HELLO! It's been too long! Here's the major milestone low-down...we've started construction!! To date the slab has been poured and is currently setting. But these are the predecessor milestones to said slab...
Here's the hallway with the 80s plasterwork removed. The corbels on the archway will be replaced when it's raised slightly higher. Both the arch and all the heritage doors were about 200mm shorter then current standard height so will need to be raised.
When demo started, we took a ladder to the house over the weekend and peeped over the fence. This was the restricted view I managed to capture on my camera, but you can see only the heritage house still standing, the last room being my sister's bedroom.
Eventually, about a week later, our builder invited us to the site for a guided tour. Wasn't much to see...EXCEPT MY WARDROBE. OMG I didn't expect it to be built just get, but they had the stud walls up already!
The floors were restumped about 18 months ago when we thought we'd rent the house out for a year while we did the architecture planning. Where the grey boards are located is where they've solidified the floor to ensure there's hardly any bounce, which I is important. This particular shot is inside my wardrobe.
This one is outside my wardrobe, taken from the storeroom. You can see my sliver of window which dictated my having a larger wardrobe than my sister due to its off centre placement 100 years ago.
This is my bedroom from outside the hallway. You can see the fireplace has been framed over and to the left where my desk will go. I have a huge space for my desk chair to go. Currently obsessing over a beautiful upholstered, pale blue armchair but it's quite expensive...
This is my mum's huuuuuge storeroom that she required for all her hoarding. I designed the joinery for this room too, but I'll see if it's the same at the meeting we are having with the joiner on the weekend.
This is the view out to the back of the demoed site. There was heaps of light even at 5pm (it's north facing!) so there'll be generous light in the living room at the end which is nice.
Out in the backyard our builder had drilled huge holes that were 2500mm deep (2.5m) for the foundations to go in for the extension. He covered them with old sheet metal to prevent neighbours' cats from falling inside. So considerate! He lifted one up for us and it was like a tunnel to China.
About another week later, we came back for another visit, but the only obvious change was the sewerage plumbing laid out for the waste areas i.e. bathroom, powder room, kitchen. It meant we could see vaguely where each room would be going.
That weekend we went to a kitchen/bathroom/laundry supplier to finalise the fittings and appliances for said rooms. Basically I was told by my parents to be a mute because they knew I'd be very opinionated. I was never invited to any of their previous visits for this reason. But I persuaded (weesled) my way in by saying I could potentially be the third vote and make decisions quicker, because our builder needed the final decisions ASAP.
I voted for the latest Bosch ovens. I don't know what their called, but I do know that they can bake a cake without you programming it's temperature. You literally select "cake" and it's detects the moisture and other elements all by itself and will cook it perfectly - according to our sales rep. It's like a computer or a robot. It also has a touch and computer screen style dashboard and just overall technologically forward. Sold.
Lucky I came along, because I got to choose my sister's and my taps for our bathroom. I picked the Brodware Winslow Lever range in chrome with chrome levers (or otherwise porcelain levers, pictured). The single one is going in the powder room and two of the basin set ones will go in our bathroom. I've always, always loved these taps and am so excited that we get them in our bathroom. I think they're so gorgeous and elegant, and especially the curved details. Love.
Not only did I help make decisions, I saved money too. My parents had probably picked out this ugly sink that was super squatty and with a gross towel rail bar underneath...it was just all around N.O. But I found a discontinued sink, generously sized, AND less than $150! The other sink was over $200! Go me.
Over the next few weeks our builder sent us more photos of progress. This one is prepping for the slab. Not quite sure what all the ditches are for? Perhaps more pipes. Thanks for posing, boys.
The following week on Monday we were sent these photos: pouring the slab!! When it's dried we can have another site visit, not only walk on it, but see the proportions of the house's lower floor for ourselves.
I hope you've enjoyed these construction updates! They've been a long time coming and it's surreal that it's finally happening.
Have a fabulous weekend.
XO
