the girl in the brick house

New Design Blog: Who'd Have Thought?

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:30:00 +0000

Hi all!

I know I haven't been around here much lately. I kind of got a little camera shy once the house was finished and decorated and we moved in! Needless to say, we're loving it here and have no plans on moving for a very long time. I still like tinkering with the decor, though, and checking out other home design blogs. Plus, I can't seem to stop myself from buying interiors magazines!

After having a break from blogging, I've now got a new blog which you might want to check out here.

It's all about featuring designers, artists and their work that has either been creatively invented or reinvented from their original purpose or form. It's about upcycling, recycling, inventiveness and originality. The sort of thing that makes you think: Who'd have thought of that?

There will also be a Who'd Have Thought? store opening soon that will showcase some of these products and more.

It's a new venture for me and I'm quite excited about it, so come on over and take a peek ...

Books, beds and bathrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:21:00 +0000

For me there's nothing nicer than a wall of books. Except my problem is I keep every book I ever get and, as I discovered during the unpacking, we have so many books - quite a few of which I don't know why I kept in the first place! And the sad thing is, second hand book shops are now pretty fussy about what they stock and even charities are being selective. So now I've made a pact to only keep ones I really, really liked and want to have on the shelves.

Here is a little corner of the study with flying ducks on the wall from Delilah Devine's Esty shop (aka Linda from Adelaide) who makes them from vintage wallpaper and eco ply. She also does flying horses! Have to point out another of homemade cushion and the old green phone I bought a while ago that our electrician has just spent ages on to get it working properly and restore its ring. Being the youthful age he is, he thought it rather quaint and couldn't get over how long it took to dial (I didn't like to tell him we had one of these when I was growing up!).

Through the door at the end of the bookshelves you get to the master ensuite - hence the continuation of the timber. I spent ages looking for bathroom mirror lights I liked (which hubby never quite understood!) and finally found these Italian numbers which fitted the bill nicely.

Then through the ensuite you get to the master bedroom (and another homemade cushion!).

And if you're lying there, you get to look here ...

Glad we went for the extra carpet underlay as the carpet is soooo comfy. And in case you're wondering the carpet is Cavalier Bremworth NZ wool and all the bedroom curtains are a sheer of some sort with a neutral blackout lining behind so you can get the best of all worlds: privacy, light and total darkness as required.

Views from Inside

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 02:13:00 +0000

Well, the camera has been doing overtime! While it does feel a little weird taking photos of what is now our home - rather than a work in progress - here are some shots of inside.

As an unconfident sewer, I have to point out the homemade turquoise velvet cushion - one of four I'm proud to say! The fabric was bought on a whim on a visit to Auckland last hols and it perfectly matches, as I had hoped, the rug.

Entrance to the living space and kitchen, capturing the view of the trees.

View from the deck through to the kitchen and dining space - plus an amazing floral creation of sunflowers and cabbages a friend made for me.

Kitchen/living wall niche painted in Resene Triple Masala.

The bathroom off the living room.

The wallpaper is from Laura Ashley if anyone's interested, bought on sale at an amazing $48 a roll which is a bargain in wallpaper-world!

Front door and stairwell detail. Finally the glass balustrades are in and are the correct measurements!

Am loving the sandstone wall but it does seem to attract the huntsmen! Although we have had two in the dishwasher so maybe there's just something about the house. Whatever it is, I'll have to warn our English visitors who are arriving in two weeks!

Until next time ...

I'm Back & the House is Becoming a Home!

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:59:00 +0000

I can't believe it's been two months since I last posted and, not only that, but the house is still being worked on!! Since we moved in we've had tradies here pretty much the whole time - whether it's working in the garage, making gates, putting in mozzie screens, touching up paintwork, putting in glass balustrades, handrails ... the list goes on.

Right now the landscapers are finishing up and although I still don't have a washing line (!) the garden is starting to come together. Even just having some grass helps make the place look less like a building site. But I can tell you I'll be very glad when they've all gone. I'm sick of looking at builder's cracks, finding cigarette butts in the garden, listening to power tools, having issues with sub-contractors and just trying to get stuff done without being interrupted.

Having said all that, the house has turned out fab and I don't regret a minute of it. It may have been a long and, at times, frustrating journey (sorry to use that word!) but it's been worth it and may I never have to move house again for a very long time!!

