Renovation progress' at St Elmo

Hey everyone, whats going on in your world?

We have been busy here at St Elmo, mostly just turning it into a demolition site.

I thought I should share our renovation progress so far.

We have achieved a lot but to the outside eye it probably just looks like we are destroying the place, Like they say

"No mess, No progress!"

My dream guy has been working extremely hard, not just on our house but also at establishing his Electrical Contracting business. Up until a week ago he has been working his full time job whilst working for himself but now its full steam ahead with his business, so if you know anyone in the Hunter Valley/Maitland area that needs an AWESOME electrician then give him a call.

0417 9450526

I have picked up the perfect part time job as a Design & Sales consultant at Amber Tiles in East Maitland which I thoroughly enjoy, the owners & staff are all lovely which makes for a really nice work environment. I have  so much to learn but am really enjoying the whole experience.

So in amongst all this so far we (by we, I really mean my dream guy) have replaced all of our water mains as they were leaking & we had very little water pressure. You only had to tap the old galvanised water pipes with the shovel & they sprung a leak.

We ran new storm water pipes as it had never been done properly & just collected on the ground around the house, no wonder those wooden piers had rotted away.

We only want to do this job once so we are ensuring that everything is repaired along the way.

Sometimes that does feel like you have opened a can of worms & that we will never finish.

 We pulled out 90% of the cottage garden & have  turfed & built garden beds that are more structured & formal, requiring a lot less maintenance.

You can see how they were pretty over grown & the up keep would have meant constant gardening.

We really don't have the time for that.

As you can imagine, no electricians garden is complete without some sort of lighting.

I do apologise for the poor quality photos, but you get the general idea of the direction we are heading with this.

This project isn't complete yet so a blog post will come with better photo's a little later. 

We have installed wool insulation

batts into the ceiling as there wasn't any & our house was ridiculously hot.They have made a huge difference to the temperature of the place.

 Some more piers have been replaced as well as some of the floor joists, there are still lots of these left to do though.

Currently we are stripping out what was the laundry to make a brand new family bathroom. This was the original kitchen when the home was first built in 1906 so it has a fabulous old brick fireplace which we intend to incorporate into our design. While the floors are up we will replace the piers in this area.

We will need to run all new plumbing, install a new hot water system, a gas instantaneous style, as we are currently on electric hot water. We will also be installing  a water tank to catch some rain water for toilet flushing & laundry use as we don't have that here & our water bills are far to expensive.

All in all, we have achieved a lot but the pretty stuff is still a while away.

The entire family is pretty excited by the thought of a nice bathroom though.

CHEERS

Trish xx

Dream house bathroom progress

Well the dream house is progressing to the point where it is almost ready to begin.

 

Just waiting on a few more quotes to arrive for final costing & the surveyors to come & peg a few things out so all of the floor levels are perfect.

 

I have to say I am ridiculously excited at this point & cant wait to see some  dirt getting dug up!!

 

I have pretty much finalised the bathroom, ensuite & laundry selections with the vanities & laundry cabinets designed & quoted, the tiles are all quoted & just waiting on a quote for tap ware toilets & bathtub.

The only choices left to make are the light fittings & blinds, but there is no immediate rush for those,

 

Source Porchlight Interiors

 

This is my inspiration for the bathroom & I have been fortunate  enough to find a ceramic basket weave tile just like the ones in the pic. I will also have the white border tile.

 

 

You guessed it, white subway tiles on the wall with a nice white capping tile. There will also be a strip of pencil tiles just to add a little more interest as I have gone white for everything.

You can check out more of my home inspiration here on my 

Pinterest boards.

 

I will be having two recesses in each shower to store all of the necessities.

 

 

 

My vanity designs have been drawn up & will be custom built by Planit Kitchens who are also doing the kitchen & laundry.

 

 

A close up of my floor tiles, I found these babies at

Jacoba Tiles which are one of my local tile stores, you can read about my last attempt a sourcing tiles locally here

Price wise they were very reasonable which made me very happy.

 

Lets hope it all comes together as I am imagining it !

 

Any advice or suggestions gladly accepted as at this point it is all just quotes,nothing ordered so its not to late to change if I am making some horrendous design faux pas.

 

CHEERS

Trish xxx

 

Beautiful bathroom mirrors & lights

Image via heather Scott

 

I don't know if you may have noticed but I am seriously obsessed with beautiful bathrooms at the moment.

 

I am having a little trouble making final decisions for the dream house, which isn't critical seen as though we are owner builders.

 

 

Image via the house that A-M built

 

Whilst this gives me the luxury of last minute choices I do still need to have a pretty good idea of what I want, so we can get quotes & have a set budget.

If I happen to find nicer alternatives that are equal to or, hopefully less expensive than the original quotes, then so be it!!!

 

 

Image via Driftwood Interiors

 

 

 

 

Mirrors & lighting are on my radar this time, although the tile situation isn't completely sorted, but you can read about that one & offer your advice here

 

 

Image via Pottery Barn

 

When it comes to lighting, it is best to avoid placing your light directly above the mirror.

