(Almost) 50 Shades of Grey

Must...settle...on...perfect...shade...of...grey....

Lighting up my life

No, we don't have actual electricity yet but we do have lights. Not installed, mind you, but at least   Stashed in various places. Now, I like the idea  of shopping, but the real truth of the matter is when it comes down to it, I don't like actually doing it in great quantity or expense. Makes me quite tense, in fact. 

The purchase of the light fittings is turning into a long drawn out process because I simply can't fathom making and committing to so many purchases all at once. It's already been a four-stage process: one from an antique dealer,  a couple off Ebay, a bunch from Schots, and another bunch from Pickwicks. And I'm still not done.

The whole process is not helped by the fact that I apparently don't like most lights. I've looked at hundreds, if not thousands, both here and overseas, squinting into the iPad well into the wee hours of the night trying to find the perfect thing online. 

Friday I FINALLY found the wall lights needed. Yes a little customisation is needed but nothing crazy. I also picked up one of my other batches of light fittings that had been on order for awhile.

Lost focus and bought one of these for the new kitchen too:

Captain Laird was a little suspicious that I may not actually carry a cake in the cake carrier, as such, but it will look pretty on a shelf, no?

Speaking of pretty, look what Catherine Martin, costume designer extraordinaire, turned her clever hand to:

I love this rug and its colour scheme-would look beautiful in our formal lounge. Just saying.

What's in the box, part II

It's in!

Marble fireplace and antique fire insert safely ensconced in the dining room - phew!

What's in the box?

It took a whole lot of shoving by two burly blokes but a 150kg box the size and shape of a medium sized coffin was delivered onto the front yard today. What's in it? All will be revealed tomorrow...

The Glamour Boys were upstairs today so can't tell you what they were doing (one and a half weeks until stairs -hooray!). I did spy some lovely cornice in the kids' play area up there though.

It's suddenly dawned on me that the room I have tagged as my study is going to have a very busy ceiling: twin pendant lights each with ceiling roses, plus the attic hatch, plus the air con vents x2. It is a big space, but that is a lot going on overhead.

I'm predicting a flurry again tomorrow, with carpenters, plumber, plasterers, and a special mystery trades person connected to the mystery box all due on site. If the nice weather continues maybe even some painters might come along to join in the fun.

 Better keep the lolly box stocked up!

More pretty stuff

Life is like one very long episode of "The Block" at the moment. We're either busy coordinating the new house or back at the current one giving it a makeover in a mad dash against time before it goes on the market. Gardening, painting, sorting, packing, fixing, sanding, re-arranging, and shifting - there's not much else we have time for just at the moment but we're keeping our eye on the prize...

Our master bathroom window:

Master bedroom window:

Getting down to busy-ness

The day started like every other this week - pouring rain. When will I learn that this does NOT signal a day off for T2 & Co.? A visit to the drenched Homemade House this morning found our carpenters cheerfully working on high, completing those second storey verandahs. It's possible they were above cloud level anyway.

It is a little known fact that T2 & co get together at the start of each morning and plot what question they can throw at me during the day to confuse me at best, or send me off on an overnight panic mission at worst. 

The topic can be almost any genre, certainly not limited to carpentry. Sometimes it's plumbing, other days it's electrical, and today it was cabinetry. It's like a spot quiz for owner-builders, and guaranteed to give me the heebie-jeebies until I work out the ramifications of what is being asked. 

Frankly,I don't know what the outcome was today, other than that all parties with a vested interest are happy. I simply employed my second-favourite survival strategy which is setting the experts on each other and quietly slipping out of the picture...

Lunch delivery was my special job today, as the mother in me doesn't like to think of all the boys out there in the cold and rain. Little did I know I was also going to be providing the entertainment, with my spotty gumboots raising a laugh or two from the fashionistas on site. 

Meanwhile, the Special Ops painters were back! Their cheery faces seemed to pop up around every corner, intriguing the Homemade Baby who finally spotted an activity she thought she might like to have a go at. 

The Glamour Boys of the week, however, would have to be the plasterers with all the flash and dazzle they have coolly put into the house. Stunning, stunning cornice work. Beautifully cut corners. Each room has suddenly gained a sense of weight and permanence.

"So what's happening on the kitchen front?" I hear you ask. Well today an actual date for the kitchen installation was made - November 6. That is barely more than a month away - goodness! The production manager assures me he is open to, nay, expecting bribes to ensure delivery is on time. 

Sigh. Whatever it takes I suppose.

And a meeting with Tiler Candidate #3 who was extremely nice and I hope quotes accordingly.

These....

...will go here:

Spooky question of the day from one half the carpentry team: so how does the light fitting get attached now the rose is there?

(The answer is, I don't know - that's not my job.)

This is the underside of the second-storey verandah, i.e what you will see if you look up as you approach the front door. Head of Special Ops drew my attention to the raw pine - what colour is in its future?

The style file is BACK!

Pretty things are finding their way in:

 Jarrah verandah: can't wait for that first sunny but fresh summer morning Melbourne does so well when I open up those french doors off our bedroom and wander out with a cup of tea in hand.

Nice work from T2, who doesn't let anything stand in his way  when he has a plan to get something done. Floorboards aren't on site? No problem. Weather terrible? No problem.

Cornices and ceiling roses: exuding the wow factor. Thank you to our plastering duo for putting these up downstairs, where I can see them, rather than starting upstairs - where I don't want to go until the staircase arrives in a few weeks' time. Looking stunning.