So, finally I've taken some updated shots to show the house being turned into a home. These are views from around the deck ...

The pool was finally completed two weeks ago much to the girls' delight! For those who are interested, we used a metallic blue mosaic tile for the top trim and seat and a product call Gemtex - which is a mix of coloured glass and concrete - for the inside.

View showing roof pebbles, a feature Yucca and the louvre screening.

A bit of my own gardening - succulents on the table and six different herbs on the railing. Star jasmine will eventually climb up the back fence.

Another view of the herbs and the rebuilt rockery, where the barbecue is (just out of shot to the left), and the transplanted tree ferns which amazingly survived.

We've got cream cliveas and cycads, star jasmine along both fence lines and on the top part is my mini vege garden which has a tomato plant, strawberries, a perpetual lettuce, rosemary and rocket which is still to sprout.

So now that I've finally got my blogging groove back, I'll return with shots of inside!

Take care
Jx

Plant or table?

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:16:00 +0000

Slightly digressing from our house, for something a little different, is this ...

No, it's not a plant. It's a living, breathing table.

How cool is that?

Images via Contemporist

It's called Plantable (nice) and is designed by London-based JAILmake Studio.

What do you think of this idea?

We're in #3: Wallpaper, family rooms & buildings sites

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:13:00 +0000

Am in love with wallpaper and am so glad we've used it here and there, as in the rumpus room toilet (just for my English hubby!) ...

The mirror on the floor will, of course, go above the vanity!

And the Triple Masala walls in the TV room have come up a treat ...

I'm so happy we decided to keep some of the original bricks exposed in the rumpus room ...

But let's not forget it's still a building site!

External study louvres showing the entrance

... and the front garden

Over the next two weeks we're hoping to see a lot of progress so watch this space!

We're in #2: Bedrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 05:41:00 +0000

As promised here are some more shots of the interior: the bedrooms ...

Our bedroom with the 'Tree Tops' wallpaper which has come up better than I expected.

Spare bedroom detail (the bed's not up yet as special screw thingys needed to lock the slats in place are missing - hopefully in a box yet to be unpacked in the garage. But, don't worry, English visitors - it will be up in time for your visit at Christmas!).

Daughter #1's purple bedroom

Detail in daughter #1's bedroom. The curtains have small silver sequins in the flower pattern which look gorgeous at night.

Daughter #2's desk detail with its pale aqua colour scheme.

I have to say the girls have been fantastic at packing and unpacking their rooms. I've not done a thing! Well, the deal was if it doesn't get packed or unpacked then it's gone - in the rubbish or given away. Seemed to work!

Pale blue metallic tiles in the girls' shower (wish I'd put them around the bath now they look so pretty!)

I have more so will put them in the next post!

We're In!

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:24:00 +0000

I can't believe it - we're in and we survived! It was a day of contrasts last Thursday: I think it was probably the more organised move of the nine we've done in the past 15 years but it was definitely the most chaotic at the moving in stage.

Think: painters still painting when removalists arrive, cleaners trying to clean when removalists arrive, curtains being hung when removalists arrive, electrician fixing lighting when removalists arrive! It was a menagerie of beavers beavering away and we turn up with a ton of boxes and furniture on the pretext of moving in.

Perhaps we were mad but then, again, I'm loving being back despite the amount of work still to be done and the things we've discovered that haven't been done when they should have. But we have flushing toilets, an amazing view and beds to sleep in so what more could you want?

Instead of taking photos of what is yet to be finished (ie study joinery, more painting, more blinds, shower screens, bathroom mirrors ... and that's just the inside!) I've taken a few snaps of the good bits (in fact I've taken quite a few so I'll post them over two blogs).

Entry hall table

Entry - view from the top of the stairs

Entry stairs with paintings, yet to be hung, by my dad of our old dog and our new one, Ruby

At the top of the stairs you get to the dining area

... and the living space

... and the kitchen (don't look at the missing dishwasher and cupboard doors)

More to come over the weekend, folks!

Shady Designs Pendants and more chaos!

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:56:00 +0000

I didn't think things could get even more chaotic than they already are. But how wrong I was!

On site late yesterday afternoon, running through everything that needs to happen I discover the girls' bedrooms have been beautifully painted. But in the wrong colour! Yes, indeedy, two lovely coats on the walls and joinery were done without anyone realising they were using Dulux Bone White (a creamy colour being used in our bedroom and the guest) instead of Dulux Antique White (which is quite white). How this could happen when I itemised every room detail on paper, ran through it with the head builders and then they even wrote the paint names on each wall, I don't know.

