Some 'almost' afters

So, we didn't get quite as much done as we had planned, but still, there have been a few changes around here! Hopefully the new light will go up this week, and we will pick up some shelves for that empty wall in the dining room, but it's coming along!

Here we go...piccies! I take terrible pictures, it's something I really need to work on (I like to blame our camera, but really, it's just me!)

This is the pic from the internet listing of the lounge/dining room - it doesn't look too bad, but the living room was quite small, and the colours weren't right - and the kitchen was hidden away behind a door! The wall with the picture on the right has moved back about 2 feet, and also has a cut out through to the kitchen.

And now - our new white sofas (or one of them!), charcoal dining room - see how perfectly the colour matches our dog!

My husband won't be thrilled about this pic, but it's a 'mid-way' picture, taken last Winter.

We love the effect of the white shutters against the new dark colour! It also helps define the dining area from the living room. The light will be fantastic against this colour too!

This is another real estate picture. It doesn't look too bad either, but the benchtops were sticky...ew... the paint was quite grubby, and check out that lino! The tiling was atrocious and there was nowhere for the microwave! Plus...it had no character. We removed the return with the stools under it, replaced it with a cabinet, and added an island that we already had! We made a feature of a the bulkhead (which we hated, but won't come down until we do a complete kitchen make-over) by painting it in blackboard paint. I change the quote about once a month though!

The splashback needs to be painted again (they mixed the paint with the wrong base, so it will be a little darker, and the brackets will be painted too, and we need to add some trim along the top, but it's definately an improvement. You can't really see the limewashed benchtops here either, but they are great!

More excitement

Our sofas, with their new white slip covers, are being delivered back to us on Saturday afternoon!
The light for the dining area is being picked up on Friday afternoon, and we are hoping to get the walls of the dining room painted dark charcoal before the sofas get back...wet charcoal paint and white sofas are a scary combination...but dry charcoal paint and white sofas? TO DIE FOR (I hope!)!

OMG, sale time!

The Lucient Pendant light, and the Tolix A Chair (in a galvanised finish - a replica too) are both ON SALE right now. Mr Limecello and I are going internet shopping tonight...woohoo!

Hopefully this weekend I will also have pics of our temporary kitchen makeover - I am painting the splashback tonight!

Lights 'n' Chairs

Ok, so I have a whole lotta lights I love, and a whole lotta chairs I love, and I have to say it like that, because I love the song 'Whole Lotta Rosie' by AC/DC.

I think they all work together, but the styles vary quite a lot, and I was trying to figure out how to make them all work in our dining room, study nook and kitchen, without any one area seeming too industrial, too rustic, too cottage-y, too modern or too retro. And incorporating white, metal/stainless steel and dark wood tones!

BUT, it would seem, I have finally come up with a plan...and both Mr Limecello and I LOVE IT!

1. The white drum light (which we already have), and white slip-covered sofa (we have nearly finished paying our slip covers off, and will hopefully have them by the end of January) are the living room. I thought it was important to include them as a reference.

2. The Barbados light from Beacon Lighting is perfect for our study nook, as its a bit of a feature, but will soften all the hard edges and corners in the little area. The Bertoia chair (yes, it will be a replica) will add a little glam in stainless steel, and not dominate too much either...its a pretty small area!

3. The Lucient pendant from Click-On was the final piece of the puzzle, and I only spotted it this morning in the latest Home Beautiful. It will be just right over our dining table (the Liatorp), with the cross chairs (again, we already have these) and our dark wooden bench on the other side. The Tolix A Chair is one we have both loved for a long time, and will sit at the heads of our table (we keep it in its oval format). If we paint the dining area grey (which is pretty likely!) both the light and the end chairs will sit beautifully against the colour.

4. And finally the kitchen. We will hang 2 of these Foto shades over the wood topped island in the kitchen, and the Ghost stools (replicas again!) will bring a bit of 'fab' to the kitchen (stay tuned for an update on that plan too!)

We both love chandeliers too, so fortunately there is room for 2 of them in our hallway!

I am so happy just looking at the plan...I can't wait to make it happen...even if it takes a couple of years!

Guess Where I am Going Tonight?

Hmm, probably not really worth a post, but I am going to Ikea tonight! I haven't been there since just after we moved into our house...9 months ago! That's a long time in my world! No interesting purchases intended (just one kitchen cabinet frame!), but that's not to say we won't come away with a haul of items.

We are going to do some investigations into benches for the (new!) entryway, beds (not sure about buying a bed from Ikea, but will have a look anyway!), sofa-beds, kitchen appliances (namely, their fully intergrated dishwasher!), kitchen door styles, sinks for the laundry...and kitchen and maybe some shelving too!

And have a good look at all the other fun things!

UPDATED POST VISIT: I have to say, I was a little disapointed. I don't know if it's because I see so much of it online, or because my taste is developing (just a little!) but it just wasn't the same. For the first time ever, I noticed some of the poor quality, and the fact that a lot of the whites weren't 'white' enough. Still plenty of good things though (lighting, storage, fabric etc), and we are pretty certain we will be getting an Ikea kitchen (but will go elsewhere for the dishwasher).

Lovely New Blogs

Via Ada and Darcy , I have just found 2 (new to me) gorgeous blogs! Chek and Life at Number 10 are both great reads, full of pretty pictures and inspiration!

And while I am talking about other blogs, please head over to Pottering About, for pics of Rose's latest quilt...which I ADORE! It is gorgeous!!!

Hopefully some pics of our reno's to come soon - walls and ceiling are painted, first coat is down on the floors, and maybe some trims will get done this weekend!

Benefits of running...

...early in the morning!

1. Seeing really beautiful wood doors (3 of them!!!!) by the side of the road.

2. Umm...sorry, thats the only benefit I can think of right now.

I am really hoping they are there when I go back tonight...I felt it was a little unfair to knock on someone's door (the one attached to the house, not the ones on the side of the road!) at 6.30am.

Might do a drive-by before work actually and see if I can squeeze them into my car!

UPDATED: They were gone by the time I drove past an hour later. It wasn't meant to be.