This may come as something of a shock, although to those who know us well you won’t be entirely surprised. We are SELLING our house! Yes, that’s right, this beautiful, newly renovated and recently decorated house is going on the market this coming weekend with an auction in October.
The house is for sale through Belle Property and you can see the listing here and on realestate.com.au here.
To be honest, it’s been the strangest and probably most difficult decision we have ever made and one that came about entirely by accident. We were not thinking about moving, were very happy in Sydney and loving this house, but an opportunity came up which I will talk about more in the coming weeks and we have decided to move on.
For more information about the house, inspection times, photos and plans, you can contact visit the listing online here and here or contact our agents Matt 0411 606 662 and Tania on 0412 327 233 from Belle Property, Seaforth on 9948 0292.
So here we are in 2014. Happy new year! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and fabulous New Year’s Eve celebration. I’m writing this post on my iPad and it’s the first time I’ve used the WordPress app, so bear with me while I try to get my head around it. I don’t know how the layout will look, but fingers crossed it doesn’t look too bad.
We moved into the new house a week before Christmas, although it took three truck loads over two days as the
removalists rather underestimated how much stuff we had when they quoted. The old house looked pretty sad all empty. The photos below show how much stuff wouldn’t fit in the truck and was left behind on the front lawn while they scrambled for another truck.
But it all arrived safely in the end (except the gingerbread house) and we got the house ready for Christmas as quickly as possible. The kids are settling in well, although Poppy keeps talking about going back to our real house in Sydney. We are slowly getting unpacked and sorted, although we seem to be creating more mess than anything else. Trying to work out what goes where and how everything will fit and work. We still have about 20 boxes that I haven’t tackled yet, but we just wanted to get organised to enjoy Christmas before ploughing through it all. It was emotional moving but we are enjoying our new digs and it feels like we never left. The house and pool are fabulous and spacious and it’s amazing having so much room.
It’s been a few weeks since I posted despite my best intentions, as I had hoped to keep you updated the moment we moved in. But we are still without internet access despite my having organised it with Telstra in November. It seems despite being only 10 minutes to town we are unable to get ADSL, or mobile broadband, so our next best option is via a local provider and radio tower. But we won’t find out if we can get the signal until next week. Our reception on the iPhones and iPad is slow and patchy at best, so it’s been tricky keeping in touch via the blog or social media. My husband was hoping to work from home a few days a week, but is having to rent a serviced office in the meantime in order to get half decent internet access and be able to work. I hope it’s sorted soon so I can get back to regular posts and updates, but if I’m out of touch for periods that’s why.
I’ll post some pics of our Christmas next, if this post works.
Mel
Who knew it would be such a long time between drinks (posts), or that it would take over 18 months to get the internet connected at our new house (it’s still snail slow) or that I would enjoy living in the Southern Highlands quite so much. But it has, it did and I do. So after a much longer break from blogging than I anticipated, but thoroughly enjoyed, and after finishing our big renovation/decorating project and immersing myself in this wonderful Highlands life, while working on client projects in Sydney, I am back to share it all with you.
Welcome back to the blog. I’m so glad you’re still here!
Firstly, you should note that the blog is no longer called Georgica Pond, nor is it Georgica Pond Interiors or Georgica Pond anything. Those of you who have followed me from the start, will know the trails and tribulations I have gone through with the name and resulting confusion and frustration. But once my design business got into full swing and I began dealing with suppliers and a plethora of business people by email and phone, I can’t tell you how many times I was called Georgica, Georgia, Georgie, Georgeeca etc etc. I mean like hundreds of times. It was doing my head in and I realised that it probably wasn’t such a stupid mistake if I was honest with myself, after all nobody here has heard of that particular tiny village in the Hamptons, so it probably wasn’t altogether daft to assume it was my name. But what really annoyed me was when people who had called me Melinda for ages, suddenly starting calling me Georgica. I mean, what the? I couldn’t stand it anymore. So it turned out my husband was right, it was a silly choice and I have now reclaimed my business, renamed and rebranded to Melinda Hartwright Interiors. Simple. No more confusion, just me, my name, my brand.
Everything from Pinterest, to Facebook, Instgram, Twitter and beyond is now under my new name, so be sure to update your social media followings. Can I also suggest that you resubscribe to the blog (enter your email address on the right) as I don’t have a lot of faith in Feedburner converting the subscriber list to the new website name and feed.
Life in the Highlands is fabulous. We have wonderful friends, terrific schools, a great community and are enjoying every aspect of life here. The family are all well, children growing like weeds, loving their new schools and thriving in this country life. Charlie is soon turning 9, Poppy about to be 6 and Amelia (she calls herself Mimi) turned 3 recently. The kids have grown a lot as you can see, and although they missed the blue house for a long time when we first moved here, now that the renovation is complete and it looks similar to the old house, they are settled and happy.
Tom is as happy as the proverbial pottering around his 5 acres of garden on the weekends, working tirelessly on creating a beautiful garden. He loves it.
We have had some wonderful holidays over the past 18 months, including a recent trip to the UK and Spain for family reunions of mine and Tom’s family. A highlight was staying at the amazing Babington House in Somerset, which I posted about a few years back. Such an amazing experience which I will share.
Tom and I will be celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary in November. We make a great team. We are excited to be going to stay at the new stunning Halcyon House at Cabarita Beach, designed by Anna Spiro. I’ll be sure to report back on every gorgeous detail.
Jessica Ross Photography
I have been working hard on a few projects in Sydney, and still doing lots of mini consultations. I’ll post photos as they are completed. It has been a bit of a juggle keeping up with projects and staying on top of things, while being a mum of three kids and fully involved in everything that’s going on down here, so I am now trying to focus work in the local area. So if you live in the Highlands and would like my help, I’d love to hear from you.
The renovation of this house was quite a major project and to make it even more challenging we decided (actually Tom decided!), that we should live in the house during the work, to be around to supervise and to save money on rent we would have paid. Seemed like a good idea at the time, and by the end of the it we were all wishing we hadn’t, including our builder who was very long suffering but said he would have paid the rent to have us out of his hair! But I do think it had its benefits and being around daily to keep an eye one everything, give instructions, make decisions, check on work and keep everything moving made a big difference. Our builder was brilliant and it’s the first time I have enjoyed the experience as well as the outcome. There will be lots of posts to come about every room and transformation but here’s a quick reminder.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
One of the wonderful things about living in the Highlands is that we definitely get four distinct seasons. And as the gardens are predominantly designed and planted with European trees around here, you get a glorious show of colour and change of character with every season.
A few days after we got back from our trip to Europe where we had survived the heatwave and daily temperatures in Spain of over 38 deg, we woke up on a Friday morning to discover this had happened stealthily overnight. It was spectacular! The whole of Bowral was blanketed in snow, schools were shut, power gone, roads closed, the town brought to a standstill. So the kids made the most of the day building snowmen. Haven’t seen snow like this in the area for over ten years. It was magical.
