Reno - Week 38

"Green door, what's that secret you're keepin?" That old Shakin' Stevens number used to play in my head every.single.time I entered through that front door. And it just so happens that it was one of the very last elements of the renovation to get a full makeover, mainly because I could not find a replacement entry set that I liked (the existing one was a bit too shabby to keep). So after months of putting it off I finally selected one (from the USA) and a few weeks after placing the order it arrived and the front door makeover began.

We replaced the original green front door as it had a rather large gap in the bottom - no good for keeping out cold draughts or vermin for that matter. We used one of the old bedroom doors that had the exact same profile, and after the old flaking paint was stripped away it looked something like this:

From green to pink

The initial idea was to paint the front door in a gloss white paint to match the two windows on either side, but I knew it wouldn't stay white for long - think of four grubby boys pawing at it day after day. A splash of colour would have been a fun option but I couldn't make up my mind so I decided to keep it simple and sophisticated and chose to paint it black:

So after the handle was fitted the only thing left to complete at the front of the house was to put up some privacy screens on both ends of the verandah. The cottage originally had lattice screens on either end, but they were in poor condition and didn't really provide much privacy so we made a last minute call to purchase solid casement windows.

The windows can be opened/closed to control light and breeze and have transformed this space into a lovely outdoor room. They cost approximately $5,000 to be manufactured, painted and installed but I think it was money well spent. The floorboards on the verandah were given a couple of coats of stain so all that's left to do now is find some furniture, plants, etc to turn this space into a perfect spot to utilise during the Winter months as it gets heaps of northerly sun.

And speaking of sun, I can't get over how much glorious light our ensuite is bathed in. I know I've mentioned it before but we don't have a window in this room, so a skylight was the next best option. If you have a damp/dark bathroom, suffer from privacy issues or have no 'special' view to acquire from a window (which is generally a problem small lot housing), do yourself a favour and install a Skydome ventilated skylight. Line the shaft - we have tiled ours all the way up to the roof - and get a clear dome so you can enjoy a view of the sky each time your shower.

Everytime I move house it takes me a while to get my cooking mojo back - I don't know why that is. Probably because things are in different spots and it takes me a while to get familiar with new appliances, etc. But despite this I am enjoying the layout of our somewhat unconventional kitchen design. It just seems to work and flow right for me - and best of all there's no television in sight which means I don't have to listen to any more children's TV while I'm preparing meals.

I also have the best of both worlds by incorporating two benchtop finishes in the kitchen design - calacatta marble and stainless steel. I love both finishes equally and both have their place here - the marble is such an elegant material which provides the perfect backdrop in the eat-in part of our kitchen. And there's no need to be too precious in 'back of house' where all the preparation, cooking and clean up takes place. Here we selected stainless steel for its hard working properties which is also hygienic and easy to clean.

And to finish off another before/after - this week the street elevation. I'd love to be able to fast forward a year or two when all the plants have matured: