Kitchen Renovation - Glass Splash Back Install

On this kitchen renovation journey I've taken you through our dilemma of deciding between tiles Vs glass splash back and the unsuccessful tile shopping expedition which lead to our decision to pick glass over tiles and comparing companies and quotes to get the best deal on a glass splash back.

I wanted our splash back to have a wow factor but at the same time not be something that I love for it's uniqueness but a future home buyer might hate for the very same reason! We decided on a modern glass splash back in a fairly safe colour with silver and blue tones it's not too bright or out there and picks up the colours of the shells in the black granite bench tops.

In preparation for the splash back install Mr P and I have been frantically trying to finish the painting after work in the evenings and over the last few weekends amongst other things and almost got there, the rest we finished painting after the install. We had to screw in the brackets for the range hood so they knew where to cut the holes out of the glass. Remove the side panels off the overhead glass cabinets so the splash back can sit flush against the wall and then the panels over the top - it looks much neater this way. Lastly, we needed to have the bench tops cleared, power outlet covers removed and stove hot plates out of the way so the glass could be carried in and put into place without a hitch.

So here we go check out the install on Friday which happened in under an hour!


The Frosted Ice sample of the splash back was a lot lighter, more silver and less blue than the actual product turned out to be
Thankfully I don't mind the darker blue tone but when they say variations in colour can occur they are not joking!

The stove area before the splash back went in

The stove area after the splash back is installed

 

The holes for the range hood brackets - we had to pre drill 5 of these so they knew where to cut the holes when they did the final measure. You don't know how glad I was to see the holes made in the right spot!

Ta da splash back installed now I can cook and splatter away at the stove as much as I want!



The sink area before the splash back went in

 

The splash back installed around the window frame and bench area

The splash back is in and I absolutely love it!

 

The glass colour looks darker at night time which gives it a more formal and sophisticated vibe and then during the day it looks lighter and a bit more casual. I really love the colour choice and think it suits people who like classic colours as well as those who are a little more daring and want bright pops of colour like how I plan to decorate with my eDesign mood board.

 

This week I'm going to fluff around styling the bench tops - while I'm not one to clutter the bench tops but I do need the coffee machine out of the garage and into the kitchen so I can set up my much anticipated coffee station!

 

What do you think?  Have I convinced you to get Glass over Tiles?

 

For updates on the kitchen as I go Like Jarrah Jungle on Facebook and you'll never miss a thing 

[All images my own]
 

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A Confession From A Magazine Addict

Hello world, my name's Michelle and I'm a magazine addict ... there I've said it step one is admitting I have a problem! But times they are a changing and I've accepted I have an obsession with glossy shiny magazines and it's time to cull the collection.

 

 

Over the last 4 years I've subscribed to Real Living, Australian House and Garden, Delicious and Super Food Ideas .... now if you multiply that by 12 months in a year you have yourself a stack of almost 50 magazines a year ... that's a lot of reading and I hate to admit it but a bit of time wasting as well. 






To me there's nothing more exciting than getting a fresh crisp new magazine in the mail box ... I love the way they look with their beautiful bright colours and smooth glossy pages. At this moment I subscribe to two magazines Real Living is my go to bible for home inspiration and I cashed in my Flyby points for a years subscription to Super Food Ideas which have really simple and easy recipe ideas. 

With the steady flow of magazines coming into the home each month and my 6 magazine holders full, 2 huge drawers in the coffee table filled to the brim and now a secret stash building up in the study it's time for me to part with my much loved magazines. See that's my problem, after I've read them I can't get rid of them .... Well until now that is.

 

 
So I've been going through the food magazines and tearing out recipes I want to try and after I've tried the recipe if I like it and i'll make it again I write it into my recipe book. I now have a stack of 2 years worth of food magazines to pass onto friends.

 

 
The home magazines are so much harder to part with because they have so many pictures I like, interesting articles, how tos, they are like my inspiration bible. But to beat this addiction now when the magazines are about 6 months old I can finally bring myself to tear out pages I like and put them into my lever arch inspiration files - I have 4 files full of magazine pages, brochures, paint charts etc with inside and outside ideas that I can refer back to.
 

