House update

A house is built of boards and beams.
A home is built of love and dreams.

Nawww, that very quote hangs at ours (in the middle of our street, our house).  Enough.

In recent news, this girl has got a haircut (Karlene offered, “you’re lucky it’s not any shorter or it would be a mom cut”.  I live dangerously.  I was also  once addicted to haircuts, but that’s a story for another day, or ask Laura, she’ll recount in full), and a part-time job at a great place.  I thought that about the last job, but I’m leaping into this one with renewed faith and energy, and so far, so good.  Just looking for another part-timer and then I think that will enable us to get by and leave enough time to enjoy the lifestyle.

So, lifestyle!  I owe ya’ll a property update and here she blows.  The interior house painting was completed just before Christmas by our reliable, awesome painter, Craig (if you need anything painted in Hawke’s Bay, let me know, I’ll give you his deets).  He delivered on time and within budget.  And we couldn’t have done it without him.  Oh the hours!  He is living patience and attention to detail, that man.

Our place has been transformed internally by a lick of paint.  As you’ll recall, Resene Black White was our wall colour of choice, with Alabaster for the roof and trims.  It’s light and wonderful, not too warm and not too cold.  And while others will try and downplay it, like “white is white, is white”, I hear you.  The perfect shade matters!  I love the chalky feel of the walls and would encourage anyone weighing neutrals to throw caution to the wind and put all on Black (White).  I’m glad we did.

On the ‘do it once, do it right’ wagon, we got the light fittings updated at the same time the painting was taking place.  This saved us from later having to remove the fittings, replace them and then repaint around the new ones.  Having just moved in, it wasn’t really (or, at all) in the budget, but I’m pleased we did it now.  The update rid us of dangling single lights and in their place shone track LEDs in the living areas, and recessed LEDs in the bedrooms and hall.  Our man was Dennis at Rowe Light.  Quality fittings don’t come cheap, but we’re stoked with the job.

Here’s a couple of before and afters (just looking at the paint and lighting really, we’re low on possessions so the styling element isn’t all thurrrr yet).  A side note: this is a conservatory added in the 90s.  It’s an awesome space and the wood is cedar.  We love the warmth of wood, so left the panelling around the windows and walls.  The roof cedar needed to be painted as it visually obstructed the space, bringing the ceilings right down.  Do you think we should have painted it all, or left some wood as we did?

Sunken living pre-move in

Sunken living pre-move in

Sunken living before, again, when we first checked out the house

Sunken living room ‘after’ with painting and lights complete.

I often get asked where the coffee table is from.  It’s Indonesian recycled teak purchased a couple of years ago from Indie Home Collective and one of our most favourite things.  Couches were an awesome find, maybe some five years ago, from Trademe (they’re Lazytime by Camerich from Bauhaus), and the rug is an Armadillo & Co sierra weave in pumice from the lovely New Zealand stockists, The Ivy House.  Again, not a recent purchase, but something we love.

OK, I think we’ve got time for a quick spare bedroom squiz, and also a look at the front hedge.

Hopping to it, here’s the spare beddy before and after paint and lighting:

Spare bedroom pre-move in

Spare bedroom now

Ficus lyrata taking a pew

I can’t believe how much lighter it is!  The print is ‘Found’ by Serena Mitnik-Miller.  I’ve had it a few years now, and always feel so calm when I take it in.  It used to be in our bedroom in Auckland, but I’m trying to entice guests to stay so keep the nice stuff in the room for them!  Come on down, amigos.  OK, and then there’s the shot of the fiddle-leaf, still hanging in there, on a Baumann chair from one of my adored Hawke’s Bay haunts, So Vintage.  That is a newish find and all the way from France.  Maia’s not really into the ‘chairs as bedsides’ thing, and the mirror on the other side of the bed probably won’t be there long, but it’s providing balance for now and will stay until we get something else.

If you hop out that bedroom window and turn to the left, you’re at the driveway.  This is where Mum and I got stuck in, and I came to realise that ‘move that bus’ transformations are near on impossible unless you have a mob of helpers.  Man did we sweat, and man did it take time.  Check it.

Welcome to the jungle

Cabbage tree mid-destruction. We spent four hours on this and popped a spade in the process. It took a stump grinder to get it out

And now…these sweethearts are cream fairy michelias

What we want is to pleach the michelias as they grow, a la this google search, so that there will be some privacy from the road, but not a big ‘fuck off’ wall of green.

There’s also a nice wee hedge down in front of two of the bedrooms now, see:

These are choisya (or Mexican orange blossom) and will form a hedge to the window ledge with a white flower.

I feel like I’m bombarding you today, but progress is exciting, and we all know I’m never short on words.  So, time for one last thing?  A Kmart plug?  Yeeeeeees.

I found a giant white frame for $20, and together Maia and I collaged our trip photos (also yes, our date nights are now very low budget).  Want a geez?  I always enjoy looking at photos, so to have so many in the one place makes me smile whenever I catch a glimpse of the frame.  It’s also a great reminder of our amazing trip, bringing back incredible memories.

Take the Ava Collage Frame from Kmart

Remove the photo partition board, and voila!

Thanks for stopping by, my treasures, until next we chat (which will be very soon, I have a relish recipe.  And strong belief that you, too, can preserve).

Arohanui,

D xxx