We've asked for more painters to come on board today so it can be re-done and all the other painting finished as well so the carpet can be laid tomorrow. Then there's an issue with the bathroom mirrors which were to be bevelled and nothing's been done. And the wallpaper in the upstairs loo which the wallpaper guy (who supposedly has 40 years experience) is having trouble hanging - something to do with it being a foil with a raised suede-like flower pattern and so this is holding up the installation of the loo itself (plus vanity and wall mirror).

I could go on but you get the picture, although it does help getting it off my chest!

Instead, how about I show you the two pendants we had made by the lovely people at Shady Designs in Sydney's Lilyfield whom I'd highly recommend? The pictures don't really do them justice and they look kind of silly sitting on the cane table outside but the light's better there.

This one is for the study and is in Ink & Spindle fabric: Birch Forest in Robin's Egg.

And this one is for over the dining table. The wallpaper is Osborne & Little, Farfalla by Nina Campbell. The fabric is more charcoal in person and is called Lamba.

Have a great day folks!

Four days to go!

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:28:00 +0000

I've been really slack with my blogging, I know, I'm sorry. And some of the tradies have been really slack on site, too! The painters have been sacked and replaced by a new team and the pool man has been fired for not turning up. The painting is only half done, there is no carpet, no wallpaper, no study joinery.

We move in on Thursday and this is what it looks like ...

The carpet is being laid on Wednesday and the stair balustrades are going in Thursday morning. Talk about tight! But at least the front door's in.

And we have an entrance.

We have kitchen benchtops, a gas hob and a new fence behind.

We have some lovely bathroom tiling.

Master bath

Girl's bathroom

We have a louvred privacy screen on the deck.

A partially formed barbecue area off the deck.

And a fence-less back yard which better be fenced when we move otherwise Ruby will be roaming!

And at least they're trying to look after the floors ...

No matter if the paint's still tacky I can't wait to move in!

P.S Tomorrow I'll show you two pendants I've just picked up which are yet to be hung ... Jx

The dog and the possum

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 04:07:00 +0000

What do you do when your dog catches a possum?

Ignoring it doesn't cut the mustard when she's wandering around with it in her mouth and looks so pleased with herself I think she's going to bring it inside.

In New Zealand (where I'm from for those who don't know), possums are pests. Farmers shoot them. In Australia (where I live), they are a protected species. You are not allowed to kill them.

But dogs are dogs and their instinct is so strong they can't help themselves. The poor little possum had been taunting Ruby for days, weeks even, scuttling along the fence and fossicking in the trees. Every day Ruby would run outside to try and find it so I suppose it was inevitable something bad was going to happen. I've no idea how it got down to Ruby's level (an accident I imagine - maybe it fell?) but Ruby being as quick and strong as she is took the opportunity to pounce.

I was not impressed. Especially not at 7 o'clock in the morning on the front lawn in my pyjamas trying to get Ruby to drop it. In fact, I felt sick.

I hoped it might survive.
I was wrong.

Rest in peace furry friend.

Update: Two and a half weeks to go!

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 09:18:00 +0000

Okay, so things have been getting a bit stressful over at my place. The builders have been working towards us moving in on September 10 and so we decided to book the removalists for the 12th. But despite them going all out, there has still been quite a bit to do and we weren't sure they would get done. On top of that, once the inside is complete, the architect has to do a final 'defects check' (crikey!) before the inside is given the all-clear. Soooo, we've asked our agent if the landlord would mind terribly if we moved our move forward to the 16th. Haven't heard yet, but am crossing fingers!

In any case, the good news is that the concrete for the parking bay in front of the garage has been poured - after finally getting the go-ahead from the engineer that doing screw piles instead of deep-set piles (which are time-consuming, expensive and come with the risk of hitting goodness knows what boulders or pipes below). And to ensure access is guaranteed for the removalists, we'll wait until after we're in for the guys to lay the stone flagging.

The stone masons are doing an amazing job with all the stone. Here they are out the back. It's a bit hard to see properly but they're rebuilding the old rockery (to the left) using a mix of the old boulders and new and adding bigger and better steps from what will be lawn up to the BBQ area and onto the deck.

