Bare

So for a while I have been bemoaning how bare the house looks. Especially the walls. I really need to get on and organise curtains as the house is looking so unfinished. But in the meantime I have found some art I really like.

Surfing around cyberland, I came across 'Don't Look' - a series of blind contour sketches of local Melbourne buildings by Every Studio. Blind contour drawings are done without the artist looking at the canvas - so they are really abstract but by the same token they retain their unmistakable identities. There are 5 in the series, and I will be getting three:

 

Flinders Street Station

 

House of Parliament

 

St Pauls Cathedral 

I think they will look great in my study nook (once I tidy it up). If not, I am sure I can find a suitable place for them. In any case, I like them a lot so am delighted that I found them!

The very smallest things

So this weekend has been about small things. But there was one very small thing, indeed, which has really pleased me today. The energy sticker on the upright freezer.

It did not worry me when it was outside (at the old place). But in the new house (visible from the kitchen) the cracked and faded sticker was pissing me off! The front of the freezer is wiped, clean and nice looking. Other than a tacky sticker. Which I tried to remove. Well - wasn't THAT a mistake?? It was really really hard to remove! And every attempt made it look worse.

Ended up with a ripped, faded still adhered sticker which pissed me off every time I saw it - but never QUITE enough to make it to the top of the do something about it priority list. Until today.

2 minutes and the special spray from the shed and Sean had that sticker off, my upright freezer sparkling, and the view from the kitchen so much nicer.

Such a tiny thing. But every time I look at that freezer, now, I feel a little surge of satisfaction!

The next thing

So I am thinking what next. Wingbacks? Or entryway mirror? I have both pretty much selected!

The wingbacks I am 90% decided on. It's just that additional 10% to actually PLACE an order. I can see them in my mind. I can see the accessories. But can I see them in my lounge???

 

Alternatively, I really want a mirror for my entry way. A large wall mounted mirror would be just the ticket - and I think I have found just the one :)

 

I want both, but I am also meant to be saving money. Will leave it a little while and see which comes up trumps. Am happy I have located what I want, though!

When inspiration strikes!

So as we're doing bits and bobs around the house, Sean asks 'what are we going to do with this?' 'This' being a hanging rack he made when we were expecting Oscar.

At the time I just could not find a hanging rack for above the change table. I really wanted one - so eventually Sean said if I found the pegs, he would make one up for me.

Some EBAY shaker style wooden pegs, an offcut of skirting board, a lick of paint and my hanging rack was here. And it loyally served in two nurseries!

 

In Oscar's nursery

 

In Adelaide's nursery

But with a move to the new house, the peg hanger had no obvious place. I considered the WIR and other spots, but nowhere seemed 'right'. Until today, of course, when Sean asked me yet again where it could go. Immediately an idea presented itself... On the back of the door of the 'in and out' cupboard!

The 'in and out' cupboard is so named as it is the place for transitory items. The kids' daycare bags. Library books. Tupperware and DVDs to go back to my mother-in-law. Bags being filled to go to charity / kinder / daycare or items to be given to friends.

It was originally designed to be a coat cupboard in the entryway of our home, but I felt we'd have little need for a dedicated coat cupboard. So as part of the build we had it fitted out with shelves - and being next to the front door it is the perfect spot for things going in or out!

Every time we leave the house I open the door and quickly scan it. Something to return to a shop which I am headed to? Going to be seeing a particular mate? Going to mother-in-laws? Heading past a charity bin? I'll grab whatever I need and keep going. It's also nice when a mate drops over as I have anything I might need to give them right there and handy as they leave.

However the one thing the 'in and out' cupboard DOES lack is a place to hang a guest's coat. Which is where the hanging rack comes in.

The shelves in the cupboard are inset - so there are quite a few inches between the back of the cupboard door and the front of the shelves. The perfect place to hang the occasional coat or two.

Now initially I had thought to just put a coat hook there. But when Sean asked about the hanging rack, it occurred to me that the other thing we could benefit from was a spot to conveniently hang our 'park hats'. Being able to grab a hat, and walk down to the local park, will speed that journey up considerably. It also means there's no excuse for being lazy - there will always be a hat there ready and waiting.

Well! It was meant to be! When we popped the rack on to the back of the door to try out for size it fitted perfectly. And there are enough hooks to hang our park hats as well as leaving a couple of pegs free for coat hangers for guests' coats.

As strange as it sounds, we're finding lots of little things like this - where the old items suddenly find their place in the new home. And it all adds to making our home more livable :)

 

The hanging rack - now in the 'in and out' cupboard

 

Takes a coat perfectly. 

And is the perfect spot for our park hats!

Long weekend antics

It's a long weekend, so we're devoting a few hours to doing things around the house. Today's tasks? Hanging more wall art, installing a fire blanket in the pantry and putting a mat under the study chair in the study nook.

The wall art has been an ongoing project.  We have had so many professional family photo shoots done and it seemed a little silly that none of it has been framed up and hung.  So a quick visit to IKEA for a few RIBBA frames, and a trip to Officeworks to print up the pictures, and we're on our way!

 

In the hallway - they're on the left as you walk

towards the back of the house

Looking from the other perspective

 

Looking back towards the front door

At the same time, we're also hanging the kids' decorative birth certificates and foot/hand castings in the spare room. Grandma likes looking at these - and since this is officially her room for when she might stay, it made sense to put them where she can enjoy them ;)

 

Little guy's decorative birth certificate and

hand/foot castings

 

Little lady's decorative birth certificate and

hand/foot castings