Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Pressed Metal Mecca

After a few days soldiering away solo with a sore shoulder on the Little House, Dan called in reinforcements - a couple of handy friends from Toowoomba came down today to help him out. 

Between them, they've re-sheeted most of the kitchen and started to move on to fitting in the cabinets. 

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The bathroom/laundry is being tiled.

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Meanwhile, April 10 and the finish line for this renovation draws ever closer. No rest for the wicked though, it's straight into work on the big house then. That will be a slower, more delicate process. The kitchen is ordered, and I've finally decided on timber bench tops. 

I'm also considering this tile as a splashback, although we haven't got a quote yet so I have no idea if it's feasible. 


Also, it's a floor tile. It's name is the Amity, because - yes - it was used as a bathroom floor tile on The Block. But I love it. I think the colours and detail would be so perfect. 

Lighting is the next stop. This is the pressed metal ceilings in the dining room, leading into the kitchen at the end. We've got to find three light fittings that complement the space nicely. On a practical level, ceiling fans would be fantastic - but it's a question of finding some that actually sit well in here.

There's a lot of restoration work to do in here. #pressedmetalceilings

Of course, before new light fittings can go in, the ceilings have to be re-painted. Dan is really dreading that job, as - I'm sure - is his shoulder. 

This is what they look like out in the hallway, where there's no water damage. 

And the 'after'. The hallway, where they're not water damaged. #pressedmetalceilings

I think, in retrospect, it was these ceilings that sold this house to us to begin with. Everything else here seemed so daunting in magnitude, from the crappy aluminium siding to the leaking roof. We really wondered whether it was worth the time and energy restore it. 

But then, you walk into the big old dining room and see these ceilings and just have to believe it'll all be worthwhile in the end. If you're a fan of traditional Queenslander-style pressed metal ceilings, our house is Mecca. If you're a fan of massive spiders and getting rained on while you're sitting on the couch, our house is also Mecca.

What made you pick the house you live in now?

17 comments:

  1. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the splash back tile!!!!

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  2. I love that SB tile and yes, I too, am in love with your ceilings. Can I just say that it has been a long time since I've really fallen in love with a blog - and I am REALLY enjoying yours.

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  3. I love those ceilings. I've never known what they were and now I notice them all the time. Did I tell you I played on said-tile-lady's last album? There you go.

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    1. Did you just?! You're a dark horse, Bri. A dark horse indeed. If you work with her again, tell her she has exquisite taste in tiles. x

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  4. Hi Edwina, can't wait to see your finished kitchen (and I'm guessing either can you!) What made me pick our house - location, location. xx

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  5. That little house is moving very fast. The ceilings are just lovely. Fans and lights are a dilemma. Fans won out for us and we put in discreet lighting ten years ago but I miss the pendants. Good luck with that one!

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  6. Your ceilings are absolutely fantastic, I would have looked up and made an offer on the old girl too. For us we had instant Betsy love with her wide wide hallway (1.8m) large bones and lots and lots of north facing light in the living room. Our previous house was a long skinny workers cottage and the living area was quite dark so I was smitten from the first open house when I was just a sticky beaking neighbour. mel x

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  7. Beautiful work! Both houses will be just stunning in no time if you keep up at the rate you've been going :)

    The ceiling was one of the things that drew us to our place too - vaulted ceilings of tongue and groove, varnished a warm honey colour. The property was big enough for what we wanted (40 acres) had numerous outbuildings (barn, shop, root cellar, former butcher shop, etc), and the price was right (at just above what we could afford, of course!). We called in a parental favour or two, and picked up the keys three weeks later. We've found problems (our roof leaks too!) but for all that, I'd do it all again.

    Isn't it lovely when everything just feels so.... well, so right?

    Best of luck as April 10th approaches!!
    Mandi

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  8. Catching up on a few posts, you've made great progress on your little house, the old floors came up a treat and Hubby looks way too happy considering he's working on a bathroom, ha. Hope his shoulder is getting better,can't have him slacking off! Love the ceilings too.

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  9. I love those tiles so much! We practically bought our house the moment we saw the for sale sign. It is an 1890's miners cottage that is right up close to the road. It has a double gabled roof, and a massive fireplace. It looks like a storybook, and it was incredibly cheap.. sold! x

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  10. Those ceilings would've sold me on the house too - lovely!

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  11. For us it was the sea views, and the potential that there was still some character behind all the soulless plasterboard and carpet. We've since discovered that the original VJ walls appear to still be there, and the wooden floors are near intact, but because of the Australia Day floods (that sea view got a bit too close) restoration is on hold until we get the ground floor sorted out...

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  12. I love your ceiling and I'm sure all the hard work you will do over the coming years will be worth it.
    We chose our house for it's size and lay out, as we're a multi generational family.

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  13. Gorgeous ceilings and the floors look magnificent! The work on the little house looks like it's powering on, even with a sore shoulder. Have you thought of installing fan/light combos with the on/off functions for both on the one switch? We have 3 of these in our house and there's also a switch on the side of the fan unit itself for Winter/Summer settings which is great combined with the wood burning combustion stove in Winter.

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  14. Too funny, Edwina. I recognised that tile straightaway - I also adore it! Love your taste, my friend. I'm also smitten by pressed tin. Am considering it for our bathroom. Can't wait to see your results. J x

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  15. Thanks for all the inspiration. I love this post.
    Modular kitchen designs

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