After a few false starts and some tiling mishaps (oops!), the bathroom tiling is well underway. The photos don't do it justice at all - the lighting or something not really working but they give you an idea. Above is the master ensuite - the back wall where the shower and toilet will go is in small pearly white mosaics, and below is the guest ensuite with the same kind of mosaics but in gun metal.

I think the grouting will make a lot of difference!

That's all for now, folks. Have a great week!

Virtual Renovating

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 01:51:00 +0000

Image via emmas blog (just because I liked it!)

I can't believe I never knew about these things until now: Renovating and decorating via free online websites that let you design houses and decorate rooms from the comfort of your ergonomic desk chair - or, in my case, my rather un-ergonomic dining chair.

And I can't believe I found out about one of them - Floor Planner - via my daughter. Yes, indeedy peoples, my 12-year-old is designing her very own virtual beach house for her Design and Technology class. Even my 10-year-old is doing it now and only last night showed me the top floor of her 'house' with its room full of arcade games - her idea of heaven clearly!

Then I read in the Sydney Morning Herald the other day about a whole raft of other such sites that I never knew about and quite frankly, could have used over the past year.

My Deco: where you can design a 3D room, add furniture, make moodboards and get ideas from other people's room designs.

Google Sketchup: which is a more architecturally inclined modelling program.

3Dream: uses video-game technology to allow you to draw up floor plans, add the joinery and then choose from real-life furniture, fabric swatches, lights and art.

They could be real time-wasters but I reckon if you're having a hard time envisaging a room or the plan of a house, they could be just what you need.

Has anyone used one of these before? I'd love to hear how it went!

Look, no scaffolding (and more)!

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:39:00 +0000

I can't believe what a difference scaffolding makes! Apart from being able to see the house better, without it the rooms are a million times lighter.

Nor can I believe what a difference a kitchen makes, and a wardrobe or two!

It's really beginning to look like a proper house now.

There's even door handles.

You can see a bit of the timber flooring.

And this is what it'll be like with its China Oil, semi-gloss coating.

The countdown is on!

Bamboo Light

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 22:19:00 +0000

Who would have thought bamboo could look so cool?

Supposedly, its bamboo slivers flutter in the breeze.

via The Contemporist

Me like.

Books are not dead (neither are bookshelves!)

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 03:13:00 +0000

via Belle Maison

via The Contemporist

via Design Sponge

via The Design Files

via Ouno Design

~ Long live the book! ~

Kookaburras, joinery, sandstone and baths

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 06:27:00 +0000

I have a confession to make: I haven't posted all week because I didn't want to moan. It's been quite worrying the amount that has to be done prior to September 10 and it seemed as if none of it would ever happen. But I'm now pleased to say that after my visit to the house this morning, I don't have to do any moaning! Yay! Because lots has been happening and is scheduled to happen every day from here on in.

The sun was shining, it was a balmy 24 degrees and even the kookaburras were happy!

First up, pretty much all of the joinery has arrived on site.

The girls' bedroom joinery was being put in.

The sandstone is coming along at a cracking pace - it's like a jigsaw putting it together.

The back garden has turned into sandstone city.

The bath in the master bedroom ensuite has gone in and the plumbing begun.

The bathroom tiling will start next week, then the interior painting will begin and the wallpapering. The appliances and lights are ready to come on site as soon as they're given the green light and finally, the rest of the gutter corners have arrived which means the scaffolding can be taken down so the landscaping can begin.

It now really does feels that a home is being formed and that very soon we might be in it!

Goodness knows who decided to take these off and wander bare foot around a building site - unless he had something more fashionable to change into. But I like their look of laissez-faire, don't you?

So, it's adieu from me and the lone work boots lying casually on the 'lawn' by the pool.

Have a great weekend!

Buidling Progress: Six weeks to go! (Are you kidding?)

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:39:00 +0000

I don't know who's kidding who but with only six weeks to go there's still a lot to do but there is progress ...

The bathrooms are ready to be tiled. Seen here: downstairs' bathroom - the bath will go along the back wall between the windows, the vanity under the recess, the toilet where the large pipe is coming out of the wall.

The walls are ready to be painted. Seen here: guest bedroom with the hole for the niche shelving above the bed and the wardrobe behind.

The bathroom appliances are being delivered in time for their placement. Seen here: the place where the master bath will go - just in case there is any confusion!

The entry is coming along.

