More house things

We had another open home on the weekend - not as many people showed up, which you'd expect, but it is a bit worrying. Hopefully someone will buy it ... we took the cat up to the lookout at the top of the arboretum this time. I don't think she appreciated it. Pam, I cannot imagine showing your own house! Or, even worse, being shown around a house by the person who lived there. Awkward! how do you peer into all the cupboards? I don't think I could contain my comments (in either role).

On Sunday we went out to the new house - I hadn't seen the finished paint job so that was very exciting. The dark blue in the hallway was a bit of a departure but I love how it turned out. I had originally thought a gold or mustard (because that is the colour I always want to paint everything) and I still think that would have been good, but the blue picks up on the blue tones in the stained glass above the end door. And it's nice and dramatic! There's light coming from all four directions, and as it moves about it changes tone, which is exactly what I wanted.

We spent the time cementing over the cracks and gaps in the floor tiles to make them a bit more even. The cupboard guy suggested cornice cement which was very easy to apply and is apparently nice and flexible and stronger than plaster or spakfilla. It will all have carpet over it so we're not too bothered but this should make for a better finish ... who would know. We got a sense of achievement.

The cupboard guy is building cupboards into the void between the kitchen and the bedrooms that we didn't know about ... when they dropped the bedroom wing in (old schoolhouse from a neighbouring small town) they left about a metre wide gap and closed it in. We didn't realise until the carpet guy was measuring up and the hallway didn't match the bedrooms. 

There was a HEAP of builder's rubbish (and general rubbish) in there, but cupboard guy has cleaned it out and put some more concrete down around the footings which were looking a bit trashed. So that's good. He also got a good look into the roof (very solid, they did a nice job adding it on apparently) and the sub-floor for the older part, which is apparently resting on boulders and bricks. Very normal for a mid-Victorian house and it's been standing this long so we're not too bothered. 

And it means our new cupboards don't extend so far into the room, so that's good. But he had to completely re-frame them so it will be wildly expensive but honestly? what isn't wildly expensive at this stage. We are spending money like you would not believe. On a more cheerful note, these completely neglected roses by the front door are stunningly lovely.