Design, Travel, Write

Handmade

2011-12-06T19:02:00.000-08:00

Love these gorgeous botanical original collage drawings from artist Susan Black on Etsy.

The artist uses coffee stained paper, ink, gouache, vintage paper and drawings on cold press water colour paper.

Natural body products

2011-11-23T22:17:00.000-08:00

I've been checking out different ideas for Christmas and birthday presents. My mum loves hand cream and given she has just about everything, I'm on the lookout for something natural for this year's present. As luck would have it, she really likes the Kangaroo Island hand cream I purchased while on holidays earlier this year. I'll have to see if I can get a tub by post. I'm so over the department store products that cost a fortune and last half the time the sales assistant tells me they should. I've heard good things about these products and will try them out over coming months to see how they measure up on the skin.

NOUGAT LONDON (she loves this one)

HEMP HEMP HOORAY

MOOGOO

AROMATHERAPY COMPANY

and my favorite tags for gift boxes

It's been a while

2011-03-13T07:53:00.001-07:00

Yes its been a while since I've posted. I've finished Illusion ... well almost. Last chapter is imminent. Also doing my Masters in Creative Writing, a real buzz.

That aside, the house is cooking along. We need to do some gardening and of course the floors for some reason could do with a thorough cleaning. I can't seem to get the boards clean enough - what with two dogs, a cat, an 8 year old and her friends and our noisy Alexandrine.

Michael has put up shelves in the garage which has helped with the clutter. Given its our laundry as well it all helps.

I'll post some pics when I get around to it.

Tonight we had a great dinner at Gaucho's in the city. Steak and prawns ... yum.

signing off

Dy

Illusion 1,2,3

2010-09-07T01:32:00.001-07:00

Chapter 1-3 Illusion

feedback welcome!

Sleeping beauty

2010-07-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

Sleeping beauty at its best. But it's not our favorite bedtime story.

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty from Darragh O'Connell on Vimeo.

Product previous amazon

2010-07-31T05:10:00.001-07:00

Praise for Shiver: "A lyrical tale of alienated werewolves and first love... Stiefvater skillfully increases the tension throughout; her take on werewolves is interesting and original while her characters are refreshingly willing to use their brains to deal with the challenges they face."

Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 2)Shiver Shiver

Authors

2010-07-24T00:28:00.000-07:00

I've been delving into urban fantasy of late and love it. As a genre it would have to be my favourite. Before we left for Borneo I sneaked into Borders and purchased a couple of hundred dollars worth of books and tried hiding them in the bottom of my hybrid trolley but Michael found them (after my luggage weighed in at 30 kgs) and pulled them out. So I repacked them again but this time split them between three cases.

I read the Robin Hobb trilogy which was great but ended on a bit of a grim note IMO.

Latest great read has been Ilona Andrews.. she has kick ass heroines, great mystery and action.

Love it.

For something cute

2010-07-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

Have been wanting to get Amelia one of these for a while now and they sell pretty quickly so haven't managed to get my hands on one.

They are Nooshka dolls and as cute as pie.

I'm looking for unique items for Amelia's birthday .. a year has gone past so quickly. So far she's asked for a science kit, girls lego and a pool (in the middle of winter!)

and my favourite

We'll have to see.

2 years later!

2010-07-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

We are back from Borneo which was as hot as Hades but we had a great time.

It is a lovely place to live and I must post some pics soon of our garden which is growing well.

We ended up building sleepers up against the back fence (reinforced of course so the fence doesn't fall down) to create a layered effect in the backyard. We planted magnolias against the 15 metres of back fence so when they get big it should look beautiful. Most of the plants are living well and we haven't had many losses so I guess digging down and getting rid of most of the crappy soil worked for us after all.

The lawn is looking a bit yellow given its winter and one thing we do regret is laying couch instead of buffalo but you live and learn! Eventually we will pull up some more of the lawn and put in a pond but that is a way off yet.

The deck is a bit of a pain, especially where it gets hit by the elements. Even if we use the good stuff we have to oil it more than every 6 months or it begins to look tired. Some of the Malaysian timber boards are warping a bit so we wish we had gone with an aussie hard timber for the deck.

Neverthless the rest is holding up well. No major leaks or problems with the house now we've had the floors finished again. We don't use a lot of the space upstairs so it is interesting that we built a big house and ended up using 2/3 of it. But it is nice to have!

