The back yard

The back yard is neglected. Two dogs and three cats ravage it and nothing has been done to it for 22 years. Yes, 22 years! So though the initial plan was to put the pool there, now the plan is to replace fences, retaining, replant etc and make this more of a nice back yard for us to entertain in. 

It is currently on hold because the new kitchen wall must be in place before we can pave up to it. But it is nice to have before pics and videos, right?

The kitchen

The kitchen was really what started the renovation concept off. It is VERY dated and I have no storage. Any new kitchen things I buy, get put on the floor because I have no storage space. What could be nice kitchen cupboards, are in open shelving where people can see things such as tea towels and cook books and I'd like it all put away tidy!

So this is my kitchen, as you can see I didnt clean it up before I took this photo. I'm real like that lol. This kitchen is so run down and awful that it doesnt matter anyway. Ugly flooring (with Jarrah floorboards underneath), laminate cupboards and benchtops, no work space etc...

And at the other end of the room, it gets wider (we will be moving the wall out so it is wider the entire way across) and was intended for a dining room but only would fit a table for four people in it. For a while I had our oval dining table in there but it was just too claustrophobic. See what I mean about things being dumped because there is nowhere to put them away? Messy shelving to the right? It drives me INSANE looking at this mess each day!

But this is where the kitchen is moving to! It will be a sort of u-shaped kitchen and will have cupboards top and bottom so I will have plenty of storage and space compared to what I have now. 

So where are we at with kitchen plans? Our architect has drawn our house plans (we lost all plans in a fire at our local council in the 1960s) and drawn up an idea for our kitchen. Those plans went to the drafties and are now at an engineering firm. When they get done, they should be ready to head to council for building approval! Then we need to find someone to actually do the build.

Bye pagoda!

The overhead structure came down during the week. Step one! The men accidentally cracked one of the glass panels of the balustrade so all the citrus are piled in front to keep it safe for the kids.

I love the un-impeded view but the house looks ugly! I keep forgetting to take a photo during the day (from the road) but will endeavor to in the coming week.

The pool goes here

Our front lawn slopes down to the road. Right now it is this half alive (it is hot here, this is how it looks with three waterings a week during summer) and fairly un-used. Those two bushes essentially mark our boundary. More specifically, if you can see the two retaining wall heights down the bottom of the photo, that is the boundary.

The pool will be at the height of the other balcony (off the master bedroom) and from the height I was standing when I took this photo, that means two steps downwards will be pool and decking height. We are hoping to be able to hide all the pool equipment underneath. I have wanted to live in a house with a pool for a LONG time!

Looking up towards the house from the boundary point:

Let me try to explain it a little with a video.