People who know me outside blogland will know I like to decorate, and those who knew Mum would know that she was partial to a bit of painting, curtain making, room re-organising and even tiling – so I think it’s about time to bring my home renovating and decorating into the fold of dear molly.

I’m still working on my relationship with this house.  We’ll have been here for 2 years in July, and whilst I feel comfortable here, I’m yet to leave my mark, and there are lots of things I’d like to change or tweak.  I was pregnant when we moved in and have obviously had a little one ever since, and for that reason a lot has been put on hold.  We’ve done the expensive but behind the scenes jobs of switchboards, safety switches and surge protectors, new powerpoints, internet cabling and replacing the central heating and installing an airconditioner, but now I want to decorate!

 

I’m starting in the kitchen, although I did do one pretty major job in here last year when I had a stone floor ripped up and laid floating timber.  The stone floor was probably lovely and worth a penny too, but it hadn’t been installed well, the sealing was worse and everything stained, and the grout lines so deep the only way to clean it was with a scrubbing brush.  I’d like to say I’m fanatical about cleaning, but I’m not, but this floor was really doing my head in – to the point where I traded my 10 year anniversary eternity ring for the new floor. (I’ll get the ring later he!he!)

kitchen-stone-floor1

I got a catalogue from Schots yesterday and I’m sure the tiles were from there, but they were so hard to care for, so cold under foot, very scratchy and impossible to mop – different mops I tried all teared and I ended up with blue or orange bits stuck in the stone!  In another life I’d love a good stone floor, but with underfloor heating.

 

kitchen-timber-floor

 

The front rooms, entry and hall of our house are timber lined and unpainted, and this was the best match.  I had darker jarrah floors at the old house, and everything would show.  I think pine is the most forgiving.

I do love my floor!

 

kitchen

 

Here is my kitchen.

The house had been completely repainted prior to selling in a neutral tone, only not my take on neutral

vanilla-ice-cream

This is Vanilla Ice-Cream.  Sounds delicious, trust me it’s vile!  It gets a dirty yellow colour at night and in my very dark kitchen.

I’m changing to

white-watsonia

It probably looks even more white than this.  The stools at the bench are White Watsonia from our old house.  I’ve lived with this colour before so it’s easier to just go this again, otherwise I’d probably choose Berkshire White, or good old Antique White USA.

 

Painting has begun.  We have a strapped ceiling so the cutting in was horrendous, but then the rolling was easier…

It’s amazing what taking a picture of your room will do for perspective.  Things you live with and just don’t notice leap out at you.  Our tap was leaking and I’ve bought a new BIG goose neck with a ceramic handle.  Should be a great feature when it’s installed.  Also grabbed a cheap shelf from Ikea, the floating one, only it’s pale pink (on sale for $20!) so it’ll need a few coats of paint.

 

kitchen-2

 

The shelf will go under the red picture (moving) and at the same height as the fireplace surround.  Can’t wait to do my next post.  The wall tiles actually look like they’re part of the colour scheme now!

School holidays so have to run, but I’m excited at the thought of posting more of my little reno projects.

 

See you soon,

Lx