1st August; FINISHED!!

Physical work began in the 8th of October last year, so roughly nine months later (eight and three quarters actually), I can declare that the build is finished and that this blog can end.

Last week, Greg and Richo spent a couple of days fixing the little things that needed adjusting; cupboard doors, taps, tiles as well as laying the timber decking. Then on Friday the painters came and gave the deck and the front of the building a second coat. They also patched little things inside which needed  attention.

So, the Grand Design is officially finished. Now it is time for us to confess to Kev (Mc Cloud that is) that we nearly went mad and broke and would never dream of  renovating or building again. Wrong! This has been an excellent and enjoyable project and the outcome is better than imagined. Sure, we fell into some traps but nothing that can't be explained away. We are just impulsive and extravagant by nature and happily ceating a new lifestyle in a new space.

Some observations:
The space is actually much larger than we thought it would be, even though we are managing to fill it will clutter already. I thought it would be a very narrow  space but it isn't at all. Playing in several places with wall mirrors has also created the illusion of spaciousness.

I am pleased we decided to go ahead and  develop the roof garden. It has turned out to be functional (although Sally is not too keen to be left out there - which wasn't the plan). It is a nice place to entertain too...when the weather isn't too rainy, hot, or windy!

I am not sure that our dealings with the AMP Building next door are over. In the torrential rain last week we realised that the paintwork on their wall is breaking down and leaving white powdery marks on our roof garden. We have adopted a wait-and-see policy. The thought of more work is exhausting. I suspect, too, that the front facade will cause problems in the future because the tiles are breaking down.  Wait-and-see about that too.

Living with the stairs (all 45 of them) is not a problem aerobically. We are used to them and my leg muscles are bulgeing. How many times am I at the front door and have to run up right upstairs for something I've forgotten?  What could be more problematic are the places where there are  one or two steps to a different level. I am well-trained in looking before stepping (having lived with vertigo for twenty years now) but I know I must be careful.

The noise and the dirt  from Hunter street are not as bad as I thought they would be. The neighbours are all very friendly and there is a lot of activity over in the Lock-Up Cultural Centre over the road which I have stumbled upon.

The neighbouring restaurants and walks are great - we tried out the Thai place in Scott St last week , (we are preparing our palates for Bangkok and Hanoi in eight weeks time.) Surprisingly, we find Darby St unnecessarily distant as food destinations now.

However, I do miss the ships. I can hear them over in the harbour but I miss not being able to look up or to feel the shudder as they  pass by. I also miss the bird life. The pigeons here drive me nuts with their infernal cooing and the currawongs sound gorgeous but they are so aggressive to other birds and each other, it's like living with a teenage family.

I just went back and read the first few blogs and looked and the pictures. What a transformation! Here are the last photos. They are a bit out of order...and there are some duplkications .  This is the first time I have had difficulty loading and editing photos on the blog but I have run out of time.



Our front door. Painted in grey metallic paint. We originally hoped to have a custom made art-deco style  metal door, however, we decided to keep the bars and make it look  least  like a front as possible. People just walk straight past and never look in. Occasionally, children  peer in because they see a doggy lying  just inside and feel sorry for her!





Scarry dog shadow

Doggy corner!!

Detail of the  artifically weathered paint

Sally guarding the front door

The view  from the top floor. The  white muslin curtains have arrived  and help to separate the  spaces  more.



At last I have a picture of the outside of the building without cars parked outside. Of course there are always cars parked in the 15 minute zone outside. The Heritage objection to our removal of the (1980's aluminium) windows in the first place was that we would create "unsympathetic voids". Well, here they are and they are and I'd like to say that whilst they might seem unsympathetic to the streetscape, they are most sympatico with  inner city living. We decided not to put the SURGERY letters back and just leave a white space. Everyone who needs to know, knows where the surgery is.

 The roof garden - still have to get my plants from Hilary's but at last the structure is finished.

 Washing day!



 

The far wall had now been repainted and deliberately rusted so that it is pale green

Thanks to Steve and Greg Baker and all the BRW Constructions crew, to Brendan Smith (architect) and David Moir (landscape architect), Ian Smith (wirer) and Bernie and Kieran (advisers).