Two years on...

It seems like just the other day that we made plans to renovate our home. Where has the time gone?

Life has just been moving along, sometimes easily, sometimes not. And the one thing that gives me comfort day after day, is coming home to my family and our home. It felt like such a big decision to up end our lives a couple of years ago and put ourselves through what seemed like a scary period of change, but it has been so rewarding for us as a family.

After such a major renovation, it was easy to say "let's just take a break from house stuff", and we thoroughly enjoyed each others company and some vacations away from home to reconnect as a family.

Eventually, however, the "little projects" that still needed doing got the better of me, and I found myself back in mini renovation mode, doing all manner of things from bathroom makeovers to mini shelf projects! Luckily, I have a very patient husband who is happy to do the heavy lifting while I potter around and renovate spaces for function or just pure pleasure in our home.

Here are some of the mini projects that kept me busy over the last 2 years, in between work, study and the kids :-)

1. Black wall in the study. I had been wanting to have a mood wall for a long time and being lucky enough with all the light spilling into our main spaces, decided that I could take a risk and darken one space and create some cosiness. The only space I could see it working in was the study area under the stairs - off a main area so if it was a disaster I could fix it away from the hidden eye! So I was pleased when my eldest volunteered to do the painting, and even more pleased with the end result. The wall is dramatic and moody, but with a tryptich of mirrors to bounce the light works better than I thought it would. When I am in the study I feel cocooned and safe, and the fact that it houses some much needed storage and hanging hooks means it has become one of the most used spaces in our home.

2. Installed a fireplace. There was some contention over this fireplace mainly because it was electric. Hubby was not in favour of a'fake' fire but eventually came around to the idea because at the end of the day, while it doesn't have the crackle and flicker of a real fireplace, it still provides function (heat) and form (central point of the living room). We also have a few small children in the family, and the idea that a toddler could potentially hurt themselves from a real fireplace, was a major deterrent for me. So, in the end, this faux fireplace has brought warmth and comfort to our home, and really, isn't that the point?

3. Downstairs bathroom makeover. This space bugged me for years. It was old and green. YES, GREEN. So, when I bit the bullet after many a youtube video, and decided to tile paint this space, it was like a new space. Paint is a gamechanger, it transforms spaces quickly without breaking the budget. I never envisaged this space could be light and airy, because it was always GREEN, so finishing off this space just before Christmas time was the best gift ever!

4. Our bedroom got some love. I never intended to do much to our bedroom space, but a couple of pins on Pinterest convinced me to update our headboard and lighten up some of our bedroom furniture. It still amazes me how much you can achieve with fabric, a glue gun and a little inspiration. Other little touches to compliment the lighter headboard included investing in a decent reading chair and lamp so it could be a space either me or hubby could escape to, and I am happy to say, it does just that.

5. More shelves, art and plants. I read articles all the time about what makes a house a home, and hygge (hooh-gah) is a word that has been thrown around alot since shows like The Block and Grand Designs have graced our television screens. Art, plants and books for me, is hygge. It represents our lifestyle and the things we love in our home, and the space we share with family and friends. It is one thing in the home that should always reflect who you are as a family and the people and things you hold dear.

6. Black entry door. This was an impromptu project. I had black paint left from the study wall project and was becoming annoyed by the finger prints on a white door. A few Pinterest searches later, and I fell in love with the idea of a darker door, for its practical reasons but also for the way it offsets everything around it. My youngest did most of the painting, and I look at it now and I wonder why I even hesitated because it looks like it was always meant to be black. Go figure!

My husband said something to me other other day, about how this house will never be done, because I love to tinker with it. That is perhaps true, but I can't think of a better way to spend my free time than to create spaces that make my family feel their absolute best.

images: © copyright Shelley Stephens for Little Elm House

Final weeks of tweaking

We are finally enjoying our revamped home. 

While there are still little lots of bits and pieces to finish off like curtains, and purchasing additional storage for new floor layouts, the big stuff has all been completed.

The downstairs interior floors were sanded and polished and came up beautifully. I had my doubts, but have been impressed with the workmanship and how well it turned out.