Side lighting is a must for preventing shadows, although now that I'm 42, perhaps shadows are a little kinder, he he he!!!

 

Image via Alamode

 

This is stunning, the mirrors look very much like the pottery barn image from above don't you think?

They are definitely my 'Plan B' mirrors.

 

There is a similar mirror available here at Recollections called the 'Regency Swivel Mirror'

& its only $59.00. We all know which choice the dream guy is going to recommend!!

 

 

 

Image via Renovating a Brooklyn limestone

 

I would like to have double mirrors in the ensuite, these are definitely a personal favourite, although I have NO idea where to find them here in Australia, I'm loving the lights as well.

I think I will skip the glass shelves though, I'm just not that committed to the cleaning!!!

 

 

Image via Decorpad

 

I will be looking at having one large mirror over the main bathroom vanity, it is going to be a 3 way bathroom so the vanity has a space all of its own, I do like the idea of the added side mirrors, great for bouncing a little extra light around the room & a fabulous tool for checking that your hair is just right!!!

 

 

Image via Tinkalicious

 

Of course this is my ultimate "fantasy" bathroom.... ah the glamour!!!

 

If you have a double vanity what is your preference, two seperate mirrors, or one gigantic one?

 

Have you got lighting above or beside your mirrors & what are your preferences here???

 

CHEERS

Trish xxx

 

 





Bathroom tiles

 

I love everything about this pic & I am using it as inspiration for my dream house bathroom & ensuite

 

 

I will be having some little recessed nooks in the showers to keep all of necessities, you know, shampoo etc.

 

I will be using subway tiles on my walls & I love how these shelves have been framed so nicely.

 

 

 

I would love some shelving like this at the end of the tub.

 I really want a more low maintenance home

 Open shelving in bathrooms & kitchens really do soften a room & give a homely feel to the space, but I can only imagine how much work it would be to keep them looking nice & I don't think I will have the time for that(I will be busy working, to pay for the dream house !!!!)

 

 

Perhaps just a little something like this over the bath, a place to keep the soap, in a fabulous little dish of course & maybe a small candle

 

 

 

On the floor I would love a black & white basket weave style tile  which, here in Australia is going to be a little more difficult & pricier than I expected.

I may have to rethink my floors.

When I enquired at one of the local tile stores the extremely young girl that served me, looked at the pic on my phone & promptly informed me that

 "No, we don't stock those, because NO ONE would buy them!"

It was about then that I decided I wouldn't be spending my thousands of dollars on tiles in their store or using their tiler to lay them...very offensive, I thought!!!

 

I am waiting on quotes for my vanities, kitchen & laundry fit out so I will be sure to share the designs with you as soon as the drawings are back.

 

So any thoughts or suggestions are welcome as well as supplier details for these lovely floor tiles.

 

All of my images are from my pinterest board, pop on over & check it out if you like!!!

 

Have a fabulous day everyone

 

CHEERS

Trish xxx

 

 

 



Recycled bathroom idea

Don't ya just love it!

i wish i was easy going enough to include such a whimsical idea into my home!

Some people have no fear when it comes to implementing their decor ideas, I'm a little to serious & put lots of thought into resale & appealing to other peoples taste.

I must admit, I really love this bicycle vanity....

What do you think?

Would you purchase a home with this set up in the bathroom?

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.

CHEERS

Trish xx

Bold bathing

I'm not usually one to be drawn to bold colour schemes, but when a lovely rich colour is partnered with a nice  crisp, clean, white...

Well, whats not to love!!!

The bathroom would have to be the perfect room to achieve such a stunning finish.

I am seriously in love with that gorgeous vanity in this second image.

What do you think?

CHEERS

Trish xxx

All images via BHG

I just love these oval mirrors from

Pottery Barn

Its called the Sussex Pivot Mirror and is $261 plus shipping of course which is another $96.

 Now I do believe that this is still a reasonable price for what it is, as I have found mirrors can be rather pricey here in Australia,

 BUT....

If anyone has seen something similar in our lovely country I would love to know about it. After all it is better to shop locally & keep Aussies in jobs!

It is nice however to see we are able to get things shipped here from Pottery Barn,things that just aren't available here. I fall in love with so many things that I see on some of my favourite US blogs that come from this store.

How about you, do you lust after American decor?

Do you have any hot Aussie mirror tips for me?

CHEERS

Trish xxx

Bathroom Niche...Take 2

OOPS!
This is my second attempt at this post, unfortunately the first time around I didn't have any pictures, just HTML.
Sorry if you previously popped in for some eye candy & all you got was text...I have no clue as to why this happened...one of life's little mysteries I suppose.
Unfortunately I only ended up with one pretty picture after all of that, lucky its fabulous!!!

I love the thought of a niche set into the bathroom wall to make way for some shelving. I think its a great way to soften the room.

