House update...

Time for a little bit of a house update.  The frame for the shed is starting to go up.  It has quite a high pitched roof so we can squeeze a loft space in there.  I think the roof line will be pretty and compliments the house quite nicely (it's a little hard to tell from these pictures since I had the wrong lens on my camera and could only shoot small sections at a time).  It is starting to make me feel a little nervous about the very small garden space between the east windows and the shed.  Although this was an intentional part of the original design, now that I've experienced these rooms with full sunlight I think it will take a bit of getting used to the shading when the shed is complete.

I couldn't take any inside pictures on my last visit since I had Turi with me and it really isn't very safe at the moment.  Hopefully I'll have some indoor progress shots to show next time.

In the mean time I've been trying to finalise my plans for our en suite and laundry.  The Mr is very keen to have a lino (vinyl) floor.  I do love the feel of vinyl underfoot and it is incredibly easy to clean, so I've been trying to get on board.  The only trouble is that most of the available choices are less than inspiring.  It seems as though most vinyl flooring these days is printed with either imitation ceramic tiles or imitation timber floor boards.  Is it just me, or did the old school linoleum from a few decades ago seem much more fun?  I am considering a possibly crazy notion of using a green vinyl.  These images of Mikkeller Bar in Copenhagen are probably the closest I can show you to explain my vision.  Am I completely insane?

Source: decor8blog.com via Susan on Pinterest

Source: remodelista.com via Susan on Pinterest

In which old George is laid to rest (accompanied by completely unrelated pictures)…

OK so I somehow managed to disappear again last week.. sorry. I've been spending a lot of time trying to design the kitchen for the new house.  As with all things it is a balancing act between functionality, aesthetics and budget.  The major layout of the kitchen is fairly locked in and I'm 100% sure I want concrete bench tops but other than that the jury is still out.  I've been doodling ideas, shopping for appliances and pinning inspiration on pinterest.  You can check out my kitchen board to see where my head is at (incidentally if any of you aren't already on pinterest and would like an invite, shoot my an email and I'll hook you up)

A few months ago I bought the most beautiful vintage St George cooker with double ovens and warming drawers.  It was set to be the showpiece of the new kitchen.  It dated from the 1940s and came with the original manual.  I can't even begin to tell you how much I fell in love with it.  It was cream enamel with gorgeous emerald green knobs and any disadvantage there might have been from having a terribly old electric cooktop was far outweighed in my mind by the thought of dreamily dancing about my kitchen like Betty Draper cooking roly poly pudding (not that Betty ever actually cooked anything - so maybe more like Betty's African American housekeeper!).  By all accounts the ovens on these early model St Georges were some of the best ever made with fantastic heat distribution.  Sadly after visits from three different oven repairmen (including a lovely old gentleman who was a specialist St George repairman when these were new) we had to accept that the stove could not be repaired to an acceptably functional and electrically safe standard.  I've been going through a mourning period.  

I began the hunt for a slightly newer 1960s model (apparently the supermatic is the best vintage model to buy)  but after much deliberation and failing to find anything in good condition I came to the conclusion that maybe I needed a gas cooktop after all.  So I've made a leap and bought a much more energy efficient electric St George wall oven (relatively modern from the late 90s) and separate gas cooktop.  At $300 this was a splurge compared to my original 99cent spend but by any normal standards an absolute steal.  So functionality definitely won this battle over aesthetics.

So in loving memory of the old St George I give you the recipe for roly poly pudding from the original St George Master De-Luxe manual (strap yourselves in - it uses suet!!)

ROLY POLY PUDDING

1 lb. flour

1/2 lb. suet

1 teaspoon baking powder

big pinch salt

jam (to taste)

Method: Mix flour, chopped suet, baking powder and salt together, add a little cold water, roll dough into a long piece about 1/4 inch thick.  Spread jam on, moisten edges and roll up lightly.  Wet edges and seal up ends, wrap the pudding in a scalded cloth and secure ends with string.  Boil 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

In which I am addicted to pinterest...

Found here via pinterest

Could this bath be any more perfect?  (perhaps by ditching the spiderman comics?)

Fabric daydreams...

I woke up this morning with an overwhelming desire to rip out my carpet and stencil the subflooring like this or this.  When I told my husband he was less than impressed and suggested that perhaps instead of taking on yet another unpaid project perhaps I should do some actual 'work' for you know money.  You see I have this chronic habit of doing work for free.  I tend to think working for money is a little bit like sex between friends, more often than not a sure fire way to spoil a good thing.  Being paid is stifling to the creative mind.  But then I guess the money is good.  So I'm forcing myself to knuckle down.  I've been looking at day care centres for Minty for one day a week (more on this later), and trying to motivate myself to actually work on the design jobs I have piled up.

But honestly today I spent most of my time sorting through my stash to come up with some colour combinations for some (unpaid) sewing projects I'm dreaming of.  Procrastination is one of my special skills.

too cool for school...

It would seem that even after seeing the pictures from yesterday's post some of you remain unconvinced about the awesomeness of chalkboard paint (shocking I know). So to all those chalk wall haters I challenge you to rent 500 days of Summer, watch it and then come back and tell me you still don't want to repaint your bedroom walls with chalk paint.

Now that we're all on the same page again, here are a few more inspirational pictures...

Image sources (clockwise from top left): wardrobe at Domicidal Maniac; wall gallery from It's Great to Be Home; bathroom at ohdeedoh; fridge at cTc design; door at The Style Files; and kid's room from perrymichelle
And for those of you concerned about chalk dust perhaps you could consider wiping the chalk off with a damp cloth and giving the room a vacuum once in a while.