Visiting Borneo

2010-02-19T19:12:00.001-08:00

We're off to Borneo soon for a month or so. So far we've booked 4 nights in Singapore, 10 in Kuching, 4 in Mulu, 4 in Danum Valley, 6 in Kinabatangan and oh the joy 10 nights in Kota Kinabalu.

Don't know what I've done but for most of the trip we are staying in national park accommodation .. very basic. At Bako the toilets don't flush and you have to tip water into (dunno what we sit on actually ... hope its high enough or my leg muscles wont hold me up ... and then oh god I'll fall into....) the hole but they don't provide you with water because the National Park is a bit dry atm lol. Then there are the macaques who are downright mean and steal your stuff. Given there are large gaping holes in the screens of all the rooms we won't be taking much luggage. They can take Michael's trekking socks coz they'll make the room unbearable anyway.

Amelia was frightened to hear about the large apes and asked what would happen if one abducted her up a tree. Despite her light weight (making her easy to transport) and orange hair (almost orangutan-like) I assured her they would return her immediately once they realised how hard it is to get her to eat and how many toys she desperately needs to keep her happy. She thought about that for a while, nodded and thought it made good sense. My theory ... no decent ape would take my girl if they knew what they were in for.

Ok sounds a bit basic but its the leeches that really terrify me. I hate needles so I'm hardly likely to be inspired by any blood sucking bugger attaching itself to any part of my body. Some intrepid traveller was bitten by one on his stomach. He was pissed because it wouldn't stop bleeding for a week (leeches release an anticoagulant) and it wrecked his expensive tshirt. Damn ...if I have to pry one off my darling daughter I'll go quietly hysterical.

That being said (distraction needed)... I took Mia to the museum during the holidays and we happened upon the Borneo exhibition. Amelia was terrified .. ok the organgutans looked bigger than expected but I doubt we'll have an Asian elephant, rhino, male and female orang, 5 species of macaque, bearded pigs, wild boar, probiscus monkey and gibbons all together in 6 square metres! Plus they were up on a stand (she says trying to stay calm). Her sympathetic gf suggested she stay with them while we are away but nope ... all for one and one for all.

On the upside I've found some great homestays and eco huts to stay in. So for all you doubting Thomases that think you know me well and are giggling and thinking I can't live without life's little luxuries .. you're in for a surprise. Coz unless I'm attacked by a man eating crocodile .... I'll never confess to having a crap time.

Landscaping

2010-01-30T06:05:00.000-08:00

Some kind soul just told me that the rambling plant that Michael loves in the front yard is from South Africa so I have had a win and we will be pulling it out tomorrow. We're aiming for a Aussie native landscape so I'm on the hunt for some Banksia birthday candles or cherry candles to replace the sprawling Pigface.

cherry candles

I'll have to post some pics of the garden after we have finished landscaping. We've started to design the front and side yard around aussie natives and a modern paving design.

I just love the simple lines of modern pavers, decorative pebbles and green foliage. Divine.

Planting

2010-01-21T00:19:00.000-08:00

After 12 months the front yard needs another couple of trailer loads of biomat. The soil does seem to be improving as the good stuff 'bleeds through' the heavy clay soil. The natives are doing well ... we lost a few in the heat wave but most have tolerated our ho hum gardening methods. The house next door is nearly complete so we can start thinking about boundary planting.

We've decided on a row of Eucalyptus Caesia or Silver Princess, and will try and source Hakea Victoria for the other boundary. Beautiful plants.

Hakea Victoria

Artists

2009-08-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

Some gorgeous designs by Cassie Thring who sculps with coils or rolled slabs of clay and decorates the pieces with paint, shells, broken china and mosaic tiles.

Unique pieces of art that would be perfect in a niche.

Porcelein by Tamara Hahn, Susan Frost, and Bridgette Minuzzo

winter warm soup

2009-08-07T08:24:00.001-07:00

One of my most successful potato and leek soup recipes which is beeewtiful.

