developments
In my last post, I shared some before photos of our Currarong project, the real estate shots that captured the house as we found it. While those photos are a great record of where we started, they do not reflect the energy of this place. Now that we have spent some real time in the space, the transition from a “house we bought” to a “home we are building” has officially begun.
Felipe has been deep in the realms of interior painting, and I have been trying to capture real, unstyled progress as it happens. When he allows me.
The Power of a Fresh Coat
There is something transformative about the first few coats of paint in an older (tired? neglected? dilapidated?) home. Felipe has taken charge of the painting, and the change is immediate. We are preserving at this point – addressing issues and making it liveable while we learn the property and make design decisions.
A Piece of Felipe’s Own Design
One of the most special additions to the house is a feature Felipe actually built before we even settled on the property. Because he is a professional set builder, he is always thinking about how a space functions and how to solve problems with design – and he believes (correctly) that he has a good sense of style – he crafted a mid-century inspired shelving unit specifically for our books and knick-knacks. It’s not finessed as yet, but we think it’s in the right place.
It is a very Felipe piece of carpentry that we reckon the house perfectly. Having a custom feature designed by Felipe already in place makes the house feel like ours, even while the rest of the rooms are in various states of flux. It serves as a reminder that we are not just repairing a building: we are building the charm, one step at a time. This (as yet unfinished!) shelving unit is the first of many bespoke touches we are most likely to integrate as we repurpose materials and find new uses for old things.
The Reality of the Process
Renovating is not a linear path – at least for us. For every room that gets a fresh coat of paint, there is a new “what the…?” moment waiting behind a cupboard or under a floorboard. We are still sticking to our Phase I plan: no major structural moves yet. We want to get to know the house during a South Coast summer before we make any permanent architectural changes.
Our weekends are currently a mix of painting, bushwalking, and scouring the local op-shops in Nowra for mid-century design elements. We have been looking for items that feel authentic to the age of the house, focusing on sustainability by giving second-hand materials a new life. It is a slow process, but it is the only way to ensure the house stays true to itself.
What is Next?
Who knows? I just discovered the washing machine crapped out. Every day an adventure.