The stairs were finally carpeted after months of walking on hardened gyprock and dried paint. It was like walking on a cloud, and the sisal has a look that is elegant but casual.

The last few days we have been blissfully putting up much loved art and unpacking books. It is amazing how these things make a house a home, and there have been moments when I walk down the stairs or glance at the bookshelf, and feel beyond content about the final outcome of design. 

I love that despite having so many separate spaces, we still constantly come together to lounge or dine downstairs. So far, open plan living suits our lifestyle, and when the boys upstairs rumpus finally sees some storage to keep things tidy (they unpack quicker than I can blink sometimes!) we will be interior design free. Well, for now anyway!

I am sure I will find projects to keep me busy over the new year - Project Bookshelf Ladder is on the horizon, but it feels good to just be in the space and appreciate its beauty and functionality.

I came across a quote recently that "home is not a place, but a feeling". So far, the feelings are all good :-)

From our home to yours, seasons greetings, and we hope 2017 brings you peace, love and joy.

images: Shelley Stephens for Little Elm House

Week 12

Anything can and did go wrong towards the end of the project. 

From the resignation of our site supervisor (hello project management skills!) to delays with painting and finishing off the project, this was certainly not our week.

A calm, measured approach was required to get us through the final week, but suffice it to say, that didn't happen either. 

In the end, it was a lot of reshuffling of trades to get to the finish line, utilising our Pictionary skills and sign language for the trades without English as a first language (things got comical!), more eating out and expenses not budgeted for, but in the end we finally got to the end.

Props go out to hubby for his 'financial management' skills, and me for 'losing my marbles' skills (and drinking lots of wine, did that exceptionally well I might add ;-)

So, it is with great relief (and some loss of sanity) that I can finally say that the walls finally saw a paint finish, and the floors got some oak laminate love...

And the staircase finally got painted...

And the bathroom was fully completed with the installation of the shower screen (don't mind the tape, had to make sure none of the kids accidentally took a shower before it could cure!)...

But wait, this is not the end of works for us (yes, we are crazy!).

We have separately contracted a company to replace and match all windows and cladding downstairs so it looks like the same building from the exterior.

And our downstairs floors are due for a sand and gloss finish to bring all downstairs work to a close.

Hope springs eternal that the next batch of works progress with minimal fuss, they are mainly exterior but were essential in ensuring that the house was as close to completed as possible.

With Christmas knocking on our door, time has well and truly flown since the start of this project.

Goodbye Cape Cod, and hello Santa!

images: Shelley Stephens for Little Elm House

Weeks 10 and 11

The major focus was on ground floor works over these two weeks. Given that this overlapped with first floor finishing works, meant a little chaos and a lot more dust. We had essentially been without a ceiling downstairs for almost two weeks, and whilst initially creepy, I miss the 'ole rafters now that they are covered up. That said, all the new walls makes for a light and uplifting space, even though they have not been painted yet. 

Our sparky was in first up for the ground floor fit out, and to be honest, it took a lot more thought than we originally imagined. Decisions about dual light switches, what switches would turn which lights on in different areas and where to locate them (especially when you lose some walls...), combined with external light points, and indoor and outdoor fans, not to mention task or background lighting!

Then came the messy work of gyprocking walls and ceilings downstairs. Fine powdered dust makes it sound almost harmless, but it literally took over the house and floor. In the end we just got used to having white feet from the residue from walking barefoot, despite endless attempts at vacuuming. Our air purifier worked over time, and I reckon is due for a filter change! When the cornices and plastering finished, things were looking up and the large space looked more and more complete. 

Following that came the wood floors downstairs, and to be honest, she looked worse for wear. Luckily our chippie said the joins would be long, and relatively unnoticeable especially if we use large rugs which we had already planned to do. We are excited to see the floors when they are whole, sanded and restored back to its original glory. While he was at it, our chippie replaced the old skirting with a colonial style board to match upstairs. All up, downstairs feels so much more refreshed. I would have loved the upstairs and downstairs floors to match, but the thought of covering up the original floors downstairs with laminate seemed slightly sacrilegous! 

