August 2010 ... update

The entrance of house with our new sage/olive green door

The newly rendered front well area and both sage/olive green doors.

The entrance door to our lower ground level apartment/flat.

The newly rendered well area in front of the flat and the newly painted front door!

INTERNAL PICS (of flat):

We spent many days, even weeks, sanding, filling, sanding again, prepping and painting a small portion of our rooms in the house, roughly 200 sq m/2000 sq ft wall space, ourselves. I have a whole new respect for our painters who painted the majority of our house - what a laborious profession!

Antonio and Luas diligently painting the flat before our renter moved in.

High on fumes...

The painters hard at work - we've got a deadline Boys!

PAINTING & DECORATING COMPLETED:

Furniture selected and renter moved in ...

Entrance inside (open plan layout: living space & kitchen)

Another view of entrance

Open plan living - living & kitchen space

"Idem"

Little kitchen

Kitchen & utility room (right)

Utility room (right) & kitchen (left)

More ...

Looking into flat - entrance to bedroom & bathroom on right

(utility on left), entrance at back

Looking into bedroom

Bedroom and bathroom (door to right)

It's a sweet space and turning it into a flat made sense b/c we wouldn't know how to use it otherwise. There is such a thing as too much space, contrary to some beliefs out there. It's also a good investment to have here in London where there is a shortage of housing everywhere in the city.

August 14-15th, 2010

This is the last remnant of the house we bought last year in May of 2009.

The removal of this external door is like closure to our project (except that we technically have another 10 full days to completion) ...

Photos of Antonio removing the PVC external lower-ground level door and the final result.

After 10 minutes using the sledge hammer

and grinder Antonio got the frame out!

Final destination of our PVC door (and our last skip too!)

New door and needs to be painted next week (!)

Antonio laid the black coping stones last week

I love our wood floors!!!!

I've always loved wood floors. Our choice of wood is due to close friends, Monica & Paolo, who laid African Iroko hardwood in their apartment in Milan and we loved it on sight! It starts out slightly blonde with red hints, but darkens as the light touches it over time to a deep reddish-brown (similar to a cross between Mahogany & Doussie). Our entire ground floor has been laid with African Iroko hardwood and already we can see changes in the colour.

cleaning up after second pass with sander

View from stairs leading to den and extension

Wood floor recently sanded and gaps just filled

Floor prepped for third sanding session

Alcove to right (colour difference shows where filler

was applied)

Fourth sanding, but first sanding over gap filler application

(notice colour change)

July 16th to August 12th

Work completed between July 16th - August 12th, 2010

- Sandstone patio

- Installation of long awaited sliding glass doors with flush triple track system

- Tiled basement & extension kitchens, bathrooms & utility rooms

- Laid, sanded & varnished parquet floors

- Painted basement bedroom, lvg space, bathroom, utility room & kitchen

- Painted mezzanine level bay window bedroom (not pictured)

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We're almost done!! 13 days to completion!!!!!!!!

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Newly plastered walls AND screed flooring completed

entrance area to basement freshly plastered

(skylight above this alcove area)

Alcove area (looking with basement bedroom at back)

under arch to the left is the doorway into the den area of extension

Basement: alcove area to right and this room is a bedroom space

Basement: looking from bedroom into

open-plan kitchen/living space

Basement: lvg space/open-plan kitchen

(utility room to right)

Basement: open-plan kitchen & lvg space

Front door entrance to basement

Front of house (basement entrance - old PVC door)

Antonio removed the old institutional-looking

wrought iron railing and what a difference it has made!

Front entrance to basement:

Well area - Black sandstone coping stones to be

laid by Antonio on top of well walls

To be rendered & painted white on Aug. 17th

Base of well area to be tiled with black quarry tiles

Improved garden & newly laid patio

(view from first bedroom floor window)

Full view of patio from inside extension before sliding doors

are installed (kitchen space to right)

External view looking in to kitchen space (left) from patio

(I love my flush floor level with patio!)

Lovely kitchen space with very appealing

orange waste pipe (it's the 2010 "in" colour for plumbing

pipes :) the den is in the background (right)

Laying out planks and organising wood scheme

for the den and extension areas

3/4 finished laying wood floor

more wood laying process

(sliding doors were installed!)

Newly laid Iroko hardwood flooring in the

den & extension

Newly laid Iroko hardwood flooring first pass with sander

Completion of first pass of sander

(our fantastic flush floor & tracking system with sliding glass doors)

Den (bathroom & utility rooms thru door on right)

repeat

- the last remaining staircase to be sanded and varnished

- new under-the-stairs cabinetry

Looking forward to August 25th, 2010!!!!!!!!