Our house featured

Our house featured over on the Stylish Livable Spaces blog recently which you can view and read the article HERE   All images supplied by Louise Treacy Photography

Angie from Stylish Livable Spaces is responsible for our gorgeous exterior and interior colour scheme. I worked with her on getting the exterior colours just right and she was wonderful to work with - I can honestly say it was one of the best things we spent during the build!

As we had alot of exterior elements such as the roof, render, weatherboard, posts etc it was great to get an experienced colour consultant on board. The render colour she chose works beautifully and tends to be lighter or darker depending on the weather and the sun's position. The images below were taken on a very rare sunny winters day so render appears quite light.

To view our colour choices please see this post HERE

Front of house - the garden looking very dormant over winter!.

Colour & Finishes - Our Forever Home

I regularly receive emails and phone calls from my lovely readers who would love to know the colours and finishes we choose for our home - they are listed in a few posts but thought it would be best to have a new blog post listing them all so its easier to find

The exterior colours as as follows

RENDER - Dulux Mangaweka - appears quite dark but once painted and with different light this choice was perfect

Roof    - Colourbond Shale Grey
Facia    - Colourbond Surfmist
Veranda posts, garage and weatherboards - Colourbond Surfmist
Windows - Dulux Vivid White
Eves - Mount Aspiring

Entrance and studio door - Black Cavier

For the interiors

WALLS                        Dulux Natural White
TRIMS/DOORS           Dulux Natural White 1/4 strength

FLOORS

Tasmanian Oak with a satin waterbase finish
Carpet from Carpet Court

LIGHTS

Entrance - Schots in Collingwood Melbourne www.schots.com.au

Kitchen Lights

Pendant Lights purchased through www.hamptonsstyle.com.au

Exterior Lights - purchased through Milton Lighting www.miltonlighting.com.au

Images by www.louisetreacyphotography.com.au 

 One of Melbourne's best newborn and baby photographers

The 3 month Mark

We have now been in the house for just over 3 months now and the time has flown. Kids are almost all back at school and the summer holidays are almost over ( I survived the 8 weeks!)

My poor blog as been rather neglected as life just seems to get in the way - plus now that we have finished building the updates to the house are happening at a much slower pace.

I read a quote in County Style magazine this month that read 'The memories, the conversations, the layers, can only be created authentically over time in a home'  I loved this and can totally relate with our new house - it will take time to create a finished home with its beautiful layers and life.

The front garden is around 80% completed with the retaining wall, brick edging, lawn and planting coming along. We still have a few garden beds to complete plus finish a few items off. Also need to get a quote for the second driveway sometime this year

Being summer in Melbourne and having to deal with clay soils here some of the plantings have struggled so I am leaving any further planting until April this year

Its funny as we often get people either walking past or stopping in their cars to tell us how much they love our house - it been lovely receiving so many complements

This is what we started with not long after we moved in back in mid October 2014

Looking very bare!

Start of the retaining wall - all hands on deck including our boys!

Big difference once finished 

Preparation for the lawn areas

Gotta love instant lawn - totally broke my back laying this but well worth it

Planting on driveway - these areas have no tripled in size since

Box hedging going in

Lawn looking so green!

And for a 'keeping it real' post this is the current state of our backyard!  Rather depressing and so over whelming but we have big plans for this space over the coming few years including a possible pool and weatherboard pool house in the same colours as the house down the bottom level. Some grass would be a fabulous start though as I am so sick of all the dust!

I have lots of plans for the house this year and have started to feel inspired again. Building this house was quite stressful at the best of times and last year was a crazy busy year for us so looking forward to a slower pace.  I have plans to finish the front garden, make a start on the back, decorate our entrance and our lounge room. 

Best way to follow and keep updated is through instagram - you can follow me here http://instagram.com/ourhamptonstyleforeverhome

Dream House - Weeks 30-33

House build is going well and its exciting seeing it come together.  In the past few weeks cornices have gone up, tiling has been started in the 3 bathrooms and powder room, painters have started, verandah completed on front and back, travertine tiles around fireplace and wood heater installed plus our stone bench tops have been fitted - getting there!

Over the next 6-8 plus weeks alot more work will be completed so stay tuned for some updated images as we near completion  - I can't believe we are heading to the end already- cannot wait to call this beautiful house our home and settle in

Can't wait to see what she will look like with the final render colour and all the paintwork completed

House is so long it never can fit in one photo but this shows the studio entrance to the left.  Handmade round leadlight window will be installed this week

Looking huge from the back! 

Looking muddy and messy before it gets better -we have ALOT of garden design to complete!

Balustrade and stairs still to go on alfresco area

Our stunning french pattern travertine fireplace

Kitchen stone benchtops were installed this week - marble splashback to go on soon

Dream House - Weeks 27-29

We have hit the exciting stage of the house build now - everything is really coming together. It such a relief once you start to see things that you have chosen and designed start to take shape

In the last few weeks the house has been fully rendered  - has made such a difference.  This is the first step, colour is still to go on.

We still need to finalise our colour - we have a pick of three. Going to wait until the posts and windows have been painted and then make a decision.  Windows will be in Dulux Vivid White, Posts and weatherboards detailing in Dulux Shale Grey ( same as roof) and doors ( front and studio ) in Dulux Black Cavier. The render colours appear to be quite dark but when painted on the house they are so much lighter.

I used the services of Angie from Stylish Livable Spaces.  She was fabulous to work with and I am loving how it is all coming together now

Dulux Cashmere

Dulux Mangaweka

Dulux Manaweka

Dulux Black Cavier

The kitchen, bathroom and laundry joinery was also installed this week.  I have been so excited to see it all go in.  I have worked with a fabulous kitchen designer - he has been amazing to work with and the end result is stunning. All joinery features shaker style doors and beautiful handles from Mother Pearl & Sons in Richmond Melbourne.  Looking forward to seeing it all finished but here are some images while they were being installed this week

My stunning dream kitchen - totally in love with it and so glad I followed my heart and went for the darker island bench - it will be seriously heartstopping. Stone benchtops, stunning Carrara Goia marble splashback, my gorgeous lights plus plaster cornice etc still to be installed. You almost shed a few happy tears seeing something that you have designed and agonised over for over 18 months come together -  hubby and I are so proud of our vision for this house - its going to be beautiful and such a lovely home to live in

Next week our floor to ceiling fireplace with wood heater gets tiled in a French Pattern travertine plus bathrooms start to get tiled.  Carpenters are still busy braving the cold Melbourne weather building the back al fresco and finishing skirting boards, doors, plaster cornice, flooring etc

Boys bathroom - our ensuite is the same but double the size. Haven't been able to get a photo of the ensuite as it has no natural light until the leadlight window gets installed next month

Butlers Pantry - over 4 metres long and the other side features a sink and more cabinetry. Will be tiled next week with white subway tiles. Our flooring is Tasmanian Oak

Gorgeous handles from Mother Pearl & Sons

Laundry cabinetry