 

I'm proud to say I'm slowly getting through my magazine hoarding and culling the collection. Keeping what I like and then passing them onto friends ... I know they are going to be in good hands and it's one less thing collecting dust piled high in the corner of the study!  

 

What's your favourite magazine you just can't resist?
 

 

[All images my own]

 

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Recipe: Sour Cream and Chilli Bread

There's nothing like having a sneaky slice of bread straight from the bread maker while it's still warm and you butter it and all the butter melts in the bread and it tastes absolutely divine. Mmmmm yum! So I've been using my bread maker a bit more lately, last week I made Cheese and Herb Damper to go with a slow cooked sausage and lentil stew and this week I made Sour Cream and Chilli Bread to go with my chilli con carne and rice.

The Sour Cream and Chilli Bread was beautiful and soft with a hint of chilli at the end. I thought the sour cream would make it dense but it was quite the opposite it was light and fluffy and really soft on the inside with a crunchy crust on the outside. 

 

Sour Cream and Chilli Bread

750g loaf in bread maker

 

80ml cold water

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp salt
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs skim milk powder

1 tsp bread improver
440g plain flour

1 and 1/2 tsp yeast

 

Get all the ingredients out and get ready to get your bake on

Into the bread maker pan place the water, sour cream and chilli powder

 

Followed by the rest of the ingredients in the order of the list above with the yeast going in last

 

 

A couple of hours later once its mixed, kneaded, risen and baked the bread will turn out like this

 

 

It was really easy to slice it had a firm crunchy crust and a soft and fluffy inside

 

  

It was the perfect bread to serve as an accompaniment to a Mexican inspired dinner ...

Chilli con carne and rice with a generous dollop of sour cream

 

 

What's your favourite type of bread? 

 

 

[All images my own]

 

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eDesign Mood Board - Dining Room and Kitchen Bench

I have a pretty clear vision of how I want the kitchen to look when it's all finished and have created an eDesign mood board to bring my ideas to life.

 

Taking a cue from the clocks and art I have ready to go up on the dining room wall once the painting is done and with the frames, art and clocks in pops of yellow, black, silver and gold these are the primary colours I'm using for the decor and furniture for the kitchen and dining room.

 

So here is my mood board for the Dining Room and Kitchen Bench ...

 

 

 

 

Dining Room and Kitchen Bench by jarrahjungle on Polyvore

 

1. Kenwoods Kmix toaster and kettle - The new colour range of appliances in bright colours make a really bright bold statement. I think every kitchen deserves a new kettle and toaster after a renovation and my old leaking kettle just isn't going to cut it in the new kitchen!

 

2. Replica Xavier Tolix Stools - If I'm brave enough I'll get 2 of these yellow Stools for the kitchen island bench. The rubber feet and legs on these stools are what I like the most because they are practical when it comes to jarrah floorboards they won't scratch the floor when they get dragged out, unlike some of the heavier solid base bar stools.

3. Black granite bench top - A sample of the black granite kitchen and island bench tops to see how the furniture and decor will contrast. The colours are really going to make a statement against the shiny sparkly granite.

4. Pineapple ornament - The new ornament craze is all about pineapples! I'm really liking this one from Freedom and my other favourite shop Pigeonhole have a pineapple jar which would serve a dual purpose both practical and fun.

5. Gold apple - From my go to store Typo I found this apple pen holder which I'm using as a salt dispenser on the bench near the stove. Even Mr P has given it the thumbs up and I quote "that's probably my favourite thing you've bought for the house" and that's saying something because I have bought home a lot of housey things over the years!

6. Replica Tolix Table - This table matches the kitchen stools which should tie the different seating in together. I really like the contrast between the wooden top and metal legs and it's quite streamline so won't overpower the small dining area. It will just be a matter of whether the table will fit in the space and if the ottoman can slide underneath the table legs and sit under the table out of the way.

7. Fabric Rectangle Ottoman - Instead of bench seats I'm looking at a fabric ottoman for seating at the dining table against the wall and then chairs along the other side of the dining table. This ottoman comes in a range of fabrics and I'll go for a bold graphic print. I just hope the ottoman is at the right height to sit at the table and that it can be pushed underneath the table out of the way to save space.