We have named our house “Bathampton”, which is a named Tom chose because he loves the town Bathampton in England, near where his family lives in Bath. And it seemed like a good fit.
Here’s a little sneak peak of what’s in store when I introduce you to the new and improved “Bathampton” over the coming months.
Finally, I must say a huge thank you to everyone for your enduring and enthusiastic support of me, my work and the blog. Thanks for sticking around.
Thank you everyone for the kind comments and lovely compliments you made last week after the first kitchen post, revealing the transformation of our once dingy and impractical kitchen to a bright, pretty and functional family space. Now for part two, the completed kitchen.
I designed the kitchen inch by inch first in my mind then on paper. I had a folder 4 inches thick of inspiration images, sketches, references and tear sheets. I knew exactly what I wanted in every detail, so it was just a matter of make it come to life with the right joiner at the right price!
My first rule, always use drawers. I never have cupboards, and especially not corner cupboards or ones with a folding door. I think they are a nightmare and you end up putting things in that you can’t see or reach and ultimately never use. So I only have drawers, of various widths and depths, and even if they are doors on the outside for the design feature, I put pull out drawers on the inside. I design my drawers with my appliances and crockery etc in mind, to make sure they will fit.
I had a checklist of features I wanted in the kitchen such as the proud skirting, the corner posts, the profile and joinery details, the hearth over the stove, the display ledge, the drawer profile, the open shelving on either side of the stove, the sink, appliances, glass cabinets mixed with solid, the height of the cabinets, cornices. I had done several sketches of these details and photos taken on trips to the US where I had visited kitchen showrooms and take countless photos of details I loved. I managed to incorporate most of them into the design and then found a someone to recreate my vision. It was a painstaking, long and involved process finalising each detail, and I’m sure I drove them nuts with my irritating perfectionism, but it was well worth it.
The space itself posed a number of issues and forced compromise on things I wish could have been different, but when you are working within an existing house and room foot print and not from scratch, you have to make the best of what you have. I only had one relatively short wall to use, which was immediately taken up with the stove/oven, fridge and a few cabinets. I had nowhere to put a butler’s or walk in pantry as much as I would have loved one, so had to make use of the two sections of wall either side of the French doors. One has the pantry and the other is more for display and houses the coffee and tea making paraphernalia. It still isn’t ideal and I don’t have enough pantry space by half, but it was the best I could get given the wall space.
I considered all kinds of tapware, but after my last experience buying taps from the US I was sure I wasn’t going to risk that again. So all my tapware was sourced locally. I would have loved to have a stunning English Tapware set in polished nickel, but budget is always a constant pest and this one with the accompanying vegetable spray was a lovely next best thing.
The island is a fabulous size and width, and anchors the kitchen in the large open space. I always like seating at the island as the kids are still young and eat there, and invariably guests always gather in the kitchen, no matter how many comfy seating areas you have elsewhere. Again, I would have liked a few other features in the island such as a book shelf for cookbooks, a larger bin drawer and somewhere for hanging tea towels, but space was the issue.
In this kitchen I admit I completely favoured aesthetics over function in many instances. It might not be the most user friendly, state of the art or practical kitchen I could have designed, but it sure is pretty! All the detail on the cabinetry looks gorgeous but admittedly it is a nightmare to keep clean as there are so many surfaces to catch dirt, dust and grime, so it’s a bit-weekly job to keep clean. Not that I do it bi-weekly, but if I was more particular I would!
In my last few kitchens I have always chosen a stainless steel sink with draining board, because I had favoured the function over the form. But this time I blew that off and just went with something I loved, which is a farmhouse or butler’s sink. Again, I do miss the draining board and they are very practical, but this just looks so lovely. I do find though that you always end up forfeiting one sink for the dish rack or drainer, and it’s always full of hand washed stuff, so I never have two clear sinks to use.
The kitchen bench tops are higher than I have had before, these are 950mm as suggested by the joiner. This was because it’s supposed to be easier on your back, but I hated it at first and found it took a lot of getting use to. My chopping arm used to ache at first, but I’ve adjusted now. It is in proportion with the scale of the kitchen and height of the ceilings which are 3m, but it also means the wall cabinets are higher than usual which can make the top shelves hard to reach.
I decided on two tall dish drawers and I’m so glad I did. However, we did have a hiccup a few months in when I noticed these awful stains appearing in the marble. They would appear for a few days then go again, then reappear and couldn’t be cleaned off. I thought I was going mad and when I complained to the marble company they clearly thought I was in the wrong and tried to lay blame on me for doing something or using some product I shouldn’t. I finally convinced them with photos to visit and it was then that we worked out the problem.
The steam from the dish drawers was escaping into the cavity underneath the slab and being absorbed by the marble, turning it darker. The location depended on which machine I had used, the length of the cycle and temperature in the kitchen, which was why it was so random and why it would disappear as it dried out. Who was responsible for this is still a moot point. The dish drawers were not plumbed in as they should have been on installation so that the steam could escape into the waste pipe. Instead it was being trapped under the bench. On the flip side, the other argument was that there should have been vents built into the skirting so that the steam could also escape that way. Regardless, the problem has now been fixed by the appropriate plumbing and everyone was hugely relieved it was so simple and effective a solution.
My tip, when you buy appliances for your kitchen or laundry is to make sure everybody, including you, reads the installation instructions so that mistakes aren’t made and important details overlooked.
I had originally wanted the kitchen cabinets to go up to the ceiling without a gap or need for a bulkhead, and I designed it with an extra row of a mix of solid and glass fronted cabinets, mostly for display and also to house the ducting for the range hood. I do love that look and it makes the room and kitchen just flow beautifully without the interruption of the break, and makes the room seem bigger and ceilings higher. But when it came to costing it, this extra row of cabinets added an extra $10k to the price, so I reluctantly had to forgo them. However, I think making the hearth higher and still grand hopefully achieved a similar effect.
It did pose a problem with the range hood, where to duct and extract the fumes and smoke, now that there was a gap, so I had to resort to a charcoal filter based range hood which is meant to clean the smoke and fumes as they rise, and allow clarified air into the room. However, the smoke alarms go off regularly when I’m cooking something on the stove on high heat, so clearly they aren’t that effective. Another lesson learned!
The splashback tile is a glazed hand painted Spanish tile. I was going to use marble mosaics and found some stunning patterns in a marble factory in China, but decided on the blue as I felt the kitchen needed a bit of colour and a focal point amongst all the white. I don’t have problems with the grout getting dirty or being hard to clean at all, so never worry about having a tiled splash back.