The garage was coming along until it turned into a storage room.

The laundry is well ... a boy's loo!

And this: the view from up the path outside the property.

Bedroom Mood Boards

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 07:09:00 +0000

Anyone interested in door handles?

Me neither!

So even though we've just finalised the door handles, I'd rather show you a bit of a taster of what is likely to be going on in the bedrooms (of course it could all change but we're getting to the pointy end so final decisions will have to be made!) ...

The master bedroom:
From left to right: curtains (Melaleuca Stripe in Sandstone), walls (Dulux Bone White), wallpaper behind bed (Jocelyn Warner Treetops in Birch), lampshades (Cloth Kangaroo Paw in Surf), bed (Chivasso in Tango). As it's all getting quite beige-gold, I'll need to bring in some more of the teal colour from the Cloth fabric - maybe in a doona cover or throw to liven it up.

Guest bedroom:
From left to right: red accent cushion (from The Poi Room in NZ), wallpaper behind the bed (Porter's Paints Dragonfly), niche shelving above bed (Resene Triple Masala), walls (Dulux Bone White), curtains (Westbury - Balthazar in Silver).

Girls' bedrooms
To tie in with their bedroom linen, the girls have chosen (with a little help from us!) paints to go on the wall behind their beds. Daughter #2 will have Porter's Paints Georgian Blue and Daughter #1 Porter's Paints Monkey Magic (both of which look better in person than in this photo!).

Fancying ...

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 07:32:00 +0000

Image via The House that A-M Built via House and Garden

Summer and lazy days by a pool

Image via The Design Files

An ergonomic desk chair

Image via Desire to Inspire

This shower (but no close neighbours nearby!)

Image via All Women's Talk

Chocolate cake ... mmm, yum

What are you fancying right now?

More Building Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 07:22:00 +0000

As promised, here is a picture of the timber floors as they are going in in the living space. Coastal Spotted Gum is the timber and it will darken a bit when they are oiled. And hey presto, no nails!

The weatherboard cladding is being painted, well, white. Dulux Natural White to be specific.

The sandstone wall inside is nearing completion - here it is on the lower level and then the upper (sorry about the quality of the photos - they were taken on my phone).

And here is the tombstone of the last stone mason in the master bedroom!

Oh, exciting times ...

Building Progress: 9 weeks to go!

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:57:00 +0000

With only two months to go (yes, that's right, we have to move out of our rental on September 10th!), things are moving full steam ahead. It will be tight but I'm positive we'll do it!

The outdoor sandstone wall by the pool is being built ...

And the internal sandstone wall that spans the entry down to the level below is underway.

The 'floating' stairs leading from the entry up to the living have been erected.

The timber floors are going down (pictures to come), the gyprocking is nearly completed, the joiner has begun making his 'bits', we have finalised the curtains and blinds and now, we have to decide on paint colours and pool tiles. Bring on those test pots!

Flower Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 21:47:00 +0000

Flowers are like a ray of sunshine, I reckon.

Via Belle Maison

Love the picture arrangement in the background, too.

Via Belle Maison

Who would have thought sticking them in a bird cage would work?

Via Living etc

Okay, so the flowers aren't the main feature here but they add to the fun rug and mish-mash of stuff that looks comfy and welcoming.

Via Point Click Home

What is going on with those frames? Kind of like it, though.

I think everyone should buy themselves a bunch of bright flowers - or pick their own - for the weekend!

Homemade Cloth Cushions

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:43:00 +0000

There's been a lot of crafting going on here lately and I managed to make the two Cloth Fabric cushions for our bed without too much difficulty considering I've done nothing like this for about 25 years!!!

Well, I did sew one side the wrong way which needed unpicking and then some of the ribbon got caught up and that needed unpicking and re-sewing! But other than that, it went okay. Needless to say, daughter #1 helped with some of the sewing while I measured, cut, pinned and did the final sew.

I used offcuts of the lampshade fabric and then bits I'd bought as remnants.

For the backing I used Cloth Cream Hemp fabric and cream ribbon (I didn't want to attempt sewing zips!).

I think I could get into this cushion-making lark!

More DIY Lampshades

noreply@blogger.com (Jane) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 05:51:00 +0000

When I was doing our bedside lampshades daughter #1 decided to give her plain white one some TLC.

With a hot glue gun and some braid she had it done in no time and now it coordinates even better with her bedlinen!