Summer Terrace - Day 6 and 7 - rewiring and plastering

Since the I bought the kitchen in a sale several weeks ago (not such the brilliant idea as I thought at the time) and it has been taking up space, I decided to go slightly out of sequence. 

Firstly, I had to finish stripping the wallpaper, which revealed some slightly damp patches, some area s where the plaster had failed and some truly delightful mould!

You know it's bad when you peel off the wallpaper and the pattern remains in mould....masks and gloves at the ready!

I had the kitchen rewired - ready for the new layout and spotlights instead of the fluorescent tube that was there. This is more or less the new layout, I'm not sure you can quite see but it's a shaker style door and although it looks really dark here, a traditional oak worktop.

Then the plasterer came in to cover the artex ceiling and skim all of the walls since there were a few dodgy patches (see above) and I have decided (but reserve the right to change my mind!) to have upstands rather than tiles in the kitchen for a more contemporary finish.

After the inspiration of the CAD picture...... the current reality is so much less appealing, and generally the point where I start to doubt myself, but it all comes right in the end.

                    

Next to get the kitchen fitted and out of the way!!

Summer Terrace - Day 4 and 5 - plumbing

The start of reconstruction! Hooray!

With winter quickly approaching, it's time to get a new boiler installed, and get the heating on.  It was installed in the same position as the previous (old) one so not too much mess or trauma.

And just in time because the snow has just started falling. 

At the same time, the plumbers made a start on the first fix for the rest of the plumbing - including the new ensuite on the top floor.

Meanwhile.....I'm still stripping wallpaper and scraping artex off walls. The only silver lining to this is that it saves me labour costs and gym membership costs!!


Not many photos, far too busy up a ladder stripping wallpaper, plus I'm sure you can imagine what a radiator looks like.

Summer Terrace - Day 3 - deconstruction

Always the worst part of the project for me, not only because I find the physical side really tough, but I always feel like i've taken on far more than I can handle, and that it will never be finished, just a genial spiral of dust, grime, doom and gloom.

The progress so far:

The kitchen - the old kitchen is out, tiles are off the wall, the gas and plumbing has been removed and made safe.  (The window and door are new too - see Day 2.

Before - bad picture, it was just an 'L' shaped kitchen

Progress: old kitchen out, tiles off the wall (a few tough fixings are hanging on but not for much longer) and excuse the fridge, it is on its way to a new home.  Flooring is also up, wow, 1980's glue is tough stuff. 

The before picture for the bathroom is in day one. (Find it here)  

Here are the progress photos, the majority of the plumbing and fittings are out and the tiles are off the wall.  

The toilet stays until the last possible moment, and the bucket you can see.....that's the flush!! 

The tiles came off 2 of the walls quite easily, the other wall, not so much, they were stuck on so hard that part of the plasterboard came away too, which will need some serious attention when I have a plasterer in the house.

Other rooms have had carpet taken up, but that doesn't really show up in a photograph so I'll not bore you with those.

Other developments - I have salvaged all the scrap copper to sell to add to my budget, and the other metal that was in the skip has been removed over night, which I expected to be honest, but leave me more space in my skip - bonus!

Summer Terrace - Day 2 - windows and doors

So, as I mentioned last time, it isn't really day 2, its week 4 but it is the second busy day on the project.  I've been busy with my design and project management work for other people so this little project is having to go quite slowly.

Today was 'windows and doors' day.  The windows and rear door were uPVC and not in bad condition, but not great either and probably from 1980's when the last renovation works were completed.  

So I decided to upgrade them, also, because they were the only ones in the street that didn't match.  All the others in the row of terraces have the cross style (as you can see on the edge of this photo).  While these rows of terraces are in a conservation area or in any way protected, I just think it's important to keep to the style of the street.  I'll talk more about this later.  It is also the reason that the front door hasn't been changed yet, this will be replaced with another wooden door - to fit in with the rest of the street.

Before

After

Sorry about the terrible photo, I took it from my car just before a skip arrived and blocked the view!

