Something's Gotta Get Me!

For those who have seen my earlier post about Something's Gotta Give will know that I love the house from that movie!

In a previous life while at a boutique building company, I worked with clients during the design and construction of their homes from contract stage right through to completion. Although I have a love of interior styling, my skill is really with interior design. The BIG things.  Which is what I am actually qualified to do! Now days I work in a completely different industry, but that is a totally different story.

I would work with clients to help them with floor plans, the height of cupboards, room dimensions, ceiling heights, window styles, aspect of entertainment areas and size their garage to suit there needs. These things are not always thought of. That is the difference when building a house and building a home. I really miss working in those kind of roles, but have fallen on my feet here really so I shouldn't complain.

Many of my clients still keep in touch to tell me what is happening at home and how much they love their homes, even 10 years later! I have always been so scared to build my own place from scratch and prefer renovation -maybe because I can blame someone from 100 years ago for bad design and don’t risk that fear of failure.

I am going to be my worst client!

There are so many fantastic stylists around both qualified, self taught and those people that have innate creativity to ‘know’ what looks good, what balance is needed and can put things together perfectly! And they are all more talented than me at this.

So, back to Something’s Gotta Give and designer Beth Rubino who is extremely talented. I have listened to her interview (HERE) on Skirted Round Table a couple of times and found it very interesting.

The house was completely a set. They never found a house which would work. The exterior of the house you see in the movie was shot in the middle of winter and all the greenery was plastic!  All of the other rooms were purpose built for filming.

The dining room idea of the large wall filled with white ironstone came from the designer’s friends home.

 They were able to place some window dressings in the front window for the shoot, but that was the extent of that actual house in the movie.

The blue and white rug in the lounge was originally a huge antique Drury rug which was cut and re sewn for the set. (here is the photo again in case you missed it the first time I posted it)

If you listen to the complete interview you will hear about those ideas and many more.

I can not stop thinking about that dining room.

Could I make that work I wonder? I have a table just like that! Or just save that for a home in the city?

Also, thank you for all of the lovely comments and emails. 

I love stalking reading all of your blogs too.

From Washington to Queensland

I am seven days away from a BIG milestone.

Things are looking good and I am beginning to get excited and thinking more and more about elevation.  To me the elevation is number one. I can work the floor plan around that. And I have a few ideas about that too!

These houses are from Bainbridge Island Coastal Living real estate via Alkemie blog.

Bainbridge Island is an island city of Washington in USA.  How beautiful are these!

Wide Veranda is a MUST

Isn't American architecture just beautiful!

The little round window, the columns, the stairs, the roof line / angle.

How bright and airy does this feel! I do love this.

Because the view is about 160° I can grab some great views from the north. And north is where I would have these windows as that is where the beautiful warm winter sun comes streaming in to warm the cottage! One word - Perfection.

Bright Whites

The children have asked me to promise I will not be having painted white floors EVER AGAIN!

I don't know if I can promise that, but I totally understand where they are coming from.

Not that they ever do the cleaning, but they have seen me on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor at the farm house many times.

At the farm I have always had a very relaxed policy the whole weekend. Then when Sunday afternoon comes its tidy up time. And when the key goes in the lock and we walk away, it is totally perfect for the return.

Back to white floors.

I do love this. Its Heatherton House in the Blue Mountains. It was in Australian Traveller Magazine a few issues ago and I have a copy of it in my 'LOVE' file.

Same room, without studio light I am guessing.

Its important to think of colours / light at all different times of day.

I always keep that in mind!

I am becoming slightly obsessed with twin beds

A Place to Call Home

As this blog is anonymous I was reluctant to post a photo of my most special house. This circa 1920's Bungalow has been in our family for four years this year. I remember taking the children to soccer and getting the phone call "Darling, I have bought us a house."
"What?"
"I bought us a house!"
"Yeah right, can you pick up some tomatoes for dinner?"
"Darling, I don't think you heard me, I bought us a house. I have a bottle of Veuve ready so let me just give you the address and I will meet you there."
"What are you talking about? A house? Hang on. YOU BOUGHT A HOUSE?!?!?!?! While I was at soccer?!?!?!?!"
"Well yes, its not really big enough, but you are going to love it, and we can do an extension and it is going to be really great"

Well there was a bit more said after that, and stressing, and crying.  He bought a house at auction which I had never seen! And they say women impulse shop!

So of course there was more to the story than that, but I fell in love with this house and have made it a home to love.

Wouldn't this look great on the lake? And you can see where I get my inspiration from and why I love the current elevation idea.

I have all the colours written down in a little folder and I must begin taking photos from every angle of every screw and every tile and cornice detail before it is 'gone'.

Sigh. Love.

Elevation Dreaming

Still due diligence and still stressful. On top of this (of course) I have been feeling poorly :(

Anyway, started looking around at elevations and this is what I found I like so far. I love the veranda, the stone fire place, the little front steps, the square windows and the little garden.

You need to see it in (maybe) Dulux Sandy Day or Raw Cotton. With White trim. Roof I'm not sure of yet. Its just a little dreamy image that is in 'the file'.

Due Diligence Update #3 ~ Council Man Crush

I officially have a crush on the guy from the council. I have dealt with him before with Bellamore and he was great then, but now he has stepped up to a level of awesomeness!

I’m just going to phone him right now to say thank you. Again.

Most of the time I get so frustrated with humans. Well, not in the bloggy world of course. People out ‘there’ often seem so mean. It’s sad. But the last two days, abet stressful, have restored my faith in humankind and community. Again.

It’s the insight you get when you spend time in a rural setting.

