So grateful to be surrounded by greenery and fresh air

Spending alot more time working from home during COVID has reminded me how truly lucky I am to live somewhere surrounded by trees, greenery and full of fresh air. I recently had a decorative security door installed on the back of the house - tying in with the style of the other doors on the front and side verandah... incorporating a little more 'x' detail which is part of Dad's 'signature' style.

...and here is a reminder of the 'before' view of this area.

A new custom designed and crafted electric driveway gate

Another belated post from 2020... Dad designed and crafted the most beautiful electric diveway gate... another example of breathing new life and repurposing old into new. The cast iron panels were part of the old landing on the former front flat (see below for 'before' and 'work in progress' photos). Here it is in situ... it ties in perfectly with the smaller pedestrian front gate that Dad built some time ago. So special and sustainable to be re-purposing these beautiful quality pieces into something that it not only attractive and practical, but will last for many, many years to come!

We decided to change the colour of the wrought iron to a classic matte black. Some photos of the 'work in progress'...

As you can see, the panels have completely transformed from their former life as ballustrade on the landing of the (former) front flat...

... and here is a reminder of how the house appeared 'pre-reno'!

Garden Screens in situ

It has been so long since my last blog post - the last 10 months or so has been a bit of a whirlwind! But I am now catching up on the progress that has been made since April 2020. The garden screens mentioned in my last post are now very much in place and I am thrilled with the results. They were designed to provide privacy from the neighbours and add a 'green wall'. These photos were taken in Winter 2020 (with the Autumn colour still on display) just after the screens were installed. I have planted Star Jasmine which I will train to cover the screens, as well as Ornamental Pear Trees ('Capital' variety, the narrowest of the Pears) to add more green foliage and height.

We had help from a fantastic local fencing contractor to dig the post holes. Our installation of the screens was quite an undertaking, but worked beautifully thanks to Dad's clever use of the trailer to carry the weight of the screens.

Meanwhile, the garden has been bringing so much joy, especially after the lovely rain we've had over Summer.

New Garden Screens

 

Screen Design
Dad has designed a series of steel screens that we will install in the garden adjacent to the northern fence - for added privacy and extra greenery along the back.  The three screens will cover around 9 metres in length and be secured in place by a series of steel posts.  The posts and screens will all be painted in matt black, and will eventually be covered in greenery (possibly Star Jasmine or similar).  Dad's drawing below shows a general idea of how it will look. 

Here are the screens and posts laid out ready to be painted and assembled. Dad has incorporated a slight step-up to allow for the slight sloped ground along the fence-line. I love Dad's innovation with all of his design. It always adds a sense of uniqueness and flair. So grateful not only for Dad's Architect expertise but also to be working on this labour of love with Mum and Dad.

Welding

Thanks to my friend Naomi's son Euan who welded the cleats to the side of each post and screen.  Euan did the welding with Dad a little while ago before the COVID-19 social distancing restrictions came into play.

The screens will be installed along part of this garden, behind my newly planted Ornamental Pear trees, and in front of the espaliered Camelia hedge. The base of each screen will sit not far below the top height of the fence, therefore providing an extra metre of height and privacy.

 

Our next step will be for me to prime and paint the screens and posts in black.  The post holes will then be dug using a Dingo, ready for us to concrete the posts and screen in place.

Extra Ornamental Pear Trees

I have also just finished planting some new Ornamental Pear Trees (Pyrus Calleryana 'Capital') along part of the back fence. I think these will bring the right scale to the boundary and also extra greenery. You can see the existing Star Jasmine which has been trained in 'x' formations along the fence.  It seems to be growing faster in some parts than others.

More painting & a Revamped Guest Bedroom

Dad has been busy building a custom new/old window for the guest bedroom, to replace the old aluminium window and security grill. What a difference this has made to the overall look as well as the light that now pours in!

Below you can see some early photos of the house before the verandah was built. The bedroom is located on the northern side of the house, opening out to the new verandah. It was previously the smallest window on the northern side of the house.

Window construction in progress

Dad custom built the two main new window panels in his shed, so they could then be transported as one piece and installed in my house. He then installed the two narrow side panels once the main unit  was in place.

Dad made clever use of surplus VJ boards by using them to fill the gap (and disguise the supports) between the main window panels and the glass louvre blades, also adding extra character.

Here is the guest bedroom before its transformation... 

The new window is more than double the size of the previous one, and is now in keeping with the style of the house.

We have also freshened the walls with 'White Salt' paint, similar to the rest of the interior. The former 'Sand Drift' colour was lovely, but the white really makes an impact in terms of freshness and light.

… and here is the revamped guest bedroom. Just awaiting window furnishings now.

Now that the new window is in place, we have been able to paint the northern verandah wall in the dark charcoal colour, to tie in with the front verandah.  I love this colour - it does so much justice to the many white details in the windows, balustrades etc, and also works well with the black details of the light fittings and security doors.