Jul 3, 2015

The Great DeLeo Makeover - Part One!

I've always loved a good makeover story, in fact my latest book The Bouquet List is about a girl who completely changes her looks and her life. And now I have a makeover of my own going on.

When we bought our house ten years ago it was because it had so much "potential". It had half an acre for our four little kids to run around on, five bedrooms so they could eventually have their own rooms, and electric blue walls with salmon coloured trim and frilly london blinds......

Needless to say, the wall colours and blinds have changed, but there's still so much that needs to be done and this week I signed away my life and the GDP of a small country for stage one in our "renovations". Shall I talk you through them???!!!

Below is the very attractive and completely useless half wall between the dining and lounge rooms. Oh, that's not our dining table, by the way, that's just the table that gets all the junk left on it. With joy in my heart, I'm ecstatic to say that this is all going, as is the yellow brick to the left, and an enormous cavity slider is going in. 


Also going is the very ugly fireplace below which has never worked. This will be a big wall with the cavity slider behind it and a TV on the front. This will finally mean that I can banish the boys and their Friday night football games down here while the girls and I can watch Coro in peace!

And see that greyish carpet with stains where the dog has tramped in unmentionables and kids have dropped every known food variety on it?? It's all going to be replaced!!

And finally for stage one I'm getting a new laundry area and new lighting everywhere.
I can't tell you how excited I am. I'm really hoping I can check back in a couple of months with all the work finished. What I need now is all your best tips on what worked and didn't work for you in your makeover.

12 comments:

  1. Ooh, how very exciting, Barb! I'm looking forward to hearing and seeing all of your developments on the makeover front. I'm afraid I have absolutely no tips to offer you, though (Sharon is probably the Cat for that) -- just this week my DH and I were laughing that with our mismatched furniture, overcrowded bookcases and 80s decor that we're still living like students. Frankly, I expect we're too lazy (and busy doing fun things like reading, writing and playing hockey) to do anything about that. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, you and DH sound just like me, Michlele. While I read the house and garden magazines and thought I wanted to be all those people with their perfect tiling and colour-coordinated towels, I've realised that comfort really is the winner on my book. I do hope I can give you an update in a couple of months and that it's not a do-up disaster :)

      Delete
  2. Oh, I love looking at home reno pics! Can't wait to see how yours comes together, Barb.

    My main recommendation is dont try to do any house rennovations while you're eight months pregnant and your husband doesn't see it as an issue that you should help him move and entire house of furniture down two flights of steps so the carpet can be ripped up and the floorboards polished.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOLS! The best part about that is that I know you had the baby and that you live in a beautiful house so it must have all turned out alright in the end. :) Spookily, the last time we renovated, I was about 7 months pregnant and I seem to have blocked a lot of it out. It was hard enough then, without four kids and a crazy-arse dog. Will keep you posted :)

      Delete
  3. Barb

    I am sure it will all look and work out wonderful when it is finished sorry I don't have and ideas either I am no good at these things :)

    Have Fun
    Helen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Helen. I'm no good either which is why I'm paying a lot of money to do it for me :) Hubs is in charge of the new TV etc and that's taking up all of his time. He just doesn't get excited about wallpaper designs and carpet colour...not sure I do either.

      Delete
  4. How exciting! Can't wait to see it in progress and how it turns out :) I'm yet to ever renovate a house other than doing some painting and basic gardening, but I'm sure it'll happen at some point in the future!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's funny, Stefanie, it's almost a right of passage in a relationship, isn't it? Like, if you survive a major house reno together, you can survive anything? I'll keep you posted on the progress of the renos and the marriage :)

      Delete
  5. I can't wait to see the final result! I'm in the middle of a much smaller home reno, but I have to admit, I prefer to read about them rather than do them. It was one of my favourite things about The Bouquet List. (And that scene with the sock sliding on the new floor was so much fun!)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good luck with the reno, Barb! My tip is patience as it may well take longer and be more complicated than you planned. Hopefully not, but you'll get there in the end. Can't wait to see the finished pics!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good luck with the reno - don't have any advise. However, looking at the pics I don't blame you for getting rid of the halfwall, brickwall and fireplace. I look forward to seeing the finished pics.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Barb, I feel your reno-pain! Currently ripping up the carpets and preparing for wall painting here! But the fab news is that the little "flat" has now been completed and it's great! We're all cosy and warm out there with our new carpet and freshly painted walls and wood heater. I keep telling myself that it will all be worth it in the end! And it will be for you too!

    ReplyDelete