Ever closer

Bond Street is a bit of a backwater...but last weekend was just a little different with a really quite exciting event-the FINALE of the V8 Supercars...and our house is inside the track.

Consequently there was a great deal of foot traffic past the front door over the weekend, and now MANY MANY more people have expressed their appreciation for what we have done, and the authenticity and attention to detail of the restoration.

There is still some work to do outside...the lavender is about to go in along the front of the verandah, (it is still in pots) and there's some cleaning up to do, but a little more progress has been made.

The verandah is now looking stunning. The aim was to pave with something that would look authentic - as if it had been there sine the 1890s. Goal achieved thanks to sandstone pavers from Amber Tiles at Kotara (and paving by Selwyn).

 Just take a look...

The next instalment of the blog should see the lavender planted, the clean up completed and maybe even the gate thresholds done, but probably not in time for the Christmas visitors!

What a difference a week makes.

What a busy week!

Starting at the weekend...

• Rake and remove rubble (of which there was LOTS)

• Level (well sort of) both sides of the drive.
• Purchase and place rough lawn edges.

the west side














...and the east,

taken from the upper storey of the verandah.

...all completed with many intervals in between as people walking past stopped to chat about the house, its history and what an amazing transformation there has been to the house!

• Then cover the scoria with tarps in readiness for the arrival of the lawn base.

• Next day receive and spread lawn base with help from neighbour Mik

(MANY THANKS DUE THERE)

The lawn base had to be just about cleared in one day because the lawn turf was arriving the next morning...and Mik came back to help!

A garden starts to take shape!

And then... after more research and garden centre trips, lots of hole digging, planting, fertilising, mulching and hand watering...

A bit of a cheat photo because the paving at this stage was still a way from completion, but what a difference a week makes!!! 

Almost all done, including the sprinkler system in time for us to leave for an extended period away and miss the results of our labour - except that is for a few photos from those experiencing the sights and smells first hand.

Magnificent!!!

But wait, there's more

You didn't really think it was finished did you?

It nearly is, until we start repairing damage - but that's a whole other story.

This story, about our restoration of Coutts Sailors House really is almost complete.

While originally the surface of the verandah (at ground level) was probably concrete, and that is what we had after having to replace the verandah slab; we had to admit it looked just a little unfinished, a little rough and ready, and not up to the stature of the house.

So there was much deliberation...At one time we had thought we might replace the tesselated tiles that were there when we purchased the place, but research and consultation led us to believe that they were not original - more likely added when the Home became Sister Kenny's Polio Hospital (as part of NSW Health).

So we rescued the few uncrazed tiles for use in the project as a hearth in the dining room around the 'coal' fire, and as a back doorstep, and went back to research and investigation mode.

Our learned colleagues suggested that the original surface would most likely have been sandstone pavers, so in concurrence, that is what we selected; though not in nice even squares! Instead the solid sandstone pavers come in bullnose (for the edge) and then in three sizes for the inner portion...a bit of a jigsaw puzzle.

We had to wait for the stone, so in the meantime we got to work on the (postage stamp size) garden...the pictures show a tidied area - and with scoria driveway! More on the garden in later posts.

The jigsaw puzzle was expertly done by the stonemason Selwyn Robinson. The effect, we think, is stunning, and most people seem to agree.

The beginnings looked like this:

from the truck onto the block -

the first of several pallets of sandstonestone.


...note the scoria driveway!
...and apologies for the garbage bin!

 Then the bullnose edges went down
(around the edge...where else?)













and then the jigsaw puzzle began in earnest!
















UNTIL......

still a way to go.

but you get the idea. 

The idea was that the paving would look as if it was meant to be there as part of this (as new) 

heritage property.