A little story of Bellamore

We would go to Bellamore most weekends, build a fire, sing songs, drink wine, watch the sun go down, laugh, talk and sometimes even cry. It was that kind of place people dream of. Over the years we celebrated homecomings, friend's engagements, New Years, Easter Egg Hunts and even a B & S Ball! But probably the most magical of all was the conception of a little much longed for baby. It was New Years eve and this couple had been trying for years... little did we know at the time that the magic of Bellamore was to bring them big bouncing baby boy 40 weeks later!

Bellamore’s local township has a co-op which you pay $50 to join. For that small investment you receive between 5 – 10% off your purchases in the town. But the best thing about this $50 is that it gives you a ‘buy-in’ to the community. “You are now one of us.” they say.

How cool is that?!

Every Saturday night was Family Movie Night. For $20 regardless of the size of your family, you could go and watch the movie in the old theatre (circa 1930), have hot dogs and popcorn and afterwards chat with all the neighbours. And lets just say you had a couple of beers down at the pub. No worries! The local policeman would take you home and bring your car to you the next morning.

It was a life changing experience and I have so many people to miss, especially all the oldies who have lived in the area all their lives.


Back to my council man crush.

I will have you know he is at least 60, married and probably has grandchildren. Its not ‘that’ kind of crush. It’s the crush on someone you just want to squeeze because of how helpful, learned and accommodating they have been. He gave me contacts for all the right people, in all the right places and even phoned them ahead of me to ensure they had all the details and his support of my plight.

Finally THAT ONE PHONE CALL I HAD TO MAKE?

And it was a big fat

Y E S!

So now time to research the Taylex Domestic Membrane System or DMS as it is affectionately known. I never thought I would think a sewerage treatment system would get me so excited!

It uses membrane filtration plus UV light to produce the cleanest water from a domestic treatment system in Australia today. It's ok, I will leave that there for now for fear I may send you to sleep.

Photo of DMS installed near a little baby dam... so cute!

So there you have it. It's a win today.

More praying and believing over the weekend for the next mountain to climb next week.

Now, what pretty image can I leave you with....mmmmmm.... thinking.... thinking......

Ok, this is a residence which was recently for sale up in Dayboro. I just LOVE this idea.

Love to all

DC

Four Feelings in One Day - Due Diligence Update #2

If I read one more contradictory set of development guidelines today I think I may scream!

That said, I think I am getting somewhere. I have one more phone call to make. And I am hoping she will give me good news. She being ‘THE’ actual lady who would give my sewerage system a big tick or a very sad cross.

I could have phoned her today. I didn’t. My heart could not deal with one more emotion today.

I have to pick up all the little children, watch hockey training and watch the littlest one perform in the Music night at her school. There will be proud tears from me I know. So I just couldn’t possibly use any more of that emotional energy up today. I am sure those who have been there and done this will understand.

This one phone call is the make or break!

I am trying not to look at elevations, think of bathroom looks or paint colours! When I am driving along I find my mind wandering off to dimensions of artwork I have and where they may hang in this place. Then I have to SNAP myself back to reality. Get this 'poo' situation sorted out missy, then worry about hanging pictures!
I will leave you with this image. From the wonderful blogger and current Home Beautiful celebrity A-M from The house that A-M Built. I will be getting another one of these made by Oliveaux for this place to sit and and read magazines, or just to look at ;)  I can have one of these ANYWHERE

Due Diligence Update #1

The Current Situation

I am in the due diligence phase written into the contract (30 days) and have been using this time to check boundary lines, possible planning approval issues, water, electricity etc.

Electricity

Retail based (ie Origin) is going to cost quite a lot to run in. Estimated cost $18K + run in from road at 200m. Big dollar before you even switch on a light. So the thought of paying $25K to then buy electricity seems stupid to me. Approx cost of solar panels to make enough power for my little place plus air-conditioning (a girls gotta live!) would be around $25K total. Spending approx $10k every 10 or so years for new battery systems. That’s still going to be heaps cheaper than the currently rising costs of electricity. So that is a go-er.

Gas

Gas hot water / or solar if I have any area left to put more panels! And gas cooking. Done!

Sewerage

Big issues here. The highest flood level of the dam is the front boundary of the property. And the regulations state that an onsite sewerage facility has to be a minimum of 400m from that boundary. Now, even with my limited maths skills I can add up that the greatest length of the block is 410 meters and that’s in the very far right hand corner. What to do? What to do? Do I pull out of the contract? Then I look at the photos again and pray.

Then I realised they have toilets on the lake camp grounds. How do they do that? What systems do they use? Then another thought – how can they class this as a Large Residential Block (its 20 acres) if you cant put a sewerage system on it!?! CRAZY!

NO I CAN DO THIS! I CAN MAKE IT WORK!

Another day of phone calls ahead.
Trying to keep a full time job without getting sacked. Keep a couple of houses in good working order and my little hobby business. Something’s Gotta Give!
Hang on!

SOMETHINGS GOTTA GIVE!
That’s got to be a sign. From the moment I first saw this land, I thought of the lounge from Something’s Gotta Give.

This is the block

Post # 1

Not day one. It is Day 11. Well no, this is at least five years in the making. So I need to start at the beginning.

In the beginning there was a dream. A dream of a place in the country. Five years ago after many country drives, maps turning upside down and right way up, getting lost, getting found, getting charged for speeding Bellmore was found.

This is Bellmore, which I renamed Bellamore which meant Beautiful Love in Italian.

I had found my dream.

A five acre block amongst 500 and 150 acre blocks with not a neighbour in site. The only way I was going to part with my dream was to find a bigger, better or closer to home dream country home.

Then on the way home one day. I

I SAW THIS!

A dream block. No house.

"From Option 1 house pad"

"From the further back Option 2"

And this blog was born.

Happy reading

DC