Here's The Drum

These are on their way for my kitchen and my shop!

I know, I know, this is becoming rather tedious, my listing off everything in painstaking detail... daily! It's therapy for me though! The end is nigh!

Tile beds have been laid in wet areas (sand and concrete on the floor of my ensuite, butting up against my lovely cabinetry..... rather surreal). Shower screen has been measured up already! Quote of the day, from my tiler, carrying sand and concrete upstairs.... "You have 33 stairs, not including the one that is missing on the bottom level". Poor thing, he would have done that run 20 times, while I was there this morning. I almost felt like taking off my site heels and giving him a hand. Almost.

Air-conditioning fit out tomorrow. Front block wall core filled by the end of the week? Waterproofing sometime next week. Please don't rain - I have no tears left. Plumbing and lighting fit off's next Wednesday 6th and onwards. All this time and I still don't have all my lights. Oh well. Random stone looking a treat - will take a photo tomorrow. Painting will continue until the death knell. Floors sanded and polished 21st May. Cleaning 25-27th May. Move in 28/29th May. Just need the house "move-in-able" and everything else can wait!

Site Update

Image Courtesy Country Living

No house photos this morning as I didn't even get my camera out yesterday... but this beautiful room illustrates the sort of look and 'feel' I am aiming for in my home.

Tiles have arrived and I have been assured that a tiler is materialising today... well I am supposed to be meeting one at 10am this morning, so it's almost a sure thing.

Still sorting out the front retaining slab, steps and driveway. Have had a few very scary quotes so we are getting yet another quote today. Electricians are running conduit around the front for our exterior lighting. I still don't have all my light fittings. Having been so pathetically sick for 8 weeks, I just haven't had it in me and have done the bare minimum to keep my side of the equation going. I can live with those unattractive, temporary plastic light cones if I don't get everything done in time. I can always get the electricians back.

The random stone is being laid out in the pool area. It's just BEAUTIFUL! I have promised my landscapers that I will put their details up on my blog. If anyone in Brissie needs a good landscaper.... I have the man. The best communicator too... isn't that what it's all about... oh and good quality workmanship as well!

The painting is still a happening thing. The white internal gloss doors are better than I ever expected. I so appreciate my painter talking me into gloss and not semi gloss. I figured he has done it thousands of times and I have done the whole paint thing 'nunce' so I was happy to take advice from an expert. Gloss is 'da bomb'! I might just have to do a batch of my Anzac biscuits for the painters. I think they are sick of my "looking good and so's the painting" comments. I bet they can't wait to get this job over and done with.... having to put up with me floating around all day!

Mid next week is when I am assured everything will be happening. The tiler will take about a week to work his magic and then my appliances arrive next Tuesday. Lights and plumbing fixtures will start being installed next Wednesday. Yey, I will be able to serve food on my dining table once I relieve it of all the fittings that I have been stockpiling on it for the past year!

Weekend Photos

Thought you might like to see how the Dulux Antique White USA is coming along. Hubby took some photos yesterday, when he went to check up on the poor soul assigned to dig out behind our retaining wall. Our house faces west so the afternoon light gives the whole place a beautiful warm glow.

Looking into the Great Room from the Hall.

The front porch roof couldn't be a more perfect size to keep direct sun out of the front rooms, in the afternoon. It is a beautiful light home, no matter what time of the day it is.... and the outdoor areas are positioned perfectly too. There is shade over the back lawn right up until midday, due to the neighbours lovely trees. Perfect for my boys to play early morning soccer. The sun shines on the pool nearly all day, theoretically warming up the 'soon to be water' and saving on the need for pool heating .

City glimpses from the top floor..... see?

....see?

Top floor, looking from the boys play room down to the main bedroom. There will be a set of 10-light French Doors in that doorway. They're off being painted. I think the 'Antique White' highlights the cornices beautifully.

Main bedroom, facing the back yard. Skirtings have yet to be painted. Look - sound system speakers in the roof. Our smart wiring guys have been sneaking around doing stuff.

Glass top has been put in the drawers in the robe - small things!

Hopefully we will see a tiler this week and things will start moving along. We have 5 weeks until our lease is up and we are on the street!
A-M xx

Remembering

'Pa-Pa', I am thinking of you this morning, on ANZAC Day. Your great-grandsons are going to make ANZAC biscuits in your memory this morning. I wish you could have met them.
A-M xx

Nothing To Do With Building A House

Second Place!

My 'little one' woke up this morning and said to me, "I have lots of energy today Mum". He sure did. He came 2nd, in his Grade, for the annual Prep School Inter-House Cross Country Championship. He is one of the littlest in his year (like his brother is, like his mother was, like his father was) but he ran like the wind! As my eldest is House Captain he got to accept the Inter-House Cross Country Trophy, as my boys house won! .... the first time their house has won the Championship since 1973. Hubby and I sat savouring the day. What a privilege it is to be our boys parents. A-M xx

Hi Mum... you can stop screaming now.

