Our house: The fireplace is in! And crackling!

Is there anything better then sitting in front of the gentle, glowing warmth of an open fire in winter? Well, I can confidently say no, no there isn't! Because I'm doing it as I type! Finally, our excellent plumber Mark popped over on Wednesday morning and hooked up the gas. Mr Tonic, meanwhile... actually, I might let the pictures do the talking. Let's just say Mr Tonic is a jack of all trades. A true handyman. So here she is (and yes, amidst all this, he undercoated the "Mad Men Bar" as well!):

And it's always fun to play before and afters, so let's do this. Below: One of the real estate campaign photos.

Below: The day we moved in.

Below: "Demolition" morning.

Below: The tacked on hearth is demolished!

 

Below: Mr Tonic begins building the "surround"...

 

Below: Judy the Jetmaster! PS There is only one company who do Jetmasters in Australia, and if you're thinking of buying one, best prepare yourself for some appalling customer service. 

Below: Ta-daaa! Yes, we're just worshipping Judy Jetmaster and can't wait to have you all over to toast marshmallows!

Our house: Louvres and lights!

You know you've made a good design decision when something looks like it's been there the whole time. It's a perfect fit. It just feels... right. Which is how we feel about the new additions to the dining room!! (Please excuse the mess, but I just couldn't wait until Monday to show you). So, we now have a vintage Louis Poulsen pendant above the dining table and the "ball lights" have been moved to the kitchen (no more fluorescent glow yay!) and replaced with energy efficient downlights. The louvres are in too, with Mr Tonic and I spending the better part of the morning edging that enormous frame into place! It's damn heavy, but was an absolute perfect fit. Ta-daaaaa!

See the BEFORE shots here.

Must-read: "No place like home for extreme makeovers"

A very interesting article entitled: "No place like home for extreme makeovers" was published in today's Sydney Morning Herald, and brought to my attention by the lovely The Sydney Magazine Tweeters. It's a very insightful read, and begins: "Walk into any open inspection on Saturday and there is a good chance it has been styled. You can tell by the new white lounge, walls in muted tones, glass-topped coffee table, and bright cushions co-ordinated to match the mass-produced art (no personal photos, please). Then go to another house. Same coffee table. Same muted tones. If you're lucky you might even score the same art. All stylishly presented, comfortable and inviting. The Stepford homes. Perfect, but lifeless. So much for a stickybeak on the neighbours' life. They aren't there. They took their real stuff and put it all in storage a few days before the professionals arrived with a truckload of designer gear from the last home the agent sold". See! told you it was good... Click here to continue reading the full article.

Well, I can confidently say this was not the case with our house - as evidenced by these, the original photos from the real estate campaign:

(above) The Living Room. At least it's big!

(above) Looking back through the dining room to the living room.

(above) The... other living room, currently our dining room.

(above) The kitchen (which I now understand why they didn't show more of!).

(above) The dining room - This is the area we have the blue chairs in now.

(above) The pink(!) patio. Note the spectacular floor.

Admittedly, our house is on a very large block, 1395 square metres to be exact, but would you believe me if I told you the real estate agents were describing it as "land value only, folks, great opportunity to redevelop" on he day of the inspection?! Grrrr. Yes, Tonic-ettes. It might be rough, but it's a bloody diamond!

Our patio makeover: The "during"

Admittedly we're only halfway there, but in case you missed it on my Mamamia post, here is our little patio makeover so far. I love that we have a patio. I just love saying patio. Every now and then I'll say to Mr Tonic: "Mr Tonic, why not turn up the jazz and join me for a G and T on the patio"...*

*Not really

Before (above) and after (below). Obviously.

(above) We have yet to paint the wall, but at least it's not magenta any more. Yikes. PS Got the FAB (set of 3) Terrazzo pots on eBay.

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(above) The patio at Rose Seidler House, frighteningly similar to ours from certain angles!