35 g butter
3 thickly sliced pieces bacon
paremesan cheese
2 leeks sliced (white parts only or it will turn green and not taste as good)
1 medium brown onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
600 g potatoes peeled and chopped
3 cups chicken stock or veg stock (I did half and half)
1 x 375 ml tin evaporated milk (alternative is cream or milk)
salt and black pepper to taste
pinch nutmeg

method:
melt butter and gently saute onion & garlic & leeks for 3-4 minutes. Add roughly chopped bacon and cook for extra 5 minutes. Don't let the saucepan get brown. Add potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Add stock and simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender. Don't overcook the potatoes. Puree mixture (you can use a potato masher, bamix or blender). Return to heat and add evap. milk or cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to boil and serve with grated Parmesan, garlic bread or brown bread.

Another version is to cook the bacon first until crispy and take it out of the pan. Then put it back into the soup at the end for some yummy crunchy pieces.

Gorgeous soup... even Miss Fussy loved it.

kids pressies take 2

2009-08-01T06:07:00.001-07:00

Found these ruffled pettiskirts from Princess Ratbag .. strictly for the girly girl who loves to twirl. These gorgeous floaty pettiskirts are made from 7 metres of chiffon with an elastic waistband and draw string waist. Mia just loved them.

The printed tights and light weight stockings are pretty cute as well.

Kids presents take 1

2009-07-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

I've been looking around for presents for our daughter's upcoming birthday and came across these laser cut acrylic necklaces. The animals have zwarovski crystal eyes, and are finished off with a cute heart logo charm and box for safe keeping. I'm sure she'll love them.

Measurements
Charm is about 1 1/2 inches tall
Chain length adjustable from 16 to 18 inche

You can get them in Australia from Monkey and Wellington or from the US (Destroyed by Design).

etsy - destroyed by design

Mix and match

2009-07-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

This week I've been on the lookout for a side table for the family room and coffee cups. This Zaishu stool from Nicola Cerini caught my eye as did the coffee cups

Changing fabric

2009-07-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

This is the fabric I am thinking of purchasing to recover my antique chair

the cushion that I just purchased - Cloth Fabric

I'll update with pics of the room/chair soon, so Kate can help select the right fabric.

Supporting a creative mind

2009-07-12T03:35:00.000-07:00

While hunting for something special that was reasonably educational for Miss 6, I came across Lyra pencils from Waldorf and Stockmar crayons. She loved them so I purchased a few metallics and a pencil roll from Dragonfly. They are long lasting, soft and highly pigmented pencils that have a triangular grip for little hands. Fantastic for school projects and artistic flights of fancy. Best of all ... she takes care of them!

Another favourite has been the Djeco range from Thats My Toy that are designed for preschool and primary school children. She has enjoyed the felt tip brushes, coloured sand kits and beautiful collages.

Next stop for her birthday is a few natural beauty and craft kits that will help her create her own recipes, inventions and concoctions ..... from Seedling.

Natural Textiles

2009-07-10T23:42:00.000-07:00

I adore these screen printed textiles from Cloth Fabric. Julie Paterson creates the designs on natural fabric in Sydney using the beach and local landscape as her inspiration. The small batch production ensures that each piece is unique. I fell in love with several of her designs and purchased a stunning patched cushion from Little Bird in Port Elliott. Kate, the owner personally picked the fabric remnants for the emerald/grey cushion. I think I've found the perfect colour story for my family room and the old chair that is desperate for an update. Here are a few products and fabrics that caught my eye but there are many more to choose from:
fabric

rugs

cushions

Industrial design

2009-07-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

A few unique creations by Marc Pascal who creates unusual stoneware ceramics and modern accent lighting. He works with a small team in his Melbourne studio.

Lamp

Mimi chair

Eyoi Yoi Table lamp

Wish list

2009-07-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of my current drool items - I think I need to start a wish list for Christmas.

Emogayu hancrafted bowls and vases replicate nature and lava. The series is called 'Volcanoes'. The artist is originally from Japan but nows lives in the US.

Stainless steel and ebony inlaid jewellery from Tivi at Polli.
Greeting cards that turn into lovely hanging decorations.

A gorgeous Bird Zaishu stool that would work well in our bedroom as a side table.

Family Organiser

2009-07-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for ways to organise and coordinate our individual schedules and get us to school and work on time. Only yesterday I was thinking that we should ditch the electronic gizmos and go back to the old fashioned diary system. Our phone batteries are often flat, the computer takes a while to fire up, and we can't find phone numbers when we need them. It would be nice to surprise the rellies by turning up on time for family events and dinners.

