Framework is on the home stretch

Over the last two weeks the house has changed a lot, but the most exciting stages happened late last week.  The top floor framing went up, and over two days, the rafters went up over the living and kitchen spaces. 

The encasing of the space with the rafters has really made everything feel real and it is starting to sink in that this really is going to be my house.

Top floor taking shape

 

Top floor from rear deck space

The 'Spine' of the house design running from the top pavillion right through to the view

Kitchen and living room space

Dining Room corner

Rafters have framed the view out the front of the house, spectacular!

Cladding is underway on bedroom pavillion

Bush snapshot out of the family room highlight window

The two sections of house are also being joined together.  A two stage staircase passing between the pavillions will link the two buildings.  Floor to ceiling windows sitting in the landing for the staircase will hopefully frame a pretty bush view to the east and west as well as flood the stairwell with light. The last of the framing is arriving tomorrow and I can't wait!

Pavillion link underway

Top floor framing is on the way!

Ok, I have to admit it. My optimism is building again and the sight of these frames in the dark last night put a smile on my face.

Visiting the space in the sunshine today was glorious. It is such a shame that the roof will block out the sunshine, but I guess it's needed.... I was pleasantly surprised to see sunshine coming over the top of the back pavilion and into the family room space. Perhaps winter won't been so bad after all.

Front facade of the house.  The large opening is for sliding doors out on to a deck.

Looking into the dining room corner - two louvre windows are going into the gaps.

Family Room and highlight windows - should have put them on the western side!

View from rear deck location

Standing in our bedroom - most of the view should stay!

Also, a big congratulations to our builder and his lovely wife who welcomed a new little baby boy into their family yesterday.

Photo Blog - The Last of the Floor Area

 The builders laid the last of the floor space today! Since the last photo blog the garage frame has been constructed, the overhead floor joists laid and now the last panels of chipboard flooring.  Photos are the best way to share the progress!

View from down near the shack looking up to the garage

Rob's mega garage, enough storage space?

View looking back across the block from the west - all the house sections are coming together

Floor area for family room, kitchen, dining and lounge room

View from the back of the bedroom pavillion

I think that the shack would fit on here, let alone the other pavillions!

No one is afraid of heights in this house, it is a long way up

View looking down from Master Bedroom hallway

The garage is HUGE! 3.5 metres tall in order to lift the upper floor higher.  I think Rob's truck will fit.

Bathroom Inspiration

My serious addiction to home magazines is fed by my desire to open the glossy pages and find the perfect interior design for the house that I can just copy and get on with something else.  It hasn't happened so I've put in some serious hours of procrastination over the style of the bathroom.  I view the bathroom and kitchen as spaces which set the tone for the whole house, so seeking out a bathroom style on a budget to suit my interior dreams has been a challenge.

Putting the bathroom design together started out with coloured feature walls, mosaic tiles and fancy taps.  A bit like this one!

Eco style, mosaic feature panel and timber (Home Beautiful)

Our tile budget is meant to be $30 per square metre. I visited the tile shop in July 2011 for this style and quickly realised that it wasn't going to happen. Mosaics = $360 per square metre. Mmmm.....

I went back to the drawing board.  Round two in January 2012 was all about using large feature tiles to create something special. I fell in love with the tiles that one of the teams on the Block used last year ($129/m2).

Matrix tile in white

A few months later, I have evolved the interior style for the whole house, settling on a palette of white, grey, timber and stainless steel. 

Now for some more inspiration....

Ensuite will be like this, minus the bath and with a flat glass shower screen



An 'I wish' beautiful bathroom



A little bit of timber, white walls and grey floors.  Looks fantastic!



Lots and lots of procrastination over this one! I just can bring myself to buy something that I haven't seen in person



Caroma Aura freestanding bath - Main Bathroom

(In white, in both ensuite and main bathrooms)

Minimalist tapware

After deciding the custom made vanities would be too expensive, we decided to make our own little features like Sophie and Dale's bathroom - step under the vanity and a timber seat next to the bath.



Can't wait to see what it looks like!


From Forlorn to Framing

I started out this week hoping that Monday would bring a fresh start to the build and all our ambition would come flooding back.  Unfortunately it was not to be so.  I started out the week very much feeling like this....

The recommencement of any work was delayed until Thursday after delivery of the frames didn't go ahead as scheduled due to some rain which had made the driveway more difficult to negotiate.  Thursday came around and the excavator onsite ended up carrying the framing up the drive in place of the delivery truck (could have done that on Tuesday!).  The couple of days delay was just enough to push me over the edge.  There is no denying it, I was irritable, cranky and wished that I could chuck the towel in.

It is lucky that standing frames is a quick process.  A limited number of hours pays off in a large amount of visual progress.  The builders spent Thursday and Friday standing the frames and fitting the windows for the two bedrooms, bathroom and laundry. For the first time we have been able to get a feel for the spaces.  I think the hallway along the front of the bedrooms is going to be a favourite of mine.

New frame for bedroom pavillion

Walking up to check it out across where the back deck will be

Hallway along bathroom and two new bedrooms

Alcove along hallway which is going to be fitted with a bay window/bookcase

We had a bit of fun visiting the new section of house, Issy's spirits were lifted with all the climbing and drawing to be done.

Builder's jungle gym

Issy and Daddy drew a pregnant mummy on the floor

All in all, the week ended looking up with some good progress made.  Let's hope it continues and we can finish up the next week like this....