Anniversary

William Patrick and I acknowledged the day quietly, enjoying the charm of our bungalow by the sea and pondering on the blessing our little piece of paradise in Petone truly is. A day later we received a card in the post. Sam, our real estate sales person, was thinking of us, too!

And being the consummate 'professional' he is (little play on words here!), he didn't neglect to offer an appraisal of its value in the 'hot' real estate market. While it's interesting to ponder the wealth that homelessness could bring, the reality is that my house is not just my shelter and an investment. It's my glorious obsession and my absorbing hobby. It has changed a little over the seven years and by this time next week will have changed again - moving furniture is what I do. But seven years is an anniversary with a nice ring to it. So William Patrick and I have collected some before and after photos to mark this event.

The previous owners were still finishing off their improvements when I made an offer soon after the house came to the market. 

It would be fair to say that the previous owners and I were at opposite ends of the minimalist/eclectic decorating spectrum, but they certainly provided a very clean and blank canvas to work my particular sense of style upon!

Opening up the fireplace and putting in a woodburner has made the former dining room into a cosy room dining/living space.

It's all about oak now wherever possible.

I didn't get in quickly enough to save the cast iron bath, but a new bath/shower combo and adding a toilet have made the bathroom much more user friendly for me.

Where will we be in another seven years? 

If you stumbled on this post, which really is just marking a place in time for me personally to look back on, then welcome. If you are looking for more posts in 2018, then you are in luck. Now that I am essentially unemployed for the immediate future I am planning to get back into pondering and posting - see you soon!