Here is a neat family organiser from Milestone Press that lets you see a week at a time with areas for birthdays, dinner and space for individual activities. It also comes with a separate address book with a planner that you can transfer to the next year.

The new diary starts October 2009 and finishes January 2011. They are sending them out in August. Click on the post title for a link to their website.

ouch ... new Sennheiser headphones from ebay

2009-07-02T08:37:00.001-07:00

Likes and Dislikes ... music

Purchased Michael some wireless headphones so he can listen to his creatures of the night without waking the dead (albeit Mia and I). What does this have to do with decorating you ask ... well I need my beauty sleep.

The 140 Senn's are great. I'm loving them far too much.

Teepees - a dream abode

2009-07-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

On the hunt for teepees .. a young girls dream abode and secret hideaway from parents, visitors and the hectic bussle of everyday life

I purchased this one from Monkey & Wellington ...

hope this matches: a waterproof pink/chocolate damask all season blanket from etsy

Funky stationery for kids

2009-06-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Came across a few sites that sell handmade greeting cards, lolly bags and the like for kids and tweens whilst hunting for invitations and bags for Miss 6.75's birthday. Here are some faves from:
shopforcards.htm
fairydustdesign

I usually make my own ... but these are adorable if you're time poor:

Yummy textiles

2009-06-29T09:30:00.001-07:00

.. these Galbraith and Paul textiles ... I'd bend over backwards and do a cartwheel to get a few lengths for my lovely chair and a matching lamp shade. Hmmmm maybe not the cartwheel.

The fence dilemma

2009-06-29T07:59:00.001-07:00

We have a temporary side fence up so the builders can get through and build the house next door.

Apart from the mess the trades have made on our new pavers with blobs of render and paint all over the place, they keep moving the fence and letting the 'doodle out to play.

The 'doodle (as we affectionately call her) is a large, woolly labradoodle who loves to muck about in wet cement and anything extremely smelly ... like sewer drains. So the people across the road who just finished laying their new driveway and perimeter cement are not overly pleased with said 'doodle, who clomped and pawed her way across their pristine wet cement not once but TWICE.

I think we will have to send a bottle of wine over there when they move in. She must think she is a doggie starlet ... after all the breeder named her after Nicole Kidman.

Growing menagerie ... snail country

2009-06-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

Mia decided to bring home a plastic container full of snails the other day she called 'snail country'. She said she felt sorry for them because the other kids at school were stepping on them. The other kids were teasing her affinity for grubs and bugs, but I could tell she was really worried about the baby ones.

I told her snails are nomads and prefer the great outdoors, because I wasn't too keen on them living in our veggie patch. With a few tears ... she released them to the wild, knowing they'd have a fine house to retreat to if it rained.

Update: today we purchased a few snails from the local petshop that can live in the pond instead of the veggie patch. So everyone is happy. They are biggies so hope they don't eat the fish!

Textiles

2009-06-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

I'm looking for some fabric to cover an antique chair in our lounge room. Something a bit startling would be nice. I've found some great botanical prints but they are overseas. So the hunt is on for local, or at least on this continent, textiles for our room.

Here are a few from Red Seed Studio - I like the chair a lot. I think it would look really nice in our bedroom or on the balcony. Might have to hunt through ebay and auction rooms for something similar.

Galbraith and Paul

What we've been up to ...

2009-06-28T03:53:00.000-07:00

First the bad news:
We had a car accident the other day and Michael cracked his vertebrae, 12th rib and tore a hole in his stomach lining. He was in hospital for 5 nights poor thing. We missed him terribly but he is home now and we are driving him nuts overwhelming him with love and affection.

You can't please everyone.

And the rest:
I've been trawling sites looking for homewares and textiles. Found a great artist from Melbourne who is doing some lovely work. Purchased some prints from Etsy which I'll frame and put up on the stairwell along with the new pics from Tsk tsk.

2009-06-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

Now we are working on our garden which is a blessing as we both enjoy working in the rain!!!

We have built up the back yard with a red gum sleeper raised garden bed along the back fence and will bring it along the sides as well. Still thinking about how to screen our fences ... at this stage we are thinking that perhaps bamboo or nature reed is a goer.

Right now the Magnolias are starting to bloom and they smell delicious. The front yard is definitely Aussie native and we are trying to use plants out the front that are indigenous to the area.

