Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Progress in the front garden

We started work in the front part of the garden this weekend.  Here are some scary before shots, followed by some that show our progress.  Still a ways to go! 


Let's take a moment to admire the current external colour scheme of poo brown bricks with terracotta and green trim.  Noice.

 
See what I mean about it looking a bit like the surface of Mars? We partially cleared this area a while back, but then got pre-occupied with things inside the house.

 
Due to the severe ongoing drought and a major case of neglect on our behalf, most of the garden is struggling to survive.  Hence, we are embarking on a complete overhaul to simply things and introduce hardier, lower maintenance plants and trees.

 
Once cleared, the weed mat goes down. 


 

 
Mid-gravel installation! Love a good action shot.



 




Isobel helps out

 
Turns out shoveling gravel is rather noisy

 
This is where the path will be laid


 
New planters

 
New plants - Evergreen Giant. Should grow to around 60cm tall.

 
New trees - Chinese Pistachios

 
Two pavers laid, about 15 million to go.  Who would have thought the Wiggles 'Big Red Car could come in handy for shoveling dirt?

Friday, January 15, 2010

Pavers



This is what I am thinking for a small path of pavers in our front garden.  

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Goodness for the garden

A look at some of the plants I would like to incorporate into our new garden.....


 Blue Fescue via Nativesungardens 

 
Helichrysum White Licorice


 
Alternanthera

 
Purple Fountain grass




Swamp Foxtail grass

 
Agaves via Jack Merlo Design


 
 Lomandra

 
 Grass Tree via Flickr

 
 Little Gem Magnolia via Flickr

 
Chinese Star Jasmine
(so beautifully fragrant!)



 Chinese Pistachio


Autumn Blaze Maples via Hamilton College

Charcoal + green



I am planning on painting the exterior of our house a beautiful charcoal grey.  Don't you just love how green foliage contrasts with it so beautifully, as in these lovely pics by Martha from Uniform Studio?  I am currently planning a small area of our front garden which we intend to tackle this weekend. The plan is one teensy bit at a time, otherwise I get completely overwhelmed.  I am no landscape designer.....and definitely no horticulturist! So I am finding it a challenge, but also that I do quite enjoy it and excitement of all the possibilities. 



Monday, January 11, 2010

The kitchen! Finally!

Finally, some pics of the long awaited kitchen reno.  It's mostly finished - just some things we need to save up some extra $$ before completing - like blinds and/or s-track curtains for the windows and new sliding doors (out onto a super sexy brand new deck - designed in my head, but nowhere near being built.....).  Oh, and a delicious Stella dining table.



Here are some before shots, from when we first moved in:


The previous owners left us a maiden hair fern which I promptly killed.  Indoor plants are not really my gig. Not ones that need tender loving care anyhow.



One of my favourite features - the public toilet-esque flouro lights.



Mmmm, loving those vertical blinds. And the shark grille sliding door.  Which we still have, but will eventually be replaced by something much easier on the eye. And harder on the wallet.




The piece de resistance, the mural of a french country kitchen on the splash back.  In our beige laminate 80's kitchen.  Weird.


Cork tiles in the kitchen, old and crusty carpet in the family room.  Not so handy for those with a two year old with a food throwing fetish. See her skulking around in the background? Looking all innocent and cute and stuff.

And so the demo begins.......







And finally.....it's all sparkly and new! 


The Tom Dixon Copper Shade's I lusted after for so long.  With the Osborne and Little Trifid wallpaper on the rear wall.  This combo makes me weak at the knees every time I enter the kitchen.



Shame about the massive ugly air conditioner, but with 40 degree (Celsius) days all this week, hell - I am not getting rid of that sucker.




I ended up going with the Sebastian stools from IKEA.  At $69 a pop, I say you can't go wrong.


We went with a Smeg freestanding cooker and range hood, and got the Smeg microwave for free as part of a very handy promotion running at Domayne.  Some people are all matchy-matchy with their appliances and insist on going with the same brand for everything.  I say buy exactly what will work best for you and fit your budget.  I am yet to have anyone visit and gasp 'Oh my!  A Smeg cooktop and a Miele dishwasher!  RUN!'. 





In the end, I went for a large 900 x 300mm polished tile splash back (with a pinstripe you need to be up close to see running through it).  If I could have found the right subway tiles, I still think they would have been the business....but these guys are super easy to clean and leave all the attention to the Copper Shades and the wallpaper. 


The freestanding bookcase is from Decor Living.



I adore my Iittala Ego coffee cups I picked them up from Unit Concepts in their pre-Christmas sale.


Some of Isobel's little skittle monkeys I have stolen and put on the shelf.  Insanely cute.


Paper Vase from Papaya, porcelain bandage votives from The Hive Gallery.






The view from the front hall.  I love that you can see the wallpaper through the  glass of the front door side panel as you come to the entry.  Once again, it's a shame about the ugly air con, but a girl's gotta keep her cool somehow.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

And then they were flat...


Apparently my (supposedly) drought tolerant False Agaves are not too happy in 38 degree  (100F) heat.  I came home and this is how they greeted me.  Oh so very sad!  Needless to say, I am doing an emergency water as we speak.  

See the ugly brown colour of our bricks?  I am hoping this won't be the case for much longer.  Goodbye pooey brown brick house with terracotta and heritage green trim!  If I have to look at you for much longer, I may just have to scratch my eyes out.





Wednesday, January 6, 2010

New Year garden inspiration



Happy New Year!  I am very excited to welcome 2010 - it's like opening up a new journal, creasing down the first crisp white page, fresh and untouched, just waiting to be filled.  I have so many things I'd like to achieve, and for the first time in a long time, some of these things may actually be attainable with two whole days to myself each week.  Oh the luxury!


First project of the year - the garden.  These pics from Blake Dollahite (found via The Brick House) inspire me to go from the surface of Mars to something fabulous.