I love everything about this dining room. It appeared on the cover of March/April Vogue Living Australia way back in 2006 and I have been carting it around with me ever since. When I bought this issue we were still living in our gorgeous modernist home in the hills of Perth. I had no idea at the time that we would sell (sniff) this house and buy our current funny little shop/house closer to the big smoke. Our new house reminds me very much of Paul Hecker's cottage in Daylesford and this photo (and the others in the article) give me hope that a house built in the early 1920's can successfully pull off a modern uncluttered look and that although we live in a cottage, it doesn't have to look cottagey.
We expected our renos to be in full swing by now, but nothing could be further from the truth. Can someone please tell me why something as architecturally simple as a big(ish) white, light, clean box should be so bl**** expensive? The quote we received on Friday was shocking!
even though we'd given up some of the features we really wanted (polished concrete floors for example)
So it's back to the drawing board for us I'm afraid (not that we actually left the drawing board in the first place)
This week we are going to check out some prefab options available in Perth, something a bit like this
image Nordic Homes
Which would involve demolishing half a century of (extremely ugly and badly built additions - as much as I love the 70's you should see the addition that was cobbled together back then!) hoisting the prefab in place, and making some sort of connection from the original house to the new. It could work and it might look quite nice.
Having said this prefabs aren't as inexpensive as you might think, so I'm not holding my breath or getting excited about this option...yet.
Anyway back to Paul Hecker's lovely cottage. I'm no interior designer, but how's this for a start...
they almost mimic Paul's beautiful Royal Copenhagen faience plates, don't you think? A tip shop version anyway. Just need one more...I don't like even numbers...actually make that two more, I'm not really keen on that light brown one hmmm....
And although I know this has nothing to do with the price of eggs (or renos!) a quick c.i.f. memo to end:
I am happy to say I have five lovely people to join in. Thanks girls. Please don't forget to send me your waist measurement, colour preference and address.
Here's the skirt I made for Claire
and check out the pretty skirt Lea made for her little girl here. It's gorgeous Lea.
enjoy the rest of your weekend x
I'm off to the airport to pick up my husband. Yay! I've got his nurse's uniform ready - I've got the flu and need some tlc.
I love the pre fab look. I always make my partner laugh when we take rides up into the hilly suburbs. There are these big houses and I get excited and romantic when I see the pre fabs and shacks few and far between them. I have heard that Germany is exporting pre fabs these days and have hear of pod houses too - so many options hey! Great plates. Lovely skirt too! x
ReplyDeleteeeee! My skirt!!! I love it! and the pocket is sooooo cute!! :)
ReplyDeleteI must say I prefer older houses with more character and lots of original nooks and crannies than the modernist look. I love your taste in interior design though - is that your living room in the blog header? xx
ReplyDeleteBeautiful version of the pillowcase skirt!
ReplyDeleteYou should see the additions to our crappy rental in Bayswater. I am guessing they were done in the 70s too. Whatever the owners at the time did was bizarro- our bathroom is smack bang in the middle of the house with no windows or ventilation to the outside world- thanks to a sleep out type arrangement that is on the back of the house.
I love the dining room pic! Your plates are great too - nice one. The skirt is gorgeous. Love the pocket.x
ReplyDeleteYou have some fantastic plans there....OMG aren't reno's expensive..we have only managed to dream ours!
ReplyDeleteThose tip shop plates you've assembled look lovely Kylie, I actually quite like the brown - it brings a more earthy tone :-) Hubby needs to pamper you, hope you're feeling much better soon!
ReplyDeleteJem xXx
I like the brown plate too!I'd love to move or improve my home, but the stress puts me off more than the price.
ReplyDeleteI love polished concrete, saw a house on TV show Grand Designs which had them, definitely would be my dream choice!
Get well soon, I had to read that Nurse uniform line twice, I thought you were going to dress up as a welcome home treat ;)
Your plate combo is very effective Kylie - I like the brown one as it provides a great balance and contrast and picks up the centre of the plate on the far left. Old/modern together can look brilliant if its done well - looking at what you put together in your posts I'm sure you'll get it just right. xx
ReplyDeleteI hope all the house plans work out for you it must be so frustrating at times. So pleased to see you have some takers for your skirts there so very pretty. dee x
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you're not well Kylie, we have all had/got the lurgy here too. Glad A is home to look after you. Is it Mother's Day in Australia? My boys have looked after me today by insisting we go to a freezing cold park and eat ice-cream!
ReplyDeleteI think your tip shop plates make an equally good display as that in the magazine - one day after the reno nightmare is over maybe we'll be seeing your place in print.
xx
Sorry to hear that you have been unwell, I hope hubby is taking good care of you.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see more of our house Kylie, sounds like ours. Ours is a 1920's cottage with a kitchen added in the 1940's but makeovers in the 70's and 80's. We want to redo the bathroom and laundry and add another room in the back. Carl thinks it is will be around 30-50k, he is dreaming! Nothing short of 100k I would expect.
I hope your plans are working out, and that you do get what you set out to achieve. Would love to see more or your reno plans,
Hoe you are feeling better, T x
ooops, I hope you know that was supposed to be hope! I was like NOOOOO!!!! as it was leaving the message and I couldn't change it.
ReplyDeleteOh dear about the reno budget, we are expecting the same kind of pain when we get quotes for Betsy's plans. We are getting two different deck rooflines so we can see which we can afford.One of our friends added a prefab onto their house (as owner builders) and it looks excellent and cost them very little. melx
ReplyDelete$$ - that is why we are doing the inside of our extension ourselves. Just means we can't move in right away. On your question did I know you have a red head daughter...yes I have seen her gorgeous pic in the past. Does her Dad have red hair? Did you get asked that ALL THE TIME when she was little like I do? Mr M doesn't have red hair and neither does anyone else in our direct family. I think the look on my face would have been priceless when the midwife told me she thinks Little Miss has red hair!!! I still can't get over the bright colour, it's crazy. Was your daughter's hair colour a shock too?
ReplyDeleteCan't believe you used to live in the hills! Good luck with your new place, I think with your flair you can pull anything off! I would love to see a picture of your wasp nest collection - they might look great on a wall displayed in a sort of printers tray maybe.
ReplyDeleteGet well soon Kylie!
ReplyDeletewish i could tell you, but what i can say to you is how much my clean new box cost... let's see, measuring roughly, 6x4 (i'm talking metres!) it came down to (just the shell, mind!, no door/windows either) 30000 euros, which is 37000 AUD....
ReplyDeleteit's painful, especially in the light of all the other work that needed to be done. this is why i have now stopped blogging (for a while) and started grafting... d**n.... ;)))
i'm wishing you good luck, close your eyes and go for it... you'll be SO happy with the result, and you'll be able to fit in all of your dreams, because boy, can i say? happiness over that kinda thing doesn't come sweeter, and you forget the pain.
like giving birth, really... and we happen to know that pain dissipates... after a while...
n♥
Best of luck with al the housey stuff! I'm sure it'll be quite the journey but still oh so exciting!!! Xx PS - lol at the tea towel from Wales post... that is so somthing I would/do do!!
ReplyDeleteHi Kylie, Freaky, I have that magazine too! I couldn't bear to throw away those gorgeous images of the Daylesford house and also thought one day I might use for inspiration on my own- not happened yet either!!
ReplyDeleteoh i love those plates so much! hope you're well. xx
ReplyDelete