Landscape design

Not sure if you can read this - I have issues reading the original as the font size is so small. Basically they propose some tree removals and some additional plants like camellias, gardenias and frangipanis. A retaining wall on one side of the house and a driveway, of course.

External Colours

Two days later and my head is still swimming with colours, designs and choices. It was a long and exhausting day, made that little bit easier by having Anastasia by my side. Here are the external colours we are using

BRICKS - Chocolatto

ROOF, GUTTERS, FASCIA, WATERTANK ETC - Colorbond Monument

RENDER, CLADDING & BARGE - Taubmans Mountain Shadow (no image)

FRONT DOOR - Taubmans Viking Grey (no image)

GARAGE DOOR - Colorbond Dune

EAVES & ALFRESCO CEILINGS - Bristol Greylocks

LAUNDRY DOOR - Taubmans Surfmist

WINDOWS & REAR STACKER DOORS - Airlite Bond Off White (no image)

Let's see how it actually turns out when on large areas, with shadowing, full sun etc. You can get the basic idea though...

Brick selection

I managed to convince the children that they needed to help me pick the bricks for our new house this afternoon (a McDonald's lunch helped the cause). I had an idea of colour (brown) and that I didn't want to pay for upgrading bricks. This made my selection very easy as of course the standard range has very few choices. At this stage, our choice is 'Chocolatto'. Next decision is roof, gutter, fascia & window colour.

Any thoughts? Monument (dark grey) or Loft (maroony brown)?

A progress report

It has been a week or two since the last blog post. Here is where we are at....

1) We are waiting to hear back from the first neighbour we approached to see if they will grant us an easement over their property. If we get a YES, we then need to approach another neighbour. Yes, 2 properties and therefore 2 lots of compensation and 2 other sets of legal fees!

2) I met with the lovely AJ from 're-do my space' on Monday. I feel really confident that she can help me to decorate the super large house so that it is warm & homely. AJ got me over the line too as far as taking it slow. I would LOVE to have the house nicely furnished from pretty much the moment we move in. Lately I have been thinking that this really isn't realistic especially as I want to do it right. I will pick a few key rooms to do first and then work on others as money allows. This house will have NO Fantastic Furniture in it ;-)

3) Still waiting on the pool quote/plan to be sent to me so that it can be added to the plan to go to council.

Off to Melbourne on Friday for my annual shopping, coffee, footy, wine, 5 star hotel trip with Brad and one of the companies that he is the client of. Bought new gloves today preparing for the icy cold temps we are expecting.

Interior Design/Colours

In preparation for my COLOUR DAY in mid July with Home Options Gallery, I am meeting with my interior designer/friend Anastasia next week to talk all things colour & texture. I have a very basic idea of what I want but need help to pull it all together in a way that is not flat & bland.

Anastasia has a business called re-do my space. Check it out. http://www.redomyspace.com.au/
On top of her skill level, she is one of the loveliest people I know.

Further developments

The last few days have seen a few hiccups....

1) A frantic call from our CSO on Friday was received asking me if we were having a pool. (The landscape designer had mentioned positioning of the pool.) I replied YES as per the provisional allowance in the contract that we have both signed. Rania asked if we had wanted it excavated/shell before build or we wanted to look after it all ourselves after settlement. Confirmed the earlier as per conversation with Sara upon contract signing. Oops - it wasn't put on the plan by EBH! A quick call was made to the pool company to start the planning of the pool. And the plans will need to be redrawn soon.

2) We need to approach neighbours to ask for an easement right over their properties as we have no stormwater drainage. Firstly EBH informed us that we REALLY want them to say no so that we can use absorption trenches (quicker & cheaper). Counter advice from our trusted plumber and the hydraulic engineer employed by EBH saw me a little jaded. Furthermore, we were advised to approach the incorrect neighbour (upslope rather than the logical downslope neighbour) So glad that I didn't rush in and go doorknocking!

* Today we had an appointment to design our pool, right down to the last tile! Very exhausting, technical 90 minutes. We are building a rectangular pool with a 'wine & cheese' ledge across the width of the pool and a smaller, deep water ledge. A very fine, smoothish pebblecrete finish with a blue fleck in it. Needed to move the position of the pool from where I had thought it belonged due to lay-of-the land - no biggie!

* Moved straight onto a consult with the landscape design company. It was fairly straightforward. The brief is 'as little as possible at this stage' as I am thinking we will need to take out another mortgage for the retaining walls on the property! We can always build on the garden later down the track.

Block of land

This is the block of land that we are building on in Thornleigh (Hornsby Council). Land size = 1012msq which is approx 20m x 50m. A short 2 minute walk to the school and about 10 minute walk to the station.