Yes, I'm still here

Needless to say, I'm not a good blogger.

Anyway, I'm back to attempt an update on proceedings.

Obviously a lot has happened since my last post. As we had to move out of our own home by a certain date the pressure was on to make our new home habitable. The weeks leading up to the move-in were quite hectic. I was fortunate enough to have good friends, helpful work associates and understanding tradesmen who were willing to trip over each other in order to get us in.

I spent many late nights at the house trying to get things done and by doing so I had the privilege of being the first person to sleep there. It was actually supposed to be a 'sit-down-on the-threshold' sort of a rest but it turned into a 'fall-asleep-in-sitting-position-and-fall-over-backwards' sort of event. The sudden thwack of the floor on the back of my head woke me up and convinced me to turn off the power tools and go home.

This is how the front looks at the moment. I can't wait to finish off the facade with the stonework, steps and paving but the inside jobs are taking priority at the moment.

I also need to fit the gable vent over the portico.


A work mate of mine offered to help out by installing the front door. He did this on the day we moved in.

The glass on the door and side light is triple glazed which is not just energy efficient but makes cleaning so much easier. No need to fiddle around the lead light.

Not that we've actually even thought about cleaning it yet. I'll paint the door first.

Carpet was installed a few days before we moved in.

The toilet was operational when we moved in but we had not yet installed any internal doors.

Installing the bamboo floor was a big job. Haven't quite finished it yet but we got enough done prior to move-in to be able to place furniture and build the kitchen. We had some good friends helping with the flooring for the petty payment of a pie and a can of coke.

The bamboo looks and feels great.

There's the half installed fire place.

I spent many long hours building the kitchen.

Dishwasher and stove ready for connection.

Laundry cabinetry.

The laundry joinery went together so much easier than the kitchen....

Wall tiles in the bathroom. Originally I intended to do this myself. I'm so glad I didn't. The tilers did a great job and in good time.

Floor tiles.

Unfortunately the shower screens were delayed by 4 weeks so we frequented the bath tub for quite some time.

Here is my masterpiece. The one thing that I have built myself. The mantlepiece is a nice and bulky piece of cedar. It was milled over 85 years ago and has sat at a joiners timber yard just waiting for me to come along.


This is what it looked like when we moved in. Isn't the floor dirty?

Did I mention that the bamboo flooring takes a long tome to install?

It is actually quite a simple method but when you're installing 100m2 it does take time.

This is the stone facing for the fireplace wall.

I have oped for the' ledge stone' in the same colour toning as the natural rock of the area.

The installation is a messy process but very enjoyable.

The trick with ledge stone is to keep to a horizontal line. The linear aspect enhances the proportion of the space. The larger stone at the base gives a solid feel to the wall.

I love the warmth of the stone. This is going to be a magnificent place to sit and enjoy.

That's all for now. Hopefully I will have time to blog a bit more in future. The last few months of last year were hectic beyond belief.