Planning

Now the exciting bit (well for me anyway, any readers are probably bored silly by now) - the planning of project 'house renovations'.

8 Stages

1. Planning
2. Preparing
3. Storeroom
4. Guest Lounge Room
5. Guest Bedroom
6. My Office
7. Mr K Office
8. Shed

Scope of works

Renovate and change use of rooms that are now not being used (or being used as junk dumping grounds).  Decorate the rooms so that they work well for the purpose we want them for.  Make better use of space.  Improve the value of the house and start preparing for the day when we will sell it.  Give me a reason to go in and look around and smile and feel good inside. (Like I keep doing in my walk in robe :-*)

Rooms to renovate -

Cams Room - to become the Guest Bedroom - this has the nicest outlook, well it will have when I have redone the gardens

Ash's Room - to become my storeroom (and maybe also a craft room if it doesn't work in my office)

Activity Room (shared by boys) - to become Guest Sitting Room

Guest Room - to become my office, and craft room (maybe)

Old Office/Library  - to become the office again, as well as Mr K's gentleman's retreat.  Also to display his Military collection.

Passion behind the plans

At the moment we are living in just a few rooms of this sprawling house.  It is kind of nice to live so compactly, gives us a great feeling of what it will be like when we move out to the (much smaller) house at Wattle Grove.  But it seems a shame that we are crammed in this space when we could spread out and be much more organised.  I am SO over clutter, and if we cant move (which is normally how I deal with clutter - move house and have a huge sort out) then we will have to have the sort out on its own.  It makes sense to use each empty room for one purpose - this will make it work better, look better and when we have to put the house on the market - it will display better.

The main concept of each room will be:

Guest Wing
I want to have a really relaxing and welcoming guest wing.  A retreat where guests can have their own private space and feel like they are on holidays.  I love to play hostess so I want to make these rooms look stunning, comfortable, fresh and clean.  Much like a hotel room, but much more personal. The bedroom has a built in robe, so this will save buying one.

Guest Bedroom

• Bed - queen sized - already have
• Bedside tables - have but old/need revamping
• Chest of drawers - maybe use the WIR if space is limited
• Storage - a low set of shelves that shoes/bags etc can go in and an open suitcase on top
• Chair in the bedroom for dressing - may not have space.

Guest Sitting Room

• 2 comfortable armchairs - to buy
• Footstools - to buy
• Small dining table and 2 chairs.  Can also be used as a writing table.  Maybe have?
• TV and DVD player - already have
• Bookcase - already have

Storage Room

Very indulgent but I would like a room which has wall to wall  and ceiling to floor shelves - or even better the Expedit shelving with cubby holes.  In this room will be all the items that need to be stored.  Craft things, Christmas decorations, games, picnic items ... anything that I want to keep, is seasonal, is too good to go into the shed.  There will be rules however for storing things in here.  (that's a whole other post!) I may also put in a workbench if there is room as use this as a craft room, or wrapping room.  My aim is to make this room very functional yet beautiful.  If it looks nice and is easy to store things and retrieve them, then it will stay that way.

My Office

This room needs to inspire me to go into everyday and work 8+ hours.  It needs to make me feel professional, business like, inspired to help develop the business further.  I need a large desk, benches for printers/scanners, lots and lots of storage.  I would like to look outside and for it to feel bright and airy.  We have existing office furniture, but I am not sure I like it as its a beech timber and I had in mind white furniture.  Might have to look into what I can adapt what we have to save some money.  Will look at painting the room white, or antique white, using the beech furniture and accessorising with lots of turquoise.  I want it to look very sleek and uncluttered.

Library/Gentleman's Room

The old office where we first ran the business has sat as it was left when we moved the business into the city.  Its a lovely big room, with windows at either end, but has limitations with 3 doors, furniture will have to be carefully positioned.  As this is to be Mr K's room, (and therefore left to his own devices would just be a giant mess and junk room) I am taking a bit of control and would like it to have an old fashioned, library or man of the house study.  So lots of leather seats, a nice solid timber desk, wooden display cabinets with glass doors for his ever growing military collection, and the long wall completely lined with bookcases, also with glass doors. 

Now that I am inspired, onto listing each task.  Amazing how now that I have got all inspired, I feel energised to tackle this, excited to start and the project doesn't feel at all daunting.