Starting with an old 1970's AV Jennings house, we saw the future plans existing of a gorgeous beachside cottage..
Looking very "red" and very tired, the house had Ghetto Reno on its side. The Story so far..
Some gardens were added to get the look going.. When we bought the house, there was not one tree or one plant in sight..
I had some planters from our old house, so i added them at the front.. Already has greened the house up..
The office and kitchen dining were in a pretty ugly sort of state.. Even i didnt like the faded brown carpet that had turned to faded pink...
The walk in pantry is awesome and i loved the large fridge spaces.. can see a pigeon pair going in here.
More pics will be added as we go.. I have a pretty good idea of how it is going to look now... lets see how it turns out...
We decided to give the outside a bit of a head start first.. we recoloured the roof to a more sympathetic colour for the seaside. A lovely sky blue colour. And then we had to replace all the guttering and downpipes too. These were changed to colorbond "Surfmist". The paint we chose for the outside was also the same colour. The bricks were very easy to cover.. Apparently a few years ago (before we bought the house), the old neighbour (now 92) repointed all the brick work for the lady that lived here. He did a lot of maintenance for her. He was a builder before he retired. The joints were pretty flush with the brickwork, which made rolling the best option for us. The transformation had begun..
Well..... week one we thought we were getting new bathrooms... but now we have decided to go all the way.. and we thought we would get in contact with our tiler Peter. He said that he had some spare time, so we thought we would utilise his time, and we pulled out the carpets and vinyl to start with.. Then the bathrooms were next. The cabinet maker paid us a visit the next day, and he said he could get something in for us before xmas too. Sooooo, out came the kitchen..
Now we are pretty much starting with a blank canvas..
Day 1. (Thursday)
We decided to start today.. the plumber was contacted in the morning, and came to look at the job. He said he could have a couple of boys to remove the amenities and plug everything off that afternoon. So off we went.
Day 2 (Friday)
The showers, toilets laundry and baths were removed along with all the tiles in the bathrooms. The kitchen was also removed and the carpet and the vinyl flooring throughout the entry and hall and kitchen were removed. We had to borrow a camping shower for the week and we strapped up a tarp on the back balcony and had showers after it got dark. Glad the weather was warming up.
Day 6 (Tuesday)
The tilers really got into it today. Most of the living area was finished, the floors in the bathrooms and toilets were finished, and just the cuts had to be done.
The tiles were going down well, but cutting them was very time consuming. They are a brittle tile, so extra care had to be taken. Extra tiles were used to cover the tiles that were broken during cutting.
Day 7 (Wednesday)
More tiling today, the showers were now finished, and so the showscreens were measured and ordered.
Day 8 (Thursday)
Day 12 (Monday)
Well back into again.. The plumbers are back today... Doing the fitoff for the bathrooms... Hooray.. a working bath and toilet.. You dont know how good it is to have some basic amenities back in the house. The vanities were also fitted. They are a free standing units with granite tops, and they look fantastic. We bought them in a whole set, including the mirrors and the basin and taps from a local furniture/antique reproduction store. They fitted down to the inch, with a little push here and there..
The painters are starting tomorrow, so we have to have another clean up, pick up the paint and get organised to have the painters here for a couple of weeks. The painters off sider was on holidays (schoolies week) and so I was his number one apprentice.. (not that i havent done a bit of painting before).
The rumpus, office and kitchen was first. Wow it was so nice to have a nice smooth colour back on the walls. We used Dulux Antique white USA. for all the walls in a low sheen, and we decided to go a full gloss on the trims in the same colour. When using the same colour in a gloss for the trims, it makes the colour look 1/2 a shade darker, so it is a good match. I learnt a few tricks from the painter today.. I learnt that when you are doing window frames (inside the reveals) you can use unpaintable silicone around the window frame, and then paint up to it.. Is makes it so much easier to cut in (because it doesnt stick to the silicone) and also gives the window a very neat finish.
Another trick is to paint the wall colour over the window and door trims. This gives an easy blend between the wall and the trims, and also gives the gloss more depth. It looks fantastic..
