Sunday 19 January 2014

Reno - Week 32

Last week's post on the size of today's housing really struck a chord with many of you - thanks for all the comments. Perhaps there will be a future trend in smaller but better designed homes. Also, I like to think that our renovation has inspired other owners of older-style homes who can't see past the  dark, pokey rooms and flaking paint. There is so much that can be done to turn them into well functioning and beautiful family homes - you just need to have a vision.

There is definitely some pressure to get our house completed now as we must vacate our rental by Monday, 3 February - that only gives us two weeks. With so much left to do and to organise, I'm starting to get very nervous.

This week the timber battens underneath the house were fitted which has really made an impact on the overall appearance of the house:

The old girl finally has a new black skirt
As time passes, I'm finding it more and more difficult to remember the old colour scheme - that is until I start sifting through the old photos:


Not pretty - this was definitely one of the worst houses in the street. But not anymore!

An integrated gate has been put into one side of the screen which will provide access to the backyard and we are just waiting now for the garage door to be installed, a sliding motorised gate to match, which then gives us secure storage underneath the house. We still need to fit the window hoods and screens and the handrails for the stairs and that should pretty much wrap-up the external elements of the renovation.

Out the back, the bricks stairs and paths are currently being finished off:



Once the bricks are grouted they will be acid washed and then sealed. There should be very little maintenance with them after this.

There's still just a bit more external painting to complete - doors and windows. The back of the house looks like this now:



And heading inside - the floor tiles in the bathrooms have now all been laid. Here they are in the ensuite:



The subway wall tiles in the ensuite and kitchen are next in line and that will be another job ticked off the list.

Tiles in the shower
There's been so many little last minute changes along the way, the latest one being the towel rails in both bathrooms. Custom timber towel rails were originally specified but in light of the fact that we are fitting brass framed mirrored cabinets in each bathroom, we decided to add another brass element using these Futagami towel rails:



Unfortunately the supplier is out of stock at the moment - so they will need to be fitted after we have moved in but we can do without them for a couple of weeks I guess.

There is only one week remaining of the school holidays - and yes, I've survived (but only just.) We are all very much looking forward to moving into our new home.




19 comments:

  1. Your house is looking fantastic, bet you are stoked about the choosing the black for the back of the house, it looks fantastic next to the russet of the bricks. And the front of your old girl is looking like some shiny young thing with her new makeover ( cannot show Betsy, she is currently looking like 100 % mutton on the exterior). We have been away at the beach for the last week and just arrived home feeling thankful for the end of the holidays coming into view- it made me feel so much better to see that you too used "surviving" and school holidays in the same sentence! Cannot wait to see your house finished, it is looking amazing. mel x

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    1. Hi Mel - I hope you got to relax at the beach (but if your holidays are anything like mine it just means more stress/more work.) One week to go before school starts! Which just happens to coincide with a move - into an unfinished house - AHHHH. (btw haven't forgotten about the books.) xx

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    2. Thinking of you guys today, hope all has gone well with your move and the start of the school year. mel x

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  2. Oh my, those tiles are scrumptious!!! And nice call with the towel rails. I always enjoy your photography. You have captured elements of the house so beautifully and the character of your delightful boys. No doubt it will be a challenging couple of weeks as you get the boys back to school, finish up the house and move. Wishing you all the best!

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    1. Hi there - yep, very happy with the floor tiles. They are all grouted now (we used the same colour grout for both the floor and wall tiles). As they are stone we are sealing them with a penetrative sealer which will retain their natural look. The panic has already started to set in re the move. xx

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  3. I love the black…so glad you went that route.
    I hope the last of the reno jobs are quick and easy, that you survive the rest of this week, and that the move goes smoothly.

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    1. Hi C - glad we chose the black (although I still can't believe it.) There is still so much left to do and plenty more will have to occur after the move. Not long to go now. xx

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  4. The black weatherboards looks so sleek. And my hubby would be so jealous that you have brass in the bathroom! Nice choice of bath rails. That light at the end of the tunnel must be getting brighter! Xx

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    1. Hi A - big call for a lover of all white! I think it will look even better once the yard is landscaped - black weatherboards and dust are not a good match. I'm a Silver person myself - so I am quite surprised that there are now brass fixtures in the house. So many last minute changes here - a bit scary really. xx

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  5. Hi there, your house is lovely. We are in the final throes of building ourselves and I admire the way you stay so upbeat about it all. Can't say I've been the same! I am in love with your brass towel rails. Please can you share where you sourced them?

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    1. Hi Tamara, trust me - it hasn't been smooth sailing. Building a house (particularly for a perfectionist) is very, very stressful. The towel rails are available from Mr Kitly in Brunswick, Victoria. I believe they are the only importer of Futagami products in Australia. The towel rails come in two sizes 194mm and 355mm long - perfect for hand towels. xx

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    2. Thanks so much Caroline. We're heading to Japan on a holiday (one week before we move in, not the best timing!) so I'm going to track them down over there. Nothing like travelling with a suitcase full of house bits and bobs - that'll confuse the team at customs!

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  6. Caroline the transformation is astounding. I love what you have done. So glad to have stumbled upon your blog!

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  7. It is all looking so stunning. And those lovely boys. Good on you for surviving the holidays.
    Carolyn

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  8. Wow you have made some big changes to your home, its looking fantastic :)
    I have to take heaps of before photos of my renovations to prove just how bad they were before the afters! It makes the impact so much greater when you can compare the two!

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  9. This is not just an ordinary changes, this is great. With that old house, you brought in a classy house that catches the eyes of people who walk around in that place. What I really like in your way of renovating a house is, a old house can turn into shiny mansion.

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  10. Hi Caroline, what a wonderful job you guys are doing and a beautiful design. I have a Queenslander as well and was just looking at your ensuite/robe. Can I ask how you are getting light and air into the ensuite?

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    1. Hi Tanya - the wall between the ensuite and WIR is not full-height so we get light and ventilation from the window in the WIR. Also, we have a ventilated skylight in the ensuite which provides HEAPS of natural light and a view of the sky above as an added bonus. Honestly, you don't notice that there is no window. xx

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  11. You house is looking wonderful Caroline. I love those knockers.

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