Oh that Sofa!

Let me intrduce you to my fabulous new sofa!

He's the perfect shade of grey, very comfortable and suits my house perfectly. I found him at The Sofa Shop (very creative name hehe) back in May, and he's been waiting in his box in my parents shed ever since. It was so fun to finally unbox and see him in my new living room.

At first I wasnt completely sold on those arm roll cushions but they are growing on me, so they might stay. Below is a pic without them.

But I definitely need to add some throw cushions, I've been holding off ever so patiently for months and now I can finally go pick some out which will be great fun.

The sofa will be paired with some other chairs which have been a DIY project I've been working on, I'll reveal more soon, once they are complete.

There's not a lot of furniture which I am planning to buy new for my home. Instead a lot of items will be repurposed or built. However one piece which I wanted new was a 3 seat sofa/lounge.

 

I hunted for months and months, even before I signed my building contract, I'm pretty sure I was researching sofas. Crazy I know, but maybe not so crazy for us interiors lovers. Im sure I'm not alone. Anyway finding something I liked was quite a challenge, mostly due to budget restrictions. I didn't have thousands to play with and therefore that restricted my choices somewhat. Also living in South Australia, we seem to miss out on alot of the great items available interstate and overseas.

 

After months of trawling the shops I narrowed my selections down to a couple of sofas that fit my budget. Although they are quite different in style they were...The Parlour from Plush Sofas and the IKEA Stockholm. but neither really felt right, you know that gut feeling when you just know something is right. Well I just wasnt getting that feeling.... But then a strike of fate took me into the SofaShop, somewhere I'd never been before, and there he was, and on sale too, wooop. The customer service was also amazing, especially compared to some of the other shops I had been to. I dont know about you but I'd much rather buy from a place that has helpfull and attentive staff over one that doesnt.

 

 

Anyway Im excited to use this as my base for the design of the Living Room. I think its a great start and I know will work in well with my future decorating plans.
 

Sealing Grout to keep it pretttty!

Sealing the grout in my bathrooms and laundry was a must for me, up there with the most important jobs. I had done a lot of research and knew it was my best chance at preserving my grout, keeping it in the best condition I could. I believe nice clean grout makes a huge difference to the look of tiles. Everyday living can get grout pretty grubby.

I selected white grout in my ensuite bathroom, which is the worst colour to keep looking clean, and my main bathroom and laundry have a light grey grout. So it was important to me that I at least try to keep it nice. Over time yes, it might not look as good but at least I would know that I did all I could.

I’m no expect in the matter. I don’t have any special knowledge of grout or bathroom design. I don’t even have any family or friends in this area. So all I could do was turn to trusty google in search of a product that would suit my needs.

From my research the best product I could find here in Australia, was a product called Sealers Choice Gold by AquaMix. I think this stuff must be made of gold because it is pretty pricy. I think I paid about $90.00 for 473ml. But hey, that’s a small price to pay if it works. It’s a penetrative sealer which soaks into the grout.

I made sure all the grout was clean before I got started but giving it a good scrub with warm water, I didn't use any detergents as I figured it may affect the sealer.

I decided to apply mine with a tiny paint brush, I didn’t want to get it all over the tiles in case it left any residue. It does say on the label that it can darken, or lighten some surfaces. I also didn’t want to waste any of it.

I applied two coats, it took quite a while I won’t lie, but definitely wasn’t a difficult job. I think if you had smaller tiles it would definitely take a lot longer as there would be more grout lines.  I had a cloth handy and wiped away any runs straight away.

It dried completely clear, you can’t tell that anything had been put on it at all. I wouldn’t say it has a strong smell either. I didn’t have to open windows or anything for ventilation which was good because its freezing here at the moment.

So I guess only time will tell if it does the job. Hopefully, fingers crossed it will. I do have quite a bit left over so I’ll pop it in the cupboard and do another coat in the future if it needs it.

