More little renovations - Spare room refurb

We've had house guests recently so our spare room (aka the junk room) had to return to being the guest bedroom it was always supposed to be. After clearing out the accumulated junk it was decided that the room needed a lick of paint to freshen it up before it would be guest ready.

Somehow "a lick of paint" turned into "demolish a wall and re-plaster". I'm still not entirely sure how that happened, but with a week before our guests' arrival we were pulling off wall sheeting and teaching ourselves (with the help of Google and you tube) how to hang and finish new plaster sheets.

It begins! skirting boards and cornice removed and the old wall sheeting coming off

Nice new plaster  sheets hung
Note the panel installed back to front with the print facing out?
Don't do that - it causes no end of trouble when it comes to painting!

Well we managed it! The room was replastered and back together, fit for guests within the week (if not entirely finished with all the little details) and we learned heaps in the process.

1. Moving 3m long sheets of fragile plasterboard from Bunnings to home and then into the house is a logistical nightmare.
2. Gyprock definitely does have a right and a wrong side
3. It's tricky getting those joins and corners plastered neatly
4. The 16 square metres coverage claimed on the tin does not apply to undercoat going on fresh plaster.
5. Oil based sealer is a really handy thing to have around when red ink printing starts appearing through your new paint job (see #2 above).

The other half has said he wouldn't mind redoing the joins and smoothing out the layers of sealer we used to cover the red print that kept seeping through the paint where one section of sheeting was installed back to front,  but overall I'm pretty happy with the results.

Next jobs on the list for that room - repainting and re-installing the pelmet over the window, new curtains and replacing the old louvre door.

Life after the bathroom reno - what now?

I've had people ask me recently what I'm going to do with myself now that I'm not constantly focusing on getting our bathroom sorted out.

The bathroom saga has taken up so much of my time and energy over the last almost 2 years that its been really hard to focus on doing much in the way of home improvements beyond simply keeping things ticking over. But not anymore! It's over, the bathroom is beautiful and we can move on.

But move on to what?

The "To-Do" List

I have a to-do list as long as my arm (possibly even longer) and its time we started moving on checking some of the things off that list. I'm posting them here not to add pressure or set time frames, but as a reminder. And hopefully as we go along I'll remember to come back and cross things off and add links to the posts if I happen to blog about them. So here it goes....

Bathroom

I know, it should be all finished, but there are still a few things to do in there.

• Replace window with louvres
• Install window covering (I'm thinking a silver venetian blind would work perfectly)
• Paint door
• Paint door frame
• Install full-length mirror on wall behind door
• Replace framed mirror above vanity with more permanent wall mounted solution
• Wall art piece(s)
• Decorative plant or pottery piece
• Hanging shower storage - done Jan 2015
• Replace light fitting - added to list and completed Feb 2015 (a necessity when the old one died)

Toilet

• Paint walls to match bathroom (Taubmans snow season)
• Paint door
• Paint door frame
• Replace toilet and cistern (mostly just the cistern)
• Replace window with louvres
• Install window covering (silver venetian as per bathroom?)
• Sort out and install more elegant storage for all the miscellaneous bits and pieces eg extra toilet rolls, cleaning gear, air fresheners etc
• replace light fitting

Laundry (aka the cat's night time retreat)

• Remove and replace asbestos wall sheeting (exterior wall)
• Paint walls & ceiling
• Clean out / reorganise cupboards
• Source and install a multi-basket laundry sorting system of some sort
• Replace light fitting
• Replace window with louvres
• Replace vinyl skirting with tiles as per bathroom and toilet
• New cat bed and concealed litter tray

Hallway

• Repaint walls and ceiling
• Gap filler between linen cupboard and ceiling
• Re-organise linen cupboard
• Replace light fitting
• Hang photo gallery display
• Install additional lighting for photo gallery

Bedroom 1 (Our room)

• Replace windows with louvres
• Re-plaster external wall
• Install split-system airconditioner
• Repaint walls and ceiling
• Replace ceiling fan
• Replace light fitting
• Remove and replace wardrobe
• Install smoke detector
• New curtains
• Install pelmet 
• Wall art piece(s) and/or headboard

Bedroom 2 (aka The Monster's room)

• Replace windows with louvres
• Install split-system airconditioner
• Re-plaster external walls
• Repaint walls and ceiling
• Replace timber louvre door with solid door
• Paint door and trims
• Paint bookshelves and storage chest
• Replace ceiling fan
• Replace light fitting
• Remove and replace wardrobe
• Install smoke detector
• New curtains
• Install pelmet 
• Wall art piece(s)

Bedroom 3 (Spare/guest bedroom)

• Replace windows with louvres
• Install split-system airconditioner
• Tidy up/ smooth off wall plastering
• Repaint walls 
• Replace timber louvre door with solid door
• Paint door and trims
• Paint bookshelves and cabinet
• Replace ceiling fan
• Replace light fitting
• Remove and replace wardrobe
• Replace traditional double bed with a sofa bed, murphy bed or similar (something more compact to make better use of space when not being used by guests)
• Install smoke detector
• New curtains
• Install pelmet 
• Wall art piece(s)

Kitchen

• Remove and replace entire kitchen including cabinetry, benchtops, splashbacks, sink and rangehood
• Replace windows with louvres
• Install smoke detector

Dining room

• Reclaim room for intended purpose (its currently the place where all the tools, equipment and supplies for our current projects are stored.)
• Replace windows with louvres
• Replace light fitting
• Install smoke detector
• Repaint walls
• Repaint ceiling
• Paint door
• Window coverings - venetians or curtains - not sure yet
• Wall art piece(s)
• Floor covering / rug of some sort

Lounge room

• Replace windows with louvres
• Change back windows to sliding or bi-fold door
• Install smoke detector
• Repaint walls
• Repaint ceiling
• Paint door
• Replace lounges (or at the least the lounge cushions)
• Floor covering / rug of some sort
• Window coverings - venetians or curtains - not sure yet
• Wall art piece(s)
• Floor covering / rug of some sort

Wow! What a massive list - I can see I'm going to be busy for about the next million years and that doesn't even include anything with the exterior of the house, or the garden.