With Peter back to full time work the renovation/regeneration has become a work in slower progress.  We’re ok with that, just not as much to write up about here.

The raked ceilings in the living areas are finally painted (and my neck is glad of that).  As the kitchen is being installed downstairs we’ve decided to run the ducting from the range hood out the side of the building rather than through the roof – not a good look.

Drilling through the double brick external wall sure gave the yapping dog out the back, the guy practising violin in the other house out the back, and the metal head across the road a run for their money on the noisy neighbour stakes.

This afternoon the office nook is taking shape with the ikea metod cupboards going up.  There’ll be a narrow shelf just below the cupboards, and a recycled pine desk top as work top.  We’ve installed power points with USB chargers in this space as well – don’t we feel modern having thought of this – lol.

Coming up will be the continuing kitchen installation… sink, taps, cupboard handles being chosen this week.  The feature image for this post is the tiles we have ordered for the kitchen splash back.  As is typical in finding ‘just what you love’ they are on order and somewhere in a container sailing their way to Aus. We don’t expect to see them ’til late November.  Lighting and appliance installation by Troy our Electrician is in the planning…. and  got to lock in the flooring guys as well for the upstairs and downstairs living areas and hallway.  Hmmm, better think about a tiler for when those beauties arrive.

It’s becoming a challenge to find some semblance of a quiet relaxing space lately.  With the focus on getting the ceilings and walls painted the lounge room has moved a few times.  Now with the limited space we are treating ourselves to the ‘cinema experience’ with the lounge practically  arms length from the TV.

The servery window from the soon to be created kitchen is done.  The hardwood 300mm wide hardwood servery is set in, trim on window completed, just waiting for the kitchen and the summer to make good use of this north facing deck entertaining area.

So if you can follow these 3 images across maybe the next major part of the renovation will make sense.  Image 1 is looking into the current 2nd bedroom from the hallway. (note the boxes as we have now moved everything out of storage and successfully squeezed it into here).  The hallway will be pushed into the room far enough to create doorways on the left to bedroom 2 and on the right to the new 3rd bedroom (which is currently the kitchen).  Moving on to image 2, you can see the remains of the current kitchen looking through what will soon be floor to ceiling storage cupboards in the upstairs living area.  The blue on the right of this second image is what you can see fully in image 3 – the office space.  Will leave you anticipating how fantastic this will look once shelves, cupboard etc are installed.

“Sayonara” from us both as we head off to Japan for a chance to escape the madness on our Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage (check it out through http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/kumano-kodo/)  and tourist visit to Tokyo, Mt Fuji and Kyoto.

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After 5 weeks back at full time ‘paid’ work, the reno is now getting the 1/2 time attention it needs.  The creepy image above  is just one of the challenges we’ve set for our electrician Troy as he wires up this 70’s beach weekender into a modern, liveable beach house in wonderful Peregian Beach.  Troy’s connected the lights for the internal stairs – we love the effect!  We’re getting ready to to set up the office area – panelling and power points/USB are in, and investigating ideas for cupboards and desktop – how many shelves etc.

The biggest decision at the moment is with regards to the kitchen.  We have quotes for a new kitchen (twice our budget); refitting our kitchen into the new space (almost twice our budget); or Peter refitting our kitchen into the new space (waiting on the quotes from the panel factory for that).  Keep you posted.

Oh the temptation of getting someone else to do it… but what else would have to go to make that happen? I’m not prepared to continue with our blue bathroom. Especially after today when the bath tap blew off when I turned on the sink tap to clean by teeth!!! True story… evidence below

Speaking of plumbing, we’ve found ourselves a plumber that Dan would be proud of – you know what I mean Dan, those pipes are lined up beautifully.  The kitchen plumbing has been roughed-in and after cleaning out the storage unit we have our dishwasher ready to be installed again.  Must admit, I haven’t missed it too much, but then again we’ve been living with maybe 1/8th of our kitchen ‘stuff’ so it’s not too hard to keep on top of it when there’s only enough plates for 2 days anyway.  All part of our ‘glamping’ experience.

What’s next?

• The big kitchen decision once the quote for the DIY version comes in.
• More painting and gap filling
• The fussy little jobs like finishing off the windows and doors.

With Peter working full-time at the moment it’s been limited hours to put in on the renovation.  So that’s how it seems that the VJ has been creeping around the walls panel by panel.  It’s looking fantastic!  The angles of the ceiling and the electrical power points etc have given Peter some challenges (I didn’t know he was a swearing man, though he says it’s okay on a work site hahaha)

It was an exciting day when the Tassie Oak stairs arrived and were dropped perfectly into place.  In the process of being nervously painted by the resident novice painter and decorator, Marg.

We’ve positioned the layout of the kitchen using some of the previous kitchen cabinets for our cabinetmaker to take a look at.  Now we’re waiting expectantly for a quote to either infill and recycle what we’ve got, or start from scratch with a whole new kitchen.  [$$$$$ might be time to revisit the budget $$$$$]

One of the many decisions that we are making as we go and as the project evolves is what to do with the feature brick wall in the lounge area opposite the kitchen.  Do we leave it as it is? Do we paint it white? We’ve decided not to panel with the VJ, but am interested in what you may think of this treatment we tried….

Next?  more panel creeping and painting