Year of The House: September update

  #YOTH15 update for Sea-Spray #2:  

I promised you that September would be a Progress-Packed month and it certainly has been.
David has devoted allot of time working here at home so, there's lots to report! 

  Carpet installed to Playroom, Main, J's and Guest Bedrooms!

Playroom carpeted and lounge in place!

 WE MOVED UPSTAIRS!!!!!! 

Occupying Main Bedroom at last. Art hung. Those lamps are too big! Eeek!

Guest Bedroom ready for visitors!
 

As we have now vacated this room, it's ready for guests! Love my charcoal carpet!

Ordered this bed for one of the downstairs bedrooms as an update. 

Image via Freedom

  Stone top for playroom, Custom entertainment unit delivered and all pieces assembled.

Now to get the telly installed!

  The custom joinery robe for the Guest bedroom has been installed, ready for painting.

TIP: We saved a motsa here by ordering craftwood doors for us to paint in satin enamel, the same as all the other doors in the house. The difference between doing this and ordering two-pac saved thousands!

The fireplace for the main lounge is ready to be collected. Yippee!
David just waiting for some 'muscles' to help collect and unload here. The supplier doesn't deliver. WTF?

  Kitchen and Laundry joinery installed!

Main Kitchen Install: Lots of 'missing' pieces!

 With two big installs at one time, there were bound to be a few hiccups! We are missing drawer and door fronts, trim pieces, an appliance and oven cupboard to name a few. Pretty pics will have to wait! This week I will organise for the stonemasons to come and template the bench tops....
 

Laundry / Kitchenette; Still some parts to come too...

 Stone Walling feature stone delivered 

$500 delivery fee on this lot. The added cost of building in a regional area!

Custom steel handrail for internal stairs installed!

The fixing plates will be hidden in wall & behind a timber riser.

Frameless Glass balustrades for top decks installed.

Support sticks there till grout dried only!

Ordered Faux Grass for Poolside deck area.

Was able to get only one Fencing quote! Accepted this and installation is now complete!

A 5' fence was installed...it's now 6' as ordered. Ooops!

Timber Flooring installed to all areas; upper and lower halls, stairs, study, lounge, dining and kitchen.
 

Study looking a bit Ho-hum.

We decided to wall hang David's desktop. The supports will be painted the wall colour but the whole room looks pretty ordinary. It looks worse now with all the busy paraphernalia a working office contains. Think I'm going to just figuratively and physically, 'shut the door' on this room for awhile!

Lounge room Bookcase shelves installed.

Waiting to be painted now...

I haven't done much blogging as we've been so busy with the house and life in general. 
I'm popping updates on Instagram more frequently if youre interested in the 'gaps'! 

Renovating? Building? Got some House Projects to complete?

Join in! #YOTH15

(also on instagram of course!) 

Missed the progress? Catch up here:

August

July

June

April / May

February / March
January / February

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog.

You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback!

Year of The House: update

Half way through the year, we remain committed to our January pledge to action some major progress at La Hacienda.
And I probably should stop calling it that, as there is nothing remotely Mexican about the house.
When we bought here, the existing house (now demolished) was called Sea-Spray and we kept the house-name sign to restore and re-badge the new build...
 

Sea-Spray #1!

So...., here's the latest #YOTH15 update for Sea-Spray #2: 

 JUNE
 Continued to seek quotations for joinery...
J's bathroom / powder room, shower screen and mirror installed.

 P.C.s fitted to J's bathroom / powder room. Room complete! YAY!
David & I tiled our main bedroom en suite walls. *pats self!*
Custom shaving cabinet and vanity installed to main bedroom en suite.
Main bedroom en suite, Shower screen, niche shelving, W.C door and mirror ordered and installed.

Rendering quotes received and one accepted.
Scaffolding erected to rear of house.

Electrician installed data points throughout house.
Decided on, and ordered carpet. 6-9 week lead time! WTF!?

Cavalier Bremworth Inscape and Verve: in Slate, Carpets

Main bed wardrobe fit out complete. Yippee!!!!

 
Bath installed to Main Bedroom En suite.
Joinery quote received for custom entertainment unit for playroom.
Rendering starts and coat one complete!