I bought most of my lights in the US and had them shipped over, although a few were also bought locally. I have a whole other post on buying lights from overseas, converting and the lessons I have learned there, expensive ones of course.
All in all, it’s a beautiful space that I love and am proud of, and is a wonderful beating heart of our home. It’s bright and sunny, has lovely view of the garden, is central and open, it’s pretty and welcoming and cosy at night. Ok, if I’m completely honest, it’s not the best designed kitchen from a storage, function or practical point of view, but I made choices and decisions knowing the consequences or benefits, and you can’t have everything! But I do so love pretty.
I was initially excited about having a timber floor when we bought this house, the herringbone pattern was fabulous and it made the house feel old and grand. But once we moved in and I realised the terrible condition it was in and how much is was going to cost to restore and maintain it, the appeal wore thin.
As many of you would know, we installed vinyl floors in our previous house which were very realistic wide timber planks in a dark stain. I loved them and few could tell they weren’t real. They were hard wearing, easy to keep clean, would take anything the kids and pets could throw at them, relatively cheap to lay compared to timber and didn’t require any maintenance.
I deliberated for months about whether to replace these timber floors with vinyl flooring and I’m now sorry I didn’t. It was really only because some people suggested we wouldn’t be doing justice to the house if we used vinyl, but I now don’t agree. I wish we had ripped it up in many ways, and here’s why.
The original floors hadn’t been looked after and were very badly worn, faded, scratched and split. The sun and wear had changed the original colour drastically as you can see below, where the kitchen island was removed. This shows the original colour and stain on the inside of the rectangle (with a few new pieces added to fill in the gaps left from old pipes), and the colour it had become on the rest. I loved the pattern but we wanted dark walnut with no red or orange tones.
The previous owners had large sisal area rugs which had a badly perished rubber underlay stuck to the timber and the floor had faded badly around these too as you can see below, in the areas near the windows. So not only was my concern that we had to revive the floors, but my worry was also about the ongoing maintenance of them and having to repeatedly deal with this issue in the coming years. Not to mention the ongoing cost. Hence my preference for pay-once-for-it vinyl.
We also knew we had to add a whole new section of flooring once we knocked down the kitchen wall, because the adjoining room had been carpeted and we had issues with levels, subfloor and other problems to consider and resolve. This made laying the vinyl floor a bit more challenging too.
I could see that we would have problems getting the stain right, getting the gloss level right, and having a house full of kids and animals, muddy boots, chairs being pushed across the floor etc. I could see it was going to be a never-ending issue, but I was swayed by general opinion that it would be sacrilege to cover up a genuine timber parquetry floor with the fake kind. It seemed a reasonable argument. Mmmmm…
So once we decided to keep the floor it took a lot of time and hassle to find someone who could do it and was prepared to take on the challenge. Plus we were nearing the critical Christmas deadline and few were able to fit us in. Again this pressure to be in for Christmas was a crucial factor and contributor to things ultimately going wrong.
I found a company based in Mosman (no names), who came down and told me they could do the job, having done a similar floor in upmarket restaurants in Sydney and even James Packer’s house. I didn’t care whose floors they had done and wasn’t convinced or confident somehow, but I was stuck between a rock and a hard place with time and money running out. It was going to cost $18,000 (a bitter pill to swallow) to add the new section, then sand and stain the floor to our desired colour. Although no guarantees were made about the colour because of the underlying red in the brush box.
We also had issues with the flooring where it crossed the subfloor where an extension of the sunroom had been done previously. One section of the room where the dining table is was on bearers and joists, and the sunroom side was on a concrete slab. This was causing the floor to move and gaps had appeared over time running the full length of the room. The flooring company in Sydney said it had been badly done by the local flooring company originally and that they would fill the gaps with putty, repair and stain and they should disappear and look like new.
The problem I had was a timing issue. We only had a few weeks until Christmas, the builders were still working and the painters had only just begun. But unless I had the floors done at that time, I had to wait until February for them to fit us in. So I really had no choice unless we wanted to live out of the shipping container full of our stuff parked in the driveway for another few months.
We had to remove everything from all the floor areas, so bits of furniture was taken outside on the veranda, some piled up to the ceiling in other rooms, most put in the shipping container. It was a nightmare to live like that not being able to find anything, tidy up, or even sit down for what turned out to be about 5 weeks.
And I can’t begin to tell you what a mess the dust made. Of course, they didn’t suggest we cover up or block anything, insisting that the dust bags on the back of the sanders would suck up all the dust. I should have known better, but I think by that point I was so over it I didn’t really care what happened anyway. But I am still wiping out the wardrobes in the bedrooms where I find red dust even now that managed to make its way upstairs. Below is the thick layer rest dust that settled on the top of the kitchen shelf. You get the idea…imagine that all over the entire house.
And below on the handrail going up the stairs! Honestly, cleaning the entire house from top to bottom, every single surface, inside every cupboard, wiping down dust stuck in my computer keyboard, every skirting and timber profile, the carpets, on pens and every household item lying around, washing almost everything that could go in the washing machine….it nearly sent me troppo! And not to mention some of the rooms had been painted, so they all had a fine coating of red dust on the freshly painted walls and joinery too! I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.
So with literally a week before Christmas they finished the sanding and returned to do the stain and polyurethane coating. We were really happy with the colour which was a custom blend created to counteract the red and it seemed to have taken well to the brush box. The herringbone pattern looked lovely and the whole house seemed transformed by the new look floor. Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea after all – I couldn’t wait until all the new wainscoting was painted fresh white to make it all come together.
Problem was, I now had the painters and builders still working on the house. And despite them insisting they could just thrown down a few drop sheets to cover the floor where they were working, and take off their shoes, I knew that the floor would be scratched and damaged if we didn’t cover it properly. Despite the groans of resistance, I bought rolls and rolls of cardboard to cover the floor. The painters had 4 more weeks of work, including scaffolding to put up to do the walls and ceiling, so there was no way I was going to trust a few flimsy sheets to protect my new and very expensive floor.
So I painstakingly started to cover the floor but it was taking forever to do myself, so the builder sent his young carpenter to help. I was grateful, but then he started using painter’s tape to keep the curling cardboard down. I had been overlapping the cardboard and taping it sheet to sheet, but he was sticking it directly on the floor. I asked him if that was going to damage the floor or the new stain, but he insisted they did this all the time and hadn’t had a problem. I felt really nervous about that, and reluctant to let him do it, but didn’t have a choice with the team of painters poised ready to start work and he assured me it would be ok. Big mistake!
The painters moved back in and started their painting job which would continue on 6 weeks longer than they had anticipated, or quoted. What a hideous job that was. And although we had thought the cardboard would only be down a few days or a week maybe, it turned out to be laid for nearly four weeks as it took them so long and were painstakingly slow.
