Saturday 17 August 2013

Reno - Week 10

Thanks to some mighty fine sunny weather we had this week, there's been more good progress on the house. All the steel posts for the extension have now been fixed into position and the substrate flooring was nailed down which means I can finally walk around the new part of the house:


Eventually 130mm blackbutt timber floorboards will be laid over the top, however we are using a narrower timber profile in the corridors.

The builder has also made a start on framing up the boys' bedrooms and the built-to-boundary wall. The photo below shows the view across the terrace from the main house and gives you an indication of (what will be) soaring ceilings in the boys' bedrooms:

Corridor link between the cottage and the new extension
The above elevation will eventually look something like this after the bricklayers return to complete their part of the job:

The fireplace and chimney will make quite a statement

Our neighbour's view of the adjacent unit block (a view they have enjoyed for the past 40 years) is slowly disappearing, and once the roof and weatherboard cladding goes up they will forget it was ever built:


And speaking of views, this will be my view from the kitchen (which is centrally located across the site) out to the back fence. I will also be able to look across in the opposite direction out towards the street, providing a long line of sight and increasing the feeling of space.


Most windows on small lot housing generally face directly across to the neighbouring house, which can be located only metres away, so this is a far, far better outcome.

15 comments:

  1. It's all coming together now! The lovely fine clear Winter days were certainly a blessing for you. Will you have much privacy from the units once it's finished?

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    1. Yes, definitely heaps of privacy. There are no windows in the new addition that face towards the units. In fact most of the natural light in the corridor and wet areas will come from the glazing that surrounds the courtyard on two sides. In fact the courtyard and other outdoor spaces will will be out of view from the residents next door - great design by great architect. xx

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  2. It is amazing to see it come to life...and it looks as good in real life as it did in the drawings!

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    1. Yes, it is very exciting seeing this project finally come to life (it's been years in the making.) xx

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  3. Wow those ceilings will be fantastic for the boys and bet your neighbours are excited about the new outlook too. I love seeing the cutout for the tree (being the lover of curves that I am), it is going to be beautiful out in your courtyard, and you see lots of lush green from your kitchen, fantastic. mel x

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    1. I did not know about your love of curves - there are HEAPS of curve details throughout the house which has become a bit of a theme. I am putting a tabbie (pink trumpet tree) in the back corner of the garden, so there will also be a spray of pink (screening the brick house over the back fence) to admire from the kitchen. xx

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    2. Ooh that is exciting that you are getting a Tabebuia, hopefully you can work out how to get them flowering, mine is three years old and is growing but no flowers yet. I definitely have a curve love, and have collected quite a few bits of furniture with them AND have a sneaky secret curve in my kitchen that I haven't blogged about. Fingers crossed it works. mel x

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  4. Awesome stage of development and sooo exciting I am sure. I love how the architect who has designed your extension has met your requirements, while also being sympathetic to the needs of your neighbours - they must be ecstatic about getting a nice fresh build next door that screens out those units! And speaking of screening, besides the tabbie tree, are you building a new fence at the bottom of the garden as well? Can't wait to see the next update :-)

    Cheers, Col

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    1. Hi Col, There is a 1.8m high wire fence on the rear boundary, and as it's in good condition we will leave it in situ, however we are planting a hedge in front of it to provide some privacy. xx

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  5. Can't wait to see it all finished, it's really looking amazing. Are bricks going in throughout the place, or just in a few key spots? Edwina.

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    1. Hi Edwina, Thanks. The bricks mainly feature around the terrace with the outdoor fireplace being the focal point of the design. xx

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  6. Looking good! The boys must be excited to see there space taking shape. We have chosen blackbutt flooring too. I'm looking forward to seeing it installed.

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    1. Hi, yes they are a lot more excited about it now. We initially told them that their bedrooms were underneath the terrace - they complained about the lack of windows! xx

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  7. Hi Caroline
    It's really coming together now. I am really enjoying following the progress. We are moving along with our renovations, I'd love to hear what you think!
    http://billiemakesahome.info/?p=606
    Billie

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  8. This is looking awesome Caroline. Super exciting. I love the way you have orientated the windows from the kitchen so you will have that long view all the way to the back fence and in the other direction to the front rather than straight into the neighbours - VERY clever! Mel x

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