Showing posts with label new home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new home. Show all posts

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Something's Gotta Give...

Hi all, how's things? I've been under the weather for the past week, so I spent the time planning and plotting the design of my new/revamped house. Like many millions of other die-hard fans, I fell in love with the film "Something's Gotta Give"... in particular, that stunning Hamptons home of Erica's. I've watched the DVD endlessly to savour every little morsel of the design....so many gorgeous details, I could go on for ever. But there are a few common elements that crop up again and again in my inspiration folders, that will definitely make their way into my plan.

1. Comfy white slipcovered sofas...and a blue and white striped rug



2. Windows...one of the most important features of a home, IMHO. Love these, complete with transoms (hello A-M!!)



3. White subway tiles, stainless appliances, feature lighting


4. This bedroom....quite perfect actually. I might change the windows for french doors, but that's about it.

all images courtesy of the wonderful Joni and Linda of Cote de Texas and Silver Screen Surroundings

I thought I'd found every post every written on this house, so imagine how excited I was to stumble upon a floor plan, drafted by a fan and shared on Linda Merrill's fabulous blog, Silver Screen Surroundings. Although it's a fan's interpretation of the design, it's a pretty good one if you ask me. Pity there's not an actual plan from the movie set...if anyone manages to come across one, I'd love it if you'd share it!



Now, my design won't slavishly copy this house....as I mentioned in my previous post, I have lots of other design influences to incorporate. But really, they all have these elements in common, so I'm sure I can blend them all together and come up with something nice. Once I add a little quintessential Aussie beach house loveliness...


source

...and of course, not forgetting a little Ralph Lauren magic, into the mix....

...I think it could be rather special. I'm working on a floor plan of my own, so as soon as it's done I'll share it too.

Have a great week everyone,

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A little something I've been working on...

Morning all,
Hope you all had a lovely Easter break. It was so nice to kick back, relax and enjoy the extended long weekend, and generally take it easy. I took the chance to work on my renovation/building plans, so the first port of call was my chock-a-block full inspiration folder. I actually have quite a few - some where I keep all my tear sheets, and my computer files, where I stash everything and anything that takes my fancy. I spent some time revisiting my favourites, and came across these pics of Collette Dinnigan's two gorgeous Paddington homes. I've posted about these before, but they're so lovely I couldn't resist going back for another helping.


simple, clean and just plain gorgeous


love love









all images via domain.com.au

Now, my home is no heritage sandstone cottage, and somehow I'm guessing my budget is somewhat more limited than Collette's, but there's plenty here that could work in any home. A restrained palette, clean lines, but a relaxed, comfortable feel at the same time. Very nice indeed, and inspiration galore, in more ways than one. More on that later!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Should we stay or should we go?

It's crunch time. When we bought our home, we knew it would need renovating to make it perfect for our family. But the location, the two plus acres of land, dotted with trees and high on a hill, was the clincher. And as I mentioned in one of my very first posts, the fact that we actually swapped houses with the previous owner meant that the whole move seemed meant to be.

Fast forward a few years, and we found quite a few surprises along the way. Water tanks that needed replacing, a leaking pool, non-existent drainage plans, kids falling through the bath surround where the water had rotted the timber.....the list goes on. We've done a heap of work on the place, with a new main bathroom, painting, pool reno, kitchen revamp, but there's a lot more that needs to be done. It's the domino effect - everything we decide to tackle unearths another dozen or so problems that need to be fixed too.

My husband has finally cracked. When he announced last week that he thought we should knock the house down and rebuild, you could have blown me over. But it makes sense, as vacant land in our area (which is scarce anyway) is worth at least three times what we paid for our house. And the possibilities.....!!!! I've had my dream home brewing for years now, and it looks a lot like a combination of all of these:

love everything....windows, verandahs, the lot

not quite the same view as ours, but I do love me a window seat

These next images are by my favourite architect, Walter Barda. Love the detail in every single one of his designs - simply perfect.

 Forget the decoration, but this room is gorgeous...those ceilings!






love the pocket doors - with a house full of teenagers I love the idea of shutting out all the noise and chaos 




So, has anyone demolished and rebuilt? Was it a nightmare, or have you renovated and wished you'd started from scratch? It's a big decision, and one we won't take lightly. But either way, there are changes ahead, and to me change is so exciting - can't wait!