rendering

Rendering sounds like it needs to be done by a professional, and in most cases it does, but not for us, our motto at the moment is "Who needs a professional when we can do it ourselves!". We realised that because of the massive gaps ripping out the old kitchen created, there were planty of holes and panels that needed filling. It actually came out looking pretty good. A lick of paint over the top and you'd never know.

 

Burning the midnight oil

lights, camera, action

Our electrician came to visit and help us decide where to put the power outlets, the light switches, dimmers and of course, the lights. One of our big decisions was whether to build a false ceiling  throughout the apartment so that we could have downlights rather than a few hideous pendants. As per our usual form, we changed our minds a number of times, and we ended up going forward with the false ceiling plans. It's not a decision you can make lighty, excuse the pun, because it is so costly. For an apartment our size, you're looking at about $3,500 - $4,000 for gyprock and installation. Lights are not included people. It is expensive, but a must if you want to achieve a certain 'look and feel'. We will finish our new ceiling with a shadow line, and 22 white downlights. Yes, you heard correctly, 22! I couldn't believe it myself when i heard. We are going to light up like a Christmas tree at night, or worse, melt away under there incandescent glow. Either way, it will 'look' pretty amazing. And the reason for so many lights, we had to align them so they didn't look haphazard.

level 2

Once the kitchen was pulled out, all that was left was a dirty great big cavity with chunks of cement missing, pipes and wires protruding from every surface. We had to level the foundation by pouring levelling concrete so that the tiles would lay flat and even.

and so the fun begins...

The renovations are in full swing though with all the nasty appliances business going on i have neglected to post any photos of the fun we have been having. I will endeavour to start from the beginning, which is the demolition of the kitchen walls and laundry, and everything in between.

Before

After

The demolition took a full day plus an hour here or there and a skip was hired for the rubbish removal, and came and went the same day. It was hard work but to get it all done and dusted in a day was relieving. The boys all worked very hard. We salvaged a number of items for re-use including the oven/cooktop, dryer and even the kitchen sink, all donated to a good cause.

clive peeters... not so easy!

It has been a rough couple of weeks. Firstly, our appliances were not delivered when they were supposed to be. We were told they had been delayed along the way somewhere. Yeah right. Secondly, the very next day, it was announced on national television that Clive Peeters had gone into administration and that all goods and orders had been frozen. Great. Trust us to buy everything from a company teetering on bankruptcy. After four agonising days of feeling robbed, we were told that we would recieve the oven and cooktop, with a question mark still held over the dishwasher we ordered. Being a new model, we had been waiting for it to pass through customs. 2 is better than none I suppose. 

And then a stroke of luck, the administrators announced that everyone who had paid in full (thankfully we fall into this category) would receive their orders within a couple of days. Awesome, and they actually stuck to their word. Well we received all but the dishwasher so let's keep our fingers crossed it turns up!

life's good

Over the weekend, we went appliance shopping. We already bought this LG Washer/Dryer Combo from Winning Appliances Sale a few weeks back, and so we thought we would try to tie that in with the rest of the appliances seeing as though it will be on show in our kitchen. Off we went to Clive Peeters and they were so friendly and helpful, that we walked out with everything we needed, and a big discount to boot.
 

LG 8.5/4.5kg Combined Washer/Dryer

White 8.5/4.5kg Combined Washer/Dryer with 10 Year Direct Drive Motor Warranty providing less noise, less vibrations & greater durability, space saving 2 in 1 unit, Pause & Add Function, 4.5 Star Water Rating on the wash cycle, load sensing to optimise wash time, rinse and water consumption and has 1400rpm. And the best bit, it lights up like a Christmas tree!
 

LG 55L Oven with Full Glass Triple Glazed Angle Free Door

Stainless steel finish, featuring a triple glazed glass door with your safety in mind, this helps reduce the heat on the oven glass and comes with 7 cooking functions and a child lock. If only we could have afforded the Pyrolytic version - it self-cleans, what a dream.

LG 600mm 4 Radiant Ceramic Cooktop

600mm ceramic cook top features 4 radiant cooking zones, electronic touch control, rapid head up, residual heat indicator, automatic off for spillage and a child lock. So not only does it look great, but it is packed with additional safer features for your peace of mind. No more fiddly buttons!

LG 14 Place Setting Stainless Steel Dishwasher

Stainless Steel Dishwasher with 14 Place Setting, half load option to save time and water and delay start for 1-19 hours for your convenience, Hybrid Dry combines ventilation and condensing drying for optimum drying performance. Yay, I can do a soft wash on top for my precious wine glasses and a heavy wash on the bottom for pots and plates. Fabulous idea.
 

All together i think we spent around $4,200 for the lot which is pretty good. The washer/dryer alone retails at about $1800, but we got it on sale for $1200 brand new and delivered 3 days later. I had never really considered LG for the appliances in the kitchen, i thought they only did TV's and White goods. I suppose they fit in the middle of the price range for most items, let's hope they sit at the top when it comes to quality. They sure look good, all matching and handsome.