Blinds

Finally some privacy - not that we really needed it with all the trees and hiwalls - but security is a concern. We went with aliminium pewter-coloured blinds for a more modern effect throughout the house. The bedrooms and bathrooms have wooden venetians.

Courtyard

The first set of renovations to the cottage (to the right of the image) will be to add the sliding wooden door that leads onto the courtyard. Where Diesel is standing (I'm constantly followed by animals!) will be a water feature that the lounge diningroom, entrance and cottage will all look out onto. A real centerpiece. Still working on the style of water feature - most things seem either too zen, or too OTT. Either way, it will be surrounded by grass, making this a very tranquil area.

Cottage back!

Ulindi's mom is coming for Christmas and we've done up the cottage for her. Little biggybest at the moment - lot of hand-me-down stuff - but great to have the space back, and as a result, our studies. Renovations due in the new year - the bathroom and sliding glass door addition in the lounge will be first.

A more recent and lived-in view from the kitchen

Bring on summer!

But hold the rain a little...

Putting pieces together...

Puzzles. Ulindi has started a 4000 piece puzzle on the new coffee table - the only table that could possibly accomodate it - and yet, still not. She forgot to check the size (a whopping 1300mm x 960mm).
I'll watch tv thanks

New housemate...

Greenside birds beware - Russia, stealthy and sleek, hunter extraodinaire, is on the prowl

Things that make a house home...

The funky fridge with updated pics and magnets

Engaged! Ulindi's moved in

"Just a few things"... she said.
We've run out of space - Ulindi has more furniture than she accounted for - so we're waiting to get the rented out area back before we handle the mess of boxes, beds, couches and chairs :-)
Welcome fiance, looking forward to making it ours.

Summer Renovations Done

New patio, new pool, new grass, new lights - bring on summer!
The house is open, add more garden, and the new pool is amazing. Next, paint the whole house, but when I returm. I leave for the States today - so well done to Nic and Richard for completing the renovations just in time :-)

Fill 'er up

So the marbelite is dry, the mosaic is up, the coping tiles complete - let the water flow... And the water take 48 hours, at least :-)
The lights work, the patio is almost complete, grass will be planted round the pool - and when I come back, the walls painted.
Only one thing missing.
Summer.

One small step...

Taking shape - next the tiles and lights get added and the patio is complete. The study, the room on the screen left, will eventually have double doors opening up onto this area.
The steps have had to be redone; they were far too narrow, and as a direct result, the bottom step is fairly small. Lights will be added to the top and second step, and then along the length of the new wall.
The area under the bathroom and kitchen window, screen right of the pic, was going to get a cupboard, but we've built it to accomodate a small flower garden. I can still come back the cupboard at a later stage.

I am a hollow shell

Top pic is the deep end and they're building cocktail steps on either side. Lights have been added, and a new weir - the old was leaking.
Bottom pic is the shallow end - also has a light (this pool is huge and needs two at least). The steps and corners are being squared - the round edges aren't as modern.
The tiles and mosaic have arrived, and once the rain stops, they will lay new marbelite and then start laying the tiles.

The pool, we've discovered, had a layer of fiberglass over the original marbelite, and on the original marbelite they had a very intense mosaic - most of the builders time has been used to remove the fiberglass and chip away at the mosaic below... crazy??

Day 4: Wiring and Patio Lights

The conduit runs to the wall edges and I'm embedding circular brushed steel lights most of the length of it at intervals.
The wooden kitchen door will also be replaced at some stage with a framed glass door, like the rest of the house.

Day 4: Landfill continues

Start of the steps, the foundations are laid and the conduit and wiring has been set - just needing a bit more fill and we're set to add final concrete and start tiling.
New builders are working fast.

Day 1: Pool Demolition

Ok, arrive home and suddenly realise I'm in the thick of renovations again. How'd that happen...

Make fireplaces in summer and redo pools in winter....

So the next set of renovations has to do with the pool - it has a leak and the bricks around are really ugly...

First step will be to drain the pool, remarbelite (royal blue), remove the bricks, removes the coping tile and mosaic, then retile.

While I'm doing this I intend to extend the existing patio all the way to the study and make one large patio the full length of the house.



This will result in the loss of a lot of trees, which is a pity, but also will help to lose some of the shade and overgrown aspects of the back garden.

Make sense?

Will start this week, and hopefully be complete by the first week of Sep... watch this space :-)

It's been awhile, but here we go again...

ok, so i didn't do pre shots and if you look at that fireplace it looks like it's always been there - it just fits, but if you go back in the archives and see what used to be there, you'll see why i did this renovation overnight when the gas started leaking. The reason I actually went with this model is because its one of the few gas burning fireplaces that can convert natural muncipality gas direct from mozambique. Egoli gas is also really cost effective and simple - I never need to refill canisters, and the bill in winter is never more that about R150-200, and that's for geysers, cooking and fireplace.

Quieter times

Hello everyone. It's been awhile since I've updated - got robbed while sleeping and the laptop unfortunately went - all pics lost, again.

Have since increased the security - a new 'intelligent' alarm system has been installed, complete with beams across the property.
The cottage area also has tenants - a lovely couple who will stay till December.
Renovations have stopped for now - I'm working on installing blinds, a new gas fireplace, and generally cleaning up the interior.
Later this year though I will tackle the pool - which has a leak. I'm also thinking of the double garage - but that does involve leaving the property for a month as there will be no gate/wall securing the house.
The house is looking lovely, a year down the line - and despite my initial hesitancy at this investment, and two burglaries, I'm loving the place and the neighbourhood :-)

Anyone want to rent?

I'm hoping to rent out the 'cottage' area as of Feb... busy painting and installing blinds, getting it ready. I'll only lease it for 6 months - not too keen to be sharing my home with someone for too long.

Where do you read Time?

This massive sliding door is the major reason I need blinds, soon. At the moment the door opens onto the driveway... this will eventually change, but for now, the privacy would be welcome.

New views on the same places

My favourite view in the entire house - lying in the bath looking out the window at the trees, with the sun shining down through the skylights

New Bathroom

Just needs some paint and a couple of adjustments to the basin, but otherwise its functional. Blinds will be installed soon - at the moment i might as well be showering in full view of the street :-)

Entrance and Dining room

A little more lived in...

With furniture, painted walls, crap lying all over, some pics of the ambience...

New Year's Renovations :-)

Best of the new year to everyone! Not sure how much renovation I'm going to do this year - quite happy to get a feel for my new place.
Still some things to fix up and neaten, so I will update as and when new developments take place.
Some new angles on a more lived in house...