soakedesign

Ribbon and Mini Pegs

2010-06-09T23:38:00.009+10:00

I got a quote for a laminate desktop and it was more than I hoped so I'm considering other options. It's a pretty decent length (2.7 metres) so it will have to be pretty sturdy. I am only planning on choosing something white so it probably doesn't matter too much what material I choose but I'll already have timber on the floor so I think I'd prefer to steer away from that.

I also have to buy something for the shelves, which will be a little shorter (1.8 metres to allow for a cupboard on one side) but that should just be a matter of a trip to bunnings. That's a job for this weekend if I have time in between cleaning out the garage and working out where we are going to store everything while the house has plaster dust whirling around everywhere.

On the upside, I've found a whole lot more inspiration including a cute way to keep ribbon handy (see below). I also fell in love with the idea to drape a line from one end of the desk to the other and use mini pegs to pin photographs and other juicy tidbits of inspiration to - so I am the chuffed new owner of 60 mini pegs. Thank you ebay.

Goodbye internal access, hello wall-mounted plasma!

2010-06-09T23:22:00.006+10:00

It is just over four weeks till the big R day! We had the carpenter come by last week to go over the plans and nut out the details and we are feeling really pleased with what we came up with.

The floor plan is finalised - hooray! We haven't changed much since I last posted about it but we did make some decisions about the finer details.

One of the things we added to the list was to lose the internal access door from the garage. The wall it's on (adjoining the living room) was partially filled in as a false wall so is going to be rebuilt properly and we're also going to have a small portion cut-out so that we can fit some of the audio visual equipment (dvd recorder etc). The plasma will be wall-mounted above on a movable bracket so that we can swivel and tilt it to our hearts content AND the best part is all the power cords will be hidden behind the wall in the garage. Win win!

We are also going to have insulation put in the wall so hopefully that will buy us an extra degree or two in these cold Winter months.

White & Grey - kitchen colours?

2010-06-09T22:52:00.008+10:00

I went to visit the kitchen company last week so I've been scouring the web and magazines for inspiration and I've made a few decisions (I think).

Firstly, I had been considering doing a black and white kitchen to complement the black wall in the sitting room but I've since decided that might be a bit much black and since I'm trying to "open up" the space, I'm better off sticking to lighter colours.

I really love white kitchens but I don't want all white - a lot of the pictures I stashed seem to have white cupboards and drawers with light grey benchtops. I think it would look great to run with that for the island bench and then go all white with a light grey splashback for everything else.

I got a quote to have a ceiling bulkhead installed above the island bench but it was double what I estimated so I've scratched that off the list. It would be great to have some lighting above the island anyway but we know we're going to need to have the electrician come out on two different occasions so we'll probably save that for later.

These are my latest inspirations with the white and light grey.

Final Floor Decision

2010-05-23T13:11:00.009+10:00

It's seven weeks till the start of the big renovation and I'm using this time to finetune the details.

The flooring will go in last but I want to be sure of what we want before any of the work gets started. I was planning to do timber floors in the downstairs living area, tiles in the entry, kitchen and sitting room and carpet in the bedrooms, but I've decided that for a small house, that's too much interuption.

Now I'm chanelling Scandinavian design and planning to put in light timber to all the living/entry/kitchen/hallway areas plus the new second bedroom, and carpet the main and second bedrooms and walk-in-robe.

Much happier with that decision - I think it will flow better and since there's not a lot of natural light, give a feeling of warmth.

Renovation Floor Plan

2010-04-10T10:10:00.006+10:00

Before I get any further with my ideas for paint colours, fabrics and flooring options, here is the renovation floor plan. It doesn't show where the existing walls are but you can see how it will look when it's finished.

I'm really happy with it so I don't think there will be any changes. I'm not sure I will be able to get the kitchen in straight away so we still have to work out how we're going to handle that while still pulling the walls down...

xo

Tweaking the renovation plans

2010-04-07T21:39:00.008+10:00

So I have the quote back from the carpenter and things are progressing (yay). We're at the tweaking stage; thinking even more carefully about exactly where the new walls are to go and which ones to remove. We want to make sure we get it right and maximise the space in a way that suits our needs but also appeals to potential buyers when we eventually sell.

I think we're about 95% there. I decided to carve a bit of space from the WIR-to-be and put a study nook on the other side. I'm super happy with the idea because the newly created hallway won't be wasted space and the living area with the tv will be far enough away that the study area can be used without it being too noisy. I haven't seen any ideas that quite match what I want but here are bits and pieces that I like.

I am going to ask for a quote to add a window seat at the end of the new living room. I was planning to use that end for the couches/tv but I've decided to swap that with the dining area and I can see already that it will work much better.