If anyone has any great tips for regular cleaning and maintenance of grout I'm all ears x

Laying my laminate Flooring... Part 1

When I set out to install my flooring myself I knew it would be a challenge. However I really wanted to give it a go. Although I’ve never really done anything like it before, I almost wanted to prove to myself that I am capable of doing these challenging things which a lot of people would rather just pay someone else to do.

Lucky for me, I have amazing parents who are overly supportive and encourage me to have a go at everything. They also had some great knowledge after laying their own floor about 9 years back. Mum also volunteered to help with the actual laying, as really it is a job that requires two people.

I won’t do any fancy tutorial as really I don’t see myself as an expert at all, and really we just figured it out as we went along. I’m sure there are better ways of doing things but we did what worked for us and I think the result is looking pretty amazing.

We're still not quite finished, just a few last rows to go in which will hopefully happen this weekend. We are also yet to install the skirting timbers, so the floors are not fully complete yet.

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So heres a little run down of how we did it.

First up we laid the underlay, basically just a thin foam with a waterproof barrier which helps protect moisture coming up from the slab and damaging the boards. We just stuck it together with tape, nothing fancy it really doesn’t need to be as the boards hold it all down.

 

I then used our new multi-tool to undercut my doorways. This tool is awesome, we just used a spacer the right height to rest the blade on, and then it just cuts its way through. This one was only about $60 and came with heaps of different accessories. You can get better quality ones but for this job this was more than adequate. It cuts a perfectly even line.

Then there was quite a bit of umming and ahhing over where to start, we decided to start in the end bedroom, so we could get a bit of practice in before laying the more important living areas.

We used spacers, all the same size to ensure we left an expansion gap. These types of floors can expand and contract in different temperatures and humidity levels so this is important. My spacers were 8mm thick, this was to enable my 12mm skirting timbers to be able to cover the gaps. As we progressed some of these gaps were a bit bigger and some a bit smaller, it would be impossible to get it perfect.

 

To install the boards is actually a very simple process as they just click together, generally we would click them in sideways, and then tap them down with a hammer to ensure they were locked tightly together. We cut the end off a board and used this as our ‘tapper’ as the grooved edges fit together and the bagging doesn’t damage the boards then. The tapper starts to look a bit worse for wear after a while. Occasionally the layout would require the boards to be laid end-to-end first and then tapped sideways.

A lot of cuts were required to get boards the right length and also to cut around the doorways and angles. We used my new jig saw which was a Christmas gift from my parents, it worked really well. We clamped boards down so they didn’t move about.

 

 

 

We went through A LOT of blades though. My boards are 12mm thick, and must be pretty tough because after a while blades would get blunt and make cutting really hard. We tried a variety of different blades, wood and metal blades, also different brands, but none really seemed to last any longer than others. Our preference was probably the metal blades as the cuts were slightly smoother.

We went against the instructions which recommended all cuts be made from underneath to prevent chipping. After a few practice runs we found our blades weren’t making any significate chips on the top anyway. This made marking out cuts a lot easier. We stuck little felt pads on the bottom of the jig saw to ensure it didn’t leave any rub marks as we made the cuts.

Cutting around doorways was difficult and very time consuming, I must say it tested my patients a few times. In some cases we were able to slide the boards underneath the door frame for a seamless look. But in some areas this was just not possible. Therefore we cut the boards as close to the exact door frame size as we could and I will fill in the small gap with a little filler of some sort. You really can’t notice unless you’re down on your hands and knees anyway.

 

It has taken us a few weeks to lay the floor. We have had a few full days over the weekend, but then a lot was done after work each night.

The floor is not perfect, there are a few imperfections here and there, but really I don’t think you can tell unless I point out where they are… so I won’t do that haha.

I think it looks wonderful. I’m so proud of the outcome and that I had a go and challenged myself. I’ve gained some new skills but more importantly gained a huge amount of confidence in being able to tackle these large home projects. Again a huge Thank you to my parents who were just as much a part of this project as I was. I couldn’t have done it without them.