Finally found a new tiler!

ON A ROLL......!!!!

Renovating? Building? Got some House Projects to complete?

Join in! #YOTH15

(also on instagram of course!) 

Missed the progress? Catch up here:

April / May

February / March
January / February

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. 

You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback!

Bits 'n Bobs AND a progress report

 School holidays have started here (Whoop! Whoop!) and my gorgeous nieces, aka the Glamourzons, nephew and SIL are visiting. YAY!

We're in a mess house wise, but who cares? ! We're planning on an overseas jaunt to Asia with them next year so we'll be dreaming and scheming....

The house progress is continuing. I'll do a YOTH update soon. At this point there's lots of quote gathering and budget balancing. Boring but practical foundations for getting the house finished! 

The carpet has FINALLY been ordered and although the 6-9 week lead time seems excessive, (slow boat from from New Zealand!) the time frame will probably suit us well.

I chose Cavalier Bremworth Inscape (pictured left) for all the upstairs areas and also for the insert piece in the family room, located on entry level. A less dense, shorter napped version called Verve (above, right) will go in the downstairs bedrooms to help us stay within our newly formed budget. It's the same colour (why they look different in the pics is beyond me) and both are solution dyed nylon for colour fastness and durability.

 The main bedroom robe fit out is complete and I'm slowly 'moving' things into it and unpacking stored clothes (many which no longer fit me...*sob*) 8 bags for Vinnies and counting!

I decided on simple white laminate, without drawers, which was cost effective. I added one drawer only to a 'dressing table' area. (The missing bit on the left in the image above is now fitted!) The drawers in our last home's WIR were used mostly for shoes and since we I have a designated shoe cupboard, I thought the open shelves would suffice. And of course we have bedsides and a beautiful bone-inlay chest in the main bedroom too!

I'm considering fitting the dressing table drawer with jewelery trays for ease of access. The pics on the left below, are from the 'Stackers' range available from Howard's Storage World. My inspiration  image is on the right...

 The range from HSW is limited, but an online search revealed a plethora of configurations available from UK and US stockists via Fishpond.com.au. Has anyone bought via them? Comments?

Some artwork has arrived here too in readiness for the project wrap up....(LMFAO!) 

Frustratingly, I think it's wise to not unwrap the African painting (had been on layby for eons..) nor the recently framed Kara Rosenlund print as they're better protected from the persistent dust as they are. 'Gilbert' has been slotted into a cost-effective  Country Road ready-made frame in preparation for J's bedroom.

Calm Before                                                                                 Muhammad Ali Miami 1961

My recent infatuation with Trevor Mein's photographic artwork and our fiscal predicament led me to purchasing 'Calm Before' on a whim (well, not really... I posted about it HERE) and, oops! 

 It's OK, and will fill a spot, but ultimately, I already know it's no substitute. Which leads me to the Powder room art quandary I posted about recently. 

What do you think of the Muhammad Ali underwater, boxing training artwork??? 

Ticks a few boxes....?

We have found a new tiler (Alleluia!) and I am SO excited about him starting in a few weeks. All further progress seems to hinge on him doing his bit - first! 

Renderers are engaged to start in a week and the scaffolding has been erected in preparation, so we are all systems go with finishing the exterior.

And on a family finale...both our nest leavers are on the move again, so we'll be shuffling and storing lots of additional bits 'n pieces. Gotta laugh....

Never a dull moment!

x KL

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You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback!

shoe cupboard

 Well, Davey finally got round to fitting out my the main bedroom shoe cupboard! Yippee!!!!

 You'll note that there is no mirror backing or wallpaper inside as lusted for HERE.

It was deemed too frivolous and a waste of money. Oh, Poohey! Oh well, I win some debates; it was obviously my turn to concede defeat.

I must say that I have allot of shoes; not for long though...

Upon unpacking boxes that have been in storage for 5 years, I found shoe heights that I now cannot walk in (eek!) and others that have become too small. W.T.F ? !

My feet have gotten fatter along with me apparently and my shoe size has increased from a 6 / 6.5 to a definite 7 / 7.5! ^# %&* (& $#%&@  !!!!

Anywho, life's like that, isn't it?