However, it led me to re-consider the flooring. I had been imagining carpet because I've heard people say you should at least have carpet in one living area. But I think I will go against the grain (no pun intended) and lay timber laminate or floating floors and just add a nice big rug where the couches will be. I don't want to be stressing about food being dropped and I can only imagine it will happen more than once - there's a step leading from the kitchen to the that area. My first preference would be to go with a light oak or similar but my husband only likes the darker woods so we'll compromise and probably go with a spotted gum or similar - like this.

Back to Black

2010-04-05T15:54:00.006+10:00

Yes, I am fully intending to take the plunge and paint a wall (or two) black. Most people I have told think it is a terrible idea but I've seen it done well and I'm hoping to prove them wrong.

My chosen wall is a 6.5 metre wall with a double open doorway through to the second living area. I'm even condsidering painting the ceiling of that room black - although I'm a little worried it could look like a nightclub. The adjoining walls will all be painted white although I may use fabric or timber panneling on one of the end walls too.

I can't remember where I saw the original photo that inspired me to paint a wall black but here are a few recent ones I like.

Home Love

2010-03-26T19:46:00.007+11:00

It was my birthday this week and my parents kindly gave me some money to buy something I'd like. I chose a book called Home Love by Megan Morton and I can't wait to curl up on the couch to read it!

This week I've also been looking at kitchen designs. We're not intending to renovate the kitchen yet but I want to have the basic layout in mind so that we don't waste any money installing anything nearby that will have to move.

I haven't found exactly what I want yet but I do know that I like kitchens that open up to the outdoors and I love island benches (don't we all)!

Here are a few that are inspiring me. I think the last layout would suit our space the best.

Front door - yellow to black

2010-03-14T10:57:00.003+11:00

This week, I'm hoping to hear back about a quote to render the house. It's not something we'll do straight away, but I'm interested to know how much it will cost.

The exterior bricks are quite nice, but since I'm trying to modernise the house, I think it would look fantastic rendered and painted a medium-dark grey. If we get it done, I'd like to strip back the pale yellow paint and stain the trim.

Even though it's probably a project for a long way down the track, I am planning to re-paint the front door. At the moment it's painted pale yellow on one side and stained a light timber on the other. There are a lot of scratches on it and the doorhandle is rusty and a bit loose.

My colour of choice is gloss black and I plan to buy a new handle and deadlock in stainless steel. I can't wait to get started - here is my inspiration.

I think I feel some renovations coming on!

2010-03-10T22:14:00.002+11:00

Yes, indeedy! The carpenter left an hour ago with my list, plan and measurements - I'm on my way to renovation heaven (or hell - depending on how you look at it).

My idea is to remove two wardrobes from the main and second bedrooms, knock some holes in walls and put up 3 new ones, resulting in 2 larger bedrooms, a walk-in-robe to the main bedroom, and space for a dishwasher in the kitchen.

My mind is a bit of a whirlwind with what it might mean - new flooring (just about everywhere), organised clothes and shoe space (colour-coordinated of course), new paint throughout the living areas, and a much more sensible flow of living spaces - to name a few.

So I'm going to take myself off to bed with my decorating magazines and ideas.

Goodnight all!
Jane xo

Make a wish...

2010-03-09T23:02:00.008+11:00

Ok, I have five minutes till I need to head to bed but I really wanted to share my exciting find with you today. You see, for several months, I've been trying to find a dandelion canvas or print but nothing I have seen has been quite what I'm after.

However...I was flipping through a magazine earlier and saw this gorgeous dandelion light. I nervously checked the price and discovered ikea call it the Maskros pendant lamp and (hoorah!) it has a somewhat reasonable $199 price tag. Forget the print, I'm getting a new pendant light!

Not sure where it will go yet...

I love the pattern it casts on the wall.

Closet inspiration...anyone?

2010-03-08T10:24:00.007+11:00

I have to say I'm a little disappointed. I've scoured the web for amazing walk-in-robes and I haven't come up with much at all. I thought this would be one of the easiest rooms to find inspiration for - maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, I don't know.

We don't have a walk-in-robe...yet. But when my renovations are complete, we will have a 2.8 x 2.0 metre closet. There is a large window on the right so it is nice and light.

What I'm after is something light and beautifully organised, maybe a little on the feminine side (I'm thinking it's the one room my husband will allow me to let my girly side shine through!), possibly a bit of wallpaper(?) and clever shoe storage. The only thing I am absolutely certain about is that I want a built in laundry hamper. I haven't seen it anywhere but I had this idea to cut two large circles into a wood panel/built in cabinet and label one lights and the other darks. I'd have two hampers behind the cabinet that could be removed to empty.

