D Day has come

We've moved in!!! The house isn't exactly finished, but it is a far cry from the shack.

In the last couple of days I have been asking myself what whether it was worth it or whether I would do it again.
It is a hard question to answer and I have struggled to decide why my answer would be no or why my answer would be yes.

The house is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. I can best describe it as a sensory explosion. Sound, light and smell flood my senses though every window. Three things that have been very much unappreciated for the last three years.

When we first bought the property Issy was two months old and we jumped in blindly and full of dreams. The shack seemed quite 'doable' and we thought it would only take two years at the most to build the house and move in. One bad design wasted a year and at one point we wondered if we should sell and renovate somewhere else.

It was a turning point to re-design the house and I'm glad we did. The first design was nothing compared to what we have now achieved. The house fits the site like a glove as if it was always meant to be here. Every window has a view that I appreciate as I walk around the house. The trees, the sky and the water have never looked so beautiful.

I think that my answer is neither yes or no. It has been a big sacrifice to live in the conditions that we have in the last three years. While the build has had it's stressful moments it has been everything else that came along with it that regularly pushed me to the edge.

If I had to choose to build again, I would choose the same path. But, would I choose to do it under the same circumstances, no I wouldn't. However, without rent free accommodation it is not likely that we would have been able to build. The two choices are completely dependent on each other.

Ultimately, the experience and the time that has passed has changed me as a person. I value things differently and I have become much more resilient. The change in me is for the better. The 31 year old me would choose not to follow this path, so it is probably lucky that the wide eyed and and dreamy 28 year old me thought it was a brilliant idea.

A dear friend of mine put it simply this evening. The three years has changed me to a point where I can appreciate the house more than many people could understand. The mere fact that my soul fills with joy every time I see leaves outside, feel a breeze and see my family together in a space that enlightens our lives is enough to show me that the journey was always meant to be the way it was.

Transformation from Building Site to a Home

The transformation is almost complete.  The build is becoming a house.  We are even calling it the house now instead of 'the build'.  The last week and a half has seen the painting inside finished and the floor polished.  One of the most awaited features completed is the timber lining under the island bench.  It looks incredible! Perhaps not to the taste of all onlookers, but I am really happy with it.  The only tasks left now are the carpet, hot water, kitchen and laundry taps, some more decking and painting on the outside and an eternity of landscaping (lucky I like to garden!).

 

I feel as though we are starting to reclaim the site as our own rather than the domain of the construction crew.  A family working bee organised by Rob's uncle Ian transformed the site from rubbish dump to a site ready for rehabilitation.  I can't thank you enough Ian and all of Rob's family who worked so hard on the day.  

 

The peace and serenity will return soon and Rob and I will remember why we chose to take this opportunity.  A complete revolution in lifestyle is about to occur and I'm ready for the ride.

 

It's time to show you the inside....

Entry Stairwell - Time for shoes off

Lounge and kitchen. It's white, white and white and I love it!
 Especially after three years of beige, beige, beige.

Completely awesome! Silver stools will be the way to go

Kitchen with cookbooks pending

Beautiful floors, I think we'll become shoe free!

Kids family room ready for toys

I wasn't brave enough to paint the hallway green.  I think some great artwork will do the trick.

Pretty Pink at the end of the hallway

Staircase looks fantastic!

 

The outside still needs some work - balustrade is due in two more days.

Seven days to go!!!!!!

Interior Design for Ramshackle Dumps

Do you need to be inspired? Do you need decorating tips that will save you money? Have you ever longed to live in a ramshackle dump that is inspired by vintage decoration on a slope?  Well, I have the answers for you.

When shopping for curtains, don't try and save money at Spotlight or Lincraft. You can buy straight off the rack at the Salvos. Buttercup yellow and fish are just the look this season.

 

Don't worry if the Salvos don't have any curtain hooks, electrical cable ties are not only attractive but functional! Ensure that you re-connect the curtains and ties regularly to maintain a seamless appearance for your drapes.

 

 

When considering ventilation in a ramshackle dump, go for low maintenance.  If the window doesn't open anymore, just stop any repairs and let the windows rot through for that sensational all year round gust of wind that you'll never expect. Be prepared for a leak or two during seasonal storms.

 

 

Fitting doors can be a tricky business in a ramshackle dump.  You might have had trouble getting your doors to fit when it has been raining or when it hasn't.  Your issues may stem from the door frame and not the door, so just get out your plane every season and adjust your door accordingly.

 

 

When arranging furniture and toys on sloping floors, remember to prioritise the safety of children first.  To ensure that the toys won't fall remember to place them on the downhill wall. 

 

 

Don't forget not to straighten the pictures on the wall - it isn't the pictures that are crooked, it is the wall.