Although I had visions of my shoe wardrobe looking like this:

...the truth and contents are far more mundane. And, to be realistic, if I throw my shoe packaging away, how will I store them if one day we move and I am sans cupboard?

I decided to keep them in their original boxes (less dusting too) but they look so damn shop-storeroom-like now. I considered photographing each item and gluing it on the front of the box for easy content identification or cutting a peep hole to view but...

 ...some boxes have seen better days..and I'd like uniformity.

 Soooo, along with a squillion peoples before me, I am in search of attractive shoe boxes.

My first bit of research led me to Pinklily and Howard's Storage World.

They were too exy for the quantity I'd require. The Big W versions were recommended by a friend and were the cheapest option at $1.50 per box, but I think they look flimsy. ? And images of robes with multiple stacks looks messy! Ikea versions are fabric which I think would get grotty . . .

Then my thoughts returned to the humble shoe box.

If uniform in size and colour....

...and I was shocked at how expensive they are too. Even if purchased in bulk / wholesale!

I needed to think / look 'outside the box', and be creative.

And then I found these...

KASSETT Box with Lid from Ikea. They're designed for the office but for me they're perfect for shoe storage...
Cleanable / sturdy; tick!

Uniform in size and colour (black or white); tick!

Can be re purposed should we move; tick!
Very well priced; Tick!

With labelling space too!

Guess where I'm heading on Monday? 

Have you got any other suggestions I should consider?

x KL 

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Adoring Adore!

 The latest edition of Adore Home Magazine popped into my inbox today and it's a beauty! 

Click HERE to read the full online issue.

I loved the wardrobe focus..

....especially the peep inside Greg Natale's own immaculate and stylish robe.

 Brisbane jeweler, Chelsea De Luca's flagship store is featured and full of Black and White decorating inspiration. I L.O.V.E. the 3D panelling at the rear of the shop....an easy but stunning effect to perhaps reproduce at home.

There's also a great article on Aaron Bourne's home wares store Harold's Finishing Touches. I've been a long standing admirer of his quirky taste...if I ever had my own store it would definitely look very similar! Excitingly, the store will go online soon....Hip Hip Hooray!

 

 More Black and White goodness to be inspired by....

 .

 and great party decoration ideas too! Could definitely see our 50th Birthday celebrations occurring over this gold hued table setting. More food (LOL) for thought! 

x KL

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Ready for a new season????

Are you getting New Season fashion adverts in your inbox?

Whilst sweltering in 40 + degrees I'm being inundated with Autumn Winter look-books containing jumpers, jackets and jeans! 

W. T. F. ?

I was not even remotely interested in buying heavier clothing at the moment but I then received Wanted Shoes New Season catalogue. It can't help to LOOK, can it? 

Below are their Bronte (left) and Buddy (right) boots.

Remind you of anything???

Isabel Marant Jenny (above left) and Rivet ? (right).

Blatant rip-offs but affordable at considerably less moolah than the original designer's item.
(Like, h e l l o.... under a quarter!And still made from leather!)

Till 'The Money Pit' is finished here, the real deal will have to provide inspiration only!
Sorry Issy...I dream of one day making it up to you....

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!

Lustworthy Wardrobes!

Although upstairs is now sheeted, with the setting, painting, tiling, fit-out tasks still to do means we're a long way off from inhabiting the area.  In all fairness, the area is equal to, if not greater than that of an average 3 bedroom home!

I've asked David if he can prioritise the setting of our main bedroom wardrobes so that I can utilise the space sooner than later. 3 years is a  l o n g  time to have clothes on portable racks and shoes stored in removalist boxes!

This brings me to lust worthy ideas for wardrobe fit outs. I first saw this mirror idea over at B is building a house.

I love everything about this robe; the contemporary hanging rails, chandelier lighting and crisp gloss two pack but it's the mirror back that makes it spectacular and visually doubles it's size.

It also makes it one very expensive fit-out!

My alternative idea? Wallpaper backing.

Whilst nowhere near as arresting, it still adds a lovely surprise to the inside of the robes and lifts them out-of-the-ordinary. David's not sold on the idea..."Why.hide expensive wallpaper? Paint is cheaper"

What are your thoughts?

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!