Further main bedroom progress and the arrival of Summer

Summer

Summer has finally arrived...  long days, warm (make that hot!) temperatures and balmy nights.  I love this time of year. We have had storms rolling through (or around us) almost every afternoon.  I took these photos just after a storm the other day.  Love the beautiful light that it brings with it. The fushia coloured bougainvillea and Jacaranda tree were lit up perfectly.

Main Bedroom Progress

Dad is continuing to make great progress on the new master bedroom extension. Here are the floor joists and bearers of the extension - part of the new bedroom, as well as (what will be) the new ensuite - looking from the front of the house back to the east.  That's the new laundry and deck you can see beyond the extension.

Below is the new bedroom extension prior to the removal of the southern wall.

Dad has now removed the southern wall to extend the bedroom out.  The existing room that you can see in this photo was previously a laundry and bathroom of the former front flat.  The French doors were installed in the last couple of months to open the room out to the verandah.

Dad has repurposed some beautiful old windows so they can be installed in the new bedroom. The window below used to sit on the southern side of the house and let a lovely breeze through the laundry of the front flat.  It reminds me of Lorraine, an older lady who lived in the front flat for many years before me, and loved this window. 

Here is the repurposed window ready to be installed.  It has been built into a tall frame with a fixed glass panel at the bottom.  The bottom window was repurposed from windows that were previously located in the kitchen of the back flat. A mechanism has been added to the top window so it can open.

Dad has also built a custom bedhead in the new bedroom using the below panelling. The bedroom will be painted white (as will the bedhead), once it is finished.

Below is part of the front of the bedroom, which opens out to the verandah. This particular zone will become a walk-in-robe, on the south western corner of the house.

 ... wall frames going up.

And with insulation paper, ready for weatherboards to be installed...

We have also today installed the new windows (repurposed from the kitchen of the back flat) on the southern side of the walk-in-robe wall.

It's that time of year again when lots of entertaining is happening... 

Merry Christmas everyone x

New main bedroom progress and garden planning

The southern side of the house continues to transform as Dad works on the main bedroom, ensuite and walk-in-robe extension.

Here is the front verandah, looking towards the southern end where the new bedroom is underway. You can see the French doors which were installed recently.

Half of the joists and bearers which will hold up the floor of the new ensuite, bedroom and walk-in-robe have now been installed.

You can see below that the new ensuite (half way along) will cantilever out from (what will be the new) southern wall of the house - to add interest and provide more space. A new garden will end up disguising the hot water system and water tank.

We recently had ceiling fans installed in the bedrooms. Due to the high ceilings, the fans also comprise a length of rod to lower the fan and ensure the proportions are right. You can also see the picture rail that Dad has installed in the new main bedroom.

This is already such a beautiful light-filled room, and as per the rest of the interior, the bedroom will be painted white (Resene 'Salt').

Below you can see the new bedroom interior door, which sits adjacent to the front living room.

I recently invested in a new table and chairs for the dining room.  Thanks to Aaron from Harold's Finishing Touches for sourcing them for me. I think they really 'fit' with the house - they are an 'old grey' timber with a plantation/Hamptons style.

Warmer weather

After a long Winter, the weather is finally warming up, and we are enjoying the longer days and balmy nights. How beautiful is the afternoon light at this time of year?

I know I have already posted photos of the verandah gates which Dad built, but I just love them, and all the interesting shadows they cast.

The garden has come alive again

Lavender...

'Heaven Scent' Hybrid Tea Roses...

The May bushes have almost finished their Spring flowering...

These hippeastrums were planted by Lorraine who lived in the former front flat here many years ago. Lorraine is no longer around, but these hippeastrums are so prolific at the moment - paying homage to Lorraine.

The Magnolia 'Little Gems' are all loaded with large white buds - ready to open.

The Jacaranda is showing the first signs of purple - right on cue, to mark university exam time.

I have started digging a new garden bed on the eastern side of the back living room, and adjacent to (what will be) a new back deck in the future. This garden will probably contain a border of Japanese Box, and some low standard plants that can be enjoyed through the large picture window of the living room.

Garden planning...

 

Spring, new main bedroom progress and timber kitchen floor

Spring!

It has been a busy month, and a little while since my last post. The flowering May bushes in the front yard always signal that Spring has arrived... so pretty.

Everything is starting to awaken again after Winter - including the roses, which already have new buds.

I love this time of year as the days become longer and things warm up.  We have had some beautiful sunsets.

The new back living room has been getting a lot of use, and is such a great open area adjoining the kitchen and dining.

New main bedroom progress

Progress on the new main bedroom continues, with the set of French doors onto the front verandah now installed.

Below is the existing southern wall of the new main bedroom which will be removed and extended out to the south to make way for a new walk-in-robe and ensuite. 

The below photos show the current interior of the new main bedroom (formerly the laundry and bathroom of the front flat).  

Below is the interior door to the main bedroom, with original fanlight above - which will all remain.

New timber Kitchen floor

We decided to change the light coloured kitchen floor tiles to timber floorboards, to tie in more with the original timber boards in the back entry (which adjoins the kitchen).  The tiles and light grout were very difficult to keep clean, so the timber has provided a practical and nice looking alternative.

BEFORE - tiled floor...

AFTER - Timber floor...