspire

image: house nerd via desire to inspire

image: house nerd via desire to inspire

image: house nerd via desire to inspire

 this is nelly's home. nelly is an interior designer (twinkle and whistle) who has been renting this cottage and has transformed it, but not by breaking the bank. there is a mix of everything from vintage ebay finds, to ikea finds, to an eames chair! granted, they had some great starting points - floorboards, high ceilings, fireplaces etc., but that on its own has not made for the beautiful home you can see above. vintage and new have been mixed up, the space has been personalised and there are some lovely warm colours throughout.

LIGHT, BRIGHT & SIMPLE DINING

image: ny times via my paradissi

look at this natural light - its just streaming in! and just timber and white - it always works! a bit of old school industrial detailing on the chairs, a bit of glam in the chandelier, some colour and natural beauty in the flowers and bazinga! a space that works!

on a side note, i really like these floors - old school! wide boards that are not so flat because they are aged. the staining is also very well done and adds depth to the simple space.

BLACK & WHITE TYPE

image: kat teutsch via desire to inspire

image: kat teutsch via desire to inspire

image: kat teutsch via desire to inspire

image: kat teutsch via desire to inspire

type can transform a space to something 'wow'. kat teutsch is a food/still life/interiors photographer that has captured these spaces and vignette's beautifully. the black and white type in each of these images creates a statement, whether it be the focal point of the image or a strong background. it gives an industrial and vintage edge to each of the images. do you like it?

A SPACIOUS FEELING IN A TIGHT SPACE

image: micasa via cush & nooks

image: micasa via cush & nooks

image: micasa via cush & nooks

image: micasa via cush & nooks

happy friday lovelies! i am so glad it is almost the weekend. and what a nice way to finish the week - with a bright and colourful apartment. isn't it cute? dimensionally it is quite small, but it doesn't feel like that from the pictures. there is heaps of natural light and pops of colour in every corner...lots of personal items that reflect the people who live here. its amazing what you can fit into a small space without it feeling or looking tight.

COSY COUNTRY KITCHEN

image: house to home

doesn't this look like somewhere you could call home? somewhere that is comfy and lovely. i think usually i would say this is too matchy matchy, but i like this one for some reason. i like the details - the blue plates wallpaper, the dining table, the tiles, the shelf with displays above and below but it has been pulled together really well. and of course, the timber chopping boards and the natural fabric for the cushions provide the finishing touches to create a space that is not too crisp. what do you think? too matchy matchy or is this space pulling it off?

WARM & VINTAGE

image: my paradissi

a worn timber table with a pop of yellow! and a vintage poster with all warm colours. the different heights of the tulips, mandarins and the lamp really finish the image well and provide life to it.

A TABLE OF PRETTINESS

image: 79 ideas

this table is so pretty and feminine! i love the flowers, the rouched lamps and the cute details on the window sill. the detailed prints on the tableware and the blankets add to the femininity and loveliness! the industrial and vintage-ness on the table, lighting and windows prevent the image from being too girly and over the top!

FRENCH STYLE KITCHEN

image: daily dream decor

i LOVE this french style eat in kitchen! i think it is the combination of the following that draws me in:

1. The tiled floor. the tiling on the floor is a beautiful pattern but it works in this space because the other surfaces are not patterned so the whole image doesn't become overwhelming. The subtlety in the colours is nice as well - the same colour blue is picked up in the vase on the table and the bowl on the benchtop. This subtlety prevents the space being overwhelming with colour which it could be if the colours were loud and the tolix chairs were still teal.

2. The industrial details. In case you haven't picked up on this so far, i love a nice industrial detail in a space. I like the strong statement of the black pendant light and the vintage worn teal chairs but again they are not overwhelming as they are balanced by the white in the cabinetry and the walls.

3. The lightness. This is a combination of the beautiful natural light streaming in from the window, but also in the furniture. The steel legged dining table is beautifully detailed but doesn't sit heavily in the room.

4. The details generally. The brackets under the cabinetry, the ladder style bookcase, the open shelves near the window, the horse on the windowsill, a timber frame on the picture on the wall and the planter on the windowsill. it is the details that make a space but also reveal a little about the occupier of the space.

Essentially i love pretty much every component in this space and how they work together and have a balance. What do you think?

A MIX OF OLD & NEW

image: lonny

image: lonny

image: lonny

image: lonny

image: lonny

HOME OF JESSICA BETTENAY

images: the design files

this is the home of jessica bettenay and family as seen on 'the design files'. 

i love the rich tone of the walls in the bathroom combined with the timber, the check floor and the white linen and vase.

image: the design files

i love the teepee and the windows, and the little rattan chair.

images: the design files

the light in the dining room is beautiful. i love the dark wood framing, the timber and metal dining set and the union jack. the flowers in the enamel pitcher are a lovely finishing touch and complete the image. the cushion in the corner is also a nice detail.