Aaannnd ... they're done!

I thought I had more photos than this but they've disappeared into the ether (either that or I've forgotten to take them off the camera which has grown legs and walked away to hide ...)

^the family room which is echoing like anything at the moment!^

^the games room^

 

It's amazing how big the rooms seem with no furniture but man are they loud!! Can't wait to get everything back in but I have to seal the grout first .. trying to make this grout stay the same colour for at least a couple of months.

Tiles .. more progress!

^ the kitchen^

^Andrew's leg photobombing the boys' hallway^

^the pantry^

^the games room^

Tiles, tiles, tiles!

After 8 long months in the house, we finally have enough money to get the tiles laid ... woohoo!!

The idea (this time around) was for Peter and the boys to go up to the shed and I would stay home and seal/undercoat/paint while the tiler was working.  Ba-bow!  Of course, something had to change our plans but luckily this time it was something good.  Peter got a permanent job which meant his roster changed, which meant he would be flying out when he was supposed to be flying in.

Sooo .. long story short (I know .. too late!) I didn't get to paint before the tiler started but look at what he's done so far:

Purdy!!

 

One day down .. another 12 or so to go ....

Kitchen update

We have the kitchen sink:

Here's the plumber trying to install the hotplate without damaging the bench or the new tiles: And here's the fancy-schmancy new hotplate that cost me a kidney and part of a lung
(arms and legs are so passe!):
Finally, we have the rangehood:
After looking at it for a while, I have come to the conclusion that I need to paint the walls sooner rather than later, as the clash between the white of the walls, the cream of the tiles and the stainless steel rangehood is going to drive me mad .. well, more mad than I already am!
PS: the oven still isn't in but rest assured that I'll post photos as soon as it is!

Tiles and toilets!

The ensuite vanity:I originally wanted the accent tiles to continue in the same line around into the shower recess but was talked out of it by the tiler and the site supervisor. Peter very graciously left the decision totally up to me and I am now kicking myself that I didn't stick to my original decision. Hopefully I won't notice it as much when the shower screens go in.

The boys' bathroom:
Again, I wanted to continue the accent tile on the same line through the shower recess but was talked out of it because it would have been "too difficult to cut the accent tile around the tap fittings". However, in the ensuite, they have cut the accent tile to fit around the shower head fitting ... too difficult my backside! Too lazy more like!

The main throne room:

Either that toilet is really small or just really far away! ;-)

Change in plans...

We've decided to not move into this house and to use it as a rental instead.

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Just kidding! Too many late night 'discussions' to give up on it now!

Seriously though, we were originally planning on moving in mid December based on several factors:

1. 
   
   Based on when the roof went on, we should have expected the first Practical Completion Inspection (PCI) at the end of November which meant we would have the keys around the 10th of December.


2. 
   
   According to Peter's current roster, he would be home on the 15th December so despite me vowing to not move in the week before Christmas (again!), it was either move then or wait until mid January.


3. 
   
   Waiting until mid January would have meant a longer period of time paying both the mortgage and rent, so the earlier we could move, the better off we would be (financially anyway).

Then the site supervisor threw a spanner in the works by telling us that we should be able to do our PCI at the beginning of November and get the keys two weeks later (provided there was nothing major wrong). So it looks like we're moving in 24th November.

Now I'm in a bit of a mad panic trying to organise a driveway (didn't like the paved one the builder offered) and a tiler to lay 120sqm of floor tiles through the whole house, both of which have to be done before we can move in.

Aaaarrrggghhh!

Floorcovering ideas

Seeing as nothing much is happening on the building front (due to waiting for everything to dry out before the plasterers can start), I thought I'd start throwing out some ideas for finishing off the house.

Bear in mind these are only ideas at the moment and depending on numerous factors, most important of which is the bank balance, they may not come to fruition for quite some time ... or even at all.

We have decided to tile the majority of the house, as most people seem to do these days. Thankfully the days of having carpet in hallways and other traffic areas are well and truly over at least as far as we're concerned!

Despite our many discussions over the colours of the wet area tiles, we managed to agree fairly quickly on a living area tile called National Banur Latte. Initially I did think it was way too dark but I have warmed to it. In the photo on the retailer's website, it appears very grey but in real life, it is actually a very pleasant mix of creams/beiges and greys so it appeals to both of us. It has a matte finish so it's a lot less slippery than the high gloss versions and has the added bonus of being easier to keep clean.

Speaking of keeping things clean, I had the idea that it would be easier to keep the bottom of the WIR in the master bedroom cleaner if it was tiled. After broaching the subject with husband dearest, he has agreed to tile the floor in there with the same floor tile as the ensuite (Waringa Stone Grey) to tie them together if both the doors happen to be open at the same time. I've not actually seen it done anywhere that I can remember but I figured it would be heaps easier to be able to see the dust that needs vacuuming up instead of having it all just add to the height of the carpet.

And while on the topic of wardrobes in bedrooms, I also think it would make for a lot less dust and dirt accumulation if I were to put tiles or vinyl in the bottom of the boys' built-in-robes as well. The carpet in their rooms will be laid properly to the front of the robes as there is a track for the sliding doors, so having something different in the bottom shouldn't interfere with the carpet or the doors.

