Views from Inside

Well, the camera has been doing overtime! While it does feel a little weird taking photos of what is now our home - rather than a work in progress - here are some shots of inside.

As an unconfident sewer, I have to point out the homemade turquoise velvet cushion - one of four I'm proud to say! The fabric was bought on a whim on a visit to Auckland last hols and it perfectly matches, as I had hoped, the rug.

Entrance to the living space and kitchen, capturing the view of the trees.

View from the deck through to the kitchen and dining space - plus an amazing floral creation of sunflowers and cabbages a friend made for me.

Kitchen/living wall niche painted in Resene Triple Masala.

The bathroom off the living room.

The wallpaper is from Laura Ashley if anyone's interested, bought on sale at an amazing $48 a roll which is a bargain in wallpaper-world!

Front door and stairwell detail. Finally the glass balustrades are in and are the correct measurements!

Am loving the sandstone wall but it does seem to attract the huntsmen! Although we have had two in the dishwasher so maybe there's just something about the house. Whatever it is, I'll have to warn our English visitors who are arriving in two weeks!

Until next time ...

Jx

We're In!

I can't believe it - we're in and we survived! It was a day of contrasts last Thursday: I think it was probably the more organised move of the nine we've done in the past 15 years but it was definitely the most chaotic at the moving in stage.

Think: painters still painting when removalists arrive, cleaners trying to clean when removalists arrive, curtains being hung when removalists arrive, electrician fixing lighting when removalists arrive! It was a menagerie of beavers beavering away and we turn up with a ton of boxes and furniture on the pretext of moving in.

Perhaps we were mad but then, again, I'm loving being back despite the amount of work still to be done and the things we've discovered that haven't been done when they should have. But we have flushing toilets, an amazing view and beds to sleep in so what more could you want?

Instead of taking photos of what is yet to be finished (ie study joinery, more painting, more blinds, shower screens, bathroom mirrors ... and that's just the inside!) I've taken a few snaps of the good bits (in fact I've taken quite a few so I'll post them over two blogs).

Entry hall table

Entry - view from the top of the stairs

Entry stairs with paintings, yet to be hung, by my dad of our old dog and our new one, Ruby

At the top of the stairs you get to the dining area

... and the living space

... and the kitchen (don't look at the missing dishwasher and cupboard doors)

More to come over the weekend, folks!

Up, Up and Away!

Yes, we're going up! What a great day it was on Friday when we could, not only walk up some properly formed stairs (and not a ladder as I thought we might), but stand on the second level of the bedroom wing of the house.

The beautiful (!) stairs that lead down to the girl's bedrooms and laundry ...

... and lead upstairs to the master bedroom and study. It's a little hard to see but this shows the small deck at the end of the master bedroom that overlooks the pool below, gets a glimpse of the sea ahead and the national park to the right (out of sight) above the rooftops.

The bedroom window with a tree-filled view. The reason the bricks are different colours is because the supplier delivered the wrong ones (!). But we didn't need to change them as the colour is the only difference and they won't be seen once it's all clad.

Entrance to the master bedroom.

View from the outside with the study window above Amy's bedroom and the laundry door to the right.

More pictures to come ...!

Floating Stairs

I am in love with stairs that float, like weightless piano keys in the sky, belying the engineering feat required to ensure they can be climbed. What seems to make them look even more amazing is when they meet or follow windows or skylights up to the next level. Stairway to heaven anyone ...?

Apartment Therapy - Lauren and Eric Wendlandt's house, Framework Design architects.

E-Architect - Sycamore House Scotland, ICOSIS architects.

Contemporist - Poliform's 'Mylife in 80m2'

Contemporist - Butler Residence, Portland, Oregon, PATH Architecture

E-Architect - Portobello Road House, Pitman Tozer Architects, images Nick Kane.

Not strictly floating but these stairs still offer the same effect and I really like the all-white walls and shelving, wide timber floors and great view on the second level.