I suppose it isn't a massive change, but looking up and down the street, it suddenly looks a little more loved, obviously the garden needs attention and the front door replacing and painting to complete the 'kerb appeal', but it's on its way.

So, back to my thought on making sure changes are in keeping with the area.  There is a problem area with the layout of this house, which is the bottom of the stairs from floor 1 to 2.  ON the floor plan, the stairs are bright red (I don't know why either) and the corridor effect from the top of one set to the base of the next has no natural light.  The ideal solution would be to add a window, but it would be the only one on any of the houses in these rows and I feel that it would not only look odd from the outside (it would be on the front above the door) but could affect the appearance of the neighbours.  

I feel like impact of neighbouring properties isn't something people consider much these days, which is really sad.  In terms of planning permission and permitted development, I would be absolutely within my rights to add the extra window, but morally, I just wouldn't want to change the look of the street so much.

I'll talk about my solution to this problem another day - once it has been done and worked as well as I hope!!  

The other ongoing job at the moment is the big clear out, trying to get the old kitchen, boiler and carpets out without causing any damage to the things that are staying is always a challenge but I'm taking it slowly and saving everything that I can.

Day 3 - central heating - fingers crossed it doesn't snow first!

Summer Terrace - Day 1 - before and making a start

I'm going to try to live blog my latest renovation project.  No promises but I really will try!  Also, as I mentioned in a previous post, I am useless at remembering to take before photos so these are "before-ish" photos.  I should also confess it isn't really day 1 either but I have been too busy on other projects to make a start, so lets just all agree to call it day 1. (There is a good chance day 2 will be next week...)

I think this is a good point for me to say something that I find really important but is often overlooked.  You have to recognise that the property was someone else's home for probably many years, it might be dated but I'm not going to mock their home.  It's just a respect thing.  Yes, sometimes properties will be filthy and disgusting, but you don't know why, it might be a really sad story.  This property through is super clean, it was obviously well loved and cared for, just not updated to current fashions.

This project is a 1900's-ish terrace which has already had the loft converted making the two-up two-down into a 3 bed with a large master bedroom in the loft space.  It has high ceilings on every floor (great now, but ask me again when I'm painting the ceilings) and has loads of potential.

So here goes a mini tour with the current plans.....

The kitchen is being replaced with a different layout, creating more storage space with white cupboards and oak (laminate) worktops.

The fireplace has already been removed today in the process of making the gas safe. Fingers crossed to be replaced with a wood/multi-fuel burner.....I'll let you know how the budget goes with that one though.

The stairs are fine, I'll probably paint the bannister and spindles, etc. just to look more contemporary but they are fine and even the open tread stars conform to regulations (bonus!)

This is the smallest bedroom currently, but should become larger when the chimney is removed.  

The chimney is a main priority because it is not used and the chimney breast goes through the loft, 1st floor but not the ground floor and I have seen many cases where they aren't properly supported and therefore unsafe. 

(Excuse the boxes in this picture - the new kitchen arrived early!)

The bathroom, perfectly functional but being replaced with a modern white suite, probably in the same layout as it is now.

Bed 2 - the main change here and throughout the house is to re-route the heating pipes under the floor rather than being boxed in around the walls as they are now.  It technically isn't necessary but I don't like to cut corners.

The staircase and landing - this will (if it goes to plan) make a big difference, I'm hoping to remove large parts of each end of the wall and replace it with bannister which will let the light flow and make it feel less of a corridor.  As you can see here the light is on, there is no natural light here so I also want to add a window or sun tunnel.

Textured plaster (in the background - told you I was rubbish at photos!)

I'm not mocking it, it was massive in the 80's but so unpopular now that it has to go.  After long discussions with plasterers we decided that we could knock the points off and skim over it to make it smooth.  

However while I was stripping wallpaper elsewhere (you can see some at the bottom of this photo) I took some aggression out on the textured plaster and it turns out it is only a thin top coat and there is some pretty lovely smooth plaster beneath.  It should save a lot of money in plastering over it, but it is going to take me many hours.  