We went on holiday in January and returned when the painting in this living area was complete. Then it was time to remove the cardboard and get all our furniture back into start living. That’s when it all went pear shaped….
As Tom and I peeled back the rolls and rolls of cardboard, across the 150sqm of new floor, it didn’t matter how slowly or carefully or what way we removed the tape, it started pulling off the seal, the stain and the timber! Huge long strips of colour were coming off the new floor, right down to the raw timber. The tape had stuck to the new stain and was peeling it off. I went into a panic. I burst into tears, but I was absolutely furious too. Who could I blame for this?
There are about 40 spots across the floor where the stain has come off. It was utterly galling. I called the builder who was suitably embarrassed and apologetic, but he had only been trying to help and I felt we had mucked them around on timing anyway, so didn’t feel I could point the finger at him. As tempting as it was.
So I asked the floor man to return to inspect and see what could be done. He came down reluctantly and attempted a few things, including trying to sand and restain small areas, but in the end nothing was working and it made it look worse. So he said he would have to resand and restain the floor. And charge us another $10,000 as it wasn’t his fault!
It was at this point that I started to lose it ever so slightly. We could neither afford the time nor the $10k it would cost to redo the floor, the bloody stupid floor I hadn’t really wanted in the first place. We had to get back in and get on with life, so we elected to do nothing. It was so disappointing to have got to this point in the 6 month renovation and have this final and costly element ruined, what was supposed to be the crowing glory. Despite trying cover it up where I can with rugs and furniture, there are about 30 places it shows. And every time I walk across them it’s like a dagger in my heart! So frustrating.
On top of which, the gaps in floor that he insisted would be repaired have returned not 5 months later, in fact some so huge I can put my finger in them! The putty has cracked, the timber has separated and opened up. It looks like the floor is ten years old and needs doing again. The stain and colour has faded a lot just in this short time and is now a light brown in places where the sun is strongest.
So I don’t know if James Packer is happy with the job they did of his floor, but I certainly am not! And yes it’s obviously a first world problem and lets keep it in perspective, and now that the house is all finished and decorated I know most people wouldn’t notice, but it’s still disappointing. Another hard lesson learned during this renovation, to go with your gut when trying to make a hard decision about something you are going to live with in your home for a long time.
I think ultimately I should have found a way to put down the vinyl floor and would not have had the problems I have now, which will be ongoing and continue to cost us money. I don’t know if the fact it’s a genuine timber floor and a pretty pattern is enough to console me. The jury’s still out.
For the past year I have been working with a lovely family in Turramurra, on Sydney’s north shore, after we first me when our house in Balgowlah was on the market a few years ago and the Hamptons coastal style I had created in our home caught their eye. I have been helping them create their Hamptons inspired dream home which began in earnest at the beginning of the year. The house has been transformed into a stunning family home, based on a classic blue and white scheme, and they have been an absolute delight to work with from start to finish.
The house is now on the market (view here) as they have bought a larger house to accommodate to their family of three girls, and I thought I’d share with you some of the interiors I designed for them.
BEFORE
The first task we undertook with this house was to update the exterior, starting by repainting the house and adding some decorative features including a new awning, new paving laid around the pool, the cedar shingle roofed walk-through pavilion, lining boards on the exterior ceilings, landscaping, exterior lighting and door hardware.
AFTER
Dusk Images – Chadwick Real Estate
For the interiors, my clients wanted to create an East Coast/Hamptons feeling, with lots of blue and white, dark timber floors, white walls and traditional American style kitchen. The aim was for relaxed sophistication, coastal not beachy, and a home that was at once welcoming and comfortable but exuding style and elegance. What a gift! They were very open and easy going, readily taking my recommendations and ideas, and willing to try new things. On top of which they were eternally patient and never stressed out, even when things occasionally went wrong or were delayed. I can only hope all my clients are so amazing, as it makes my work not only easy but pleasurable.
BEFORE
After our initial consultation, my clients worked with DeGabriele Kitchens to create the stunning kitchen, which was installed after the carpet and tiles were all removed and replaced with dark stained wide plank oak flooring. A wall separating the kitchen from the family room was demolished and all existing joinery, benches and appliances removed. This created an open clean space within which to create the new kitchen and family area.
AFTER
Images – DeGabriele Kitchens
The walls were painted a Benjamin Moore grey, the gorgeous gray washed cabinet bought to house decorative objects and touches of blue and white china and custom roman blinds made in a crisp linen with thin navy pin stripe.
In the family room, existing wicker sofas, occasional chairs, entertainment unit and coffee table from Coco Republic were reused, with chairs re-upholstered in practical indoor/outdoor fabrics, ideal for stain and fade resistance. I added interest with details such as the contrast piping and a mix of floral, stripe, geometric and plain patterns. The addition of the plants, side table, decorative accessories and lamp make the room inviting and cosy.
BEFORE
AFTER
The entrance foyer includes a staircase leading to the upstairs bedrooms. These were stripped of carpet and painted white, a sisal runner added along with bench seating and cushions on the box seats up the stairs. We used the existing furniture in the entry adding accessories, such as the blue and white ceramics, the custom made lamp and the sisal rug.
BEFORE
AFTER
The powder room located off the entry was retiled using a black and white marble basketweave mosaic, and wallpapered in a beautiful blue and white medallion paper, then new faceted pendant light and black beaded iron mirror were added.
BEFORE
AFTER
I’m so thrilled with the way it turned out as it evolved into a big project over the year, but I’m happy to say we are all delighted with the result.
Stay tuned for the next instalment of this beautiful family home. For more details visit here.
For the final instalment of my clients’ beautiful home in Sydney, I would like to share with you some images from the master bedroom and three girl’s room.
The master bedroom was transformed into a tranquil and calm haven for rest and relaxation, using the existing carpet and dark timber furniture from Coco Republic as a contrast to the classic blue and white scheme. The design featuring a pretty damask wallpaper, large check linen window treatments, a small gingham check on the bedstool and cushions. This was balanced with a plain linen upholstered bedhead.
BEFORE
AFTER
Image from Chadwick Real Estate
We added some glamour with the mirrored bedside tables, Moravian star pendant light and silver leaf bedstool, then toned it down with the plain ceramic lamps and textural bed linens.
For the daughters’ bedrooms, each decided on their own style and colour scheme and helped create the look of each room. The eldest teenage daughter’s bedroom was designed to more reflect her age, replacing the twin beds with a double and using colours, furnishings, fabrics and accessories more suited to a teenager. She chose the new shabby chic style floral bedlinen and the blue chevron wallpaper and hot pink leopard fabric were selected to complement the colours in it.
BEFOREAFTERImage from Chadwick Real Estate The middle daughter wanted a French inspired room, and chose new Pottery Barn Kids bedlinen which launched the palette of pale pink and grey. We added the chandelier, desk and chair, rug and new roman blind.
