Bits & Bobs

This Bed Bath N Table soap dispenser's not a bad match for our marble is it? I'm thinking I might get another for the guest en suite. 

J's finally spent all his birthday present money. 

How do you say no after "...but Mum, it's my own money." Thank God for blu-tack!

Do you own one of these gizmo's?

 It's a splatter guard and I can't believe that I'm a year-off-a-half-century and have only just discovered them! 

J 'discovered' how to make fire with a magnifying glass. Great. Thanks Daddy and Grandad!

Still dreaming of a black (and white) kitchen!

And this one has 'my' splash-back window, stainless steel and marble benches and Mr Starck's ghost stools that I'm planning too!!!
*sigh*

x KL

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Mwwwwaaaaahhh....

 These photographs are testament to an ABSOLUTE building rule that should never be broken. NEVER, NEVER, EVER, EVER have box gutters! Ours overflowed (for a second time) and for four hours, absolute pandemonium broke loose whist I was concurrently trying to calm a scared child in a major storm! Below is what I've be doing for the last week... washing every towel and absorbent piece of fabric I could muster to mop up the deluge.

So, what is a box gutter? It's where two roofing planes slope down and inward, forming a 'box' between. In theory they work - but where ice or allot of leaf debris are present they're a recipe for disaster! Once blocked. the water has no escape but inside the structure.

 The first flood occurred because a hail storm filled the gutter to capacity and the subsequent rain had no-where to go but inside. The second and recent cause was a small amount of hail but mostly leaf debris. Eeeek! No-one to blame but ourselves.

When Davey shouted "Oh Dear! Oh My golly goodness!" or something quite possibly, a bit stronger (being a burly builder an' all), it was said with such gusto that I knew something was seriously wrong. Four down lights and a fan in J's bedroom were gushing water. Two down lights in the entry, two in the Guest bed en suite and two cavity sliding door openings were spectacular waterfalls! And this was downstairs. Upstairs was a flowing river!

Anyhooo, I've managed to find a few rainbows after the rain. 

1. I do not need to buy any more towels. The number I have is ridiculous.

2. I now have the neatest temporary linen space ever. Waaay over due!

3. J's bedroom and the entry got a major tidy up.

4. Having a 'spare room' from a nest flier comes in handy for emergencies such as these.
5. The brightest rainbow shone for J though. We relocated an itty-bitty T.V (formerly the nest flier big sis') to his bedroom. He was beyond excited!

Which within 24 hours had morphed into this:

Bought for the playroom (two years ago!) which is in the unfinished upstairs area, it was time to take it out of it's packaging!  We may as well enjoy it!

6. My crazy saving of empty ice-cream containers finally had a practical purpose! LOL!
And I used every one and was madly emptying and replacing at the height of the deluge. Wish I'd caught it all for funniest home videos...winning that would have created a double rainbow!

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

the best of rose gold spring fashion!

Regular readers will know how much I adore rose gold. (Catch up HERE AND HERE) 

It started with the love of my Grandmother's rose gold and opal ring at the tender age of 16 which is, so sadly, no longer in my possession. (another post for sure.)

THIS is the season though that rose gold lovers can stock up on budget friendly accessories galore!

I've just found these cute Country Road flats in a rose gold edition.
(For overseas followers; they now ship worldwide!)

At $59 95 they're my kind of rose gold!

 I'm predicting I'll be living in these though all summer. 

x KL 

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

have you started christmas shopping?

I have! And who better to start with than Moi? He He!

Actually,I am about a third of my way through the recipient list...

Not too inspired by the Christmas decorations in store this year though; seen it all before. 

One of the Bah Hum-Bug effects of old age. 

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

Loving these

 I've bought a few things from Etsy before but the range and quality of the offerings seems to be getting better every time I visit! These are my new favourites!

We're enjoying beautiful weather here at the start of a school break. My Internet seems to be on holidays too...it's so slow! Might take a breather from this bloggy thing till it gets back up to speed!

Hope you're enjoying gorgeous Spring sunshine too!

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

unexpected happiness

Amongst the weeds, building rubble and general mess of our front yard, I found the most neglected, raggedy and sad looking lavender bush. Heroically, it had beaten the odds and with incredible tenacity had managed a few fragrant blooms.

Ever noticed how happiness is found in the most unexpected of places?

 

 J attends school for three more days before a two week holiday break. Sleep-ins! Yay!!!!

 

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

What exhaustion looks like

 Davy's been working soooo hard. He worked all day Saturday and returning home at 8 pm to re-heated spag bol, I thought he'd fall asleep in his dinner as I snapped this cruel pic. 

Dumpy got his cab back on though and apparently the motor fired up first go. Only a week ago he looked like THIS! Miraculous!

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

my first attempt at a digital mood board. Bah Humbug!

 Well, this little compilation took me 3 hours to put together! 

Lucky for the family that I remembered Domino's deliver! LOL!

I'm so disappointed...it looks bland...

Obviously the three doona selections won't be used simultaneously but it's still so ho-hum. Maybe all it needs are the bright colours that books, Lego and toys can add?

Not rushing to do another room's mood board. I'm feeling pretty underwhelmed.

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

Taking Stock....

The lovely B, from B is Building a House tipped me off about some super Union Jack bed linen for J's room. I think one of the best things about Blogging is this sort of connection with others. You get to know their tastes and suddenly there is a national, if not global community assisting you 'find' that perfect piece! Happy Days!