Day 13 up to Day 24 was all painting... the whole house is finished now, including the new doors on the robes and cupboards. We used colonial doors and replaced the existing flat doors and knobs. Wow it made such a difference. 23 doors replaced in total..
That was done by a builder, and was a much bigger job than we anticipated. Maybe hanging doors is more tricky than it looks.. The builders also came on the weekend (because they were friends and relies) to keep going on the pergola. The roof was being put on this weekend. We used 3 piece full insulated sheets, not because of the thermal qualities, but because of the aesthetic qualities. They are a solid ceiling, shiny and full span. No spots for spiders to cling on to, and easy to hose down for a clean. The top of the panels are corrugated iron, with a foam middle and a powdercoated ceiling. Wiring can be put through the foam for lighting using a hot rod to go through the foam. They look great when they are up.
Day 24 (Friday)
I am so excited today... My kitchen is starting to go in.. I designed the kitchen in a classic look, and i love the look of classic kitchens and marble bench tops.. I chose Carrara Marble for both the kitchen and the laundry tops.We wont see the tops until Thursday though, because the templates are done after the cabinetry is installed.
Also our showscreens have arrived and have been installed. S.H.O.W.E.R.S... YAY!!!
Day 25 (Saturday)
More kitchen cupboards today.. and the laundry cupboards were added also..
I also ordered a window seat for the office window, so there is somewhere to sit and enjoy the view or to enjoy a good book and a cuppa..
Painted the battons of the pergola today. The boys are putting them up tommorrow and the pergola will just about be done.
Day 26 (Sunday)
Finishing off the kitchen and laundry today, ready for the templated to be done tomorrow. A big clean up and lots of dusting.. I couldnt believe the amount of dust from the kickpanel trims being installed.
Now we have 3 working bedrooms, and all the blinds were installed today. A little privacy at last. We also have an ensuite and a main bathroom fully completed and decorated with a little help from hubby hanging towel rails and accessories etc.. Finally it is all coming together.
The pergola is almost done. More painting of battons today.
They are all up now.
Day 27 (Monday)
Kitchen and laundry bench templates being done today. Off to the stone mason, who is on standby for the last job before his xmas break. This thursday will be D Day for the tops.. Which will be great timing for the tiler to come back and do the splashbacks before my mums 80th birthday party we are having on Sunday.
Day 28 (Tuesday)
More decorating and shopping for accessories... Still cant clean the lounge/dining and rumpus room yet. We still have all the kitchen cupboards all over these rooms.. The pantry was placed back together on the weekend, but we cant put anything back in the kitchen until the tops are in.
Day 29 (Wednesday)
Getting excited for the tops to come... We have started having downpours of rain now..
Day 30 (Thursday)
Kitchen tops were meant to come today, but they have been held up for another day.. Yikes. no time for the tiler now. Today I did another coat of paint on the pergola now it is finished, to freshen it up.. All the handprints (and the builders dogs paw prints) over the timber made it look a bit second hand. Looks much nicer now.
Day 31 (Friday)
Kitchen tops today.. The stonemasons put in the tops and they look great.. Carrara marble was a beautiful choice. It is such a soft material both in looks (which is a good thing) and in use too (which is not so good). The marble is something I have wanted to use for a long time. I would not recommend it around young families though. It is a porous stone, and has to be sealed. The sealers that are normally used react to citrus and colours (like beetroot and red wine etc) Cutting boards must be used for protection. Now there is just my husband and I in the house, we thought we would splurge out and use it this time. I love it..
Day 32 (Saturday)
The builders finished off the trimming on the pergola and built my arbour to my vegie patch, and finished in the yard at around 3pm. A massive clean up in the yard to get rid of all the building materials, patch up the yard, and set up the tables for my mums party tommorrow. The grass was mowed and the gardens weeded. What a blitz it was.. Just like one of those "60 minute makeover" shows.
Today is clean up day inside the house too.. All the kitchen bits and pieces are going back in. The house is dusted and the dining/lounge and rumpus are finally back in full swing.. It is my mothers 80th birthday dinner out tonight, so to help, my niece and my daughter have decided to stay back and finish off the cleaning for me tonight.