Do you know of any good websites, blogs, or have you seen a picture that seems to vaguely describe what I'm talking about? Or if you can think of any clever storage ideas, I'm keen to hear those as well!

Jane xo

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-07T12:07:00.005+11:00

I saw Alice in Wonderland 3D with my husband yesterday. The film was good but the thing that inspired me most was the Queen of Hearts' palace gardens!

I have been trying to think of theme or some kind of inspiration for my back yard and I think this may be it. I'm picturing neat hedges, a secret path and gate, and a concrete and grass checkerboard somewhere.

It certainly doesn't fit in with my plans for a modern garden studio that I posted last week but I'm willing to compromise!

Here are some ideas to get the design wheels turning...

Integrated kitchen/dining

2010-03-05T20:57:00.004+11:00

I have been racking my brain over how to reconfigure the kitchen and I haven't come up with a single good solution so far. The house doesn't have a lot of light so I want to remove the kitchen wall that backs onto the front living room and make it a little more open plan. The problem with that is that you would then be able to see the kitchen sink from the front door!

I found a picture today that possibly has some potential. I like how it integrates casual dining space with the kitchen and dresses it up a bit. It doesn't exactly solve my problem but it's got something.

Thunder and burnt orange

2010-02-28T14:56:00.010+11:00

We've only made one change to the house since we moved in. The previous owners had built a garage extension behind the single garage, a 3.5 x 8 metre room. The only access to it was from the patio so we had a double doorway cut through from the existing dining area, gyprock and plastering around the walls, and the old steps pulled up and a new single step put in the width of both doors. It's nearly finished (just needs the old stove removed and carpet put down) so I'm trying to decide how I will decorate it.

We already have some furniture that we intend to move into the room which limits the colours I can use. The colour of the lounges is called 'Storm', which is a dark bluey-green. We will also use our oak coffee table, side tables and entertainment unit.

I want the room to feel warm and cosy so I'd like to incorporate some 'warm' accents. I found a few pictures along those lines. I was originally planning to use red splashes but I think this look is a bit more unique.

Modern Hamptons?

2010-02-25T22:08:00.010+11:00

My husbands favourite colour is blue. Since I have already decided on other colours for the living space, and I don't like 'cool' colour bathrooms, I think I'd like to decorate our bedroom in blue and white. I'm thinking Hamptons meets modern chic. Is that even a style? Nevermind. I'm not hugely into the country look but I don't want it to look stark so what I have in mind will hopefully work.

Here are a couple of pictures to start with.

Our bedroom isn't very big. It fits a queen bed, two bedside tables and a tallboy (just) in the bay window. If my renovation dreams come true, we will glean a tiny bit more space by removing the existing wardrobe (and taking over part of the adjoining bedroom as a walk-in-robe). The room will still be small but I think once the dresser is moved away from the window and we have that little bit extra space where the wardrobe was, it will make a big difference.

My only hurdle is that our furniture is a dark timber... which doesn't exactly fit with the white or blue part. They were a gift from my in-laws so we certainly wouldn't dispose of them. I would love to sand all the pieces back and paint them white but would that be offensive? Ideas? Advice?

We already re-painted the room when we moved in because it was an appalling dark purple suede effects job (gag) but I think an all-white paint job will be in order this time. We also have timber trim so that's going to have to go as well.

That's about as far as I've got in my thought process. Have you got any good ideas?

Bosley the Beagle

2010-02-24T22:12:00.006+11:00

I thought I'd just post a pic of our littlest family member, Bosley, our (nearly) two year old Beagle x Cocker Spaniel. He has a lovely personality - he loves playing fetch, cuddles and chewing things!

Garden Studio

2010-02-24T18:04:00.014+11:00

I am keen to get our backyard looking nice but it's going to be a long process and we need to decide exactly what we want to do first.

The garden has a lot of potential but it's a bit out of control! We have a good undercover patio area but the rest is grass and garden beds. At the moment it's green because we've had a lot of rain but in the hot weather it's a large expanse to keep watered. There's also a 6 x 4 metre shed in the back corner which is a bit of an eyesore.

One of my ideas is to pull down the shed in the corner (that will probably only happen if someone wanted to take it off our hands) and build a smaller, modern garden studio somewhere along the back fence.

Here is a photo looking out from the patio to the back corner as it is.

This is the kind of structure I have in mind. The front windows would face north so it would be a beautifully sunny room. I think it would be great for guests to stay in if we run out of room in the house or as an office.

Thoughts? Have you got any favourite gardens that might inspire me?