Living Room Make Over

As soon as I moved into my house I was planning on what I wanted to do to it.
I promised my Mum that I wouldn't start anything until I have lived in the house for a few months so I didn't make any changes that I would eventually regret, and also so I knew exactly what I wanted and needed in the house. It was a great idea.
So 3 months after I moved in I decided it was time to do a room. I was going to start with one of my kids bedrooms but then I thought I would start something for me. So I chose to do the living room.

In my house the kitchen/dining/living room is all one big L shaped room with a different hallway on each end. Each section is defined as that area though so it was easy enough to just do the living part of the room without having to do the kitchen/dining part.

These are the pictures
of the living room that was in the house listing on the internet.

It looks lovely right!
Once all their furniture was out and my minimal furniture was in it didn't look that great! The really crappy paint job they did was much more noticeable, the curtains that dragged on the floor were plain annoying and it wasn't my space.

First thing I did was decide on wall colours. I knew the dark grey/gold/browny colour that was on the window wall had to go. I wanted to make the fireplace wall a feature and the rest of the walls a more neutral colour, but not plain ol' white!

I looked at sooooo many paint samples it wasn't even funny! I had coloured spots in front of my eyes when I shut them! I knew I wanted orange but I wanted classy orange not oompa loompa orange!

I loved the Dulux Colours of NZ range. I found an orange that went PERFECTLY with the painting I had which I wanted to put above the fire place. I also, after testing out a few different colours, found the neutral colour I liked. I chose Kauri Cliffs 1/2 and Rangataua

Next step was prepping the room.
The walls weren't too bad. A rough sand over all the walls was needed. LOTS of masking tape was needed. LOADS of hole patching was needed. After the holes were patched more sanding and cleaning up. I was very lucky to have my wonderful Mum and Aunt helping out and teaching me what and how to do it all since this was my very first reno project.

Getting rid of the dark colour on the window wall lightened the room up so much it was amazing! It was a little scary putting the colour on the feature wall. I was worried that it would look awful but I was so happy with it.

TO BE CONTINUED ............

Making my House a Home

Just over 2 years ago I became a 1st time home owner.
It was such a thrill to know that this house which I live in was mine and I could do whatever I wanted to it.

I fell in love with the quirkiness and character of this house.
It was built in 1945, the original part anyway. It was originally a 2 bedroom house but sometime in the 1980's an extension was added on.

When I moved in it was a 4 bedroom, two living room, 2 bathroom and an office house.

I have slowly been working away in making my house into my home.
I have re-done the Living Room, Riley's Room, Abbey's Room, the small bathroom, the office which is now a library, 2nd Living Room which is a playroom and added a laundry.
Just today the builders have started on the main bathroom.
I have also turned the double garage into the shop.

So I've been quite busy!!

I am going to start to share with you the process of each room makeover I have done.

I mainly want to do this to inspire you. This house has been done over by me and help from my Mum and Aunt.  The exceptions are the bathrooms which have been (and are been!) done by professional builders, plus the laundry was mostly builder done.

What I am trying to say is that if you set your mind to something, and if you really want to do it nothing should stop you. I have learnt so much doing all this stuff in the house. I have learnt how to paint and wallpaper, gib patch, plaster and many other things.

I have done things as cheaply as I could possibly find without being tacky and lame, well I think so anyway!!

So come on in and keep an eye out for my renovation posts coming soon!!!

30 Day Challenge

Day 14 - A TV Show You're Currently Addicted To

I don't watch much TV. I have it on ALL the time at night but I very rarely actually pay attention to it. It's more like background noise rather than something I pay much attention to.

But when I think about it a show I really like to watch is Grand Designs

There is an Australian version but I really don't like it as much as the UK one. 

Kevin McCloud totally makes the show. I love the way he presents the show. He's fantastic! 

I guess one of the reasons I love this show is seeing people build their dream homes. I would LOVE to build my very own dream home. Seeing the effort, pride and love that goes into these homes is AMAZING. Some of the buildings they renovate are spectacular before they even start! It is awe inspiring. 

Grand Designs Live House of the Year is Eco

30 Day Challenge

Day 11 - A Picture Of Your Favourite Memory

I don't have just one favourite memory. I have many. Here are a few, in no particular order ......

When Jase arrived in New Zealand

When I became a Mum for the first time with my little Riley

When my wee Princess Abbey arrived

When I opened my Scrap Heap Store

My Wedding Day

Buying my first house

Better After

A while ago now I stumbled upon one of my most favourite blogs called Better After ... read about my finding it HERE

I have been doing a lot of renovating, upcycling and rejuvenating around my place since I moved in. I have a lot of before pics! Not as many after pics but I am slowly getting there!

