Blind Date Glass Splashback

I was lucky enough to go past yesterday when the men were installing the glass splashbacks. This has been another big(ish) item that we have been waiting to have done. I had a friend with me too so it was great to be able to show her around! The men installed the splashback in the butlers and then left. Our SS phoned later in the afternoon with his weekly update and said that it had been installed in the butlers but the kitchen splashback (in part) had been the wrong size....... Should go in next week...
Really happy with the colour - in my mind I kept thinking it had a brownish tinge, because this is what the display has (it's hard to not think of this when visualising ours!). So far the colour looks great! We chose not to do starfire glass and we are glad we didn't spend the extra money on it - this would have been an extra $1500. Unless it's white and you don't want a greenish tinge (that's the only difference) it would be hard to justify the price. 

Glass Splashback - (colour)Blind Date Clear 

Blind Date Sample at Colour Selection

Another 'interesting' thing that has happened with our kitchen that has actually been an error but has worked in our favour has been the layout of the caesarstone and the window. In our drawing the kitchen window seemed to be positioned higher (our windows originally were placed higher). Our SS was always had a clear picture in his mind that the caearstone sat directly under the window sill. This may have been the complication with our bricks (all sorted now though). As it turns out we love the bench layout. Any splash from the cooktop will now not get in all the grooves of the window. The only difference is, is that the glass splashback has a small section under the cupboards. Happy days!

As Displayed at Mernda (our drawing also look like this - we think!!)

Our Benchtop - Sitting Directly Under the Window

 

Carpet Work Begins - Takarra Ridge Wool Blend

No idea what has happened to the renderers. The weather forecast was for potential rain, so we should be happy that they haven't been yet. The rest of the week isn't looking flash either so it might be a while till we see the finished product! However, the carpet layers were there all day today so work inside moves forward. Underlay for upstairs was laid and the carpet has been rolled out and cut in most rooms. All rooms upstairs are carpeted (except bathroom and powder room!). Downstairs, the underlay is also down and the carpet has been rolled out - is some parts to flatten and decrease (master bedroom, study and theatre). In our previous home we had a light colour wool carpet and we were really happy with how it stood up in wear and tear and in durability. In 11 years it was only just starting to look like it needed replacing and it had been there for a few years prior to that. We chose a wool blend for this home in the hope that it would also be easy to clean (especially having kids) and have found that lighter carpets are actually easier to keep clean than darker too! It's not a plush carpet but it does have a soft feel and it hopefully ties in with our coastal location. 

Underlay - Super Premium Foam (Cat 3)
Carpet - Takarra Ridge - Wool Blend Loop 520 (Cat 3)

Underlay

Underlay in Master Bedroom

Upstairs Bedroom

Rolled Out Upstairs

Rolled out Carpet Ready to go

Theatre Room

Carpet Close Up

Upstairs (few dirty boot footprints - eek!)

 

Takarra Ridge - Wool Blend 520 (Cat 3) - Colour Selection

Flooring Booked

There still seems so long to go before we move in, but we are now making decisions about curtains and getting the ball rolling for our hardwood flooring and fencing to be done after handover. 
Our SS informed us a few weeks ago that our completion date should be about 5/6 weeks away. We have been keeping in contact with our flooring company and they have measured and ordered all our flooring and we have now booked this in for 29th September (but may need to change if things are slower)!!

FLOORING
We are having Hardwood QLD Spotted Gum flooring - select grade 80 x 14mm (narrow) with gloss finish (polyurethane). We looked at both NSW and QLD Spotted Gum and decided we liked the QLD a little better. It seems to have more variation of colour and has more brownish/chocolatey tones compared to the NSW, which is much lighter. Our flooring company will also do the skirting boards to all the ground floor - after the timber is laid . The flooring will run through the entry and hall into the kitchen, lounge and dining. Carpet and Tiles to wet areas are all being done through Carlisle Homes.

Ground Floor

Here is a photo of their work

QLD Hardwood Spotted Gum (post handover)

Other Colour Selections for Ground Flooring

Crystal Super White Porcelain Tiles 

300 x 600 - (to laundry, powder room and ensuite)

Takarra Ridge 520 Carpet (Cat 3) - 

(to master bedroom, study and theatre)

Brick Delivery

Our bricks and sand for mortar were delivered yesterday (Friday) in readiness for brickies to start work Wednesday. I had to run up and have a look at the bricks to make sure they were the right ones at first as they looked a lot lighter on their sides. We chose these bricks as we had seen them on multiple houses (built) that looked good. They are an neutral brick. Not too dark that the light render would look out of place, but with enough variation that they will look and suit the house style. Lets face it, bricks are not the most attractive things! They do look slightly lighter than some versions we have seen, but I think this will work with our render facade and our landscaping. I told my husband that the sand had been delivered and he asked if it was white. I had forgotten it should look it (does it??!!) as we chose off white mortar. How would you know if the sand is off white or natural?! 