BEFORE
Image from Chadwick Real Estate
The third youngest daughter’s bedroom was brightened up using a gorgeous apple green trellis wallpaper, pulling out the green from the existing roman blind fabric and canvas artwork which was kept. The room was updated to reflect that of a little girl instead of toddler, and to allow her to grow into it. With the addition of new bed linen, a vanity table, chair, lamp and rug the room became pretty, fresh and bright.
BEFORE
AFTER
Image from Chadwick Real Estate
There were a few other little updates that were added around the house, such as the new roman blinds in the upstairs hallway, replacing the cushions in the downstairs rumpus room to match the existing Coco Republic sofa and adding new romans, plus lots of new accessories and decorative touches.
All in all, it was a wonderful and immensely rewarding project, at times challenging and sometimes overwhelming, but as I mentioned in the first post, made all the more enjoyable thanks to such terrific clients who I hope I will have the chance to work with again. It was certainly a great way to end the year.
I hope you have enjoyed the tour of their beautiful home and I thank them for allowing me to share it with you.
Our renovation was mostly completed about a year ago, but finalising all the little bits and pieces seems to take forever. There’s always something you can’t find or finish off, and finding the time in our increasingly busy lives seems the greatest challenge. Still, the kids’ bathroom has turned out to be a favourite room. Although they still use our bathroom more than theirs! I’d swap any day!
BEFORE
This bathroom is upstairs facing south-east, and had a rather dreary and dated palette of buttercup beige with forest green. With horrid cream bathroom accessories, a green bench top and, well it speaks for itself I think! I wanted the bathroom bright and fresh, with lots of white and touches of aqua. I didn’t want a juvenile looking bathroom that would date, but still would appeal to both the kids and adult visitors alike.
DURING
The vanity, bath, bath surround, shower and hob were all removed. I didn’t change the configuration of the bathroom as I didn’t want the plumbing to have to be relocated. As it was we had to replace the ceiling, floor and walls so it was a more involved and costly process than first thought. Isn’t it always the way!It never ceases to amaze me when you renovate and deconstruct your house, how flimsy and simply constructed it seems to be. Just a bunch of pieces of timber, a few nails, wires and some gyprock, but once it’s all gussied up it looks strong, solid and fab. We were able to retain the existing floor, although we added underfloor heating. The walls were clad in Villaboard lining, which is ideal for wet and high traffic areas. Only catch is it’s impossible to nail into as it is made from fibre cement, so you have to drill into it when you want to hang things. The ceiling was replaced with gyprock, and although I lined the girls’ bathroom ceiling with v-joint, as tempting as it was, knowing I was paneling the walls here I didn’t want to overdo it. So kept it simple.Removing the walls and ceiling of course meant new cornices, architraves and skirtings as well. Has I have a traditional house with classic traditional interiors and decor, I prefer not to tile the walls of my bathrooms except around the shower. In this style of bathroom I don’t feel it’s necessary and it makes it feel a little clinical and cold to me. I prefer painted, panelled or wallpapered walls. Modern bathrooms are different, but it’s also a cost saving. So I keep the tiling only in the wet areas where water makes direct and regular contact. The odd splash from a bath or basin doesn’t bother me either. As long as the room is well ventilated you can have the right timber trim anywhere you like. The appropriate sealing and painting is of course important too.The very heavy bath sat on the landing in wait for some time. I used a plain white subway for the shower recess, given the plentiful decorative elements everywhere else, I kept it simple and the cost down. It was a challenge matching all the white in the space though, as the bath, tiles, paint all had to be the same tone of white.I always use the same toilet in every bathroom renovation. It’s simple and classic and just blends in. I don’t want to make a statement with a loo.
AFTER
I had always wanted to use this beautiful aqua and white trellis wallpaper, since falling in love with it years ago. I never got to use it in our former house in Sydney, so made sure of it here. It’s perfect for this bathroom. I don’t have an issue with wallpaper in a bathroom either (I have it in three of ours and the laundry), as long as water won’t come into direct regular contact and it’s well ventilated. The odd splash isn’t a bother. I have a window and extractor fan in here, and the paper is above any splash zone anyway.The vanity was custom-made and I copied a design from Pottery Barn US which was perfect for the kids. They only needed one sink and I prefer as much bench space as possible anyway. The shelf below is great for baskets, towels and toiletries. The bench top is Caesarstone Nougat which has a tiny grey fleck to pick up the grey in the marble floor tile. I love classic tapware and particularly lovely those with the shepherd’s crook design and bamboo inspired detailing. I have had mixed experience with tapware over the years, including some big mistakes bringing it in from the US, so I now just stick with local product. The range of elegant, classic tapware in Australia is improving all the time and many more affordable and pretty designs are now available. I love the look of polished nickel but for a kids’ bathroom polished chrome was just fine.
I don’t like big sinks as I think they are unnecessary and often ugly, and you only generally use them for brushing teeth and very occasionally filling up to wash something. So I don’t like to waste bench space with a giant hole in the middle. Particularly as stone is expensive and it seems a waste to then cut it out. This basin was petite, shallow and in proportion to the vanity. The profile on the end panels and drawers of the vanity is the same as the kitchen, a design I found at a kitchen showroom in LA and tweaked. It’s something I use again and again as it’s the prefect profile for my style and taste. The knobs were left over from the kitchen.These chrome walls scones from Pottery Barn US are something I have used before as they are a well priced, classic, simple design which I find works perfectly on either side of a bathroom mirror and not too fancy for kids. I still use MyUS.com for my third party shipping as I have found it reasonably priced and fast.
I prefer to use semi-frameless showers in classic bathrooms like this. Not only because I think they suit the style better than frameless but they are less expensive and every saving counts when you consider a standard bathroom reno costs about $10-15k. I also only tile to the height of the frame. I also used a border tile to frame the shower recess and keep a barrier between the wallpaper and wet area.
The oval shaped pivot mirror is a classic American look I love and I had my eye on a couple from Pottery Barn US and Restoration Hardware. But in the end found this perfect match at Early Settler in Campbelltown. I’m all for getting the look with cheaper and locally sourced products. Then weirdly enough when I unpacked the mirror from the Early Settler box, it had a Pottery Barn sticker on the back and installation instructions! So who knows how Early Settler got to have stock of Pottery Barn US mirrors. But I was rather stoked I ended up with the mirror I wanted, by some odd twist of fate.
Again I don’t have a concern about the paneling on the wall near the bath. The kids don’t splash water that much, and it’s sealed and well painted. If it gets wet I simply wipe it dry. The same goes for the timber skirting. Unless the bathroom flooded and the skirting sat in water for hours on end, I hardly think it would cause a problem. We used Western Red Cedar which is much better for moist areas. I wouldn’t use pine or MDF. James Hardie has some perfect products for bathroom applications if you like this look, or want to do something like horizontal shiplap which is lovely.
