18 September 2011

building or renovating, how to choose??

Greetings all,
Oh boy, starting a home from scratch or even renovating, how on earth . . . where do you begin . . . what to choose . . . right down to the power points??
Now we've lived in some pretty awful Army houses over the past 15 years, we know what we don't like so we're finding that planning our homestead, is kind of process of elimination. 
 First up, i never thought i'd care so much about what the power points looked like!!  But i do!!
 My husband & i agree on shape/ style/ design/ colour/ practical use of whatever it is we're looking at . . . 90% of the time, our tastes match & this far out from actually building, the other 10% doesn't even matter, i'm sure price will confirm many of our decisions.  I'm ALL about the bath, he is all about the oven.  I'd like to dream . . . while i'm indulging in a bath, he's cooking a feast in the oven!!
 I've suffered some bloody ordinary toilet roll holders in my time, our current ones constantly fall off, they are so friggen annoying, why, it's such an uncomplicated product with a simple purpose.  The worst one was a school toilet style roll holder in our first Army house in Holsworthy NSW.  That toilet even had an occupied/ vacant turn latch lock, yep, classy!!
As for basins, i LOVE this kind of simple free hanging design, no clutter, no fuss, no bulk, it's non offensive & you can mop under it (yes, i consider how you clean everything, it's all part of the package).  I also love the free hanging bulb style toilet bowls, but not sure about the
'hidden' cistern sealed in the wall cavity, how do you fix them (asks my husband - son of a plumber).  We've even asked salesmen in show homes, they don't know either!!??
 But one buildzilla request i will not budge on will be that ALL my taps, spouts & knobs are mounted on the wall, i've mentioned before how i loathe water pooling at the tap, spouts & knob bases.  I like to use the word 'knob'; do you like the new buildzilla term i just made up??  When we do actually build, i might refer to buildzilla moments!!
 I reckon i spent an hour opening & closing these kitchen drawers . . . they are push-to-open & you can try to slam them closed . . . but they stop, then close automatically, quietly (i choose items what damage teenagers might do too, such as slamming drawers in a huffy agnst!!)  I'm really clumsy, i am always banging my hips, thighs, shins, elbows, forehead on any kind of knob/ handle/ corner, so these smooth flat fronted drawers are perfection for injury prone me!!
Oh something else we do. not. need. is under lit laundry cupboards??  What??  Why??  My laundry is not a nightclub, i don't understand the benefit or expense of lighting up the skirting boards??  I do LOVE the idea of a glass laundry door, what clever use of light. 
Another thing i've never quite warmed to - from hotels around the world to our very own kitchen sink, is the mixer tap.  I often get my husband to run me a shower in a hotel, i can't get the temperature right, pathetic, yes!!  There is one tap i might have to compromise on - coming out from the bench top, not the wall . . . if the kitchen sink is in the island we desire.  I like old fashioned hot & cold taps, actually i LOVE the idea of the surgeon style taps you turn on & off with your elbows.  Wonder if my brother could aquire me some??  As a toddler, his eldest son would turn taps on & off with his elbows - guess what, he also grew up to be a doctor too!!  I'd really want a big laboratory sink, nod to my short pharmacology career. 
I pride myself on being a not-splitting-hairs kind of person, i've also lost my passion for a good argument (i don't know who i am anymore) but picking drawers, taps, toilet bowls, OMG, such choice, so many hairs to split.  Handsome soldier & i do have a theme - classic, practical, non offensive style, almost plain . . . that way it won't date too quickly & we can add colour, texture, patterns & style with ornaments, not the fixtures!!  Have happy weeks everyone.  Love Posie

23 comments:

Tania said...

Cripes. Building or renovating scares the living daylights out of me. And I hadn't even considered tapware! Am off, post haste, to put head back in the sand but when the time comes, will be following your buildzilla (and not) moments, with great interest...

Anonymous said...

Buildzilla? Oh I love it and will watch with great interest as the house unfolds!

PinkPatentMaryJanes said...

I think I'd go insane renovating a whole house. Luckily my hubby and I are like you and yours - we tend to agree on most things - but I'm the oven and, oh, guess I'm also the bath...

Good luck. Oh, and having been to a cafe lately that had one of those wall-hung toilets hanging at an alarming angle (obviously after someone exceeded the weight limit - eek!) I'd be a bit wary.

B is building a house said...

I love my mixer taps =))))

B

trash said...

We are sitting here have just such discussions about kitchen units, layout and design while I was readingthis post. The choice available is unbelieveably daunting. I keep wanting to run off into a corner and cry.