We saw some great ponds the other day ... would love to have a billabong in the back yard ... Miss 6 would love it as well!!

New Pics

2009-06-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

After a new table, buffet and the rest the house is starting to come together. We planted a series of 10 Little Gem Magnolias out the back and I can't wait for spring/summer when they bloom. Seriously beautiful plants.

Few pics

some feature walls and blinds

2009-01-08T23:47:00.001-08:00

a few more pics of the feature walls and blinds ... work in progress

Few of the lastest pics

2008-11-15T21:20:00.000-08:00

We are working hard to finish off the house but there is still a lot to do.

What we'd like to create in the front yard ... Aussie native garden

current facade

Moved in

2008-10-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

We've moved in not without hassles at the end. Here are some pics of the house. There are a few things that still need to be done by the builder but they are being done slowly.
kitchen .. still waiting on black powerpoints

Pics prior to handover

2008-08-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

Latest pics of the house follow. Handover is set for Tuesday 2nd September, floors will be done immediately ... they've already laid the spotted gum. Thumbs up for Adi who has installed our wooden floors... he has done a beautiful job. We've had wooden floors before but he really is a great installer and very easy to work with.

Also had our granite benchtops installed by Apex Glass. Highly recommend him for all stone and glass splashbacks. Terrific guy who provides exceptional advice and value for money. He recommended granite in the kitchen (Absolute Black) as opposed to the Ceasarstone Nova Aurora and I have to say it has paid off. Kitchen is far better than it would have been with the C/S.

kitchen

floors and deck

latest news from our money pit

2008-07-29T05:32:00.000-07:00

We drove past tonight and saw that the stainless steel ballustrade on the balcony is in the process of being installed. Inside the house the painting is almost finished and they've also installed the s/s ballustrade on the stairs.

Its looking much closer to completion and we've started to design the front garden and think about the landscaping both back and front.

Most of the items have been purchased for the house and we're looking at having roller blinds and panel glides on the front windows to offer some privacy and stay consistent with the modernist appearance of the house.

Plantation shutters would have been nice but maybe next time 'round, lol.

We're pretty happy with the finish so far. All the tradies have been fairly good to date and they seem to take pride in their craft. Given we designed the house from scratch and 'borrowed' the facade from Seville's display, the build has progressed fairly well.

Would we build again ... probably not. Living out of boxes for over 12 months since selling our last house has been a trial and I wouldn't do it again unless we could keep the house and build at the same time i.e. no pressure to move in.

We'd like to give the builders an opportunity to complete the build at their own pace so that the finish is good and up to the standard of the bones of the house. Unfortunately at this point we are hanging out to get in. It's not easy holding back and just letting them move at a steady pace. It seems that not much is happening compared to the first part of the build, when the big ticket items such as framing, rendering and plastering change the appearance markedly.

This stage is no less important but because the finishing touches are more subtle and less obvious, it doesn't seem that there is as much progress. But we keep telling each other to be patient and hang in there a bit longer as the finished product is really going to be fantastic and just what we have dreamt of.

painting has started

2008-07-28T05:22:00.001-07:00

inside of the house is in the process of being painted, external facade is almost finished, door was installed and plumbing/toilets/showers installed.

bedhead fabrics

2008-07-20T03:01:00.001-07:00

Have been searching for some plain fabrics to do a bedhead and think I've hit on a winner -

kitchen installed

2008-07-12T01:42:00.003-07:00

Our bathtub which is looking very square

Our kitchen was installed today which was great. The colours are different to what we expected but we're happy with the final product. Here are some pics.

Tiling and painting

2008-07-04T06:05:00.000-07:00

Tiling is well under way and although the wet areas are plain (white and stone coloured cupboards and tiles) it is a fairly classic look, and I'm happy enough with the selections. Painting has started but the flow-through colour is not quite right.
I'm sure the SS will get onto it and make sure 1/4 strength HB is painted throughout.

1/4 strength Hog Bristle

Kitchen is now going in on Monday so we should be able to post some pics later next week.

colourboard

2008-07-04T04:41:00.001-07:00

thought I'd better post our colourboard

The red is the porch on the facade, splash back and accent colours throughout the house. Not an exact replica of Murray Red but close.

