The personality of our home is starting to appear...

Small changes are having a big impact now and we are really starting to see the personality of our "renewed" home take shape.

The pink stuff is everywhere upstairs and what an impact it has had to the look, light and feel of the rooms.

The opening for the bi-fold doors has been boarded ready to be rendered and the electrics installed for the wall lights. This room had been boarded up for so long awaiting the bi-fold doors that we had forgotten just how much light comes in through these doors. It's going to be a lovely place to sit and eat on warm summer evenings.

And here are the last of the doors to be installed. Our bi-folds leading out to the garden from our dining room and the french doors leading from Bedroom 2 again out to the garden.

I had a little fun on Instagram and enlisted the @thedunlins followers to help me choose what pendent "chandelier" would look best over the stairs. As well as being visible through the stairway window from at the back of the house, it will also be on full view when we are sitting in the upstairs lounge, so it really does need to be a special and aesthetically pleasing piece. The leading favourite was the first photo, which also turns out to be the most expensive! Definitely needs to be a large round shape, but I will wait to see the hand rail in situ before deciding.

The cedar sofit installation is coming along nicely and every time an elevation is completed it is transforms it. Excited to see the big expanse under the balcony and over the front entrance get done.

Bedrooms 3 and 4 have had their first mist paint and wow what a difference it makes. Bedroom 4's en-suite tiles have also arrived. We have chose monochrome sanitary ware and fixtures/fittings in this room, which teamed with the grey will give quite a masculine feel, which I think Tyler will love as he has claimed this bedroom as his!

Mr H chatting to Steve and Herbi the Flat Roofers. Why to men always have to be climbing on something 😂 Paul's looking on, thinking "we can't get two of us on that ladder so how can I get in on this conversation?

The boarding is now going up down stairs ready to be skimmed and the remaining walls to be render set. Abs (aka Nigel) has come in to do the boarding and he is a master. Quick, but very neat, which makes for a really good finish once skimmed. He is also always happy and great fun to have around.

He is one of my Friday cakes I bake for the builders. This is a Lemon Cream Victoria Sponge and a real favourite with everyone. I will put together the recipe and post it as a blog in the next few days if you want to give it a try. I double the receipt and always make a square one as it is easier to cut into builder size portions.

One of the biggest milestones over the last two weeks was seeing the scaffold come down. We seemed to gain so much space back.

More boarding taking place, this is in the Master En-suite. Its still looking a little bedraggled, but I think it will come together nicely over the next couple of weeks.

We had a very special visitor to site. This is Bert (aka Albert), Paul's No 1 side kick. For just 5 months old he was so well behaved and lovely to have some doggy cuddles with, which we miss desperately, since losing our two furries Ruben and Rosie at the end of last year.

Not the most glamorous of shots. This will be our Guest Powder Room, a very important room indeed. Although the smallest room in the house I want it to have a really big personality.

The installation of the the upstairs fire was probably the best bit (for me, anyway) of the last couple of weeks. We did have a few drama's around the tv we had chosen to go above the fire, mainly around how to install it, but the guys (Morgan & Rob) from Kernow Fires rose to the challenge. It had us all thinking on our feet, but it all came together in the end. Although it is not quite finished. It still needs the gas connecting, the slate hearth installed and the breast painted, but I think you will agree, it's stunning and has completely transformed this room.

Our lovely neighbour opposite, Catherine, came over and gave us these 2 photo's of The Dunlins taken in the 1980"s, showing the air ambulance landing in our front garden. The third photo is of what The Dunlins looked like back in 2018 when we bought it. Not much has changed in the 65 years since it was built.

Last but not least, we ended week 44 with work starting on the garage. I cannot tell you how happy this made Mr H.

That's it for now, until next time.....

Take care & stay safe X