Anne left a comment for me this morning, kindly saying that our house is what her one should look like!
( You can read Anne's great blog here
Balmoral Park Garden) (*mmm when you click here it says it doesn't exist, but click on the name ~ where it doesnt exist! and it'll take you there)
I said I would show her a before photograph of Darroch Cottage to let her see that it was far from a pretty sight when we moved in!
Anyway here is is
BEFORE!
Obviously the after is the big pic at the top of the blog!!I had to post this as I did all the fretwork by hand and almost cried! It was such a lot of hard work, but also a lot of fun! ( the renovating, not the fretwork, though)
We wanted to put a large deck and verandah round 2 sides as we knew we'd be living outside a lot in the summer. Luckily there are companies that will supply the lacework and fretwork and you just choose a pattern you like!
There was a lot to do inside as well, like a new kitchen, total redecoration, cutting so many holes in walls to put in french doors!
Anne, thank you for commenting as it made me look out this old pic and also ~ jeez what possessed us to buy this place from that original pic I have no idea! We came from the centre of Glasgow, were total city people!
I do remember walking down the drive on the day we moved in ~ only a day or 2 off the flight to move here ~ and looking around at the weeds growing out of the gutter, the weeds covering almost all the garden, the grass which was almost knee high and thinking to myself "what the #^%$ have we done?" but being too frightened to say it out loud!
It was weeks later Lloyd said he was thinking exactly the same thing!
Now I can't imagine living anywhere else.
woah craig and i had guessed you guys had done a lot of work but never imagined THAT MUCH WORK... you truely have excelled yourself here - three more sleeps... nice, have fun, be safe...
ReplyDeleteYou have both done a fantastic job there.She looks pretty in the before photo though, but much prettier now..:)
ReplyDeleteOh wow, what a transformation. I have to say that your house the way it is now looks just the way I want my house to look like one day. I simply love that type of look. So when we are there, I will (if you don't mind) contact you for some tips and advice.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone, it's been a labour of love but honestly, this place had a lovely 'feeling' to it from day one.(with the exception of the weeds)
ReplyDeleteLea, no problem, I know fretwork, french doors and the staff at Resene intimately! You just need good bones and you're home free.
Wow! How far you've come! You give me hope for my place.....one day it'll all be worth it.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's a new use for banana bunches ;)
You house looks gorgeous, and wow, what a change form the first pic! Well done, and have fun away, your coos will miss you!
ReplyDeletewow,great work with the renos! You have such a cute little cottage:)
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting thoes pics it's given me some hope for this place lol! That's bloody luvlee luvee!
ReplyDeleteHello, I've tried to leave this comment a few times but am working in various locations in Sydney this week and relying on my wireless connection which is quite erratic. I don't think any of the the previous comments went through. Anyway thanks so much for the photos and the inspiration. We have a very long way to go but the reading of others blogs is one of mu current sources of inspiration!
ReplyDeleteHi Anne, nah! thank you! It was cool looking through all the old photos - I'd almost forgotten what it looked like when we moved in!
ReplyDeleteIt was well loved though.