Renovation Update Three

The painting begins! 

This is the inside of our house, standing from the corner near the new bay window. The painters got in here and painted all the walls and ceiling before the floors got sanded and polished. The second day of painting, the painter asked me what I thought. My response was a little uninspiring, so he thought I didn't like the color now that it was on the walls. 

It wasn't that; the new part of the house just seemed so classy, modern and shiny. We had been living in the older part of the house, that, despite the paint lift we gave it when we moved in initially, still had molding on the walls to hide the joins, and shiny ceilings because we'd never bothered to paint those at all. I was used to that old house, with it's old style and where I didn't mind if the children got paint on the walls, it was comfortable. I was not used to this shiny new part of the house and I am still not sure we will ever belong there. Maybe after the kids have made it dirty though, it will start to feel a bit more like home.

Anyway, here is a night time shot post floor polishing. We weren't walking on it, so we weren't home much during the day, but it was too exciting not to have a night time visit and photo. You can see the bay window seat had been put in, with spaces for drawers too!

While the floor got sanded and polished, the painters moved outside and began work on the exterior of the house. Here is a progress shot.

And another, given that the side window there still has an unpainted windowsill, but mostly everything else is done. I'm so looking forward to when the scaffolding is gone and the sides of our house feel large and spacious again.

Round the back, the deck was getting built and the roof put on. Every time we opened the bifold doors, we could feel the breeze coming through and longed more and more for the day when we could just walk out onto the deck. I think we will be spending a lot of time out there when all is done.

Here is a panorama shot of the inside out onto the deck. You can see the kitchen is back together, but not quite, as our dishwasher isn't in yet, and the microwave is still on the bench. Actually, that wall that moved out to make space for the dishwasher was without power for about two weeks, so we used a camping stove to cook on and an extension cord for the microwave.

Moving around, there is a linen cupboard on the other side of the kitchen, and the laundry. Down that hallway behind the living room wall is our second toilet and bathroom. The holes in the walls were waiting for the electrician to come along and join up the wires with power points. Leaning up against the bay window are the laundry doors that were painted too.

Coming round onto the deck you can see the old toilet (about to be thrown in the bin) and our deck! The roof posts were up, but they didn't put the roof on until the next week.

Tada!

Such a change, but so exciting. Inside I was using all the baby gates ever to remind the children about where they could and couldn't be. The regulars were good, but my one-day-a-week kids definitely needed the reminding. That said, I never had any explorers try to investigate any dangerous building equipment, so I'm really thankful for that.

While the outside was being painted, the inside got electricity and plumbing. The bathroom/toilet/laundry were all tiled and the other bits went in. We ordered our new couch (first one we'eve ever bought) and put the old one out for curbside clean up (such handy timing). When the dishwasher got put in, I really started unpacking kitchen things and putting stuff away. And cleaning. So much cleaning.

Shout out to anyone using Norwex. Such great cleaning products, I don't know where I would be with out the enviro cloth and my container of cleaning paste. Ask if you want to know more, but I've had a really dirty house and I've cleaned it all with just Norwex: no chemicals or paper towel. Amazing.

Yesterday, Steve and I hung this indoor plant in our kitchen. It's so full of life, I really hope I don't kill it. We got the hanging pot from my friend Katie who works with Lorraine Lea. So pretty.

Today as I type this, the builders are finishing the deck balustrade, and mounting the dryer in the laundry. Nearly there (just two more weeks?) Even if the builders finish by Friday, I know there is still a to-do list for us to tackle when they are gone. For now though, I hope you've enjoyed the update; I thought there would only be three, but stick around for a forth and let's hope that's it!