Ill upload some finished pics hopefully next week.

Then onto stage 2... Painting, cutting and fitting my skirting boards.

A few pics..

So in all the excitement of handover day I didnt realise that my camera was on manual focus and most of my photos came out blurry. But anyway heres just a few as promised...

I hung a few temporary paper blinds up to give some privacy...and also a few honorary sheets. Which are all still up :o

Im currently still laying my flooring which is taking a little longer than expected but its nearly finished. Its so nice not to be walking around on that concrete floor anymore. I'll share pics and details very soon..

Keys!!...

So handover was almost two weeks ago now and wow the time has flown, I've been flat out but its been great!

 

The actual handover went pretty smooth, well kinda, a few small minor hiccups. I had handover booked at the house for Friday 25th July 1pm.

 

Most of the last minute jobs to be done by the builders were completed, these included replacing a few scratched panels in the kitchen, wall paint touch ups, replacing a panel in my glass door as it had a scratch, tidying up silicone around the kitchen sink etc. and the final appliances, hot water system etc were installed that day also.

 

My site supervisor did however, bring the keys and paperwork for the wrong house! my heart stopped when we both realised. I was thinking, oh no, that means no handover as it wasn't feasible to just go and get my paperwork as the head office is over an hour away. But in the end, after a few phone calls, he left me with a construction key so I could have access and then returned the following day with the correct paperwork and keys. Pheww. I think he felt pretty silly.

 

So since keys, I've been flat out cleaning, sealing the grout in my bathrooms, laying my flooring, putting up some temporary fencing, hanging blinds, security lights, the list goes on.

 

I've also had my air conditioner, carpet and kitchen lighting installed. Ill do some more detailed posts on everything later, once I've had a bit of time to digest what's been happening.

I did have a few days off work which helped to get a few things done but now I'm back to work its been a bit harder to make significant progress. but good things take time right!

Anyway I better get back to it, I promise more updates and pics very soon.

Libby xx

 

Handover TOMORROW!

 

So handover is almost here, wow! how crazy is that. All those years of dreaming, planning, saving and preparing, the day that I finally get the keys to my very own home is finally here.

 

I've got to say I have so many mixed emotions going on right now. Of course I'm beyond excited, but I'm also nervous and slightly scared of what lies ahead. Life is about to change in a lot of ways for me and its also about to get a lot busier.

 

There's going to be a lot of late nights getting things set up, and there is going to be some big learning curves I'm sure, as I delve into first time home ownership.

 

But I'm looking forward to it all, looking forward to making this house my home and seeing what fun ways I can decorate it and make it my own. I'm so excited to see some of my ideas that have been in my head for so long actually come to life.

 

This last week has been crazy making sure all the last minute things are organised. My brain has been on overdrive and I've also had money coming out my eyeballs. haha.  I do have some time off work after I get my keys so I can get started on installing my flooring and also so I can be home for a few different tradies I've got coming to do my air con, splashback, extra lighting etc.

 

Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly with the final payment with my bank and also with the few last minute things that needed to be done by the builders on my house.

 

Here's to the future and all the exciting things that lay ahead....

 

Libby x

 

Bathrooms are in!

The same time the kitchen went in, the cabinetry for the bathrooms also went in, and then it wasn't long and I had a tiler on-site. The wall tiles went up first and then the floor tiles.

 

I don't have any great photos of the bathrooms yet. So once again you may need a little imagination.

 

With the main bathroom in 'selections' I took the risk and decided to put the same tile on both the floor and the wall, a grey tile. I've been very anxious to see how this would turn out but I must say I am very happy. I love the seamless look, although some might say the dark tiles make the space smaller, I tend to disagree, it think it gives the space a moody, intriguing feel.

I paired this with my dark vanity cupboard, with a white bench top. Overall I love it.