 

 

Consider a fun solution to the decorating dilemma of wardrobes.  Save some cash and string up a rope. Don't forget to raise it up every twelve months as your child grows.

 

 

The bathroom can be the most important room in a family home.  Embrace a vintage look in this room, it will add to your sense of style. Coloured porcelain can be a fabulous look in your ramshackle dump too!

 

 

A splash of modern colour can be added to your bathroom with pink plastic drawers from Hot Dollar.

 

 

While you're in Hot Dollar, source the waterproofing for your bathroom. Contact is an easy choice, stylish, effective and full of life. You can even lift the contact off to kill the mould underneath.  You can't do that with tiles!

 

 

My last and final tips for ramshackle dumps are:

 

1. Don't clean the carpets, the next storm will leak enough water through the roof to do that for you.

2. Buy the cheapest replacement appliances possible so that you can spend years complaining about how inefficient they are.

3. Stormwater drainage is for wimps, just let the land flood the way nature intended.

4. The more the degraded the driveway the less door knocker's you'll have dropping by.

5. Live on the edge and install your clothesline over a mud pile, it's the ultimate thrill in washing roulette. Which piece of clothing will be headed back to the washing machine?

6. Enjoy that musty smell by keeping the doors and windows jammed shut at all times.

7. If you can open the window, fit fly screens with a staple gun to the outside of the frame to prevent invasion.

8. There is nothing you can do to stop the mouse and rat inhabitants that may frequent your ramshackle dump. Just continue the battle and remember, it adds to the charm.

 

But most of all, keep your friends and family close so that they can share in the joy that is a ramshackle dump.

 

 

23 Days to Go!!

With 23 days to go, our excitement is starting to set in.  I've felt like we are building the house for someone else and that it will never really be ours. Now that the kitchen and bathrooms are in and my choices for the interior are final, it is starting to become real.

Everything looks incredible. Domestic bliss awaits...




From behind the kitchen bench.  Anyone for dinner!

Island bench looks awesome

The view without scaffold is panoramic

Still my favourite part of the house

Skirting boards and architraves are finished

 

Exterior doors are in

Snapped! Hi Steve!

Staircase looks fantastic.  I don't think I have the heart to paint the door

Does this really belong to me?

Good play time ahead for the girls! Issy has already taken to sulking on the back deck :-)

Neat little laundry

Bathroom Bliss

Ensuite bliss



First glimpse without the scaffold

Something special from the road. A step up from the shack.

Kitchen, Stairs and a Broken Arm

What a week of drama. Everything had started to settle down, the electrical rough in was done, Rob was finally starting to spend some time with the girls again and then he broke his arm.

 

He is a lucky, lucky man, it could have been a lot worse. After falling 5 metres from the top of a telegraph pole after it collapsed he could have had more broken bones, or hit his head.  A week has passed since Rob's accident and we (or he) is finding his way with one arm. In the meantime, he isn't going to be installing any lights in the house. 

Rob's accident left me rather busy with keeping the house going and along with the ensuing sleep deprivation, I lost my building mojo. There was too much else to think about and the move in date (30 November) now seemed like a distance memory.  I drifted into kitchen week without much care for the work being done on the build.  That was until I saw this....



Kitchen Wonderland

No more stacking trays, pots and appliances in one cupboard in this kitchen

 

Stone benchtops are arriving next week

The gleaming white soft closing doors of our spangly new kitchen instantly rejuvenated my building mojo.  That night I found myself saying to Rob, 'so, what do we need to do to make the 30th of November happen?'.   The boys at K and B Designer Kitchens (yes - they are that good I felt that I should give them a plug) did a fantastic job. 

The stairs and the bathrooms have also been progressed this week.  The spotted gum stairs look incredible. The hallway up to the top pavilion is now my favourite space in the house.

A staircase that glows

  The main entry staircase is beautiful, but not as awesome as the one above.

I'll get fit carrying the groceries up this one!

The tiling in the bathrooms seems to have been taking forever. I have a feeling that I chose rather heavy tiles that need to be progressively tiled up the walls as the tiler has been here for almost a week.  The main bathroom looks okay, but will need the fittings to make it come alive. 

The ensuite uses the same tiles, but up the wall.  I spent an absurd amount of time procrastinating about it and ended up taking a leap of faith. Rob came down from the build after seeing the tiles for the first time, he wasn't convinced that it looked good.  But...I think it looks AWESOME!

Glam! Can't wait to see the white tiles go up on the other walls

Photo Blog - Gyprock, Decking and Flooring

A quick photo blog post of the progress for the last week. Gyprock is finished, timber flooring has started and the rear deck is complete!

Kitchen space, 10 days to go!

Rear deck bathed in sunshine

Timber Flooring

The site is rather crowded

Hallway is something special

Bedroom awaits

View from Master Bedroom

Paint is looking great!