Then there is the top floor - I don't have a photo so I'll save this for another day.  Also, the top floor is a big dilemma for me, I've decided to add an ensuite bathroom up there, but I can't decide whether to leave it as a huge master suite or divide it and make an extra bedroom.  Others in the street have done both, and statistically the extra bedroom creates a higher sale price, but thats just statistics and we all know that a property is only worth as much as someone wants to pay.......decisions for another day.  

Property Development - first things first

So, you have bought a house in need of renovation. Great!  But put that hammer down, there are lots of things to be done first that people often forget.

Taking over a property is similar to moving house, and I'll share my "to do" list below.  Some of these probably only apply in the UK, but many are universal.

1. Check the house and contents.  Is everything as you expected, (usually in renovation, if the vendors have taken anything you were expecting to be left its a bonus) look back to the legal documents to check if anything should or shouldn't have been left.

I have just taken over a property and have inherited several items I wasn't expecting, including a large wardrobe on the 2nd floor - I personally wouldn't fuss if it was just a couple of small things that had clearly been overlooked but a big wardrobe is a nightmare and will cost me to dispose of (I couldn't even give it away).

2.  Read the meters.  Yes you are excited and want to get on, but first you need to read the meters or you could end up paying someone else's bill.  I use my phone to take a photo of the meters just in case there are any disputes, depending on your specific phone, it can also be a good idea to email the photos to yourself so they are date and time stamped by the email.  Let the utility company know as soon as possible.  

Don't forget about the water too.  My water provider allows free use of water for renovation (with certain exceptions like sandblasting or major plastering) but you have to let them know to qualify.

3.  Tell the council.  Every council is different for how they manage council tax, some are free if it's empty, some have a discount, and some are full price no matter what.  Let them know as soon as possible so that you get any relevant discount applied from the very beginning. 

4.  Turn off the power and water.  This is more of a choice, I like to know that I'm not wasting energy (or money) while I'm not using any. 

5.  Make friends.  Going into a new property for the first time invariably is met with twitching curtains at the neighbours houses.  Take advantage, no one is better placed to keep an eye on the property while you aren't there.  I try to introduce myself to neighbours as soon as possible, give them my number in case of problems and I check they don't work shifts, so I cause minimal annoyance.

6.  Security.  Make sure the property is secure as you most likely won't be there all the time and an empty property is sadly a target for crime.  Also, your insurance will probably specify locks types on doors and windows and there is no point in insurance if it isn't valid for any reason.  I try to keep curtains up for as long as possible too.  Some people choose to change the locks, this is up to you and what the existing locks are like.

I'm assuming you already have insurance here, if you don't have insurance, stop reading this and go get it.  It's important and make sure you get the right type, there are several policies out there for empty properties and renovations, whereas most common policies have small print that means you wouldn't be covered in the event of a claim if it is unoccupied or undergoing renovation.

7.  Measure.  If you didn't get chance prior to purchase, take the chance in an empty house to get a full set of accurate measurements.  These are useful for so many reasons, but I like to carry them with me incase I see any bargains on my travels that I can't wait for.  

The measurements I usually forget to take are height of the window from the floor - which sounds like a pretty random and insignificant measurement but you need it for lots of reasons like will a radiator fit (if there isn't one already), buying curtains (if applicable) and more importantly if you require toughened glass in the window. Check building regulations for the rules, any good supplier or fitter should also tell you.


8.  Photographs.  To say I once worked as a photographer, I am rubbish at this one.  I always get so excited with tearing wallpaper off and ripping out the kitchen that I never have 'before' photos.  In fact, I was hoping to share my latest renovation with you and even on this one I forgot the first photos - so its the 'nearly before' photos.

Taking photos are great, not only to show the transformation, but also while you are buying things you can refer to photos (especially if you have some on your phone or camera you keep with you).  I find that I forget things like where are the plug sockets and how low the window is in a certain room. Its amazing how many details are missed.


9.  Rubbish.  Take time to find out, or ask the neighbours about the bin collections. How often? Which day? If you live in an area with lots of bins, which ones on which days?  It may not seem to matter if you aren't going to be living there but its amazing how much rubbish and recyclables can be put in the regular bins (for free) and not have to go in a skip.  Also, if you make friends with your neighbour they might even put your bin out for you if you can't or forget.