If you re a neutral colour scheme kind of decorator  like myself, then a set of glass shelves is a great place to create a vignette, adding a pop of colour or added textural elements to the room, that is changeable whenever the restyling urge strikes.

You do experience these urges, don't you?

Ha....of course you do!!!!

blue tangerine art

Love love love it!!!

Now I love how these are accessorized, I imagine it would have a nice little inconspicuous light installed to highlight things in the evening.
Now I just have to convince the dream guy, you know, the one that will actually be doing the building, that it is worth his manpower to actually add this into the bathroom.
I can see I will be pushing the friendship A LOT in this house building process!!!

CHEERS
Trish xxx

 

Beautiful Bathroom

I can't decide just what  I love most about this bathroom

Generally I opt more for a white vanity, but there are so many things here I just adore, vanity included

It is the work of interior designer Jennifer Brouwer
I love the use of apothecary jars for your bits & bobs in the bathroom, who would have thought cotton wool balls could be so pretty!!

 That bath tub is just devine

I found these images on Houzz where Jennifer shares a lot of images from her portfolio

Definitely a love tranquil room, with beautiful fixtures, fittings & finishing touches.

What do you think?

CHEERS

Trish xxx

Divine Design



Oh look my dream home is finished

Which verandah should I relax on today!

Maybe I will just lay in the tub by the fireplace & dream of grand things

OR  plan a shopping trip to purchase some divine furniture for this lounge area

Perhaps we could cook up a feast while we plan things out...

I discovered this incredible home on the website of AHB custom home builders.

They are based in Atlanta in the USA & they design & construct fantastic homes like this . They have a fantastic portfolio of dreamy homes to wish for!!!

CHEERS

Trish xxx

Love their style

Whilst perusing a few ideas books over at Houzz I came across a company that had an endless supply of inspirational work to show case.

LDA Architecture & Interiors

 are regular contributors to Houzz, so you may already be familiar with some of their work.
I fell in love with their style....take a peek!

Whats not to love!

These guys appear to be the master of the mud room, not a room you really see in an Aussie home, but I often wish I could have one, especially when they are made to be so stylish by LDA Architecture & Interiors.

If you want to see more drop by their website or take a peek at their blog

CHEERS

Trish xxx

Bathroom beauty

bathroom design by los angeles interior designer Elizabeth Dinkel

Subway subway subway!!!

bathroom design by new york interior designer Kristina Melo w/ The Rosen Group Interiors

I am a huge fan of white subway tiles in the bathroom paired with some small square tiles or mosaics for a feature & a nice border tile like a chair rail , then on the floor either a large square tile in a cream colour or a white hexagonal tile. 

traditional bathroom design by los angeles interior designer Lori Gilder

Just a little colour with some glorious white...

traditional bathroom design by los angeles interior designer Lori Gilder

I love the detailing in these tiles

traditional bathroom design by vancouver general contractor John Whipple - By Any Design ltd.

A very nice feature light, great for when you want to apply a bit of make-up

traditional bathroom design by chicago kitchen and bath Rebekah Zaveloff, KitchenLab & Design in a Bag.com

Oh look, more subway tile & they're white, I'm sensing a pattern here!!!

traditional bathroom design

I love the hexagonal floor tiles...

Especially with the subway wall tiles, I think I am definitely a modern traditional
kinda gal, with a few Hampton's beach house desires!!!

traditional bathroom design

The Moravian star light fixture fits just perfectly in this setting, don't you think?

traditional bathroom design by san francisco architect Mahoney Architects and Interiors

I love the look of a chandelier over the bath, but I don't think I would like the responsibility of having to keep it clean.

How about you?

I'm off tomorrow to choose my tiles & all of the joinery for the kitchen, vanities &  laundry. I know exactly what I want & I plan to take plenty of inspiration pics to visually explain my ideas. I have made a bit of a design portfolio for every room in the house, to make it simple to explain myself to the trades involved & my dream guy of course.

I have spent the entire design  process asking my dream guy if he likes this idea or that style & he has always given me a very uninterested response, such as "Do whatever you want babe, its your house" OR " Whatever babe, I trust you to do a nice job of it, Ive got NO idea"...Sounds like every girls dream...RIGHT... well it hasn't been bad until now. He is going to come along while we meet with the tile shop etc, which sounds lovely, finally he has become interested, BUT, what if he now wants to have an OPINION!!!

I have it all planned & I don't want to have to compromise, EWWW!!!

Someone PLEASE call him with an electrical emergency in the morning so he is busy & I can have my own way....He He He....sinister plot, I know!!!!

All jokes aside, I'm sure he will be a good boy & I won't need to divorce before lunch, after all, he has free design range in his man cave!

How do you go with your other half when it comes to decor decisions?

Do you have the same tastes or are you like us & live on completely different decor planets, or in my dream guy's case, era's. The 80's where a good time & mission brown was a real feature!!!

I will update you on how the day pans out!

CHEERS

Trish xxx