Finding affordable attractive, classic, pretty artwork for anywhere in the house is a tricky prospect, particularly for a kids’ bathroom. Again I didn’t want anything too juvenile or cute. These prints I found online at Etsy a few years ago, they are only small but the colour was right and I had used them in the kids’ bathroom in Sydney. The key to making them look so much more fancy was the beautiful bevelled-edge mirrored frames I bought from West Elm. They make anything look a million bucks. I also added an aqua striped ribbon around the print to outline the artwork and separate it from the white mount.
The bath shape is one I have admired and coveted for years in American homes. I found this fabulous one in Melbourne and had it shipped up. It’s very classic and elegant for a freestanding bath which can be typically very modern, and often hugely expensive. This was perfect for the space.
Again because of the decorative detail everywhere else in the room, I chose a simple 30×30 Calcutta honed marble tile. I do adore marble mosaics, but we have such a limited range here and they are fiendishly expensive. So for the kids I kept it simple.
How cute is this metal bath basket I found at Pottery Barn US. Perfect for loo paper and hand towels.
When it comes time to style rooms, I always look to Pinterest for ideas and inspiration. It’s the most amazing source and I almost always find what I’m looking for. What we did before Pinterest, I can’t imagine! This pretty liquid soap from Williams-Sonoma was the perfect colour match, but it’s expensive so we use it sparingly! The cheap one from Woolies stays in the drawer!
These pretty fish paintings we bought ready framed many years ago at Signature on Hastings in Noosa, but hadn’t been able to find the right place for them until now. I love them in here, and although I was going to reframe them, I think the timber actually works in this room. It needed something organic, for contrast and to make the room feel less polished. I matched it to the wicker tissue box so it tied in with something.Despite all the accessories being chrome in the bathroom, you don’t have to match the door hardware. All the handles upstairs are black so it made sense for the bathroom door to be the same. I love the touch of black as contrast anyway. The brand Tradware, I used here I would NOT recommend. I have them throughout the house and while the design is lovely, I have had many problems with them, both the colour, finish, wear and function. It’s the first time I have used this brand and I won’t again. Finding good quality, affordable, classic door hardware in Australia is another challenge.
Hope you enjoyed the tour and found some helpful information and ideas, as well as inspiration. I am working on the other bathroom posts slowly, it takes about two days or more to style, photograph and write each one, and will share them in the coming weeks.
Don’t forget if you ‘d like to book a 2 hr one-off consultation here in Bowral, for May or June, please email me for available dates.
The girls’ bathroom is situated conveniently between their two bedrooms, although it was initially the ensuite only to the larger bedroom. We added another door so that both girls could use it. It’s a pretty and feminine bathroom that I hope they will use and enjoy as they get older, but as they are still quite little they mainly use our bathroom downstairs or the bath in the kids’ bathroom. I think they’ve only showered in here twice in the last year!
BEFORE
The bathroom was divided into two rooms, one you entered from the bedroom with the vanity and mirror then through to the shower and loo in the adjoining room. This made it pokey and cramped. There was only one window and the room is on the western side of the house. So it was dark and dingy in the morning, and covered in these ghastly wall to wall beige tiles with pink grout! Not to mention the horrendous pink vanity. I had great delight in watching this one be demolished.
Can you believe I took this photo on the day of our first inspection. This was how the wealthy couple’s housekeeper who was living there rent free in their absence had prepared it for sale inspection. Incredible! Removing all the walls tiles meant that the walls would have to be replaced, which of course adds to the cost. But we had no other choice. I thought about using shiplap on the walls but instead used V-joing paneling on the new ceiling, which had to be replaced because of the walls, cornices and architraves all going.
We also knocked down the wall separating the two spaces, so that it was opened up into one larger bathroom and allowed the light from the only window to flood the room. It was a vast improvement.
I kept all the plumbing in the same spot again as a cost saving measure as much as anything else. Being on the second floor, it would have been a hassle to relocate plumbing and meant ripping up the floor. There is a bulkhead that runs along the southern wall above the shower recess which encases a steel beam, so that had to stay. We just re-boxed it. The brick wall you see below is in fact the chimney going up from the room below.
The room was sheeted in Villaboard, a sturdy concrete fibre product ideal for bathrooms, with the new V-joint timber ceiling, cornices and timber skirting added. I thought about paneling the walls, but decided on the ceiling here instead and to add detail and interest with the tiles.
I don’t worry about using timber in bathrooms, as I prefer not to tile the walls particularly for traditional bathrooms such as mine. As long as you have a timber product that is suitable for wet and moist areas and it’s properly sealed and painted I am confident using it.
I have had words with a few builders over the years who baulk at using timber skirting or not tiling the entire bathroom from top to bottom, but I always stand firm and get what I want because it’s entirely possible. Just do your research.
We added another door into the second bedroom but because of the layout of the bathroom and the bedroom cupboards, both had to be cavity sliders. They aren’t my first choice, but the only thing that worked in this case.
As with the other bathroom, we added underfloor heating. A must in the Southern Highlands.
It was months of deliberation over which tiles to use. Again so many choices if you look beyond our shores and consider importing them yourself. In the end I opted for the grey marble subway tiled in a herringbone pattern with contrasting white grout. The plain 30×30 marble Calcutta honed tiles as in the other bathroom, and the same honed marble hexagon mosaic I used in the downstairs powder room. It is always more cost effective using larger quantities of the same tile.
I quite like the use of different tiles, sizes and patterns in a bathroom. I think it creates decorative interest and can look fabulous if done well. The small marble mosaics are a good choice for wet areas such as a shower recess, because the smaller tile and more grout makes it much less slippery.
AFTER
I don’t really remember how I came to decide on a pink and grey Dior inspired bathroom for the girls, it’s not really a colour combo that I have a particular fondness for, but it just kind of happened. I guess once I had chosen all the grey, there were only a few colours I could use to compliment it that suited two little girls.
I was going to use pale blue, but I thought I needed a change and to make it pretty and girly for Poppy and Amelia. But this room also doubles as a guest bedroom and bathroom, so I wanted it feminine and soft but not childish. I’m not a big fan of pink, particularly the shades of pink often used for children’s bedroom fabrics and bedlinen, but found this very pretty fabric in the new Schumacher Country Collection which appealed. I used the same fabric in the blue colour way for our sunroom. It has a lovely dove grey and darker grey in the design, with the soft dusty pink and off white background. So it was a good match I thought. The V-joint ceiling turned out really well, it’s a lovely feature. The walls are a very light grey.The vanity was bought ready made from Schots in Melbourne. I use their vanities a lot because they are one of the few companies who design classic and traditional vanities that aren’t too French or Federation fussy, that are reasonably affordable and come with marble tops and basins included.