First time since 1973!

Congratulations from the School Principal.

Happy School Memories.

Today On Site

 Front Balustrade has been done - will be painted gloss white.

Pool coping tiles have been laid. The random stone will radiate out from these formally laid stone tiles.

We LOVE the colours. The grout is a light grey when it is dry.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

LOVE

Footings for the front retaining wall have been poured.

LOOK!!!!!! SPOON DRAINS DOWN THE SIDES - BE STILL MY HEART!!!!!!


LOOK!!!! SILVER WATERPROOFING Z FLASHING STRIPS!

A-M xx

Monday Bed Post and Blog Love

Image Via Brabourne Farm

This 'Monday's Bed' has been 'lifted' from one of my most favourite Australian blogs: Brabourne Farm. You must visit Leigh at her beautiful home. She has absolutely exquisite taste. Her daily posts just soothe the soul. Leigh also has a divine recipe blog that I have been stalking: Brabourne Farm Kitchen. More please Leigh, more!!! A-M xx

To Wallpaper Or Not To Wallpaper

Soubise Wallpaper from the Pompadour Collection - Osbourne and Little

I have been contemplating wallpaper (for one wall in the Great Room and one wall in the Study), for some time now. My tastes have chopped and changed over the past 12 months and now I am not so sure about wallpaper at all (now that my gorgeous 'Dulux Antique White USA' walls are materialising). Despite my indecision, I HAVE been drooling over the new season wallpaper designs due soon from O&L.

Soubise Wallpaper from the Pompadour Collection - Osbourne and Little

Doesn't this fabric to match the wallpaper sound just delicious: "A rose bouquet in the shape of a paisley teardrop, printed in relief in silver and bronze on pure linen with a fine metallic dusting".

Pompadour Marivault - Osbourne and Little

Amalienberg - Designers Guild

Cabriole Duck Egg - Designers Guild

Cabriole Noir - Designers Guild

Believe it or not, hubby just loves the Designers Guild 'Cabriole Noir', above, and can see it, or similar, on the main wall in the study. He reckons his beautiful black desk, with stunning silver lamps either end, would look so fine in front of a wall of this!

Yet, I am thinking....... maybe just do Roman blinds in this design or similar. Is wallpaper too much these days? I am going for a relaxed, neutral, simple feel, with minimal clutter (hence the bookcases). On one hand I love these designs yet on the other I am thinking, "are these designs too eclectic, too bold?" I am not a 'mix it up', 'pattern on pattern' person. I just need to do 'serene'... lots of light, white and simple lines. The office is going to have a lot of black furniture though - desk, library, armchairs, ottoman. What do you think? Can you see any of these in 'The House'? A-M xx

Outside Update

Image Courtesy Annette's Hus

Inspired by Anette's Gates....many moons ago....

Image Via Annette's Hus

.....we've decided on similar ones for our driveway and entrance gates. We are also using this design for our front porch balustrade, which is being constructed now. Thanks Anette!

The start of the front balustrade - it's a beautiful job, lovely thick crosses, just as I envisaged.

Those crosses on the windows upstairs are our 'lock up' - lumps of wood theoretically keeping the vandals out. We can jimmy them to get in though, on the lower level!

Image Courtesy www.realestate.com.au

It's funny, once you see something you like, you see it everywhere. This house is in the next suburb to us!

From the front entrance gate, we will have a path, leading up to the porch steps, in the same random stone that we are using out the back, on the terrace and around the pool. Hopefully it will look just like this:

We emailed this picture to our landscapers, to confirm we were on the right page with the look we want, for the terrace, pool and front path. He informed us that, in order to achieve this finish, the pieces of stone are cut and then hand chipped so as to not show obvious signs of cutting. It's going to cost about 10% extra than the original quote to soften the edges. Am I being too precious wanting this detail? He's going to send us through some photos of a job, where the tiles were just cut and not hand chipped, to help us decide.

Coping stone has been started around the pool. We are having the square shaped tiles to fill out a rectangle shape around the pool and then the rest of the stone tiles will be random stone, in the whole pool and back terrace area.

Stone laid out minus grout. Not the best photos, but we just love the colours - grey, beige, 'greyish beige' - love them!

Rumour has it that the footings for the front retaining are being started on Monday and our tiler starts next Thursday. There was no-one on site yesterday!! which surprised us as our contract end date has come and gone, and we are now really watching the clock. A-M xx

PS Can't help myself. 'Weeping Wall' update - still weeping... I've stopped weeping though, now that our supervisor has promised to fix it up!

Weeping Wall