Carpentry and tiling

2008-06-21T05:34:00.000-07:00

They've been working during the week on the tanking and tiling and finishing off some of the carpentry.

The house is moving along slowly at the moment but next week we should have the kitchen in and tiling finished.

Then we just have the painting to go. We can also start delivering and installing the wooden floors next week.

Hopefully we are heading for handover around 14th July!

Front Elevation

2008-06-16T05:12:00.000-07:00

close up of the Murray Red

staircase

Front elevation colours are Murray Red, Jasper and Dune.
Roof, roller door and front door are Dune.
Pavers will be 500 x 500 charcoal pavers.

A few more pics

2008-06-14T02:05:00.001-07:00

Pics are a bit old now as a lot is being done very quickly. These are from a few weeks ago and I promise to get some more this week!

Our new WIR cupboards which I LOOVVEE - so glad we didn't go for white melamine!

New coffee table arrived other day ... very happy!

view from the balcony (before lock up)

stairwell windows

bifold

Updated pics

2008-06-14T01:42:00.000-07:00

Life has been so hectic and busy we haven't had a chance to update the blog. But due to a series of complaints from our rellies we've agreed to post some more pics for you to look at:

ensuite bathroom

Upstairs bathroom - waiting for bath which is very square and contemporary looking

upstairs storeage

front door

half height wall upstairs

laundry

walk in robe

bedroom 2

stairwell downstairs

family room and kitchen to the right

rumpus upstairs

front elevation

I promise to post some more pics after our visit to the house this week. Lots of activity at the moment .. external painting is finished, balustrade is about to go up, stairs are finished, kitchen to be installed, flushing finished, tiling to start Tuesday.

Aiming for handover in a month if we are lucky!!!

External render completed

2008-05-14T06:58:00.000-07:00

We've been very excited to see some rapid progress over the last few weeks. The external render has been completed and roof and eaves are up.

Feature colours on the front facade will be completed tomorrow.

Here are some pics of the house to date: Colour render is Dune which is a light silvery grey colour.
The subbies have done a great job of the hebel, render and paint work. We are very happy with the quality of work to date.

We've also changed kitchen colours to a new brand of laminate veneer (rather than melamine). The cupboards are light grey (mist) and black with a red splash back. It is late in the game to change colours however we had the opportunity to make a few changes in line with the external render colour, and took it.

It is very exciting at the moment as we feel much closer to moving in to our new home.

We can't fault the builder or SS at all .... they have been very professional and accommodating. We're pleased with quality and progress to date and given so many other ppl tell us that they are or have experienced tough times with their builder/s we're glad that we have managed to sustain a great relationship with ours.

It certainly makes a difference if you get along with your builder. We've found that the building process is fairly stressful and the last thing we need is to debate issues or have conflict with the builder about our dream home.

Walling finished

2008-04-24T01:49:00.000-07:00

Went to the house today and saw that the hebel is just being finished. Rendering should start next week. More windows have been installed ... now we are waiting on our front sliding door and the rear bifold but they are cladding around the openings.

The 2 doors will have to fit into the area that has been left for them.

So progress has recommenced despite the lag with the windows.

We are meeting the builder on site to discuss the render colours ... we were thinking Mocha Magic and Fudge but think they may be too purple.

Now considering two new colours:

Dulux:
Double strength Dune (will match the roof and roller door but darker shade)
Ploughed earth

Will be deciding on Monday.

Zero progress with Windows

2008-04-21T05:40:00.000-07:00

AGAIN we have problems with the window distributor who is taking WAY too long to complete the windows. Last deadline we were given by them was Easter and we are still waiting for the upper level windows to be installed. Not the fault of the builder who is trying his best to move things along. I guess these things happen when you build.

The other houses in the street are moving ahead of us now.

The window fellow is not my favourite person at the moment. It would be nice to see a couple more frames and a door or two in the next few days. We can only hope that the problem can be rectified as soon as possible and we can get past this hiccup to progress the build again.

Moving ahead at the rate of knots

2008-04-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

Windows started to be installed and the build is progressing very quickly now.We are very pleased with the way it is looking, the quality of the workmanship, relationship with the SS and builder and progress. Here are some pics

Now we need to move ahead with ordering carpets, pavers, and other mod cons so we can progress our part of the project!!