Again for tapware I repeated the chrome to match the hardware in the bathroom. I think this is fine for kids. The basin is small and simple. I liked that the marble top had pronounced veining, so that I was able to pick up the grey and use it repeated in the tiles. It also hides watermarks, scratches and etching you inevitably get with marble.I repeated the same wall sconces I had used in the other kids’ bathroom for this ensuite and the same pivot mirror. For details see the previous post on the Kids’ Bathroom. But I recovered them in leftover fabric from the roman blind. This is always a challenge with a patterned fabric because of the conical shape of the shade, but it wasn’t too tricky on this small one. I used the same semi-frameless shower screen as before. I prefer them for this style of bathroom and they are less expensive than frameless and the chrome frame matches the tapware. The herringbone works well with the hexagon in the shower recess.
There was very limited wall space in this bathroom, so a heated towel rail was the only option to provide several rungs for towels. I was lucky enough to find the perfect shade of soft pink towel too.
I bought these pretty prints from Michelle Grayson at Sprout Gallery and added the pale pink stitched ribbon around the edge, and framed them in these lovely silver frames from Pottery Barn.
Some of you may have been wondering where I have disappeared to and a number have been kind enough to contact me out of concern and check that everything is okay and say how much you miss my posts and inspiration. That’s been so lovely and encouraging to hear. It’s nice to know I’ve been missed.
I thought I should give you an update and an explanation, assure you that we are absolutely fine and I have just taken a break from the digital world. Inspired by Ed Sheeran’s “digital detox”, I discovered having had a break over the Christmas holidays with a trip to visit family in the UK (some photos shared here), that really I didn’t miss it. To be perfectly frank, maintaining social media caused me more stress and anxiety than I had realised and it really wasn’t a necessary or intrinsically valuable part of my day or life. I realised it was putting unnecessary pressure on me professionally and I had enough on my plate without adding to it from the digital world.
So I consciously uncoupled from social media and it’s doing me the world of good. I have gained back so many more hours in the day and frankly for me a better quality of life. I am watching my children with my eyes, I am having more conversations with friends and family, I am reading more books and magazines, I am absorbing life, noticing and appreciating things around me and engaging in the real world. Instead of grabbing my phone at any given moment throughout the day when I have a spare second or am bored, and scrolling zombie-like through images which I glance at for split seconds, liking or commenting and replying endlessly, I just stop and find something else to do. I’m more relaxed. I’ve enjoyed the anonymity.
It took a while to stop the knee-jerk reaction, but I have taught myself not to do it. I’ve gained perspective back. I feel liberated. I didn’t realise how much I had come to rely on my phone for amusement, distraction, company and entertainment and how it had begun to control me.
Professionally, I was also unaware of how much the culture of social media was impacting my sense of self, my confidence, my mood, either lifting me up or putting me down. I was often feeling judged, sometimes criticised, and felt the uneasy pressure of unwanted demands or expectations put on me. Now I’m oblivious to it. I don’t know what anyone else is doing, if they’re doing it better or worse, how many followers or likes anybody has or how I compare. It’s a big weight off my shoulders.
Of course, this isn’t for everybody and I don’t judge those who spend time on social media or find it valuable, inspiring or rewarding, who genuinely rely on it for business and work or who derive pleasure from it. But now I don’t wake up each day stressing about what I’m going to post or how to increase my followers! I realised it was a nonsense and only added to my stress related anxiety and health issues which I have been able to manage much more effectively since stopping. Each to his own, that’s what works for me. This may not be forever, but for the time being I’m enjoying the freedom.
As for my work, I made some resolutions over the new year about my direction for 2017. I love interior decorating and design, it’s my passion and obsession, it’s my job, my hobby, but I have never been very good at making money from this business and basically persevere because I love it and get a thrill from helping people create beautiful homes. I’m a creative person, not good with numbers and my bottom line can attest to that!
I’m self taught and continue to learn every day. I’ve spent thousands of hours over the years teaching myself and learning how to do this better. There aren’t many courses that teach you the business of interior design, and that’s the tricky part. I juggle everything myself between school drop off and pickup. But I can only do what I can do and am not prepared to outsource my kids to a team of nannies. I realised I’m not that driven or prepared to sacrifice my family for my career. I’ve come to accept and appreciate my limitations. So I’ll never be a high end designer with staff and multiple projects every year with huge budgets, or have books, fabric lines or a string of shops. I heard a style expert recently make a disparaging reference to “housewife decorators with an ABN” pretending to be designers, but I’m one and proud of it.
I’ve met some wonderful clients and people doing this over the past 5 years, who have been genuinely appreciative and grateful for my help. And had a few amazing mentors who have been invaluable to me. It’s a tricky business to make money in, particularly doing it part time like I do and even harder from Bowral. And as I’ve learned from my not terribly successful ventures last year, I’m absolutely rubbish at retail!
I’ve learnt where my strengths are and what I should focus on. I’m confident in my own personal style, I do what I love, I do what I do well and I’m happy to share my knowledge and experience with others. I hope my clients have found me to be a nice, helpful and generous person and got value for money. I’m not precious or elitist about it, (seriously, has a decorator ever been named Australian of the Year or won the Nobel Prize!), but am just happy to help and share what I know.
So my next venture is doing what I do best and what has always been successful, enjoyable and profitable. Renovating. No, we’re not moving! My husband and I are teaming up in business to renovate houses here in the Highlands, and I’m sure we’ll make a good team. He has the left side of the brain, and I have the right. He does the outside and I do the inside. He manages the money and I spend it. What could be better!
We have bought an investment property here in Bowral which we are renovating to sell. Along with just about everybody else it seems! It’s going to be done in my style, true to myself! I’m so excited. Picking tiles, designing kitchens and bathrooms, sourcing tapware, making furnishings, picking wallpapers and paint colours is what I absolutely love. It’s a no brainer. Hopefully it will be the first of many.
So, I want to thank you for sticking with me. I don’t buy my followers or pay for someone to comment for me. I don’t engineer my posts or work it to get the most likes or followers. I have always simply done what feels right, have always tried to be a truthful and honest version of myself. I hope you have loved what I do and enjoyed being invited into my home and life. I believe you follow me genuinely because you are vested in me and hopefully what I’m able to give to you. I truly value and appreciate the loyalty, interest and kindness you have demonstrated over the years.
I am off to work on my renovating budget now, and create something really fabulous and beautiful for someone else to love. I will share the project with you on the blog from time to time as it progresses, and of course the final reveal. That’s a part I do enjoy. I’m even thinking of holding some workshops down here at some point to share my knowledge and help you with your projects. We housewife decorators need to stick together! So please let me know if that’s something you’d be interested in.
