Showing posts with label living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label living. Show all posts

Monday, 26 October 2015

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!

Thursday, 8 October 2015

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!!

Thursday, 5 September 2013

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.

Monday, 29 July 2013

SIMPLE INDUSTRIAL

image: passion decor
i like this. its simple, has texture and character. framed pictures with simple borders, black framed windows, a bit of nature and a brick wall.

Monday, 15 July 2013

HELSINKI HOME SHOT BY KRISTA KELTANEN

image: krista keltanen via 79 ideas

image: krista keltanen via 79 ideas

image: krista keltanen via 79 ideas

image: krista keltanen via 79 ideas

image: krista keltanen via 79 ideas
gelato colours are so happy don't you think? this place just enough of them for the home to feel like a happy one! little pops here and there, with texture, handmade and vintage thrown in, this home feels light and bright, without being too overwhelming. there is a consistent colour scheme - gelato colours - worked through the home, with different empasis yet a consistent theme as you move from room to room, and the volume of white, as always, keeps the space from feeling heavy. what colour schemes do you like? do you love gelato colours?

Friday, 21 June 2013

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.

Thursday, 28 March 2013

LIGHT & BRIGHT WITH A BEIGE COUCH

image: casa tres chic
when we bought a couch just after moving into our place, we went for a beigey/stone colour because we thought white would get too dirty. i'm glad we didn't go white, but so many images from all the beautiful blogs out there have white couches which prevents the room from looking stale and not light and bright. so when i came across this image of a not white couch that still had a beautiful lightness and airiness to it, i was quite excited. what allows this room to still come across as bright is of course the natural light, but this is combined with a lot of white - white walls, floor, rug, curtains and some pillows. apart from the couch, the furniture does not have a heavy aesthetic and there is nature in the image! how have you kept your room light and bright with a couch that is not white?

Thursday, 31 January 2013

INDUSTRIAL & COMPACT LOUNGE

image: ryan mat
sorry i haven't posted the last couple of days. i am now back with some more posts!! the combination of neutrals in this space is lovely, and i like the collection of personal things...it doesn't feel sterile or impersonal. it is filled with that persons things they have collected over time which is what truly makes a home.

Monday, 21 January 2013

COZY LIVING ROOM


image: the design files

image: the design files
this living room is lovely and cozy and i just want to curl up on the couch with a blanket and a book. the space is not overcrowded or finished with lots of soft soft furnishings, yet still has a cozy and warm vibe. leather and timber are always materials and textures that add warmth to a space, particularly a vintage timber trunk with old metal details. the buttoning in the couch also contributes to the texture of the space, along with timber lining boards instead of a flat ceiling. quite often texture will add warmth. the accessories complete the space, with the silver candlesticks adding some glam, the candles contributing to the warm cozy feeling and the old letters in the aalto vase again adding texture but also some nostalgia and personality (along with the prints on the wall).

Friday, 18 January 2013

PRETTY FLORALS

image: 79 ideas

image: 79 ideas

image: 79 ideas
how pretty and summery are these images! i particularly like the last one with spools of pretty floral fabric.

Thursday, 17 January 2013

A FEW SNAPS FROM ANNABELLE KERSLAKE'S

annabelle's home was recently featured on design*sponge. she is half of fete magazine which is a beautiful lifestyle magazine. this house has such a lovely collection of different things spanning several more traditional 'styles'...very eclectic. some of the details i particularly love are the industrial lights, the timber to bring warmth to spaces and the fine line style of images on the linen, cushions etc.
image: design sponge
 a mix of mid-century furniture with industrial lighting and fine prints...
image: design sponge
 sheepskin for softness, black and white detailed cushion, bold freehand cross and an orchid (i really would like one of those orchids!)
image: design sponge
 feminine details in the bedroom mixed with an industrial style lamp...
image: design sponge

image: design sponge
cute table with home grown herbs and a black and white louis style chair...

Tuesday, 8 January 2013

RECLAIMED TIMBER COFFEE TABLE

image: milk magazine
industrial style reclaimed timber coffee table mixed in with some glam thrown in to balance the room

Friday, 4 January 2013

BLACK & WHITE # 2

image: spicer & bank
black and white and stripes and typographic prints and letters and a shelf above the couch.