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

does a house need a style or a theme or a mood or an era??

Greetings all,

As i have the exciting task of planning a homestead for my family . . . what i do know after 15 years of marriage & living in Army housing - is what i don't want!!  Seeing we've lived all over Australia & gathered 4 children along the way + left the concept of building a house for ourselves for so long . . . we're now planning/ building a homestead for where we will be in a few years time . . . regional Canberra with almost 4 teenagers, a retired soldier & my sewing will become a hobby again!!

Oh we've had some weird aspects to our Army houses - a cyclone shelter in the bathroom, orange/ brown shower screens & the first 4 houses all had the same lino??  Add to that some bizarre colour combinations - like butter yellow walls with red carpet & sky blue doors with grey walls.  In true rental property style, they all have vertical blinds, crappy gardens & zero storage.  

We want to build on 100 acres/ 40 ha - not to farm it, but for the space & privacy, with animals, a barn, swimming pool & running track.  We need 5 bedrooms, an open study, an adult-sized bath in our ensuite & serious walk in pantry. 
We don't necessarily have a style, theme, mood or an era in mind . . . does it matter??  I think it would work in an established home or neighbourhood but we're building from scratch in the middle of a paddock, so plan a classic style, a modest theme, a welcoming mood & uncomplicated era.  I like plain & neutral, allowing art & furniture to do the talking, or as the television experts would say "the hero of the room" by way of colour/ interest/ feature.  I think if you're planning an Early Settler unadorned style homestead for a large family, swanky period features can look a bit . . . wanky.      

 Last night i was kicking myself that my husband was on a plane & not watching Grand Designs with me, as i think they featuered my favourite house EVER!!  The simple elegance of it all, attention to detail = clean lines & a sheer joy of a home!!

 It wasn't a challenging castle restoration, or a whacky cliff side renovation; it was a mix of new millenium eco cleverness, Scandinavian lightness & mid century perfection.  The interior designer/ owner Kathryn Tyler has an amazing eye for classic styling - putting years of thrifted finds into storage while she dreamed up the most fabulous home for them. 

 Many fixtures were from hardware stores or DIY, then built over by the carpenter, making them look a million dollars & custom made.  Kathryn designed the most incredible shelves in line with the stairs & clever storage/ seating/ table concepts!!  You could see the television show host & architect Kevin McCloud was extremely impressed (Series 7, Episode 29).

 My inspiration is blue, grey & white throughout with art on the walls & fabric on the soft furnishings providing the colour.  Soaking up building tips from friends who are in the midst of creating their homes . . . grab supplies from hardware stores or on line, if you're flexible & can stomach the fact an internal door is merely a-rectangle-piece-of-wood & you need 20 of them, then $40 doors will do instead of purchasing 20 x $200 doors.  Ditto for taps.  I'm not after the latest award winning Italian tap - so long as water comes out of it, i'll be happy.  Ok i'm not that easy, i want recessed sinks & taps fixed to the walls not the benches (kitchen, bathroom, laundry) as i loathe water pooling around tap bases or sink edge.  I married the son of a plumber who embraces my passion for simple plumbing design. 

So while my husband is busy soldiering & i plan the next Lego giveaway on this blog . . . i am flicking through homey magazines sourcing ideas & starting debates . . . like curtains versus shutters.  I can absolutely see us living in the house in my mind, i could quite easily fill our garage with ornaments & reconditioned furniture as pieces of the future homestead puzzle.
Do you have a style, theme, mood or an era for your home/ dreams??  Love Posie