Thought I'd pop in to say Hi! so you don't think I've completely dropped off the radar. As I mentioned in my last post, life was getting just a bit out of control. I love to be busy and occupied but realised that I was not giving myself time to breath. I have discovered that an internet based business can entwine itself into your 24/7 life as it operates around the clock. It takes a lot of discipline to switch off at the end of the day and shut down. I am thankful for the decision to step away for a while and chill. Infact it has reinforced to me the importance of balancing work, family & play. For a Mum of only 3 years I am still struggling with this but hope that I am now heading in a better direction. I have decided to take a break from fede until the end of the year to re-energize myself.
I am having a great time designing and project managing the renovations on our new house. The budget is taking a bit of a beating...it's hard when you're accustomed to specifying high quality products for clients who have ridiculous amounts of money to spend. Having said this, I love the challenge of creating a high end look for a middle of the range budget.... it's all the more satisfying in the end.
We've started the work now after months of designing, quoting and haggling. Here's a little summary of the proposed kitchen.
Inspired by the designs below, I'm going for a clean dark/light contrast with textures such as timber grain finishes on the overhead doors & glass mosaic tiles. I love the horizontal lines of these kitchens and the strong blocks of black & white.
We're pulling up the retro carpets (selling on ebay - if anyone is local and interested drop me a line) and laying American Oak floating floors over the existing concrete slab.
The benchtops will be reconstituted quartz stone which is non porous and easy to keep clean (I know has I've used it before in a previous house). The only thing to be careful of if you are considering this product is the edge treatment. I learnt this the hard way. Be sure to pencil round the exposed edges - it is tempting to want to keep the clean square lines but I found that over time fragments of the stone chipped out when knocked with plates etc.
The wall between the kitchen & dining room came down during the week to create an open plan space. We're going to be replacing the window over the existing sink with a set of glass sliding doors. Then with 2.5 metre high windows across the entire front of the house we will have increased views through the living areas and maximised the amount of light.
3 comments:
Hi Fiona! Good to see you've been making good progress!
As a home renovator of several houses in another life, I can feel your excitement as your plans slowly come to fruition. Your kitchen layout looks marvellous - I love it.
I know what you mean about clients with limitless budgets. In the Eighties I worked for a firm which imported and sold French fabric to interior designers, and I was staggered at the amounts their clients were willing to pay. The bonus was that I could take home the samples when they had passed their use-by date to make quilts!
Good Luck with the house...can't wait to see photos when you get back!
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