love me, love my slab

On Friday, Adelaide had it's wettest day in February since 2003. And it's summer! So how we came to have our slab poured on Friday is a slight miracle and big joy to us! We had tarps covering the trenches which prevented rain getting in and lucky for us, the slab was poured on Friday. Just in time for our perfect weekend away (which I will post about later this week)! It could not have worked out better and made for a stress-free, relaxing weekend.

Here are some photos that show you the progression from demolition to slab pour...

The original back part of our house with the verandah - outside w/c, hot water system, back door, bathroom window...

Demolition begins... and continues here

After Demolition...lizzy makes herself comfortable, the white door is my back/kitchen door

And the slab gets poured...(sorry about the low res iphone pic!)

The above photo is taken from our kitchen door - you can just make out the tarps which saved the day! It's a beautiful thing that concrete!!

I have learnt a few things over the past few weeks. Renovating is exciting, frustrating and is a test of patience beyond belief but watching every step of the process, and achieving every milestone is such an exciting and satisyfing feeling that it makes up for all the other stuff. I can't wait to see the transformation from here on in!

beautiful bright bentwood

My bargain $20 Bentwood is now ready to make our bedroom it's home, after two coats of paint and plenty of sanding and priming! Here is the BEFORE. I even like it in white..

I'm glad I'm now able to tick this project off my 'to do' list. It brightens up the bedroom and works in well with the Bespoke Press print.

have approval, will build !

We finally got council approval for our home renovation - YAY! It only took 3 months - hmph. But, we are both beyond happy. L will start to demolish the walls and roof, I will provide cold drinks and lunch! Here are the before + after...

Before - the red dashed lines show the existing back part of the house (existing bathroom, laundry and outside WC)

After - new open plan kitchen and lounge area, extension includes new bathroom and turning existing bathroom into a laundry

I can't wait to see the transformation take shape!

a revamped bentwood - from drab to (almost) fab!

I decided to get my act together this weekend and finally do something about my Bentwood chair....4 months after I first mentioned it! I'm very good at getting inspired, not so good at finishing a job. I get lazy and unmotivated. Maybe it's that 'nesting' pregnancy thing but it had been bugging me that I seem to be good at starting projects but not finishing them. So with some free time on the weekend, I got cracking.

Here's what the chair originally looked like. I had done some sanding months ago here (told you I'm slack!) so this is what I was left to work with.

First step: sanding. I hate the prep work associated with painting! I'm so impatient. 

Once the sanding had been done (which I gotta say I did a pretty good job!), it was time to add 2 coats of primer. I used British Paints 'all in one' sealer/primer/undercoat.

Two coats of primer and I'm ready to paint the first coat of my chosen colour which I blogged about here. I find it really hard to pick paint colours (am I the only one?) but in the end, I went with Taubman's Solar Burst. It's not a sunny yellow, more of a citrus lemon/lime colour which at first I wasn't sure about but now I'm loving it.

Ta-da! After 1 coat of Solar Burst the chair is almost ready to rock and roll!

L is making the chair a new seat cover (from an old laundry door) which I have to prime, clamp on then paint 1 coat. 1 more coat all over and it will be ready to grace our bedroom with its presence! I can't tell you how good I feel for achieving something this weekend...woo hoo :)