Friday 15 July 2011

Home & Garden Updates


Just so you don't all think Ive been sitting on my backside watching TV and eating bon bons I thought I'd post some update pics of what I've been doing :-)

We'll start with the garden.

All of the flagstone is laid in the back garden. We still have the side garden to do but, as that is barely seen let alone used, that will be done once we'll used all the rock for the more decorative stuff.




It is actually a little further along than this. All the gaps have been filled and I've planted some elfin thyme. That is as pretty as it sounds. It is going to be pretty pricey to fill all of the gaps with thyme so I decided to just plant 2 flats to start with to make sure it will grow in my garden. I'd be really annoyed if I planted the whole lot and it died on me.




We plan on putting in a pond and making a waterfall with flagstone. However, there is a slim possibility we might not be staying in this house as long as we planned so until I know one way or t'other we're going to hold fire on that one.





When we moved into this house there was a hole in the wall between the room that will be the library and our living room. You can see how close it is to the front doors in this photo.




I never liked it at all but one day Aydn said that it reminded him of a doctors or hotel reception check in desk. He was right and that was it...now I really hated it lol





Mick, on the other hand, didn't care one way or another and it has taken me almost 2 years to convince him it had to go :-)





And go it has :-) I now have to plaster over the entire thing and make it invisible lol. I've started but that will take a while as I am learning as I go along. You can see I've also started painting this room. The wall on the right looks darker but only because that has only had one coat of paint around the edges. Took me a long time to decide on colors and I love how the color has turned out.






Then in between all of this I started the guest bedroom. My Indian room :-) I hadn't planned to have taken this on just yet with all the other things I am doing but friends from Australia are coming to visit mid August and need somewhere to sleep. So I had to add this into the mix. I don't mind as this will be my favorite room :-)

The colors in the guest room are the same as the library. As a lot of our house is open plan, I will have a very simple palette of no more than 3 or 4 colors throughout the house. This is part of the reason it took me so long to decide on colors....they have to be suitable for all rooms in the house.

And the guest room needs curtains. You might recall me buying all this fabric over a year ago. Time to dig it out and get sewing. A task made extremely hard by the fact this fabric is twisted. The stripes are not straight so it took me forever to cut the fabric just so the stripes laid straight. I am not a seamstress at all but figured curtains were just a square right so how hard could it be....famous last words.

This is me trying to battle 19 yards of heavy upholstery weight fabric ugh. It is cut out now and I spent the best part of yesterday hand sewing the 4 hems. That was hard...2 layers of this fabric plus heavy lining. My fingers are very sore now...and after I'd done I found I had a thimble lol





You can see in this photo that I'd started cutting in the red color for this room. That was before I knew I had to do the guest room so that is on hold for now lol.





And now I need an opinion. I have this wonderful Indian screen that I no longer have a place for. I planned on using it as a headboard. I am not sure if it is too high or not. My friend loves it. And Mick hates it. What do you think...does it work or look silly.....yay or nay.




So as you can see I've been a tad on the busy side of late :-) I have one mini I have to finish then that is it for a while while I carry on with the house.






12 comments:

  1. I think the headboard looks great! I don't think it is too high at all. I was always of the opinion that opening should go. It served no purpose and made that wall in the "library" all but useless. Glad you finally got him to see your point! It seems you've just moved in and now talking out not staying long??!! Too bad. You done a lot of work on this house, inside and out and it looks wonderful.

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  2. You HAVE been busy! Love the look of the stonework outside. I think the headboard is a perfect size. You have tall enough ceilings for it and it will be lovely!

    xo
    Claudia

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  3. Thanks Tabs. Glad the headboard is a go...I really wanted to use it somewhere :-)

    The hole was a strange one...made stranger by the fact the carpet and tile meat in the middle of it...strange folks who had this house before us lol

    We had no plans to more so soon but sometimes life intervenes. Not a definite yet and in a way hope it doesn't happen as we'll lose out a lot money wise :-(

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  4. Hi Claudia...crazy busy yes lol. I count it all as exercise :-)

    Glad you like the headboard idea as well.

    The stone was expensive and a load of work but I love it.

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  5. WOW! You certainly HAVE been busy! Love the flagstone patio/walkway. I've always liked that look. :D
    Getting rid of that reception room hole was a great idea. I'm sure you won't miss it one bit!
    I like the colors you've chosen for the interior. That drapery fabric is gorgeous!
    YAY on the headboard! It's PERFECT. What kind of ceiling fixture do you plan to use in this room? A chandelier would look great! :D

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  6. Another yay for the headboard Kathi ...Mick is losing so far :-)

    No I won't miss that hole lol...although it was a convenient place for keys, change etc I'll find an alternative :-)

    I hope the thyme takes as I love that look with the flagstone too.

    As for the light...sort of a chandelier - I have an Indian lantern with colored glass panels. It is meant for a candle but I am hoping I (or Mick lol) can convert it to an electric light...would look so fab as the main light in here.

    Glad you like it all.

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  7. I LOVE the screen being used as a headboard!! It really looks great! Sorry Mick! You have really been busy. I love the flagstone outside too.

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  8. The flagstone looks wonderful! I think the headboard is a keeper LOL.

    Hugs
    Victoria

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  9. Seems we both fell off the blogging planet for a while...but corr.. havnt you been a busy bee! Those flagstones looked like HARD work!!! I absolutely LOVE the screen as a headboard, I think the scale of it looks perfect and fits well with the grandeur of the fabrics you'll be using.

    I havnt mini'd for ages and ages either as we've been doing our place up too, I'll have to load up some pics myselfand reacquaint myself with blogland... I've missed so much!!!

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  10. Glad you stuck with the headboard. Works beautifully and that garden is just divine!

    What happened to the flower painting you did?

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  11. Well indeed Mick did lose this one :-)

    Wendie you've been MIA longer than me...working on the house takes up so much time though huh. Can't wait to see some pics. I'd trade this house for an English one any day lol

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  12. Susan I hope the garden will be divine once it is all planted :-)

    The flower painting is in the living room...was never meant for the guest room. It will end up in my bedroom at some point perhaps...don't like it much now lol

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Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment :-)