Status update on the house adventure

Apologies for once again dropping off the blogging map. The last six weeks have been a massive push of reno works to get the house more liveable. But now we’re in a slightly better position and I’ve got a moment to write again.

After the discovery of fleas and cat hair, we had to bring forward quite a few of the tasks we had originally planned to leave for later. We needed to bring forward the flooring to get rid of the allergens, but that also meant we needed to paint earlier. It’s been a big push, but I can honestly say I’m so happy with how things are looking now.

Refreshing your outlook: most of the painting is done

The first thing on my list was painting as many of the large rooms as I could before the new flooring went in. Given how messy painting is, I didn’t want to run the risk of getting anything on the new flooring if I could possibly help it. With some help from my brothers, I managed to do the master bedroom, lounge and kitchen, which are the biggest rooms in the house.

I wanted the rooms to feel fresh, clean and bright but not cold. I went with Natural White by Dulux, which gave a lovely fresh feeling without going blue, especially in the south facing rooms. I also decided to paint all the trim in the same colour, but with a gloss finish. This helped to make the rooms appear bigger and the ceiling taller, as your eye was no longer drawn to the gingery wood framing everywhere. Using gloss not only allowed for hard wear and tear, but also bounced the light around really nicely, especially on the window frames.

I had never painted before, so there was a bit of a learning curve on my first room. I discovered quite quickly that ceilings are a literal pain in the neck, gloss paint is incredibly drip-prone and not all painter’s tape is created equal. But I also learnt that paint is generally very forgiving.

There are some drips on my trim, and some imperfections in the walls that I didn’t manage to smooth away in my prep work. But overall, I’m very proud of how it looks, and can see that I’m getting better with each room. In some ways, I’m a little bit fond of the drips, in a slightly exasperated way. They’re a reminder that I did it all myself and I like that, even while wishing I’d managed to get them all.

There’s still a bit of painting to do, but they are the smaller bedrooms and hall. I have plans for trying some different colours in the offices, although the guest bed and hall will have the same colours as the other rooms.

Goodbye kitty cat: new flooring is in

This is the change that made the positive difference to the comfort of the house. It removed all the horrible smell and allergens. We chose a hybrid plank in spotted gum for the living areas, and a wool loop carpet for the lounge and bedrooms. It was a little difficult to choose the colour and type, as it was hard to imagine what it would all look like in large scale, and with the new paint colours.

We went with a light, flecked carpet to provide a brightness to the rooms while also disguising dirt. Wool provides protection against stains and smells while also having excellent insulation properties. It has made our rooms look so much bigger and brighter, even those with little natural light.

I’m also pleased that the planking colour marries well with the carpet. It picks up some of the warm flecks and gives a warm, cohesive feel to the house, without being too dark. Initially, I wanted to go with a lighter oak shade, but when I saw the sample in the house it just felt too washed out and didn’t give it any warmth. I think what we’ve ended up with has a lovely warm, classic feel. It also works beautifully with the new paint colour, which I was nervous about.

Now for the fun house stuff

My next mission for the interior is curtains. We’re currently using two sets of curtains we had at our old apartment, to give us some privacy in the interim. They don’t really fit the windows, being simultaneously too long and too narrow. But they work for now. I have been somewhat appalled by the cost of curtains and blinds, so I’m considering making curtains for the bedroom and lounge myself. I’ve been stalking Spotlight and reading up on how to make them and hope to get started on that project in the coming weeks.

In terms of the other bedrooms and kitchen, I’m still undecided. I love a simple roman blind, but they come with a hefty price tag if you want something with a bit of pattern and colour. Should I be splashing out on blinds in smaller rooms, if I’m not going to for the larger rooms? Would it be better to make curtains or try making a blind for the smaller room and spend the money in the lounge? We’ll see! There’s lots of moving pieces with the reno, and I’m sure things will shift a bit more before I come to a decision.

This week, I’m going to start hanging my artwork, bringing some more colour and character to the space. Things are beginning to feel like home. And not just home, but a beautiful home that brings me joy to be in, not just allergies. I’m just going to pretend that the bathroom renovation doesn’t exist for a month or so…