Replaced cypress pine boards all in need of some love!

Before he started, our chippie commented on how good it is to see people restoring homes in older (sometimes undesirable) areas instead of building new. He finished the conversation saying he wished more people understood that "it's not where you live, but how you live". Just like that, he summed up what we have been trying to explain to people who question why we choose to stay in our neighbourhood rather than build a new home in a new estate. My hat goes off to the philosophical tradie this week :-)

Finally the stairs were in the process of being finished. Beautifully crafted and well suited to the style of the original house, I am so happy we went with a traditional staircase.

Staircase from upstairs rumpus, I love the evening light in this room

The curve in the staircase at the top and bottom is elegant and crying out for some art on the wall to highlight it's beauty

View of staircase from hall entry - more walls for artwork and photos!

Upstairs, work continued to finish the bathroom fit out, clean out the dust and remove the floor coverings in preparation for painting and floors etc. It has been fun seeing the traditional (me) and contemporary (hubby) fixture's come together, after slight hesitation to mix such different styles. As in life, in bathrooms, opposites seem to attract! 

Oak double vanity with mixers

Freestanding bath that is calling my name people!

Traditional gooseneck shower head matched with modern tapware

We  are keen for the painting to start upstairs so we can get floors laid and then move the heck up there. While it's only been 10-11 weeks we have really felt the chaos these last couple of weeks. As much as I love the work our builders are doing, every time I see a tradie, my first thought is a dreaded "not you again." 

It's a real love/hate relationship! On one hand, they are giving us the home of our dreams and we are so very grateful, and on the other, I would really prefer not to see another tradie in my life ever again. 

The saying, "so close, yet so far" has never been more true!

images: Shelley Stephens for Little Elm House

Week 9

It was a nice surprise to come home to stairs at the beginning of the week! The day before we had a bedroom loved and shared by our boys, the next it housed a staircase in a room that would work equally well as a study or even a mudroom. 

I LOVE the idea of mudrooms - a drop space for bags, shoes and jackets, and in our case, away from the eye as its located in a room that is not the main entry of the house. It will bring some order to our hectic lives of work, school and sport.

The morning after the stairs were installed, we woke to a beautiful stream of light coming from the upper stairwell window. That has removed all concern that the space would be dark with the removal of the lower window that let in the majority of light while the boys were in the bedroom. It is great to see we still have lots of light streaming in, just at new and interesting angles.

The view of the staircase from the far end of the hallway is striking, even raw and unpainted. Once the door frame is removed, we hope to have a full appreciation of the the first landing of the staircase, which will be home to a wall sconce and piece of artwork that can be admired walking toward the staircase. It is a space that will be hidden most of the time given its location, but should be no less beautiful.

The stairs, other than being the gateway between downstairs and upstairs will also provide the function of additional storage space, with a large cavity beneath being fitted with cupboards that will hold everything from the ironing board, linen and camp gear - we like to multi-task our cupboards!

Later in the week, walls, ceilings and everything in between came down! 

From this...

to this..

and this...

And finally this!

The space, light and proportion is a revelation. Every corner and vantage point is new and exciting especially the view to the deck and backyard. Needless to say we are thrilled with the result. We just need to get past this derelict-looking stage!

Dust followed the walls and ceilings coming down. Luckily we invested in an air purifier to catch residual dust etc as a result of the demolition. Longer term, it will continue to do the job of ensuring good air quality inside the house. 

The bathroom upstairs also got some love with black hex tiles on the floor and large white tiles on the wall. It's good to see progress happening on both floors, all the better to get us to the end of the project!

Needless to say with the downstairs demo and my kitchen looking like it had been nuked, I skipped cooking of meals (much to the delight of my kids - McDonalds should make us VIP breakfast customers!). The kitchen during demolition has only been used to make school lunches - less work, less fuss!

Stay tuned next week as we progress to the final finishing stages.

images: Shelley Stephens for Little Elm House