Moving along ... but very s l o w l y

2008-03-07T00:32:00.000-08:00

Our build has ceased to progress due to a holdup with our windows. We have been given a tentative date for delivery of windows which is several weeks away. Unfortunately the window distributor has let us down so we just have to sit back and wait. Framing stage is just about complete ... now we are tediously sitting back while the rest of the street gets along with their builds!!!!!!!

Here are some pics of our house as it currently is:

more pics of the framing and trusses

2008-02-20T02:05:00.001-08:00

upper bedroom

front elevation

study

kitchen eastern side

eastern side view

looking into the kitchen from family room and through terrace

northern view into family room back of property

passage

Upper level framing and roof trusses

2008-02-16T21:20:00.000-08:00

front elevation

SE corner looking toward patio from back of block

view from the passage coming into the family room. Kitchen is on the right and stairwell is on the left.

Drinks and prawns on the slab

garage and bedroom 2 above it

Framing

2008-01-31T19:46:00.001-08:00

We have the steel beams in place and wood has been delivered for upper and lower floors. Looking forward to seeing the build move along at a steady rate.

Our builder has been terrific... extremely patient and accommodating. I think we made more than 12 changes to the plan and now feel it is perfect.

We are very happy with the quality of the work to date.

Reo is down and selections are final

2008-01-12T17:44:00.000-08:00

The reo went down on Saturday - the guys were at the block laying the plastic and reinforced steel into the trenches. J tells us we should have our pour commencing on Monday. Latest pics of the build

Final changes to selections are complete:
CB Dune for fascia, gutters, roof, panel lift door
Dulux Hog Bristle for internal colour throughout
Dulux Fudge and Mocha Magic for external colours (will confirm this closer to external painting)
Dulux Murray River red for front door and glass splash in the kitchen
Kitchen and patio will be tiled with one of these selections:

Rest of the lower level and staircase is 83x12mm spotted gum timber except bedrooms and upper level which is Quest 100% twist wool in French Toast.

Bathroom tiles are from builders display (will post a pic later) with white gloss laminate cupboards and ginger benchtops in the bathrooms. Tiles are white rectified 500 x 300 on the walls and 400x400 stone coloured grey for the floors.

Plumbing and pipe work

2008-01-09T19:51:00.000-08:00

Due to torrential rain followed by a heat wave the build has not progressed as much as we would have liked. The slab was due to be poured this week but we are not sure if the concreters will be able to work in 41 degree heat! Probably not ... but we can live in hope. Things are starting to progress and its getting exciting.

Here are some pics of the pipework .. laid Tuesday 8th January 2007.

Selections for roof, fascia, gutters and panel lift door are CB Dune. External colours are Dulux Fudge and Balcony Mocha Magic. Front door and glass splashback are Murray River (Dulux).

Starting the Slab

2007-12-22T02:48:00.000-08:00

We dropped past the land on Wednesday night 18/12 only to find they have levelled the block!! Surprised by J the builder who has given us an early start date.

Phone call from J the next day confirmed that the slab was due to be poured 24/12. No doubt due to heavy rains this will be delayed until after Xmas.

Exciting times ahead!
We have also settled on the external colours
CB roof, gutters & garage door in Dune
Windows - brushed aluminium - silver
Render - Dulux Porcelein Figurines & Toffee Fingers
Front door - Dulux Red Cross

J the builder has been excellent and very accommodating with our nefarious plans to delay the build with more changes.

Our Plan

2007-11-03T20:55:00.001-07:00

Kitchen selections and Non Standard items

2007-11-03T07:46:00.001-07:00

Kitchen selections are complete. Kitchen cupboards are Cafe Cream laminate (gloss) and the pantry cupboard is laminate gloss Mountain Pepper.

Benchtops are Ceasarstone Ice Snow. is glass but we can't decide on the colour and have decided to wait until the wooden floors and kitchen cupboards are installed before making a final decision on the splash.Most likely Dulux Murray River Red.

Splashback Upgrades to the spec include Innotech drawers to the kitchen, spice rack insert to draws (love Indian and Thai food), 4 downlights under the kitchen cupboards, non standard handles to joinery, 2.8lm pantry in the Kitchen including an appliance cupboard and roller door, square brushed aluminium downlights, double shower to ensuite, BBQ point to the patio, motorized control to rear garage roller door, Culligan P150 drinking system in the kitchen, feature tiles in bathrooms, tiled kickers in ensuite bathroom, extra linen cupboard, Corinthian Madison 1020mm wide x 2340 high front door with glass and mirror cabinet with shelves in ensuite and extra banks of drawers and shelving in the WIR.