 

 

The only thing which I would possibly change, which was sort of an over sight on my behalf is the tile on top of the bench. I probably should have gone for something different here. but honestly I remember being in my selections appointment with a million and one things to decide on, my brain kinda shut down and I said to just go with the same tile. I'm still very happy with it, but I guess I may change that down the road. I do have some ideas, but that would be way, way down the track.

 

You may (or may not) recall me talking a while back about my white ensuite bathroom plans here. Well its been great to see that come to fruition. Basically, just like my kitchen, I wanted it all white. The floor tiles, wall tiles and grout. Yes white grout. Call me crazy. I know its going to be a nightmare to keep clean but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. I have sourced a grout sealer which I plan on using to help, I'll talk about it further another time.

 

So once again I have white cabinetry, this is the exact same doors as my kitchen, and exact same benchtop colour except its not gloss, just a matt finish.

 

I'll also be adding my Ikea mirror cabinet in the ensuite, which I blogged about here.

My ALL-White Kitchen....progress

I while back I wrote about my love of ALL-white kitchens, well its now a reality.

The day my kitchen was installed was a pretty exciting one. It made the house look a lot more like a home. Its all white, sleek and exactly what I wanted.

 

This picture was taken on my phone through my very dirty glass doors as I hadn't been able to get into the house at this point. It does the kitchen no justice at all, but in real life it looks lovely.

You just need to squint and imagine a splashback, pendent lights, down lights, appliances, wood floors and kitchen accessories. Its going to look amazing, I promise.

This is just a regular ol' laminate kitchen, no fancy stone benchtops or solid wood cupboards, but I'm out to prove that builders basic can look amazing. So watch this space...

Lock up = Doors, skirting, architraves

Lock up... I could no longer walk through the house unless I managed to get there when tradies were there working. Which was rare as I was at work most of the time.

 

Internal doors, skirting timbers, architraves and cornice all went up next. I decided to ask my site supervisor to leave the skirting timbers off in the main living areas and hallway as I am installing the flooring myself after handover and prefer a seamless look.

Generally these are installed (nailed and glued on, so quite a challenge to remove) and then people install their flooring and then have a strip of 'beading' added. although its not a bit deal and most people wouldn't notice, its one of those things that would just irk me. Its just a personal preference.

So basically what that all means is there are strips of uncut skirting timber left behind and once I install my flooring I will also cut and install the skirting boards myself. Bit of extra work, but I believe worth it.

Hoepfully I don't regret it later haha.

Insulation and Internal walls

Following on from my previous update post...

The electrical wiring went in next, followed by the insulation. For those who like the technical details I have R4 in the roof, R2.5 in the external walls.

 

I also choose to add internal wall insulation. This all helped my house pass the 6 star energy rating which is required when building a new home.
 

 

Only a few days passed and all my internal walls and ceiling were up. This was a bit of a wow moment as it finally started looking like a home. I could walk in all my rooms and image the furniture placement. It was also great to be able to see how the light flowed in through the different windows, depending on which direction they face.

 

 

 

This was kind of a sad moment too as I knew it wouldn't be long before all the doors went on, which means the house is at 'lock up' and I can no longer walk through unless there is tradies working there, as I don't have a key, but this also means one step closer to completion.

Lots and lots of updates

So it appears I up and vanished for a couple of months. woops. The house is almost at completion so I better catch up on updates and all the juicy details. First up the exterior, bricks and roof.
 

 

Loving my brick choice, its PGH Oyster with a light (almost white) mortar. I was a bit concerned when my 'brickie' sand was delivered as I thought it would look white, but it looked way too dark, however once it was up I could see that they had it right. The white sand, which was combined with 'brighton lite' mortar, ended up being quite a costly upgrade, however I am so happy that I did it. The standard for my builder is a 'grey' mortar, but honestly when they mix it with the regular orange brickies sand, it comes out an organgie brown colour. Which with my grey bricks, just would have looked terrible.

 

Its funny because in my area there were no houses with grey bricks and now they seem to be popping up everywhere in the last couple of months. When I was trying to decide which bricks to go with I had to drive over an hour away just to find a few houses with a grey brick.

