A Cold Christmas

Temperatures way below freezing all day Christmas Day!

the lived in look - part 1

Had thought that I'd blogged my last about this house....... 

but couldn't resist posting a pic of our family room fireplace on this cold and wet November evening.  

(this pic from Atlanta Bartlet was the inspiration behind my fireplace)

Not too far off track, though my setting is a tad dark and moody I know (a situation not helped either by my dodgy phone camera / photography skills).  That said I really love the reflections that cast across the walls and ceiling from our big Ikea PS Maskros (aka Dandelion) light.  

And please correct me if I'm wrong, but in my opinion there just isn't anything that can beat the dancing orange flames  of a "real" fire, when the nights turn dark and cold.

Thanks to everyone who has taken an interest in this blog and continued to email me about my house build project saga even though there haven't been any progress posts for so long ...think I've just gotten the blogging bug back!!

Nearly..but not quite

Hoping tomorrow will be "THE" day we move.  Still so much to do....the snagging list is still pages long but we are getting there!!

The oven housing is still a work in progress but am really happy 

with how the kitchen is working out so far...love my walk-in pantry (there's masses of storage hidden around the corner!)

and is requiring some splashes of colour 

and some clutter

a labour of love putting up the

Ikea dandelion light

will be back with more pics soon....

Sneak peak at stairs going in.....

Should really wait to show you the stairs in their full finished glory.  However, excitement has got the better of me today, so couldn't resist posting a pic. - Treads are solid ash and to my eye they are beautiful. 

Notice I've gone for iron balustrading rods instead of glass.....well to be honest the glass would have been a nightmare to keep "smear free" and I had recently come across these pics which just nudged me in the direction of keeping it simple and smear free!! 

first saw this pic over at apartment therapy

and this one at flourish design + style

and last but not least I'm still truly, madly, deeply in love with this staircase booked marked so long ago over at the wonderfully named STAIRPORN!!  

I would have this staircase in my home in an instant, however building regulations over here in Ireland wouldn't allow such "squeeze a small child through" gaps in the balustrade....what can you do!!

It's not all black & white

sneak peak at my daughter build-in's going in

She specifically requested blue (be her colour)
my three girls are all keen to differentiate their territory!

not a great pic of the Kartell Fly

it does look better in the flesh! 

waiting for the two drawers at the bottom

the door fronts will be white

....and the inspiration behind this room...

fell in love instantly with this pic found over at cococozy.com an age ago. Think I'll be pretty damn close to stealing the style when the room is finished (result!)

kitchen catch up

Still a way to go, hoping to be in by the end of the month
 (fingers crossed)

Really happy with the colour....

I know battleship grey may not be to everyone's taste but I do love it!

Wardrobe Style to Steal......

Loving

spied it here

and this quirky walk-in here

(love your boots too Susanne!)

spotted here

Perfectly simple solution

found it here

cute and colourful storage solution

spotted here

Saving the best til last

My favourite and my best...

A quirky & clever hidden wardrobe from the very talented Elaine Prunty more pics and a "step by step" as to how she did it here

Never say never...

Utility Sink

Just had a mini change of plan in the utility room (and I thought I had everything sorted..ha ha!) Anyway, saw this gorgeous brushed steel beast of a sink, hours after I blogged about my inspiration for the utility room (so in my book that's fate telling me it's meant to be). 


And yes you guessed it...I spotted it on ebay, where else do I shop these days! I certainly couldn't have laid my hands on something like this locally in Limerick.  

I've been reliably informed that it's a sink produced for the US market, that was only on sale in the UK for a short period of time, or so the sales pitch went when I enquired.  


I was given the make and model number by a very helpful Gavin & Andy from the CPSltdonline Ebay Store, it's an Astracast AP20XXUSUM.  Armed with this info I googled away to find that indeed it was available for sale still in the US and with a whopping great price tag to boot!  

So after another few emails back and forth between me and the lads to negotiate on price, then a couple to the lovely Margaret Holmes, who's organising my kitchen cabinetry to make sure it would fit, I decided to go for it and it became mine this morning!

So my utility will be something along the lines of this, I have similar floor but cabinetry will be white and sink brushed steel...can't wait!  

OMG the thrill of the chase and bagging a bargain...I am becoming so additcted - I haven't even mentioned yet that I bought the Castello bath and managed to get a matching basin thrown in for £50 - if you google that for price, then you will understand my feelings of elation!!

the new bath

the matching basin

Hoping the man from the bank who comes to value at the end will appreciate all the swanky stuff and that ultimately these bargain buys and a great finish add value!!

Troubling Tiles

It's on going....tiles just seem to pop up at random....even with the best adhesives we can lay hands on and with tiles and floor both thoroughly primed!  Nightmare!

It all started off ok yesterday 

Looking good

Then, see clearly here one tile just lifts immediately...the one next door stuck fast...????

This tile had to be lifted....at this point I left, couldn't take any more stress...especially with kids in tow!

I love these tiles so much....thought I'd paid my dues with the window saga...don't think I can take much more stress...

PLEASE JUST STICK!

my beautiful kitchen is due to be fitted in a week....oh the pressure is mounting

Utility Inspiration

Remodelista

I have done my very best to steal the style of this gorgeous utility area, I have spec'd the folding doors and copied the cabinetry, sadly that amazing sink eludes and will be missing from mine!

Maybe it's a blessing that I just haven't been able to find one, as can only imagine the cost ($$$$$) so would only be torturing myself - sure it's one thing justifying a bit of a splurge on your main bath....quite another spending mega bucks on a utility room sink...no matter how fabulous!!

Funky Bunk

 

Decided to go for this funky bunk bed for Eve's bedroom.  She is now one very excited little girl and is already planning what she is going to decorate those shelves with!! 

Contemplating

"Verbier in a field in Limerick"

Castello Royal Bath & Dornbrach bath mixer 

as seen in Richard Bransons "The Lodge" in Verbier, Switzerland!

Dithering at the moment (nothing new there then) as an opportunity has arisen to purchase this fantastic Castello Bath for our master bathroom...(it's a fantastic deal and I'm a sucker for a bargain...oh the dilemma, almost wish I'd never clapped eyes on it...I did say almost!)


I've already ebayed my way to ownership the very same Dornbracht bath/shower mixer as seen in the Verbier bathroom for a steal. Mr C is egging me on, but someone has to wear the sensible hat around here and for once that seems to be me (dangerous territory!)....oh just can't decide Heart says "love it, want it, buy it"  Head replies "good deal but you already have a bath Mrs" and "overstretched budget fit to snap no matter how good the deal"

bath shown here in the latest edition of KBB Magazine

Ok, the blue wall papered background is so not me, but if we do go ahead with this bath we will have to mount the bath on a plinth, in a very similar fashion to the image above. The said plinth would be a necessity, as we would need somewhere to hide the waste trap as drilling down into the concrete (and recently tiled floor) at this stage isn't an option!

Need to go figure the cost implications of "the plinth" as well as the bath splurge and it's impact on the budget....

however in true Craggy Island style I'm so tempted to just feck the budget and have my own Verbier in my field in Limerick....well if they can have Las Vegas in the hills of Donegal...

Goats Don't Shave - early 1990's performance on The Late Late Show