10.  Address.  This one sounds really obvious, but applies more if you have several properties or aren't local.  Take time to learn the postcode of the property and the surrounding street names if you don't already.  You are likely to be getting lots of deliveries and I am always getting calls from lost drivers and its great if you can give local directions.

Also, under address but on a completely different theme, when you are setting up utilities and other bills, make sure they understand that you don't live there (if you don't) and set up a separate correspondence address for your home.  This is becoming much more common and simple, but it does go wrong sometimes and you can end up with statements and certificates going missing.




Let me know in the comments, or by email if you prefer, if you have any other 'first things' for the list.

Making the most of a small bathroom - storage

I have been given another small bathroom challenge. While I'm getting a design together to make the most of the space, I thought I would write some of my 'top tips' here.
If you want to see the previous post about making the most of a small bathroom, it's here.

1.  Floor space, for extra storage space, get an under-sink unit which is wall mounted. Not only is it extra space for bottles of lotions and potions, but also seeing more floor space will make your bathroom feel much bigger. 

2.  Storage. What do you NEED to store in the bathroom?  Could that laundry basket be stored somewhere else?  Do you really need all those bottles of shampoo at once? 

3.  Shelving.  Now that we have sorted out which items are needed and which can be stored elsewhere, the question is how to store it.  An under sink storage unit (above) is a great use of space to store toiletries and cleaning products.   Another brilliant way of storing smaller cosmetics and medicine is a mirrored cupboard above the sink.
Here are a few ideas around pinterest.

                            

4.  Built in storage. 

                              

These ideas are only really applicable in a total bathroom redesign but great uses of space for storage.

5.  Bath.  Do you need a bath? It goes without saying that the bath takes up the most space, and for some it is completely essential, others rarely have a bath so it isn't worth the space it takes.

Another previous client who was very tall said he enjoyed a bath but couldn't  lie down in a regular bath without some serious leg contortion around the taps needed a solution.  I had a pretty extreme solution for him, which was to  put in a large shower in the bathroom and a hot tub outside, for the relaxing soak.  Obviously the cost of this was more than triple the cost of the whole bathroom but as I always say, if it works for you then it's the right thing to do.

Another option, which I have done, but wouldn't work for everyone, is to add an  ensuite. If you have one member of the household who needs a bath and someone else who can't mans age to step into the bath for an over-bath shower. A separate shower cubicle in an ensuite could work.
                              

This is the floor plan and photos from an ensuite I added into a bedroom, the overall size was 2.5 x 1m - small but perfectly formed.  The key to this design working was a small basin, which was ok because there was a full size basin in the bathroom and the shower had an inward folding door to save space.

I hope some of these tips have helped you, let me know in the comments if you have used any or have any other ideas.

*photo credits unknown - except ensuite which are all ©HD. 

Real Home Interior Design - Theming 'Disney Style' - Disneyland Paris

Following on from my post about the interior design theming from Walt Disney World Resort Hotels, I wanted to share a few more themed hotels, this time from Disneyland Paris.

Having been to Disneyland Paris and stayed in 3 of their hotels I started to write this thinking there will be lots to write about, lots of theming, but then I looked back through photos and realised that the rooms aren't very themed, it is the public areas and exteriors that have the most theming.  My favourite is Hotel Cheyenne, 

Hotel Cheyenne - what Cowboy or Cowgirl wouldn't want to stay here?

But there are still some ideas to be taken from hotels at Disneyland Paris.

Firstly, from Newport Bay Club nautical themed photos and frames and a Mickey nautical headboard for all the little sailors out there.

The photo frames could easily be created from a circular frame, painted to look like a porthole.  The headboard would take far more skill, but could be painted for a similar effect.

This next photo is from the ceiling in the Sleeping Beauty Suite at the Disneyland Hotel.  If you look closely amongst the clouds you can see the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather flying above you.  I think this is a cute detail and wouldn't it be nice to have the good fairies watching over you as you sleep?