To be perfectly honest, I've been thinking about just painting the boys' floors with paving paint when we move in so that whatever carpet we (eventually) get doesn't get wrecked with all the extra sand flying around until we get the backyard finished. They've been rather non-committal about the idea whenever I've raised it in the past, but they are teenage boys so maybe expecting a complete sentence favouring one option over another was dreaming just a little bit.

Anyway enough thinking for now. I'd better get back to work and earn some money to pay for all this thinking I've been doing. Never realised how expensive thinking was ... and dangerous too! One thing keeps leading to another ... and another ... and another ... and another!

What do you think of the ideas I've come up with so far? Tiles in the wardrobes sound stupid to you? Can you think of any other options? I need help people ... and not just the kind you're thinking of! :P

Tiles (part III)

Welcome back to the third of our fascinating tile and laminate selection shows. Today's show is all about the bathroom, WC and laundry.

First up is the wall tile. The designers have opted to continue the Gloss White Ripple tile, on the left, through the remainder of the wet areas of the house but have opted to tile the WC to window sill height on all four walls, to enable easier cleaning of those little spots that always seem to occur in a house full of males.

The floor tile for all three rooms is, on the right, Rocell Moonstone which has a slightly mottled matte finish to help disguise the inevitable dust and dirt. This tile will also be used on the riser on the side of the bath and on the hob around the bath to provide a lovely contrast to the gleaming white bath, which has been upgraded to a larger size.

The accent/border tile, the mosaic type one across the front of the other two, is Mirage Listello #3 Espresso . This will only be used in the bathroom as the designers could see no point in accenting the utilitarian space of the laundry or in paying large amounts of money to accent the smallest room in the house.

The laminate chosen for the bench top in both the bathroom and laundry is Laminex Cocoa Nougat. This may have been chosen because the designers were both rather hungry at this stage of proceedings and liked the name or just because they liked the actual colour. Both of these reasons are equally likely.

The cupboards in both rooms will be finished in Laminex Sorrel in a slightly more textured finish than the sample shown here, to enable easy removal of the inevitable splishes and splashes.

This now concludes our tile and laminate fashion show. We hope you have enjoyed the show and look forward to hearing your comments on the full range. Please remember that these designers are only new to the field so please be gentle!

Tiles (part II)

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen. Today we are delighted to present for your perusal our kitchen tile and laminate selections.

(Once again, as the accent tile has a glass type finish, it has proved slightly difficult to photograph without numerous fingerprints all over it, so I have included the manufacturer's professional photo to give you another idea of the colours.)

As the floor tile has to be installed after the handover and has yet to be decided upon by our designers, we will not be showing you that today. However, we do have the following:


The wall tile is called Flute Crema, which has a subtle white brushstroke-type line detail and is, as you may have guessed, not a true-white tile. The tiles will be laid with the line detail going from top to bottom to enable better co-ordination with the accent tile which also has vertical line features.


The accent/border tile is called Impulse Listello #05 Donkey. This tile has several different features, not all of which are evident in either of the photos presented here today. The glass finish has been done as an overlay and has quite a few matte finish vertical bands which overlap the gaps between the coloured sections underneath. This will serve as a lovely distraction from the dirty dishes that will invariably be sitting in the sink.

The laminate selection for the bench top is, on the left, Formica Sand Crystal. This patterned bench top will hide a multitude of sins/stains, which is just as well given how often things are spilled on the benches in the designer's current abode.

The cupboard doors and drawers that will complete this picture will be finished in, on the right, Formica Bark. This will also be provided with the pearl finish, rendering it a more fingerprint resistant surface.

This concludes today's parade but we hope you will join us in the near future for the bathroom, WC and laundry selections. Ciao for now!

Tiles ...

I We have finally decided on the tile colours and are sticking with them this time. As I can only put up to five pictures in each post, I'm going to do several different posts to enable me to inundate with you with photos; most of which were taken in bad lighting by a rather inept photographer (me, in case you hadn't gathered!)

(Imagine a voice over like the one you would get at a runway show)

Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to tonight's show. We will be featuring two recent arrivals to the colour selection and design field who are just starting out (again!) on the long and rocky road to new home ownership. So, without any further ado, let the fashion parade begin. Here are the choices for the ensuite ... ta-dah!!



The wall tile (the one on the left) is called Gloss Ripple White. Funnily enough, it is a gloss white tile with a ripple finish (who woulda thunk it, huh?) to hide those little variations in the finished wall. Ladies, it will also help to camouflage those little trouble spots that you miss when cleaning in a hurry as you can always blame any funny-looking spots on the light hitting the ripple at a weird angle.

The floor tile, the one on the right, is matte finish floor tile called Waringa Stone Grey. Originally refused by the female of this couple due to its uncanny resemblance to plain concrete, it has now grown on her and should be quite acceptable in the long term as it should take longer to fall out of fashion.

