Tag: renovation

  • Architectural dreaming

    Architectural dreaming

    One of the things we promised ourselves when we left for Germany was that when we got back, we’d finally renovate and redecorate the house. We did up the kitchen in 2012, of course, and then the garden in 2013-2014 and the en suite bathroom in 2016. Before we left in 2020, we replaced the carpeting in our offices and the ceiling lights. But the rest of the interior is basically the same as when we moved in, and all our furniture was mostly cheap IKEA stuff we’d accumulated over the years. We saw the move as the opportunity to get rid of a lot of things, and to start to invest in actual interior design and “grown-up” furniture. We also have a few structural things we want to do, like refresh the main bathroom, redo the closets, pull down the ceiling cornice (if we can), and change the window treatments.

    So of course, I’ve started a Pinterest board. Rodd’s sister also brought us a giant stack of design magazines.

    Design magazines

    Here’s the thing – we both really like mid-century design. We’ve got a couple pieces that we know we want to keep: our bed, our vintage sideboard, Rodd’s Grandma’s cupboards and my rocking chair (both of which can be seen here), and these funky little shelves. We’ve also got some art for the walls. But other than that, everything else can go. We’ve set an arbitrary rule that we’re allowed IKEA things in the bedrooms and offices, but not in the main part of the house.

    I find myself scrolling through endless photos of mid-century shelving systems and conversation pits. (Did you know the conversation pit “is back”?) We spent hours today watching Architectural Digest videos on YouTube. But I don’t want to just create a pastiche of the Miller house, you know? I think it also needs to be more modern and us, and of course we’re limited by the concrete box floorplan that already exists.

    If you know of a good Sydney based interior designer, please let me know. We’ve put out feelers to a few, but always looking for more recommendations!

    PS – We did visit the Miller house back in 2019, and it’s amazing. (Rodd really, really wants that wall of built-in shelves.) If you’re into that type of thing, highly recommend you visit Columbus, Indiana and watch the excellent John Cho film

    Us at the Miller House

  • Photo post

    And it's finished! Now to paint the skirting boards and move *everything* back in...

    And it’s finished! Now to paint the skirting boards and move *everything* back in…

  • Photo post

    In progress bedroom floor!

    In progress bedroom floor!

  • Photo post

    Before: horrible stained and very, very dusty bedroom carpet. (You won't get the After shot until later today!)

    Before: horrible stained and very, very dusty bedroom carpet. (You won’t get the After shot until later today!)

  • Photo post

    I asked the builders if I could put our initials in the wet concrete. They obliged.

    I asked the builders if I could put our initials in the wet concrete. They obliged.

  • Photo post

    The garden wall is going up!

    The garden wall is going up!

  • Kitchen Update

    You’d think I’d know from watching all those episodes of Grand Designs that renovations never go as fast as you think they well. This process is just GLACIAL. We had the “Check Measure” guy out to do detailed measurements of our kitchen a few weeks ago. He then took those away to make an exact plan. (Apparently the previous one was too vague, and they have to be certain everything will fit before they can build the cabinets.) Then we had to approve all those plans. Now we’re waiting for the actual project plan that will tell us when everything is finally going to happen.

    We’ve been crossing some things off the To Do list though. We managed to pick out, purchase, and pick up the tiles for the floor. (Full-bodied porcelain tiles in black and white are surprisingly hard to find! I guess more people want their kitchens to look like Roman villas than 50’s diners.) We also got the builder out to give us a quote on extending one wall. And last weekend, we got our appliances delivered from Harvey Norman. We were going to wait until right before construction, but what the hell! I’d rather start using my massive new fridge right now.

    Old and busted

    Old fridge

    New hotness

    New fridge

    Yep, the new fridge is set up in the dining room. It won’t actually fit in the old space in the kitchen til we tear stuff out, so that was always going to be the case. The refrigerator compartment is a bit bigger, but the freezer is HELLA bigger. More than double. We are giddy with the possibilities. (The first thing we did after we plugged it in was ride to Establishment 218 and buy $150 worth of meat.) The new microwave has also been put to work early. However the faucet, dishwasher, and rangehood are still sitting boxed up in the corner, and will be for the foreseeable future. COME ON, HARVEY NORMAN. LET’S DO THIS.