On arriving home, I was unsure on how far the girls would have got, but when I walked into the house it looked absolutely lovely.. The girls did a great job.
We decided to give the outside a bit of a head start first.. we recoloured the roof to a more sympathetic colour for the seaside. A lovely sky blue colour. And then we had to replace all the guttering and downpipes too. These were changed to colorbond "Surfmist". The paint we chose for the outside was also the same colour. The bricks were very easy to cover.. Apparently a few years ago (before we bought the house), the old neighbour (now 92) repointed all the brick work for the lady that lived here. He did a lot of maintenance for her. He was a builder before he retired. The joints were pretty flush with the brickwork, which made rolling the best option for us. The transformation had begun..
We added some gardens so we could get some greenery established. Some vegie patches and some front beds too. A climber for the front patio and some standard roses to help create a more cottage feel.
Now we are pretty much starting with a blank canvas..
Day 1. (Thursday)
We decided to start today.. the plumber was contacted in the morning, and came to look at the job. He said he could have a couple of boys to remove the amenities and plug everything off that afternoon. So off we went.
The showers, toilets laundry and baths were removed along with all the tiles in the bathrooms. The kitchen was also removed and the carpet and the vinyl flooring throughout the entry and hall and kitchen were removed. We had to borrow a camping shower for the week and we strapped up a tarp on the back balcony and had showers after it got dark. Glad the weather was warming up.
Day 3 (Saturday)
Cleaned up inside the house, shifted everything we could into the spare rooms, and waited for the arrival of the tilers on Monday morning, Went and picked out tiles and ordered them. Luckily we found some beautiful tiles local so a Tuesday delivery was no proble. Met with the kitchen designer and designed a kitchen with him over a well deserved coffee. The existing kitchen design worked perfectly, so nothing much was changed.
Day 4 (Sunday)
Today is grinding the floor day, ready for the tilers tomorrow. With a little help from a friend, we got all the floors cleaned up and ready for the wet sealers to lay the bed and wet seal today.
Our boat shed was going to be our new haven for the next couple of days, so we set up a small kitchen so we could cook small meals, and we removed all the boating equipment from the shed and set up a bed and table, for a little home comfort.
Day 5 (Monday)
6.30 in the morning the tilers arrived. 5 stocky fellows with the cutting equipment and glues.... but hang on.. the tiles havent arrived yet.. On to the supplier to find out where the tiles were. As things worked out, by the time we had tracked the delivery down, they were being dropped off at the back door. Today was mainly setting out the main living area and lining up the tiles through to the hall and bathrooms. The tiles we used are a polished vitrified porcelain tile. 600 x 600m square for the floor and 300 x 600 for the walls in the bathroom. The main bathroom floor was laid on a diagonal because it was not possible to continue the pattern all the way through into every room, so that we werent left with little cuts everywhere.
The tilers really got into it today. Most of the living area was finished, the floors in the bathrooms and toilets were finished, and just the cuts had to be done.
More tiling today, the showers were now finished, and so the showscreens were measured and ordered.
Day 8 (Thursday)
More and more tiling today. The rest of the cuts were done and placed into position ready for grouting. Have the grouting was being done today, and the other have will be finished tomorrow.
Day 9 (Friday)
Grouting today should see the end of the tilers....... but whoops.... they had laid a couple sideways..
Much to the dissapointment of the Peter. the tilers boss.. they had to come up and be laid again
Day 10 (Saturday)
Tilers back to fix up the mislaid tiles and regrout.. All looking fantastic.. The tiles look great down and washed.
The builders have started the pergola today. The builders removed the existing patio and steps, and the small roof that extended over them. We decided to return the back roofline to a straight finish to get the look we wanted. We have recieved the timber, and gave it a paint today.. over and over again. It seemed like an endless job. All the rafters and beams were painted before they were erected, because you can do it much easier on the ground than up in the air..
