Well the big news is that we now have floorboards. These have been cut down from reclaimed messmate (or Tasmanian Oak) beams which came from an old warehouse. This makes them sustainable as well as very well seasoned. They are rough, with interesting grain marks and old pock marks which add character to the timber. They are going to be sanded back, lightly lime-washed to stabilise the colour and sealed. They have also been used to clad the outside of the alcove which houses the fridge, creating a warm feature to break up the white space. The back of the kitchen will be finished with a 1.2 metre partial wall with a plasterboard finish. This will be topped with a small shelf made from the same timbers. This will allow us to hide all the preparation mess when we have guests to dinner. We can sometimes be a little messy when creating the magic!.jpg)
The spice cupboard from our old house has been mounted on the far wall. Here is is filled with spices and ingredients in our current kitchen. I just could not leave it behind. I like how it is just deep enough to allow for easy storage of bottles and condiments with no wasted space. The glass kitchen splash back will be similar in colour.
The cabinetry has been installed in the laundry, kitchen, larder and study. I am always excited by a bit of storage, so to see thirty-five kitchen drawers installed to my exacting specifications is fantastic. When I say exacting, I mean the dimensions of the drawers and cupboards. I am always a bit more interested in spaces and shapes rather than finishes. The cabinetry is white but the top edges of the drawers and the end vertical strips are in a metallic grey which creates the impression of shadow lines. There has been a bit of a glitch with the way the manufacturer interpreted the plans and they have used this finish a little too liberally. It is particularly disconcerting around the microwave cupboard, although you can't really see it in this image. Our designers hate the large handles on the drawers, but we wanted them because they are really functional and easy to open from any side.
There has also been a mistake about the finish in the study. I am not too sure about the metallic grey finish around the edge of the bookshelves. It just seems a bit dominant and commits us to this colour scheme. What do you think? Change or live with it? It is really not that big a deal. The bench is going to be a great work space for all kinds of activities. I am looking forward to being able to leave my sewing machine out when I am working on a project. I really like this wide door opening that will allow plenty of light in from the north.
The tiling is almost completed in the laundry and bathrooms. The tiles under the bathroom windows are Japanese mosaics. The ones we originally chose had a higher gloss finish, but they were discontinued. These matt tiles still have a lot of life to them and are a good substitute.
The basin and toilets will be installed in the coming weeks. The shower will be ceiling mounted and fully open. It will hopefully be very easy to maintain with no glass dividers or formed shower recess. There will be no place for the yucky mouldy, slimy bits to grow.
There is not much happening to the exterior, but the wattle is coming into flower. Although it is the Cootamundra species, which is not indigenous to this area, it does cheer up a cold winter's day. It is only coincidental that the black house and the yellow wattle are the colours of the mighty Richmond Tigers!