Final contracts are signed and new start date is beginning of January 07.

Selections - wet areas

2007-11-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

Our selections for the wet areas include:
Tiling
Stone grey 400x400 tiles on the floors and White Luxor Rectified Gloss 300x500 tiles for the walls - laid horizontal. Stone grey tiles to be laid up one wall as well as floors and in the shower niches.

Tapware
Hansa Polo mixers

Basins:
semi recessed square basins in the master ensuite and upstairs bathroom. The downstairs powder room has an Azure grand pedestal basin with attached towel rail. It looks neat and tidy which is essential as the powder room is small - only 1710 x 1000 mm.

Bathroom & ensuites
White gloss laminate cupboards with Ceasarstone ginger benchtops (attached pic).

Laundry:
Laminate New Barron Alder and Buller Stone benchtops

Wooden floors

2007-11-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

We purchased 120 sqm of spotted gum wood for the lower level and treads/ risers for the staircase. We chose 83x12 mm select grade from Planet Timbers.

We decided against hydronic heating due to lack of communication from the supplier but have incorporated as many passive heating/cooling options as possible given the restraints of a traditional build. The wooden floors are a bit of a compromise as concrete would have been the better option for thermal mass; but the look was a bit too 'raw' for us.

The build is now set to commence early January due to the 3 months delay in waiting for specifications from the hydronic supplier. They never arrived so I guess he doesn't want the job or the system is not ready. Whatever the case, Michael doesn't get his hydronic floors but we can console ourselves with a fireplace and beautiful wood!!

Final plan at last

2007-08-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

We thought we could sign off on the last design however the window size and placement is not absolutely correct, so we have requested further changes.

Will the build be ecofriendly or driven by a budget

2007-08-21T03:21:00.000-07:00

We have been researching a number of ecofriendly options - such as hydronic heating and underfloor cooling and double glazing. After visiting the ecoarchitect we are keen to incorporate as many of these ideas into our house design as possible.

The builder is beside himself and we are hoping he will hang in there so we get the best of all worlds - great modern aesthetics and ecofriendly design. The stairwell is likely to become the house 'chimney' - venting hot air through the house to the roof. Each of the rooms will have a whirly mate to vent hot air out of the house and into the roof space ... eventually released outside. We are just waiting for some costings and final drawings and it is all systems go .... slab predicted to be down in October.

Builder on holidays

2007-07-21T00:30:00.000-07:00

Well the builder is on holidays so the design and decision making process is on hold until he gets back. We agree with the designer that the main bedroom is too small to include all the features we want, so we are going to negotiate some changes with J so the bedroom is larger. We can always change the furniture later but we can't alter the footprint.

It is hard weighing up whether to incorporate the bathroom into the bedroom or have them completely separate. It seems there are two design 'fads' at the moment - the fully integrated ensuite/bedroom and the separate toilet, shower, w.i.r and sleeping areas.

While we are waiting we have been visiting our land. We settled on our dirt/mud a couple of weeks ago which was purchased in Mawson Lakes Adelaide in the Bridges. It seems like a nice & quiet area as it is a bit away from the rest of the Mawson estate (which is going to be massive).

In the meantime we are busy designing and re-designing the house. Is there such a thing as over designed!! I must say our builder has been fantastic and very accommodating.

Looking forward to our meeting with the builder/designer next week, when we come crashing back to reality as the costs for the mod's are revealed. Here is the land.

from old to new

2007-07-15T07:09:00.001-07:00

Last month we sold our house by the beach and decided to take the plunge and build a brand new home in the 'burbs'. I know it will feel great sitting on a brand new toilet and not having to dig up 100 yr old cement to find leaky pipes. Oh yeah, and hopefully we won't get zapped by faulty wiring when we turn on the NEW lightswitches..... Yippee.

the design process

2007-07-15T06:34:00.001-07:00

Today we met with our designer to go through the house design. We originally modified an existing design from Seville Homes. J (the builder) has contracted a designer to work with us. Fantastic team and we are very happy with their approach.