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Gemma. 1930s home reno starting April '23

@thenewplace2023

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We're attempting to renovate our 30s semi in suburbia, with limited resources, budget and the smallest smattering of knowledge

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We've now been laying a patio for literally a year. Another bank holiday spent on the chain gang barrowing type one through the house in a million degree heat. And we're still not finished- 10 more slabs to go, but they all involve cutting and we need to borrow an angle grinder from my bro in law.

Maybe next week when it's cooled down a bit?

I feel this is the very definition of a slow reno! by @thenewplace2023

3 years of the New Place!
We got the keys 3 years ago yesterday. Celebrated by digging in the garden- it's
The house looks a teeny bit different now! by @thenewplace2023

Was this worth a whole day of annual leave? Well, I'm pleased, even if we did break two of our freakishly large stockpile of garden forks. I'm also getting better at not screaming when worms are unearthed, which is a positive as some of those bad boys were the size of a baby's leg.

Now to find plants that tolerate permanent darkness and soil that has the texture of plasticine by @thenewplace2023

I went for a wander around the garden in the drizzle. Despaired a bit at the state it's in, but then made myself pleased my snipping some bushes and draping them over the kitchen lights. Festive, right! (And smells pretty lovely)

Obligatory picture of another angle just in case you think I'm getting too smug

#christmastime #deinfluencechristmas by @thenewplace2023

Wow we had a lot of decorating going on a year ago! by @thenewplace2023

A quick spin around the second to smallest room in the house. Wasn't sure about the pink walls for ages, but now I'm a fan

Particularly fond of the picture above the radiator which hung for years in the bathroom at my mum and dad's (I think my dad made the frame). It was originally pine, but I had an enthusiastic session with a tube of 'rub n buff' paint to make it gold and definitely did not get paint on the new quartz worktops (a note to the equally slapdash: nail varnish remover took it off again fine)

Gotta say, I am beginning to wonder why I bothered getting a second shower because literally nobody uses it- it just gets dusted occasionally, but well... what would I have done with the extra space anyway? Probably just filled it with muddy football boots 🤷‍♀️ by @thenewplace2023

And some different angles of the finished living area. I don't care what they say about open plan living being old hat- I'm here for it.

And you'll have to ignore the garden looming through the patio windows- we'll get to it one day! by @thenewplace2023

There's still a lot of fripperies to be added, (and ssshhh, we still need to paint the skirting boards) but I think that's another room ticked off the list!

For the curious...
Sofa @dunelmuk
Rug @decoranddecoruk
Floor @luxuryflooring

Everything else... rescued from various corners of the house

#renovation
#1930shouse by @thenewplace2023

The kitchen at the new place- a carousel so you can appreciate where we came from! A bit of a change

#renovation #housetohome #1930shouse by @thenewplace2023

We ended up having our extremely temporary kitchen in place from when we moved back in post-build in October 2024 to a few weeks ago

It did us proud considering it was a freebie that was going in a skip at another job (thanks @palmersbuilders !) but I'm so so pleased to have something close to completed, after months of having our kitchenalia stashed in random bookcases and boxes, and looking fabulous if I do say myself, courtesy of a very thorough hand hold from @magnetkitchensuk and @top_granite_marble and a fantastically smooth kitchen fitting experience from @g_joinery_ltd

Now it's on to the fripperies!

#renovation #1930shouse #kitchenmakeover by @thenewplace2023

We're back from hols, and after a full week of relaxing, we're keen to get back to it. But not to installing skirting board or the last bits of painting, no no. We've been using pieces of wallpaper to try and work out a reasonable configuration of sofas by @thenewplace2023

What a weekend! Ridiculously we've actually done very little house stuff, apart from leave @jpdavisflooring to crack on but it's felt like one of the more stressful few days- a juggle of sport, logistical nightmares with keys and cars, limited opportunity to eat vegetables (I've eaten nuggets and chips three times in two days because it's been possible to access the airfryer and the freezer... just about) and no room to move in because... well, just look back a post or two and admire the storage unit that is our living room.

We're all knackered, and under the weather, and just want to slump on the sofa but sadly uniforms need sorting and bags need packing for the morning. 5 minutes sit down and then it's onwards by @thenewplace2023