Bricks - Boral Mocha (Cat 4)

Mortar - Off White

Boral Mocha Bricks

You can see the lightness at the sides - gives nice variance at the corners

(I stalked a building site, prior to our colour selections and the brickies working on that build gave me a sample - so I'm confident they are the right colour!!) 

Colour Selections - with Bricks

Off White Sand?! 

The Roof!!!

So exciting to see the roof finished on Friday! It looks so good. We are really happy. In our colour selections we weren't sure whether to go with the same or different colour fascia. We decided to keep it all the same in the end as the finish on the front will be render x 2 and tiles and we didn't want to over complicate things. Very happy with the decision (so far). Colour selections are so tough! 

The roof started on Thursday. Firstly with sarking (part of our bush fire protection), followed by the colourbond sheeting on the first floor. We were glad most of the work was completed on Thursday as there was a deluge of rain on Thursday night (it could have waited for another day.....).  Then Friday the sarking and roofing was completed on the garage and rear ground floor. The floor had finally dried out from the rain last weekend before being hit again. Hopefully we get some sunny days in the next week to get it dry again. Seeing rain and mud in the house (on the concrete slab) is disturbing - haven't been able to hold off on sweeping it out a few times!!! 

Roof  = Colourbond - Woodland Grey

Roof (and sarking) Underway

From the Side (Day 1)

Roof Completed (Including Garage)

 

From the Side (Including Alfresco and Ground Floor at Rear

From Behind

Sarking From Inside  (Looking up at the Rafters)

Woodland Grey Roof, Gutters and Fascia 

Interior Selections Nearly There!

 Windows and Extras

As you can see it's a mammoth  overload of information of interior selections/modifications. You can see how our head was spinning at SPECTRA (Carlisle Homes Colour Centre) on the day of choosing all this. It was fun though and I'm going to miss visiting all the display homes. Our kids won't though! You have no idea how many meltdowns occurred across the state because we (I) needed to check the options at all of them. I can laugh now.......... (just)

Last interior selections.

Window Modifications

Room	Size	Style	Category
Bedroom 3	Additional 514mmx2410mm Extended standard 1027mmx1810	Boutique awning Boutique awning	Upgrade In Lieu Upgrade
Bedroom 4	1027mmx1810	Boutique awning	In Lieu Upgrade
Bedroom 5	Additional 514mmx2410mm Extended standard 1027mmx1810	Boutique awning Boutique awning	Upgrade In Lieu Upgrade
Ensuite (shower)	514mmx1450mm	Highlight Fixed Window	Upgrade
Study	1800mmx1450mm	Boutique Awning – top third open, bottom section fixedUpgrade
Balcony	2110mmx3213	Boutique Entertainer Door	Upgrade
Meals	2370mmx4473mm	Boutique Entertainer Door	Upgrade
Lounge	2370mmx3573mm 1800mmx1450mm	Boutique Entertainer Door Fixed Picture	Upgrade Upgrade
Kitchen/Butlers	686mmx1530mm	Fixed Picture Window	Upgrade
Double Glazing	Doors and Windows Throughout		Major Upgrade!

Everything Else!

Item	Brand	Colour	Category
Bricks	Boral	Mocha	Cat 4
Mortar Joints	Rolled (ironed)	Off white	Upgrade
Roof, Gutters, Facia, Downpipes	Colourbond	Woodland Grey	Upgrade + promotion
Garage Door	Dynamic Decowood slimline	Bush Cherry	Upgrade
Garage Door to Yard		Wide Hinged Access
Windows and Doors	A &L Boutique	Black	Upgrade (some)
Front Doors	Corrinthian WIN21	Clear Glaze – Rich Walnut	Upgrade
Facade Main Render - additional	Dulux	Hog Bristle 1/2	Upgrade
Render of Arch	Dulux	Bed Box
Facade Pier	Porcelain Tiles 300x600	Eco Alabaster Grigio	Upgrade
Paint throughout	Dulux	Lexicon ¼ strength
Feature walls and rooms to be done after handover
Staircase	Deluxe Staircase	Walnut	Major Upgrade!
Carpet	Wool Blend Loop	Takarra Ridge	Cat 3
Carpet Underlay	Super Premium Foam		Cat 3
Balcony Tile	400x400	Charcoal Textured	Standard
Ground Floor Ceiling Height	2740mm High	Square Set Cornice	Upgrade
First Floor Ceiling Height	2590mm High	Cornice	Upgrade
Alfresco	2m Extension		Upgrade
Noggins		All bedrooms – fans – post handover
Additional Storage Cupboard		In Lieu of additional upstairs toilet	Cash Back
WIR Doors			Upgrade
Robe Towers to Bedrooms		White	Upgrade
Deleted floor coverings to entry, hallway, kitchen, pantry, family and meals – installing Spotted Gum Hardwood floors post handover

Porcelain Tiles on Front Facade

Tri-Lock Front Door

Takarra Ridge Carpet

Door Handles Throughout

(In Chrome though)

 Stair Colour and Front Door

The Pièce de résistance

As Displayed at Mernda

(Isn't she beautiful!)