The accent/border tile, the mosaic type one across the front of the other two, is a tile called Aurora Border #2 Seal. (As it has a glass finish, it has proved somewhat difficult to photograph so I have included the professional sample photo from the manufacturer's website.) This was the compromise offered by the female of the couple when she learned of the male's desire for a rather stark black and white colour combo. Luckily it was accepted and relative peace has now returned to their relationship.


The laminate colour that has been chosen for the bench top is, on the left, Formica Tuscan Marble and for the cupboards/drawers is, on the right, Formica Mulga in a pearl finish, which apparently means it will have a slightly more textured finish than the sample shown above.

Hopefully, all these colours will work well together in the harsh light of day as the lighting in the tile showroom left a lot bit to be desired.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending today's fashion parade and we hope to see you back tomorrow when we will unveil the latest collection for the kitchen. Au revoir!

And the fun starts ...

When we built our first house, I was young and stupid more easily swayed by the opinions of my darling husband, so when he declared we would only go to the nearest tile shop to make our selections, I quietly acquiesced and then spent a considerable amount of time battling the buried resentment over his removal of choice.

Over the past 17.5 years of marriage, I have evolved into a pigheaded bitch become more comfortable with expressing my opinion, especially when it comes to things I will have to live with for quite some time. When the issue of selecting tiles for this new nest arose, I was adamant that we would look at all the options available to us and, after checking out the supplier closest to us and finding it lacking in choice, we went to Osborne Park to check out the other one (yes, we only have two to choose from).

Let me set the scene for you: It was about 35 degrees by the time we had driven all the way there (after dropping the children at school); we drove past the place twice before finally managing to swing into the tiny little parking lot and then, when we walked in to the showroom that resembled a dark little cave with hardly any air flow, we were thoroughly ignored by the numerous sales staff chatting around the water cooler. I should have known then that we were in for a fun day.

I approached the rather haughty looking woman at the front counter and asked for some assistance with a pre-start tile selection. After asking which builder we were with, she waved at the left hand side of the shop, told us that the builder's range was over there and turned back to her associate to continue their conversation.

Interrupting her, I asked what our builder's limitations on size and price were and was told that it should all be in our pre-start package. Trying to remain polite, I replied that I wouldn't have asked if it was in there so could she please look it up. She did (with a roll of her eyes at the other woman) so armed with the details I headed over to Peter who was trying to find things in the rather shadowy aisles.

We spent something like four hours trying to (and mostly succeeding) agree on tiles, laminates and accent tiles. When Peter realised we had been there for that long, he started getting a bit antsy and then we both started getting quite snippy with each other. Realising that he was probably just hungry, I suggested we come back another day to finalise things but he was determined to finish it then and there.

We found a slightly more helpful lady than the one at the desk and sat down with her to type up our selections. We were progressing quite well until she started throwing in questions like whether we wanted the shower hobs done in the floor tile or wall tile and which way did we want the skirting tiles laid in the laundry. Peter really started to lose interest at that point (as did I to be perfectly honest) so we just gave her some answers to type in and escaped while we were still married.

As she didn't give us any sample tiles, apart from a small section of the mosaic I liked, by the time the next morning rolled around, we had pretty much forgotten what we had ended up with. From what we could remember, we were quite pleased with it all so Peter went back to work happy that one more thing had been ticked off the to-do list.

Two weeks later when he came home, we both turned to each other and said that we didn't really like what we had picked after all. Having too much time to think things over can really suck sometimes! We ended up going back to the original shop and picking out all new tiles.

Luckily we agreed on most things but then the ensuite had to go and ruin everything. Peter decided to assert himself and fight for a black and white bathroom. It turned out that he didn't actually like any of the other things that I thought we had agreed on; he was just agreeing with me to get it over and done with. This is why I think that tile shops should have marriage or relationship counsellors on standby to prevent bloodshed (either literal or metaphorical) over tile/colour choices.

I offered to start all over again but he said he would be fine with all the choices we had already made as they weren't going to be 'his' (they were for the kids' bathroom/toilet, laundry and kitchen). He then picked out a perfectly revolting rather interesting accent tile which I promptly threw up all over vetoed. We finally compromised on white walls, grey floor and a multi-tonal grey mosaic accent tile. Slightly softer look than the rather stark black and white he originally wanted and just a smidge (or ten!) away from the beige/neutrals that I wanted.

Happy that we had managed to thoroughly confuse ourselves again agree on the tiles, we left with some samples under our arms (only the cheap tiles of course .. can't possibly give away the expensive accent tiles) and headed off to pick the boys up from school.

A week later, I was playing with the sample tiles and decided to go back and have another look at the accent tile I had selected for the kitchen, as I couldn't quite remember what it looked like. While I was at the shop, I purchased one of said accent tiles and scored a sample of a different wall tile for the kitchen. After much fiddling around at home and asking of opinions from anyone female who walked in the door, I changed my mind again (I'm allowed .. we haven't had pre-start yet!)

I have changed the wall tile in the kitchen from gloss white to something called Flute Crema (otherwise known as off-white or 'dirty white' if you're my husband) and am now contemplating changing the size of them too. I'm going to go back to the tile shop and try to take some pictures so you can all give me your opinions too. Stay tuned for photos ...