renovation ruminations: part 4

Posted on December 11, 2015 by kathy

The bedrooms didn’t need too much work. The previous owners installed bay windows in the two main bedrooms, adding a bit more space and enhancing the gorgeous views. They tiled the floor area in the window section to blend in with the cream carpet.

the pink walls, pelmets and curtains were first to go.

5. new curtains

We pulled up the carpet and removed the tiles

then filled in the gaping hole with Tasmanian oak flooring. The hideous solid wardrobe doors were replaced with Tassie oak framed mirrored ones

and the floorboards were sanded and polished.

17.K's after 16.M's after 15.M's after

After much searching, I found some antique bedside cabinets. They are mismatched and after some restoration they completed the picture perfectly.

18.K's bedsides 19.M's bedsides

The third bedroom was designated for guests

18.bed 3 before

but the sofa bed was soon re-homed once I discovered how uncomfortable it was. The carpet had to go and a huge built in cupboard was deconstructed and resurrected in the shed. With some rearranging, the room has become a cosy guest suite for one as well as my playroom.

renovation ruminations: part 3

Posted on November 25, 2015 by kathy

The lounge required more of a makeover than renovation. The previous owners added the extension and despite the cream carpet, the red brick walls darkened the room.

1.before lounge 2.before lounge 3.before lounge

The first part of the project was to render and paint the walls to match the rest of the house.

4.rendering 5.rendered 6.rendered

The window was replaced with double glazing and new curtains soon followed.

7.new curtains:window

We removed the carpet and most of the tiles around the fireplace. The concrete slab was sealed and Tasmanian Oak flooring laid & polished.

8.stripped floor 9.raw floor 10.polished floor 11.polished floor

A new sliding door opens onto the deck.

13.new window

The new step linked perfectly to the original timber flooring through the dining room and along the hallway.

12.new step 14.after1

The new modular lounge suite and rug completed the picture.

15.after2 16.after3 17.after4

renovation ruminations: part 2

Posted on November 6, 2015 by kathy

Having completed the extension with the second bathroom, we were excited to start renovating the main bathroom and laundry. The bath and shower were made to accommodate vertically challenged individuals and the ugly window and lino had to go.

The tiles proved a bit difficult to remove

but perseverance paid off.

The more we demolished, the more shonky workmanship was revealed.

The laundry became a blank canvas once the lino was removed.

The new window and floor in the bathroom

were soon followed by internal walls and the bath.

The laundry was progressing at the same time

and the laying of tiles hinted that the end was nigh.

We inherited an old Blackwood vanity unit that had been abandoned in the garage of a house bought by a friend. We were sure we could use it somewhere.

A local joiner restored the timber, created a new top and replaced the cupboard inserts with reclaimed mini-orb. With a new ceramic sink and some knobs I found on the internet, the old vanity was given a new life. A floor to ceiling corner cupboard completed the picture.

We wanted a rustic solid timber vanity unit for the bathroom which we soon realised we weren’t going to find in a shop. We bought a sturdy Blackwood slab and our joiner created a unique masterpiece.

Our beautiful new bathroom was complete.

renovation ruminations: part 1

Posted on October 29, 2015 by kathy

The house we have now is quite different from the one we bought six and a half years ago. The transformation has been gradual and we’ve had a lot of fun along the way. The first thing to go was the lino (why cover polished Tasmanian Oak flooring with lino?) and the pink walls