Then the gutters, facia and roof went up. Only took them 1 day to put all that roof sheeting on, crazy. The colour is Colorbond Surfmist, its almost white. I love love love it! Most houses in my area have dark roofs, usually colorbond woodland grey or similar, so I like that I went with something a bit different. I will also be having a surfmist garage door, but that wont go on until the house is almost complete.

 

I was a little worried about my gutter-facia colour combo. I went with woodland grey for both. Little bit different as most people recommend that your gutters match your roof colour but I felt it needed some contrast and I'm really happy with how it turned out. pheww.

Photos do it absolutely no justice, Ill defiantly be uploading better ones in future.
 

Progress...

Thought I'd better put a quick little update on here. Progress with the house is feeling painfully slow, probably doesnt help that I drive past multipul times a day. Its like watching paint dry haha.

But I know all good things take time and I must be patient. Probably not one of my strongest qualities.

In the past few weeks the windows and sliding doors were installed which was exciting, they have loooovely white frames. I've also had gutters and brickie sand delivered, so surely there will be some more action soon.

Here's an early morning pic, with the sun shining in my living room :)

Ensuite Mirror Cabinet

My Ensuite bathroom is pretty small and the vanity cabinet is tiny, I think only 750mm wide. I like storage in a bathroom... you know, to keep all those lotions and potions we all hoard (or is that just me :/ ). I like being able to put everything out of sight, rather than sprawled out all over the place and frankly that tiny vanity cabinet of mine just won't be enough. Therefore I want to add in a wall hung mirror cabinet to solve my storage dilemma.

My builders standard is to supply a regular builders grade mirror stuck on the wall (you know, those plain ones with no frame), well my plan is to ask them to leave this off so I can install a wall hung mirror cabinet after I get handover of the house. This will provide so much more storage for all my bits and bobs and keep the bathroom much tidier.

I had a few cabinets in mind and originally was leaning towards a more traditional style with a wooden frame etc. Like this one below....

but after thinking it over and considering the size and style of the bathroom I decided to go in a different direction with a more minimal and sleek look.

I've been eying off the IKEA Godmorgon Mirror cabinet for a while now. Its mirror on all sides and also has a mirror finish on the inside.

The picture really doesn't do it justice, its very pretty I promise.

At $300 for the 600mm wide one, I think that's a fair price.

So last weekend I journeyed to IKEA with Mum and Dad to get my cabinet. I don't get to IKEA very often so its always a fun day out. I think we spent about 3 hours in there just looking at different things.

Once home, I pulled a few bits out just to make sure it looked right and there wasn't any cracked mirror. It will be packed away now until the house is complete.

 
Hoping it won't be too much of a drama to hang on the wall as it is pretty heavy, 22kg I belive. I don't think I'll be able to tap into the house frames because of their location so I'm going to have to go straight into the gyprock and am considering cavity fasteners, Ramset make some which might do the job. I would love to hear from anyone who has used cavity fasteners to hang something heavy, what was your experience? any tips or tricks?

Up..UP..UPPP she goes

My house has finally turned 3D.... Framework is done.

It took 4 tradies only 3 days to put it all together. It looks mighty fine if you ask me.

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 This is looking into the 2 car Garage. The second pallet of bricks towards the back of the photograph (on the left) is where the outdoor alfresco is.

This is looking down my long hallway in the centre of the house. To the right is a bathroom and the laundry. At the very back is a bedroom. 

This is standing in the dining room looking down through the kitchen and into the living room. That big pile of dirt out there will be my backyard. To the left of the photograph (where the bricks are sitting) will be a glass sliding door with access to the outdoor alfresco area.

Just a photo of the roof framework

This is looking back at the rear of the house, on the left is a bedroom and on the right is the living room.

..and a photo of me standing at my kitchen sink haha. Please excuse the daggy after work attire.

 

Cant wait to see my roof go on next and then see some brickwork start!