We are nearing the end of our renovation of the cottage we bought in Bowral in May and it will soon be ready to go on the market. It is looking fabulous and we are really thrilled with the way it has come together. Somebody is going to absolutely love it, and it will be hard to let go as we have become very fond of our little home away from home. Here’s a few teasing snaps of the work in progress and showing what we’ve done so far. The big reveal should be about a week away….!
BEFORE
The cottage consists of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, with laundry, living/dining room and kitchen with separate garage and studio/workshop, set on a level near 1000 sqm block.
The original house is a mix of cedar shingles and siding boards, with a tiled roof and shutters. The house was painted dark brown, with terracotta roof and avocado green trim. It is only minutes to town, almost next door to the hospital and local cafes, on a terrific level block with some established trees and nice hedges.
AFTER
Nothing like a new signature gate (which Tom and I built together!) to add street appeal, and our lovely new fresh colour scheme to give it a much need lift and update.
Lots of crisp white trim, a gorgeous grey blue wall colour, charcoal roof and brass wall lights.
We added the new criss cross balustrade which is the same design I came up with for our house, and thought we would replicate it here as a bit of a signature feature on our renos.
It has been a lot of hard work, a little stressful and challenging at times, but on the whole has been a very rewarding and fun experience. As it turns out Tom and I make a great team and have had terrific fun working on this project together, each exercising our different skills but working toward the same goal. We have learnt so many lessons, made plenty of mistakes, regretted a few decisions, had a few nightmares and the occasional sleepless night, but have also had some real successes and achievements which we are proud of. Not to mention how many new skills we have both learnt, amazing how useful You Tube has become! We both feel very equipped and prepared for the next one, knowing what we will do differently or better next time.
BEFORE
A vision of brown and avocado….
AFTER
Restored and newly painted tile roof, new pergola and deck, new house colour, new exterior lights.
The cedar shingles are a lovely nod to American design I love so much, and look great painted in this gorgeous deep grey blue. The charcoal gutters and downpipes add some contrast.
BEFORE The main bathroom was lined with pine Regency profile boards, with a tiny bath, vanity and slate tiles. Not to forget the stuck on faux-stained glass on the windows.
AFTER
We stripped the bathroom and added new walls, ceiling, flooring, custom vanity, wallpaper, shower screen and beautiful lighting.
BEFORE
We removed all the picture rails in the house and replastered over the join, which was a mammoth job. But the result is more of a sense of elevated ceilings and spaciousness. The whole house has been repainted, with fabulous new feature lights throughout.
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
I am thrilled with the way the laundry and kitchen colour scheme came together, using these beautiful blue subway tiles combined with the brass accessories and sconces. We built the barn door which came as a plain door and we added the timber “Z” trim and black hardware.
BEFORE
We ripped out the old kitchen and I designed a new U shaped kitchen which was custom made. We replaced all the flooring throughout.
AFTER
The lower cabinets are a mid grey with white upper cabinets, using a stone bench top and brass lighting and accessories. It also has a butler’s sink.
I also designed an L-shaped banquette seating area which has custom made cushions to match, and this fabulous pendant over the dining table.
BEFORE
We stripped out the entrance foyer, took out an old cupboard, and relined the walls in Hardie Groove V joint sheets. We added the timber moulding to all the doors, new door hardware and new architraves and skirtings, then finished off with fabulous lights and flooring.
We also opened up the doorway through to the kitchen to create a nice open flow to the living areas.
AFTER
BEFORE
The studio which is attached to the garage had a tool shed at the back, which we decided to turn into a home office or other living space. So we lined the walls and ceiling with new gyprock, bought a new bigger window, added insulation and electrics, new lighting, flooring and painted the space.
AFTER
I had a few rolls of this stunning Thibaut wallpaper spare, so decided to use it as a feature wall in this space. It’s a lovely, inviting north facing room and will make a wonderful studio or work room for someone.
BEFORE
AFTER
We repainted the studio and garage, turned it into a liveable space, with new lighting, flooring, new barn doors and it’s a cute addition to the main cottage.
BEFORE
DURING
BEFORE
DURING
This week we are finishing off the landscaping and new turf is being laid. We had a bit of a delay waiting for some warmer weather, as we didn’t want to lay turf during a frost. It has been absolutely bitter working outside all these months through a Highlands winter, but hopefully now that the buds and blossoms are bursting forth all over the Highlands, it should start warming put a bit.
I’ll post more details of the before and afters once we are done and show how and what we achieved. It was a real hands-on experience, we had lots of laughs, a few tense moments, but thankfully Tom and I are still talking and still married!
I can’t wait to retire my work boots, paint stained clothes, fleece and high-vis gear! And I so need a decent blow dry!
We started this project on 1 May so to 1 Sept it’s been four months, and probably we should have done it in three, but as we have tried to reduce costs by doing a lot of the grunt work ourselves, that has slowed things up a bit. But it’s been a huge accomplishment although absolutely exhausting, and I’ve never had so many Epsom salts baths in my life as I have these past few months trying to sooth my weary and aching muscles. I also haven’t been so utterly physically shattered each night as I have doing this project, and certainly feeling every year of my age! We’ve been putting in 10 hour days since the start, working most weekends too, and the kids have become used to spending a lot of time here. Hopefully it will be worth the effort.
I will also be styling and furnishing the cottage, so that there will be a complete furniture package available for the buyer to purchase which will include all the beautiful furniture, soft furnishings, blinds, curtains, artwork, mirrors, lamps, rugs and accessories that I have chosen to make it a stunning home ready to move into.
It will be a busy week, but I am so excited to present the finished house in the next week.
If you are interested in our Bowral cottage, or know somebody who might be, please send me an email and I’d be happy to send you more information.
Removing the walls and ceiling of course meant new cornices, architraves and skirtings as well. Has I have a traditional house with classic traditional interiors and decor, I prefer not to tile the walls of my bathrooms except around the shower. In this style of bathroom I don’t feel it’s necessary and it makes it feel a little clinical and cold to me. I prefer painted, panelled or wallpapered walls. Modern bathrooms are different, but it’s also a cost saving. So I keep the tiling only in the wet areas where water makes direct and regular contact. The odd splash from a bath or basin doesn’t bother me either. As long as the room is well ventilated you can have the right timber trim anywhere you like. The appropriate sealing and painting is of course important too.
The vanity was bought ready made from Schots in Melbourne. I use their vanities a lot because they are one of the few companies who design classic and traditional vanities that aren’t too French or Federation fussy, that are reasonably affordable and come with marble tops and basins included.
I used the same semi-frameless shower screen as before. I prefer them for this style of bathroom and they are less expensive than frameless and the chrome frame matches the tapware. The herringbone works well with the hexagon in the shower recess.
