Reno - Weeks 29 & 30

Just when Christmas kicked in and most people took some well-deserved time off, the painters kept the renovation momentum going at the West End Cottage during the holidays. But everyone is back on deck come Monday so we should see a few more of the outstanding jobs being finished very shortly - and there are quite a few to get through before we can move in.

I'm going to show some before/currents again this week to show just how far we've come in six months. This room (previously a living room) is now the space for the kitchen/dining room:

Before

Current

Most of the kitchen joinery has now been fitted. The marble benchtops have been sealed, but we are still keeping them covered up. A bespoke utility rack that was built some time ago has now been painted, but it's not totally complete yet. A panel of decorative glass will stretch across the middle third of the frame and will be backlit (you can see the wires protruding from the wall at both ends). You can't have too much kitchen storage I say.

The original window on the right-hand wall was removed and replaced with an opening that leads into the scullery.

As you can see we've also created an opening in the wall on the left that provides access into the Sitting Room.

The joinery in the Sitting Room, a former bedroom, was also painted during the week:

Before

Current

We still have to install the blackbutt kicks and banquette seat cushions. And to finish the room off I've ordered an armchair and a George Nelson Bubble lamp to hang in the corner of the room, creating a cozy spot to sit and read (if that's at all possible with four small boys.)

Love the detail in the joinery here, including the criss-cross decorative shelf framing:

The painters also undercoated the FC sheets that line the walls on the terrace:

This grey-coloured undercoat is what is usually used when your finished topcoat is a dark colour (i.e. black.) And speaking of black paint, that will be a job for next week - finally getting another coat of black onto the weatherboards at the back of the house:

I've made a few minor alterations to the landscape design I put together a few weeks ago and eleven advanced trees have now been put on hold, waiting for our landscape contractor to commence and plant them into position.

I've even played around with some more fort designs - this one is Option No 2, and is based on a Scandinavian-style Summer House that also mimics the rear elevation of the house. It is perfectly scaled for little people and has a large awning window that can be used for role play (i.e. shop/cafe) and also includes a loft.

I'm thinking about using the above fence detail for the front fence (to replace our old falling-down picket fence which has since been removed.) The question is - should I paint it white or black?