Floors done

I went up today to check out whether the carpet had been laid yet.  The last info I got was on Thursday that the installer had hurt his neck and wasn't going to be installing before Monday.  Today, there was someone cleaning windows and someone else vacuuming the carpet.  The bamboo flooring looks awesome.   I'm extremely happy with how it looks.  They rang me on Thursday to double check which direction I wanted it laid, since the instructions I had supplied were contrary to how they would normally do it.  This was definitely how I wanted it.  I had told them I wanted it laid with the boards in the same direction as the grain on the treads of the stairs.  I'm so glad I stuck to my inner vision.  The end result is exactly how I wanted it.

They said they would normally go with the direction of the longest line, which was perpendicular to what I wanted.  If they had done this, it would have made the master bedroom look narrower and longer than it is and coming down the stairs, would have looked wrong (in my opinion) with the floor boards in a 90 degree angle to the stairs.

Their advice was that what I was asking for, was going to close in the rooms.  YES.  YES.  YES.  Precisely!  That's exactly the look I'm going for.  I'm not looking for rooms that appear larger than they are.  I'm trying to get a cosy feeling here, despite the size of the rooms.

And also,  the master bedroom already feels too short in one direction (even though it really isn't), so setting up the floor boards in the other direction gives it a psychological depth, based on the line and direction of the flooring.  It's the cheats way of making a room feel bigger in a specific direction.  And I was right.  I'm standing in the room and it just feels wider.

Today was a good day.  Not only does the fire streak bamboo look frigging awesome, but the direction it has been laid has directly impacted the feel of the entire house.  Win to team Sarah.

  

Oh and the carpet has been installed as well.  Yes, the carpet looks fine and feels great to walk around on in socks, but in the scheme of things, I can't help but think it's just carpet.

Not long now

The deathly slow progress is drawing to an end.  There's not much more to go now.  On Tuesday the balustrade was installed.  I went up early in the morning before work on Wednesday and got there just after dawn, so the lighting for the photos is a bit dull.  You can see the frost on the roof in the first and second photos.  It was minus 2 as I got to Broadford.  You can also see the ugly cowls on the tops of the chimney flues.  :(  Wouldn't chimney pots be so much better?  Grrrrrr.

Now for the first time in a few weeks, I got inside, so I have a few more photos of the interior fittings.
Here's the fan in the upstairs bedroom

and the one in the study

and the one in the lounge.

The tiling and grout is finished and the mirror cabinets are installed in the bathroom

and the ensuite

The toilets are in

and so is the wood fire, mantle piece and hearth.

The kitchen appliances are in, including the fabulous pot filler tap.  This also gives you a bit more of an idea of the emerald pearl granite that we've got for the bench tops. It's got bling.

The painting is close to finished and the pendant lights are installed in the kitchen.  Neil thinks they hang too low, but I'm not sure yet.

Outside, we have the hot water service, gas bottles and air conditioner.  I don't have a good shot of the inside air conditioner yet.  It is a bit blurry.

On Wednesday the bamboo flooring was delivered and it was installed on Thursday and Friday.  The carpet will be done on Monday.  It was also supposed to be happening on Thursday, but they rang me and said the installer has hurt his neck.

The verandah plastering needs to be finished off and painted and that's about all that's left to go.

Can.  Not.  Wait.

Verandah concreting finished and tiling has started

Here are a few pics from around the house to show the finished verandah concrete.  The colour is sandstone with terracotta release agent and the pattern is stamped 600mm slate tile look.  It looks a bit patchy because they came back to do the saw cuts today.

Here's the start of the tiling.  No grout yet.
Downstairs toilet -

Upstairs toilet -

Upstairs bathroom -

Upstairs shower -

Kitchen through to laundry floor tiling -

Kitchen bench tiling -

This photo shows the lovely rippled surface of the Cotswold buttermilk tiles

Alcove splashback, with the candy twist pencil tiles -

Kitchen cupboards are in

We hadn't felt like very much progress had been made over the last month, hence no update, but we went up today to check out the kitchen that was installed last week and now have some more pictures to share.
I'll bore you with more photos when the handles are put on and when the tiling has been done..

Here's the kitchen cupboards in antique white.  The granite bench top should be arriving soon.

The guys who did our kitchen also did the cupboards in the laundry, ensuite and bathroom.  They are also in.

Laundry - Wilsonart oiled soapstone laminate benchtop with astral cumulus cupboards

Ensuite - Wilsonart Bronzed Fusion laminate benchtop with beigewood cupboards

Bathroom - Wilsonart crystal topaz laminate benchtop with urban bamboo cupboards

Some of the internal doors have been hung.   Neil particularly likes the family room cavity sliding doors.  So do I.

Here are a couple of the other internal doors

The wardrobes in the study and second bedroom and the linen cupboard have had their shelving done

Study shelves

Study rail in the middle

Linen cupboard

Second Bedroom wardrobe

The verandah is progressing as well