So the next 2 aren't Disney hotels, they are partner hotels at Disneyland Paris so I'm including them, also they take theming to an amazing level!

Firstly, at Vienna International Magic Circus hotel, a family room.  I just love the 'big top' curtain around the bunk beds, and if your clown or acrobat wants a big top bedroom this would be really easy to recreate.  

Use a curved shower rail or other ceiling hung curved curtain rail, make a red card (or fabric if you can) and hang a circus themed curtain from the rail. This fabric is very big top, and if you want to go the extra mile, paint stripes to match the curtains on the wall behind the bed.  You could also use circus themed wall stickers.

If you don't want a curtain around the bed, you could make curtains behind the bed and have the same striped bedding to give a similar effect.

The next is Algonquin's Explorers Hotel and your little adventurers would be right at home in this jungle.  I don't usually like a wall mural but this one is just so good that I can't resist, especially with the hammock between the trees.  If you wanted to create a jungle wall mural and don't have the skills to paint one, to the budget to pay an artist, there are some ready made wallpaper murals available, I quite like this one. 

A Sunday morning Minnie Mouse inspired breakfast

Winter is approaching, school is back in full swing and I thought we needed a bit of cheering up this morning, so I made these for breakfast......

.....I know they aren't stylist perfect, they are a real breakfast and were served hot! 

I made a batch of crepes then used my Mickey cutter (which started life as an egg ring but used for a variety of other things as seen here) to cut out the main mouse shapes - I got 2 per crepe and using the scraps, i cut out the bow shapes which I turned over to show the different colour.

The nose and eyes are sultanas and a raisin, and shortly after I took this photo, Minnie was swimming in Maple syrup.  Yum!!

My crepe recipe: (well not mine, but I don't know where it came from and I use it all the time)

3 eggs, 115g plain flour, 250ml skimmed milk - an electric whisk - my experience is that a regular whisk doesn't get the same results.

It's really simple: Beat the eggs, once they are all bubbly and fluffy looking, add the flour quite slowly to create something affectionately known as 'flubber' (it's about right when it tries climbing up the whisk - you will know what I mean when it happens!) then add the milk, I add a little first and use the whisk (turned off) to gently start stirring it in to save it splashing everywhere before adding and whisking the rest.  And as quickly as that, its done - less hassle than a ready made packet!!

Real Home Interior Design - Theming 'Disney Style'

So you've probably have guessed by now, I love a theme, but I'm also boringly practical.  

I adore Disney, and I am really inspired by the theming in Disney hotels, but even I couldn't live with that much theming full time.  So I'm going to look at ways to bring that theming to real life.

In this post, I will focus on a few Walt Disney World hotels for different reasons....Animal Kingdom, Art of Animation and Saratoga Springs.  Animal Kingdom for full on but still quite grown up theming, Art of Animation - Little Mermaid Rooms for 'drop you straight into the film' theming and Saratoga Springs as an example of just a few hints of a theme.

So firstly, Animal Kingdom Lodge, where you are transported to the the African Savannah, complete with Animals outside the window.  Since I can't help you get a giraffe into your garden, I'm going to concentrate on the interiors.

The first thing to mention in the lounge area of the room is the dark furniture, which is balanced by light walls and carpet.  I love the bench by the wall and a small, slightly simplified version would be a great eating area at home.  The plates on the wall above the bench are a really simple way of bringing the theme together too and definitely could be used in a real room at home.

The TV cabinet is great and really adds to the theme although I know I don't have the woodwork skills to create it, maybe some of the tribal style designs could be painted onto some existing furniture if you wanted to create this look. I'd probably decorate a wardrobe in this way rather than a TV cabinet.

Another really fun way to add to this African Savannah theme is to add frames and art or maybe help your child to create their own African style art?










This carving in the headboard is super cute and could be recreated in paint at home for a Lion King theme.

Next to the Art of Animation - Little Mermaid Rooms, these are pretty extreme theming, it would be an amazing child's bedroom, and if money was no object, I'd recreate something similar for a child who loves Ariel.
However, reality kicks in and I'm not really sure that any child would want this for a number of years, so I'm going to pick out some simple elements that will translate to a real home.