Home Republic 'Union Jack' available from Adairs

 The tale of this bedlinen though doesn't end here. After gratefully being told of it's existence, I happily on-line shopped the full set. Ye Ha....Love the colours, design and quality! But....

...then I started to take stock of what I'd already bought for J's room. (Which is finished - see pics HERE, but unoccupied as yet) Eeeeek!!!! Talk about Britannia overload! 

So...the purchase was reluctantly returned (with the exception of one wee cushion. he he).

Another pitfall of building slowly (with ever changing decorating tastes) is that instead of 'building' upon the previous decisions, you often go off on a bloody 'what the!' tangent!

So I'm going to have a go at creating some of those swishy mood board thingies.

I usually use a book for this....(previously posted HERE), but it doesn't seem to be keeping me on track this time so I'm willing to try another method.

 Digital or big physical board?

Any suggestions?

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

I need it....I need it not....

If only decision making were as easy as de-nuding a flower!

If you read this little ol' blog of mine regularly, you may know that this build is progressing at a snail's pace. And I am not helping by constantly buying decor for the to-be-finished rooms.

I have the art, not the gyprock, the lounge but not the carpet. Eeeek!

Most of my purchases go straight into storage for that magic day when we can spread out, over two floors instead of being cramped onto one. This decision though is for here and now.

We need a new coffee table for the family room.  

It is our only living space at the moment and the 10 year old leather 'pouffe' is showing signs of far better days.

Already anticipating 'the next' house, I don't want to restrict myself with something too contemporary as I'm visualising a smaller, Hampton's-esque home next. Mid Century styles are therefor eliminated as are anything shiny and glass. But these steel framed, parquetry topped tables have been on my mind for about a year. They seem sturdy and timeless. Time to commit?

What do you think? Will they suit this contemporary build and a more classic style too?

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

My Favourite...Stairs!

 Of all the styles of stairs in the world, my favourite has to be the Helix, preferably a Double!

A much grander and grown up version of the Spiral Staircase, these architectural delights are not for hiding. They are definitely Centre Stage Material!

Modern, traditional, minimal or highly decorative - they're always stunning!

Even the Vatican approves!

 

I'd really love to build a house around such a grand feature one day.

 

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

A question regarding Stairs & Location.

We have built from scratch and fully renovated quite a few homes and through his building company,  David and I have done the same many times over for clients.

My question is this...

WHY, in two storey homes, is the stairwell most usually located in the entry?

The staircase from a scene in "Gone With the Wind"

  I suspect tradition plays a powerful part? In new builds; project home or architect designed - it is expected to be in this location and so it is.

In a renovation the pre-existing location or, if a new one is to be added, the spatial layout combined with budget moreover decide it's placement. 

But what if you have A CHOICE? 

In our last home (a renovation previously posted HERE)  the newly created stairwell was located away from the entry and in the 'core' of the house. This wasn't a design consideration but a response to a 'where can we fit it?' quandary when brainstorming the existing home's potential for transformation. It's final location was practical and accidentially functional!

When I designed our current home (the ongoing project) I placed the main stairwell off the entry. Why? 

Because it lead to the main, public areas of this home - which will be upstairs. With the view.

From the entry the eye and guest is drawn to the stairs and in turn to the upper level.

In most two storey homes however the private areas, such as bedrooms are upstairs....the entering guest is lead sideways to the public zones. Am I making any sense?

Now clearly the importance of making a Grand Entrance down a magnificent staircase was of utmost social necessity in the 'Gone with The Wind' era. They had 'help' to assist in dressing, obtaining midnight snacks and so forth! But speaking from experience and our century's way of living, I'd prefer to dash to the laundry in my undies without passing through this very public area.

I'm positive there's a gazillion hilarious anecdotes that can be told ? !

So, I'd love to hear your thoughts, experiences and preferance in the location of stairwells.

Within a Public or Private zone?

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

Bits & Bobs

You know Spring is definitely here when she can bring forth such beautiful blooms from neglected winter gardens. We don't have any gardens yet.... the house is still perched on a building site but this Australian Native Rock Orchid has given us a beautiful display after being unceremoniously dumped on site. And these orchids below were also hiding in a pile of weeds. Amazing!

 

We went to the State Theatre in Sydney last night to see comedian, musician and wonderful entertainer, Bill Bailey. A terrifc show and great Father's Day present for David. Our first nest-leavers and daughter No. 2 came as well which was perfect. Check out the chandy! Gob-smackingly gorgeous!

We are enjoying some perfect Spring weather here...

Hope you are too!

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

Another shell quandry

 I received this faux tortoise shell lamp base today (pictured above and below). Bought online, it looks OK but the base is damaged and it is much smaller than advertised. The light fixture 'glows' from behind rather than through the fixture which is a really nice effect.

 The two photographs below are of the size I wanted (These were not for sale and were seen elsewhere).

 I think the colouring may be more realistic too.

Apparently the large size is sold out so I'm contemplating keeping the one sent. What do you think?

Of course I'd prefer to buy an antique real shell but that damn 'B' word discounts the idea. 

So far the only affordable antique shells (found and snapped by Daughter # 2) are the wrong colour or too badly damaged for repair.

Perhaps the hunt goes on?

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!