I decided that I would start doing a weekly Better After post to share with you guys what I have done, as well as encourage me to get MORE after's finished!

So here is my first Better After!

BEFORE

This was how part of my back yard looked when we first moved in. The previous owners had a spa pool set up here, which didn't come with the house. It was ugly and such a waste of space. As soon as I had a think about this space I knew I wanted to put my vegetable garden here. So I put it on the list of things to do.

My BEAUTIFUL friend Sima J told me that she was starting a new thing through her Church called "Help Your Neighbour" and she wanted to come help me do something around the house. Now I am a bit of a typical kiwi who tends to NOT like asking or accepting help. I almost said no thanks I'm all good. But then I thought about it some more. I am on my own now. I CAN'T do everything by myself so just suck it up and accept the help gratefully!! So I did.

So one Saturday Morning Sima J, her lovely family and a few friends and my Mum trucked on up and got MAD busy.

DURING

They were AMAZING. My crazy weird square of nothingness became an amazing vegetable garden all in one morning!! 

Silly time of year to make a veggie garden since it's mostly the wrong time for planting much!! But at planting season I plan to fill my garden with yummy things! I sure hope I am a successful gardener so I can share the fruits with my labourers!!

AFTER

Love Love Love my garden!! Thank you SOOOOO much Sima J and crew. I can not even begin to express how much your help means! 

And anyone who knows about veggie gardening, when and what to plant advice is GREATLY received!!

Welcome Home Palmers

We are finally home .. in OUR house!! What an AWESOME feeling!! When I saw that door mat I knew I HAD to have it because it sums it all up!

I don't have any photos to show you about the move or anything exciting to show yet but man how exciting!!

We spent the first night in the house on mattresses on the floor in the living room, then the trucks came and moved everything the next day.

We are still not properly unpacked, there are boxes all over the place and the garage has lots of stuff in it that will eventually come into the house but I can take my time .. I am not going anywhere for a long long time ... if ever!

Owning your own home has the downfalls too. Like the fact I have had to have the fireplace repaired before we could use it. I need jobs done by roofers, plumbers, electricians and drain layers! I have called a million trades people and had so many quotes!! This part of home owning I am not enjoying. I hate talking on the phone!!!

I have BIG plans! I have made a Home Reno Book (in orange of course!)


I am using it to write down what needs to be done, what I want to do. I am putting paint and fabric samples in there. Pinterest ideas, anything! I have promised my Mum I won't do anything until I have lived here for a few months and I am sticking by that promise. I have so many ideas and the longer I am here the more I know what I want! I can not wait to start painting and wallpapering and all the other things I am going to do!! It is sometimes hard to be patient!!

The fun part is I have bought wallpaper, curtains, new furniture. I have BIG ideas and I am going to get to do it all!! Whoop Whoop!!

So keep an eye out for my Home Reno posts!! I am gonna have lots of before and afters coming up!!

YAY!! For finally being Home!

Surrounded By Boxes!

This is what I am surrounded with .....



Many many of these .....



I am excited, I can't wait to get to UNPACK. Packing is incredibly frustrating! I really don't enjoy it. But to think that this will be the last time I pack up and the last time I move house for a long time (or ever!) just makes me smile. I have moved A LOT!

Jase and I lived in 9 different houses together. I sure was hoping that we would be making this leap into home ownership together but sadly it isn't to be. Moving into this house is in a way a little bitter sweet. I think about him constantly. He was an awesome packer and organiser. He would have had things sorted and arranged without hesitation. I miss him so much and it still hurts so much but Jase is always with us as long as we keep his memories alive he will always be in our hearts and in our home!

But!! I still can't wait to get into that house and start making it our home!!

Grown Up Things

Funny how when you are a teenager and you think about when you are in your 30's you think things will be so much different to the reality. I certainly never ever expected to be living the life I am. I don't feel all grown up. I certainly don't feel like I know everything, which as a teenager I thought I would! But I feel like I have finally entered the world of grown ups and I have bought myself a house!! I move at the beginning of September so am at the moment surrounded by boxes, bubble wrap and packing tape! So here is a teensy tour of my new house which I can finally call home!







None of the furniture in the photos is mine. Although they are leaving a piano in the house for me! I am so looking forward to making a house my own. Every single house Jase and I rented we would discuss what we would do if it was ours. Now I can do that! And of course it will be orangefied!! I have some ideas of what I want to do already but I have promised myself (and my Mum!!) that I will do nothing until we've lived there for a few months. I am really looking forward to blogging about the things I do in my house as well as all the cool things I make (mostly inspired from pinterest!!) to decorate my house as well!

Yay for grown up things!