The beds are amazing, and the headboard is definitely something that could be bought or made reasonably inexpensively.  Create the headboard easily by buying a shell shaped headboard,  trimming with pearl effect trim or if you are feeling more artistic, paint a wooden one.  Bedding is another item which obviously can be changed easily to keep with a theme.
While I'm not usually a fan of painting, some wall decals could look fab on a pale blue wall.  For more effort and more expense, a full wall mural would be amazing.




Another brilliant feature in the Little Mermaid Rooms at the Art of Animation is the hanging space, I would translate this to a real room by painting the inside of a wardrobe.  Obviously the outside of the wardrobe could be painted but I think in reality the inside would be just as fun for the child and they would not get bored of it so quickly.  I'd also get a light fitting like this for inside the wardrobe to really show off the design. To make it a bit more fun, I'd use the inside of the doors to make a scene complete with attached painted boxed which would be used to store all the little mermaid toys.

The Little Mermaid bathroom is an excellent example of quite an ordinary room being made extraordinary with some very simple theming.  The mirror is a simple and non-permanent item to change for a themed frame and the shower curtain is also really inexpensive and easy.  

And finally, Saratoga Springs, which to be honest isn't my style at all.  What I can appreciate, and the reason I chose this resort as an example is the theming.  The themes here are Victorian and Equestrian but neither are over the top.

I want to focus on the equestrian theme, at a first glance at the Studio room, there isn't a theme screaming out to me.   The first hint at a theme are the pictures on the wall, equestrian themed prints, nothing too eye-catching but a nice detail.  

The next themed item i noticed were the cushions - a much more obvious theme here, but on a smaller item like a cushion, you can be a bit more bold with a theme.  

This is definitely something that would translate easily into a "real" home.  I think it would be a good idea if the reverse of the cushion was plain so you can flip them over if you fancy a change or if, like me, you have visitors that just don't appreciate Disney or your particular theme.

The next detail is probably my favourite from the whole room, it is the bedside lamp bases.  Again, much more obvious theming but still quite small in the room so it would work in real life. There are similar equestrian themed lamp bases available, or many other animals if you have a different favourite you want to include!

So I hope those 3 examples have given you some ideas, I think I'm going to go and make a little mermaid headboard! 

A princess bedroom

My little girl has just turned 3 and for her birthday asked for a pink princess bedroom. 

Now call me mean, but the last thing I want to do is paint a whole room pink for her to go off pink in a year or two and want something entirely different.  It isn't finished yet (waiting to find the right furniture solutions) but here are some of the features.

As a baby, the themes in her nursery were hot air balloons and tatty teddy.  

The curtains are called Flying High by Prestigious Textiles.  These were custom made with blackout linings and I'm not going to get rid of them after only 3 years so they had to be incorporated into the new scheme.

So working with the colours on this fabric I went in search of wallpaper and found a fab stripe wallpaper by Harlequin called rush that came in almost exactly the same colours.  

As the stripes are really bold, and working with the curtain pattern, I put them on one wall behind the bed and left the other walls magnolia (not ideal - although one of the colours in the wall paper is magnolia so it works for now - plus I am still waiting for the plaster to finish moving and cracking before I do any serious painting)

The bedding is the lilac from the wallpaper, but if i ever find the right pink i'll switch that and I had a throw made for the bed in the same pattern as the curtains.

So far, a bit pink, not "Princessy" (the key word in the brief) at all, so using the frames I bought from Ikea ages ago, I switched the pictures for Princess art. The first is a poster, the second a painting by my daddy (his very talented interpretation of a disney castle) and the third is a disney princess poster from etsy.

          

 


Inspired by Elsa's bedroom door in Frozen, used paint in the wallpaper colours to paint a pattern on the back (the side that only we see) of the door.

                

I didn't want to copy the design directly, so this is just an interpretation but it got the "princess" seal of approval so it can't be too bad - but more importantly, can be sanded back and glossed over when necessary.  I would have preferred to use stickers but just couldn't find any.