Day 11 (Sunday)
We started painting the boat house today.. The white overalls were our main fashion accessory today, and the only way to go when you are spraypainting a ceiling.. In the boat shed, because of the rafters height, we decided to spray the rafters and the roof, and not put in a ceiling. It definately would make the room look shorter than it was, and after it was finished, we were so glad we didnt. We love the look of the white rafters and roof. Now we can use the boat shed as our living and sleeping quarters for the next 2 weeks.
Day 12 (Monday)
Well back into again.. The plumbers are back today... Doing the fitoff for the bathrooms... Hooray.. a working bath and toilet.. You dont know how good it is to have some basic amenities back in the house. The vanities were also fitted. They are a free standing units with granite tops, and they look fantastic. We bought them in a whole set, including the mirrors and the basin and taps from a local furniture/antique reproduction store. They fitted down to the inch, with a little push here and there..
The rumpus, office and kitchen was first. Wow it was so nice to have a nice smooth colour back on the walls. We used Dulux Antique white USA. for all the walls in a low sheen, and we decided to go a full gloss on the trims in the same colour. When using the same colour in a gloss for the trims, it makes the colour look 1/2 a shade darker, so it is a good match. I learnt a few tricks from the painter today.. I learnt that when you are doing window frames (inside the reveals) you can use unpaintable silicone around the window frame, and then paint up to it.. Is makes it so much easier to cut in (because it doesnt stick to the silicone) and also gives the window a very neat finish.
Another trick is to paint the wall colour over the window and door trims. This gives an easy blend between the wall and the trims, and also gives the gloss more depth. It looks fantastic..
Day 13 up to Day 24 was all painting... the whole house is finished now, including the new doors on the robes and cupboards. We used colonial doors and replaced the existing flat doors and knobs. Wow it made such a difference. 23 doors replaced in total..
That was done by a builder, and was a much bigger job than we anticipated. Maybe hanging doors is more tricky than it looks.. The builders also came on the weekend (because they were friends and relies) to keep going on the pergola. The roof was being put on this weekend. We used 3 piece full insulated sheets, not because of the thermal qualities, but because of the aesthetic qualities. They are a solid ceiling, shiny and full span. No spots for spiders to cling on to, and easy to hose down for a clean. The top of the panels are corrugated iron, with a foam middle and a powdercoated ceiling. Wiring can be put through the foam for lighting using a hot rod to go through the foam. They look great when they are up.
Day 24 (Friday)
I am so excited today... My kitchen is starting to go in.. I designed the kitchen in a classic look, and i love the look of classic kitchens and marble bench tops.. I chose Carrara Marble for both the kitchen and the laundry tops.We wont see the tops until Thursday though, because the templates are done after the cabinetry is installed.
More kitchen cupboards today.. and the laundry cupboards were added also..
I also ordered a window seat for the office window, so there is somewhere to sit and enjoy the view or to enjoy a good book and a cuppa..
Day 26 (Sunday)
Finishing off the kitchen and laundry today, ready for the templated to be done tomorrow. A big clean up and lots of dusting.. I couldnt believe the amount of dust from the kickpanel trims being installed.
Now we have 3 working bedrooms, and all the blinds were installed today. A little privacy at last. We also have an ensuite and a main bathroom fully completed and decorated with a little help from hubby hanging towel rails and accessories etc.. Finally it is all coming together.
The pergola is almost done. More painting of battons today.
They are all up now.
Day 27 (Monday)
Kitchen and laundry bench templates being done today. Off to the stone mason, who is on standby for the last job before his xmas break. This thursday will be D Day for the tops.. Which will be great timing for the tiler to come back and do the splashbacks before my mums 80th birthday party we are having on Sunday.
Day 28 (Tuesday)
More decorating and shopping for accessories... Still cant clean the lounge/dining and rumpus room yet. We still have all the kitchen cupboards all over these rooms.. The pantry was placed back together on the weekend, but we cant put anything back in the kitchen until the tops are in.
Day 29 (Wednesday)
Getting excited for the tops to come... We have started having downpours of rain now..
