Bricks, Tiles and Harleys

Mick and I had a very busy weekend choosing tiles for the unit and bricks and roof tiles for the new house. We also had a colour consultation for our external choices last night and it went well. It’s always nice to be reassured of your choices and have other options presented. I’ve sent away for a photographic image of our façade to be drawn up. I’ll keep you posted…

Mick and I looked at a lot of bricks on the weekend (and our pale skin did not enjoy the sun, though it was great for seeing the colours) and took home a lot of samples…I guess that’s our letterbox sorted!...and we absolutely fell in love with a Boral brick called Rose Cove. It’s a swirl of rose and cream and looks lovely in any light, from any angle, and isn’t at all boring (we also need to consider the monotony of the back and sides of the house which don’t have render feature columns to jazz it up). I’ve included a couple of pics below, but they don’t do the bricks justice. Oh, and we forgot to look at driveway colours, so we’ll be doing that this weekend.

 Rose Cove

 Rose Cove

 Our roof tile is the one in the middle called Barramundi

 Rose Cove is in the middle there

 The awesome Harley at the servo we stopped at (couldn't help myself, I had to include it)

The floor and wall tiles for the bathroom and W/C in Mick's unit (gloss white for the walls and matt black for the floor - neutral and stylish, perfect for re-sale)

We’re also waiting on landscaping plans and quotes and we hope to have everything ready to go for Developer and Council submission next week. We also hope to have the tiling started in the unit next week but Strata is taking forever to decide on a tradesman!

And as always we’re still finalising the plans. We’ve asked for the central pillar in the alfresco area to be removed (the steel beam required for that is expensive, but I think we would regret it if we didn’t do it), the four stacker door to be replaced with a six-stacker door (bi-folds are too expensive) and a few other niggly changes. Luckily Fairmont seem to be reasonable with their prices and I like that they can justify everything and if something isn’t a big change (i.e. slightly bigger window means more glass but less bricks), they don’t charge.  Makes a change from Rawson who I’m sure couldn’t lie straight in bed!

Tender and Plans Signed

Ok…we signed on the dotted line with Fairmont last Saturday and… *holds breath* …they are still great at getting back to our (poor Daniel) millions of questions quickly and fully.

We received the plans on Saturday and from there we have a few more changes to make as well as external colours to choose. We’ve had to completely re-think the colour scheme from our previous design, and as such we will be looking at bricks and roof tiles this weekend.  We also have an appointment with an interior designer next week, Michelle from De Novo Concepts (who came highly recommended by another couple building with Fairmont), to put it all together and just be sure that we’ve chosen well. We’ve never built before and I have never in my life really noticed external finishes on houses. Adding to that, Mick is hopelessly colour-blind and we have Estate Guidelines to adhere to and the Developer to please… so, I’ve been researching like a demon and look forward to our appointment with Michelle next week.

Ok, what we’re thinking so far colour-wise…

Facebrick: Light Brick (Currently leaning towards Austral Urban One Almond)

Cladding: This is the main element I am unsure of. It will be a light, Wattyl exterior paint colour and must go with the render and brick colours.

Bagging and Paint: Wattyl Vintage Plum (it will match the ornamental plum we’re planning to have as our feature tree)

Roof: Monier Elebana Charcoal Grey

Gutter:  Colourbond Woodland Grey

Facia: Colourbond Surfmist

Balcony Railing: Colourbond Surfmist

Downpipes: Colourbond Surfmist

Windows and Sliding Door Frames: Pearl White (aluminium)

Garage Door:  Caprice (style) White (colour)

Driveway: Charcoal (coloured concrete)

Front Door: Hume X24 1200 - Dark Wooden Stain (to match floorboards…when we’ve chosen them)

The following is quite similar to the colour selection we want to make. The driveway will be a dark grey to match the roof and the garage door will be white, but it still gives a sense of how the colours will work together.

I’ve also included the new plans below, but they are going to change slightly.

We can’t have the long feature window in the bathroom L The roof profile simply doesn’t allow it. We’re going to change the alfresco sliding doors to a six-stacker door (which is what I have been envisioning all along). We also may need to move/change the water tank as there isn’t much room to get past it. The fence is set up higher than our block so there will be a retaining wall next to it. We’ve asked Fairmont for the distance to the fence to see if we can scrape by or if we have to move the tank.

We will also be getting two velux skylights in the Kitchen/Meals area. Aside from the fact that they look great and we have been toying with getting some from day one (and if they were cheaper, we would get more), they will bring natural light in. That room is large and the only windows are the sliding doors from the Alfresco area which is fully roofed and the windows in the Media Room (not a very bright source, especially when the bi-fold doors are closed!). I think the skylights will add a wow-factor as well as being practical.

We’re also looking at replacing the window in the Powder Room with a longer one that extends from the Laundry wall to the shower. We would then put a narrow mirror the full length of the wall on the opposite (Kitchen) wall.

Next step is to contact the Landscaper as we need a plan for Developer/Council submission and there will be some things, like clearing plants and delivering soil, that ideally should happen before the slab is poured.

Drafting Fees Paid

Well, illness has struck and we were unable to sign on the dotted line with Fairmont yesterday. We have however paid them their drafting fees and apparently they had some drawings ready for us on the weekend. Never mind, we will head out there next weekend to "seal the deal."

In the meantime, Fairmont have continued to be great to deal with. We've been quite fussy, even changing the way some doors open and changing the doors in the Powder Room to cavity sliders. We've also asked for a waterfall edge on the Alfresco-side of the kitchen island (it is important to achieving a 'clean' look in the kitchen). I know there will be more changes when it comes time for full colour and kitchen selection, but hopefully we now have all of the structural changes made.

Just to keep the fun rolling, here are links to, and pictures of, the Smeg appliances we're getting:

Cooktop:

PSA906 90cm Classic Gas Low Profile Cooktop

Technical Specifications

We couldn't justify the price of an induction cooktop and gas is cheaper to run than traditional electric cooktops and provides more even cooking with greater temperature control. The main issue I have with gas (from when my parents used to have a Smeg gas cooktop) is the cleaning. This unit however is shallow and the trivets are in three 'low profile' pieces that are dishwasher-safe, as are the ceramic tiles. So, cleaning will be much easier than it used to be. This unit also looks really beautiful and had the most 'user-friendly' design with the burner placement. I like that I can comfortably fit three large pots on at the same time. The only down-side is that the knobs are forward-facing (bit of an issue with kiddies), but we don't have children and if that changes, the kitchen isn't a safe place anyway and will need to be 'cordoned-off.' (That takes me back to the partitions we needed for my curious little brother when I was growing up...A stern warning was enough for me to stay away)!

Rangehood:

K9399R 90cm Wallmount Rangehood with Brown Crystal Glass

Technical Specifications

This rangehood is odd-looking but when up (and when coupled with a french-glass oven) it looks like a piece of art. It's also really functional with a strong action and filter-change reminders. I think it's the most expensive appliance we've ordered but it's beautiful and practical. 

Oven:

SAP112-8 60cm Linear Pyrolytic Oven

Technical Specifications

My favourite piece. It is their top-of-the-line oven so it has all of the bells and whistles (Mick was instantly drawn to it!). The electronic display alone is gorgeous but the french-glass look of the unit as a whole is beautiful and it's self-cleaning! Smeg provides complimentary courses in getting the most from your Smeg appliances, which we will be doing because this oven looks like it might require a degree in rocket-science to use to its best. All part of the fun!

External colours are our next priority...I'll keep you posted!