Hello NEW Boatshed!

Well get a load of this - it has only been days since the old boatshed started being dismantled, and already the new mini-boatshed is starting to evolve: This new one will actually have windows along the North-West wall to admire the views up North-West Arm: On the other side, the removal of the overgrown weeds has opened up our view across our own little beach: This cute little boatshed has a mezzanine floor for storage, and the door has been relocated to the back: Inside (upstairs) the open plan will provide plenty of room for the kids to play (and maybe even for little guests to stay!). The triangular windows on the front will have the best view in the house: Downstairs still looks very familiar, although now with the red termite resistant timbers (a very good idea considering the condition of the old ones) -

At the back of the boatshed, we now have a new garden area, with lovely shade provided by the trees that were growing around the old building: Looking back up the hill from that area, you can admire the new house being finished up, now without scaffolding for the first time Looking out through the curved window, you can now see how the lower profile of the new boatshed has opened up the views. From this level the wet-edge pool will almost completely hide the boatshed. Inside, the Sydney Bluegum timber floorboards, which have been acclimatising in the garage over the past 3 weeks, are now being laid: With all the angles in the house, it was difficult to decide which way they should run. They are being installed perpendicular to the stairs and the kitchen, and by the time they get to the fireplace, they are on an interesting diagonal: With Christmas getting rapidly closer, Jess has already decided the best spot for the Christmas Tree will be in the far corner by the windows:

Farewell old Boatshed

With mixed feelings of excitement and sad goodbyes, we watched as the old boatshed started to come down. When the roof tiles started being removed, a strong smell of possum pee filled the air, and a small ring-tail possum had to be relocated out of the big clump of ivy on the front. It seems that some of the larger brush-tails had already sought new living quarters.....much to the horror of our builders who found possum claw marks in the fresh plaster work of the new house. We managed to rescue the two multi-pane windows with some of their poorman's glass still intact. We hope to restore them and use them in the landscape for symbolic reminiscences of our more humble start. With the windows removed we could see the light spilling into what used to be a dark lounge room. Guess we should have put a glass sliding door in years ago (haha) Many of you may not know that this humble little cottage was Mike's first bachelor pad when he moved out of home. After about 8 years batching, Mike married Kate and it became the Love Nest leading to the birth of our Beautiful baby girl Jessica. By the time Jess hit 9 months it was getting a bit crowded with the 3 of us in a single bedroom. We moved out and laughed that Tina, Mike's youngest sister moved straight in. If you look carefully at the front left hand of the Boatshed you will see the original sandstone base which we are keeping and will support the new smaller boatshed roof. Back to the new building; the time had come to complete the soffit over the terrace. Timber blockwork was installed to support a ceiling fan (outdoors - another Qld influence!) And in another great cover-up, the pipework disappeared behind the sheeting ready for the painters...

Another challenge we had was with the rainheads to drain the large box gutter - we were disenchanted with those commercially available, so we surfed the internet for inspiration and had a modern take on the Ned-Kelly style fabricated to suit...

The downpipes are yet to be painted to match

Inside, however, the painters are already getting stuck into it, with the first coats going on downstairs today:

The fireplace alcove has also been finished and painted to blend in as part of the wall.

Looking forward to a big week after the long weekend, the timber floorboards should start going in, the remainder of the scaffolding should come down, and then the pool can start.

Windows go in

We have been very lucky over the past few months with the weather. Today, at long last, the glass was installed in the windows and doors. The one we were particularly keen to see was the curved glass window in the family room overlooking the pool: It's a bit hard to photograph windows to show off to people; even though this glass is energy efficient with a grey tint, the silicon in the joints was also tinted to match, and you can hardly tell it is there from the inside. From the outside, they are much more noticeable due to the dark glass. Here, as a contrast is the white glass louvres in the bathroom areas with the black ones on the laundry.

We didn't originally like louvre windows, but these new ones are very sleek, and after our short time in Queensland, we learnt to enjoy the beauty of a cross-breeze!

Also on the outside, the tiler is preparing to tile the balconies, and our finicky builder has wrapped the glass balustrades in bubble wrap so they don't accidentally get damaged...

Glass Balustrades, Timber Posts and Quality Control

Woohoo, another big milestone today as the Frameless Glass Balustrades were installed on the balconies on the bedroom level: Reason we are cheering is because this one has been a bit of a battle; particularly planning regulations and engineering. The slots had to be recut into the concrete hob, and engineering approval obtained again etc, but if you have a look through to the view we think you'll agree it has been worth the effort. Another happy moment for us was the installation of our "vintage" ironbark timber posts by the front door, recycled from a railway bridge in the Hunter Valley. Unfortunately the builders were so keen to protect them from damage, they were covered with bubble wrap before we got to take a photo, so you'll just have to wait for the big unveiling. We have also been busily selecting the final finishes for inside, including Kitchen/Bathroom/Laundry cabinetry and picking carpet for the bedrooms. We got our other family member, Phantom the (previously stray) cat, to check out the latter... and he was suitably impressed: His new cat-door has been cut into the Laundry, and we expect he'll love the new house as much as the rest of us!

Lots Happening

The builders have continued at a cracking pace over the past fortnight, and on an impromptu site visit last week, we were very fortunate to witness the first lick of paint being applied to the exterior render: The gutters are also installed now, and the colour of the steel (Dune) complements the walls (Joey) nicely: We have also had some family visitors from interstate and overseas for Granny's 70th Birthday celebrations, so we were able to arrange for them a tour of the construction site. Here is Mike's sister, Tina (who also used to live in the Boatshed over several years), enjoying the elevated outlook from the Master Bedroom balcony: And looking up from the boatshed, you can probably just make out behind the scaffolding that the curved fascia has been completed and has also received its coats of acrylic render and paint: Tina also admired our nice Italian tiles for the balconies and terrace by the pool: Inside, the sheeting has pretty much been completed. This photo is of the nice slim (and tall) EzyJamb door frames, which have been set into the plasterwork: The fellas dismantling the temporary balustrading on the staircase, ready for installation of the half-wall: Detail in the Ensuite shower: Here you can see more of those door jambs, with the balustrading under construction: Almost finished, the balustrade will include recessed fluorescent uplights to illuminate the curved stairwell roof overhead: Downstairs, the tiler has finished applying the porcelain tiles to the walls of the powder room:

Jake checking whether the step on the bathtub is at the right height...

...while Jess checks out the Builder's Labourers:

And finally, our front doors have arrived: Looking at the entry foyer from inside, the front doors are being installed; both stairwells (up to the garage and down to the lounge room) lead off to the right: Next, the timber is being delivered for the Sydney BlueGum floorboards, which will sit in the garage for a few weeks to acclimatise before being laid. Meanwhile the tiler will continue inside, the glazing is being installed, and the painters can finish off the outside so the scaffolding can be removed. Then the pool builder can make a start. Watch this space for the next update : )