Day 30 (Thursday)
Kitchen tops were meant to come today, but they have been held up for another day.. Yikes. no time for the tiler now. Today I did another coat of paint on the pergola now it is finished, to freshen it up.. All the handprints (and the builders dogs paw prints) over the timber made it look a bit second hand. Looks much nicer now.
Day 31 (Friday)
Kitchen tops today.. The stonemasons put in the tops and they look great.. Carrara marble was a beautiful choice. It is such a soft material both in looks (which is a good thing) and in use too (which is not so good). The marble is something I have wanted to use for a long time. I would not recommend it around young families though. It is a porous stone, and has to be sealed. The sealers that are normally used react to citrus and colours (like beetroot and red wine etc) Cutting boards must be used for protection. Now there is just my husband and I in the house, we thought we would splurge out and use it this time. I love it..
Day 32 (Saturday)
The builders finished off the trimming on the pergola and built my arbour to my vegie patch, and finished in the yard at around 3pm. A massive clean up in the yard to get rid of all the building materials, patch up the yard, and set up the tables for my mums party tommorrow. The grass was mowed and the gardens weeded. What a blitz it was.. Just like one of those "60 minute makeover" shows.
Today is clean up day inside the house too.. All the kitchen bits and pieces are going back in. The house is dusted and the dining/lounge and rumpus are finally back in full swing.. It is my mothers 80th birthday dinner out tonight, so to help, my niece and my daughter have decided to stay back and finish off the cleaning for me tonight.
On arriving home, I was unsure on how far the girls would have got, but when I walked into the house it looked absolutely lovely.. The girls did a great job.
The egyptian cornice was added through the lounge the hall and stairs and into the master bedroom. A normal door size entrance to the kitchen was made larger and the stair balistrade added. The old light fittings were changed to downlights.
In the lounge area, we replaced the orange 1/2 shag pile carpet for a luxious gold plush carpet. I also added some cabinets at the side of the fireplace and plastered up the brick chimney. Black granite was fitted to the tops of the cabinets and we also changed the silky oak hearth and mantle to black galaxy granite too. I have a lady that does absolutely gorgeous curtains and blinds for me.. 
Mirrors are a great way to bounce light around a room and also a lovely way to add some more glamour. This gold mirror was purchased at Amart for $139. It was huge and great value for money.
The boys room was done in a subtle "animal" theme. The curtains are a beautiful fine fabric with elephants and giraffes printed on it. The curtains were kept simple and put on a rod with rings. The room also has elephant hooks on the side of the cupboard to hang school bags and hats etc. A leather chair was added and a cow hide mat on the floor too.
The rumpus room was originally brick walls and was two rooms. (a small office was originally here too). The walls were pulled out, except for a short wall for the lounge to go up against. Porcelain floor tiles added here too. The stair well was enclosed originally, so we cut it out and added some more of the wrought iron balustrade. A slight african theme was added in this room too. The kids loved it in this room, and the colours were sympathetic to grubby teenage boys and their TV watching nibblies..
Upstairs in the main bedroom, a walk in robe was sacrificed to make room for a spa and double vanity. The ensuite was orginally the size of a linen closet.. We added brown marble and left an opening for extra light to make it through to the bedroom. Curtains and carpet added and also the cornices were continued from downstairs. Also a trim was added to the walls and the inside was painted a half strength colour for a light contrast.. Looked fantastic.
A spa bath was added with a step, and the floors and walls were totally covered here with creme marfil marble tile look alikes.. They were so luscious and lovely to walk on.
My favourite room was the guest room. I love the shabby chic look of it, and with the English imported curtain material, and the bed linen to match, the room was very welcoming.
The breakfast room was originally the formal dining room, but the doors and windows were knocked out to allow for new windows with views to the beautiful infinity edge swimming pool.
The kitchen had a total make over with a wall in between the dining room and the kitchen removed and the cooktop and oven relocated to the right hand wall. Black galaxy granite was used and 2 pac kitchen was fitted much to the owners delight.
The house turned out absolutely lovely, and totally still family livable. Not quite the "Ghetto Reno", but still within a set budget of $120,000 including furniture and fittings and labour.