UncategorizedProgress Report 2020

I was hoping to roll out my sparkling new kitchen on this post. Due to lockdown, a few things have been held up from finishing this space. We are still waiting on our cedar kitchen door (acting as our front door) to be fitted. At the moment our guests are being shuffled through our tight laundry to get inside. This can be a tad embarrassing, especially if the laundry hamper hasn’t been dealt with.

So, I thought it might be fun to take a look back on all the progress we have made to the house since we bought it in 2018. I can hardly believe it’s been two years since we gave our soul to the bank and inherited this beautiful, but dilapidated Art Deco gem. When I reflect on this, the quote from Bill Gates comes to mind, “People overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years.” Don’t get me wrong, I think we have achieved a lot in this time, but if I was to be honest, I really underestimated how long each job would take.

Naturally, when I ask Paul if he thinks it’s taken more time to get to this point he disagrees saying he knew this overhaul would consume our time and resources. Sheesh, I wish he could have shared this news with me earlier – lol. Nevertheless, while I was putting this post together, I was astounded not only the transformation but how much leg work Paul has put into making this house a palace for us.

The first room to be demolished at the palace was the bathroom. We wanted to start with the hardest room in the house because man, it was uggggly! Plus, we didn’t want to spend another minute looking at ourselves in that stupid fish mirror!

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While the weather was good, Paul was also jumping outside at this time to tend to our barbecue area. He built a small retaining wall to hold up the bank, a seating area and steps up to our bush surrounding the house.

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As you can see the concrete walls have been primed and waiting to be painted. Paul will be installing cedar-planked seating, grey tiling and I will swoop in later with some pretty outdoor decor.

Next, we moved into the laundry room. As we needed to work on the kitchen footprint we had to pull the laundry out of this room and create another room by the bathroom. If you missed that post, you can read it here. Even though it’s a utility room, it still makes me smile with the colourful patterned tile and the quirky door.

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Just before we went into Lockdown, we crossed off another huge item, installing a new roof. For us, this has been a huge investment, however, you can not put a price on the peace of mind. We now rest at nights knowing that our renovated rooms are now safe from nightly downpours.

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We took advantage of the weather last December, to hit the outside area in front of the house. We decided that finishing the interior of the house might be a long game, so at least the trees could grow and establish themselves while we finish up. I wanted a white and green garden against a dark fence. And that’s exactly what I got! The locals have been very complimentary with the outside upgrade.

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As you might have seen on social media, being in lockdown for a month has been almost a blessing for our house and Paul. He started painting the house on week 2 and now is almost 3/4 of the way through. We are crossing our fingers for a few more fine and warm days before winter sets in.

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Last but not least, we are so close to finishing our kitchen. Sometimes in the early morning, I have to rub my eyes a couple of times to believe this is our new kitchen. This is one room we have talked about for years, so to see the near reality is a pinch-me moment.

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Phew-weeeee I can see where those two years have gone. Our renovation agenda continues to change daily. It seems natural that we should finish the dining room that is adjoining the kitchen, but…. I have seen the most perfect fabric for our bedroom headboard. Since winter is fast approaching, it would be nice to snuggle up in a room that was warm and eye-pleasing. Now, I just have to figure out a way to convince the chief!

On my post next month, I will be revealing our new custom kitchen. Stay tuned for this one – it’s a goodie!