Brenda @ 13 Acres said...

oh yes, that does sound bit overwhelming....sometimes there can be too much choice....perhaps create a bit of a theme, mood board and only stick with that...cuts out a lot of what you already weren't considering....and HAVE FUN!!! xxx

tinajo said...

Decisions, decisions - sometimes they can make me crazy when we renovate. And then I think of how we plan to build a home from scratch in the future and then it will REALLY be decisions to make, which makes me tired just thinking of it... I guess I´ll love it and hate it at the same time. :-)

brismod said...

I was all about the oven too for our place. Jason was all about the brass window fittings. It's so funny what you have your heart set on. Sunds like you guys will be fine whatever option you choose. xx

Mrs Flying Blind... said...

Buildzilla - genius! I would love to have one of those mega kitchen taps with the big extended hose - I would never complain about washing up again!!

Magi said...

I feel the same way about mixer taps - maybe I am old school. I am a little fixated on bathrooms though. I love this idea from Pottery Barn for people with lots of kids sharing one bathroom (scroll half way down):
http://www.itsapartyfullife.com/kid_s_bathrooms
It is a bit primary school like but I think a trough would be so efficient (the kids splash so much water about that most of it lands on top of the vanity rather than in the sink).

Anonymous said...

The buildzilla term is classic :)

I have longed dreamed of building our own home with as much recycled items as possible...though hubby doesn't share my sentiments and wants everything modern and new..eek.

It will make for an interesting journey once we actually start and I imagine there will be a lot of compromises on both our parts...lucky you and your hubby see eye to eye on most things :)

x

Magi said...

Am having trouble with "comments" tonight - second time lucky.

I like this idea by pottery barn:
http://www.itsapartyfullife.com/kid_s_bathrooms
(scroll half way down).

It is a bit primary school like but I think it would work well in a bathroom shared by lots of kids.

Bron said...

Oh I couldn't do it too many choices I am not good with the many options thing. We have been in our house 12 1/2 years and I don't think we will move anytime soon...good luck with all the dreaming and planning.

Libby said...

I'm so with you on the wall mounted tap/spout...the mould around them on the sink drives me bananas!
Love the buildzilla term...think you should trademark it and register a domain name NOW!!!
Hope your domestic bliss with your husband is involving lots of closed doors :))

Anonymous said...

I am with you, Posie, go classic, neutral colours, quality fittings and you can't go wrong. It's exciting times.

How I look forward to your Buildzilla updates.

Have fun.

Kel x

p.s. I'd have to have bench space around my bathroom sink for makeup, hairdryers etc. I pack it all away after use for the uncluttered look.

Travel With Lulu said...

I can find all those choices overwhelming. Good luck! I'm sure whatever you choose will be perfect :) XOL

Ange Moore said...

When we built a few years ago we ended up choosing the same tapeware and drawer handles for all of our wet areas. It made it easier for the plumber and it has given the house a real sense of continuity!

Good luck with your decision making Buildzilla!!

seabreezequilts said...

When I saw that toilet picture I was getting flashbacks. About 5 years ago we redid our old bathroom. My husband could not decide on a bloody toilet. We went back to the show room at least 6 times and each time he picked the same toilet then by the time we got home he decided he wasn't sure. I was going to strangle him. He then didn't want a sharp edge on the bath so they put a shelf on the wall side of the bath and had the bath flush with the tiles. The builders then couldn't get a tap that would reach into the bath so we got the one and only one we could get for a water system at the time which I can only describe as phallic. I put a flannel over it when we have guests lol. I wonder why I haven't done the kitchen.

Mammamusing said...

I don't envy your decision making. I'd be overwhelmed and second guessing myself every step of the way!

Kate
xx

ps - I love a mixer tap! No struggling with taps with dirty hands :)

posie blogs Jennie McClelland said...

Oh there is quite the debate rising on mixers, hmmm, i still don't like them, love Posie

Tas said...

I became oh-so-anal when we renovated. In some cases it counteracted the complacency of some of the tradies; in other cases, it was just...anal. It is amazing what details you can get bogged down in. Did I tell you about the sensor lights in our bathrooms? Or the heat vent in the laundry? Or the...?

studiobagno said...

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Kelly @ Polkadot Lane said...

We've almost finished a major rebuild and renovation, and we went with the neutral/classic big things like tiles, taps, kitchen cupboards and I love it! I've been able to add colour & texture (my walls in the kitchen are painted 'firefly' red..so in love with it!) and I know that if I wanted to, I could change it easily enough with a coat of paint and a few accessories. All the best with your build, and have fun!