8. Replica Eames Dining Chairs - The remaining dining chairs I would like 4 chairs similar to these Replica Eames Side chair in a grey fabric with timber legs. The timber legs will go with the dining table top and the grey fabric will go with the wall colour paint.

 

You can see the mood board on Polyvore here with links of where you can buy the items.

 

So what do you think of my dining room and kitchen bench design?

Thoughts? Suggestions? I'd love to hear them!

 

Sharing with Link Parties:

It's Overflowing - Share your creativity

The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty

 

[Image via Polyvore designed by Jarrah Jungle]

 

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Fitting Skirting, Edging And Repairing Gaps Around The French Doors

This weekend we had some DIY jobs to do to finish off the French Doors we installed a few weeks ago.

Where we cut the window into a door way the floorboards were left open and uneven so the first job was to patch where the floorboards meet the new door way.

The second job was to install skirting and quarter round on both corners of the door way to finish it off.

So this is how it looked in it's former life as a window in the dining area.



Then we cut out a doorway and installed French Doors that will lead out to a deck (still to be built!)



So for the first job we needed to patch the floorboards where it meets the step.

Being thrifty much like we used a pantry shelf to repair a hole in the floorboards, this time we used a jarrah beam from an old wardrobe we ripped out of the guest bedroom - it was the perfect width to fit the gap in front of the door way.

Mr P used a circular saw to cut across the floorboards to make them all even and to make space for the jarrah beam to be slotted in. The jarrah beam was lined up and used as an edge for the saw to line up with.

Notice Lexi the site manager looking on ... she gets really excited whenever we use power tools and jumps around and goes a little berserk!

Yes that's my ugg boots standing on the jarrah beam to make sure it didn't move while Mr P was cutting.

The flooboards were cut straight and ready for the jarrah beam to be slotted in ... nice cutting babe even Lexi approves :)

We chipped away some of the brick and fitted some supports made from blocks of jarrah to support the jarrah beam that will go on top.

Then we slotted the jarrah board in and put a few nails in through the beam and into the supports underneath.

The jarrah board isn't sitting perfectly flat probably because the floor boards aren't perfectly flat either but that can be fixed with a bit of sanding.

We did try to use the planer to shave off some wood to make it sit flat but it cut in too deep and was leaving grooves in the wood so we used the electric hand sander which worked a lot better.

Didn't take long to make it smooth between the floorboards and the beam so it's one flat level. We'll also use some filler to fill the gaps before we seal the floorboards with Tung Oil - sealing the floorboards is the very last job as it can scratch easily in the first few days it's something we'll do when we can get away for a night.

Now for the second job the corner skirting needed to be made for both sides of the door way and installed. The skirting we made from left over skirting board that was under the window before. It was cut and then nailed together.

 

I even had a go and got to use the drill for the very first time ... I was a little bit scared and a little bit excited! It was the smallest drill bit in the world so I managed ok - 3 holes and then nailed in 3 little nails attaching the 2 pieces of skirting together and it was done.

Once the new skirting was made it was fitted into place and then nailed into place.

The quarter round is then fitted to the base of the skirting with a few nails. Once it gets a coat of paint you won't even know it was a patch job, it'll look like brand new.

The other side of the door way was done the same and the quarter round was nailed in to secure it.

So there you go - the skirting and quarter round is fitted and the floorboards are patched where they meet the door way.

We just need to use filler on the gaps and nail holes in the floorboards and jarrah beam and no nails around the edge of the beam where it meets the metal step. Once the floorboards are sanded back and sealed with a coat of Tung Oil they should all flow and look like the doorway was always there.

Another successful DIY weekend in the Jarrah Jungle household and another week closer to finishing the kitchen renovation!

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[All images my own]

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Book Review and Preview: Longbourn by Jo Barker

I'm taking part in the blog tour for the up and coming book Longbourn by Jo Barker which retells the classic Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice from the servants' point of view.

 

I was so excited when I received a copy of the limited first edition proof of Longbourn to review, which is due to hit book stores this month and as 2013 marks the bicentennial anniversary of Pride and Prejudice this book has come out at the perfect time. 

 

 

I haven't been caught up in Jane Austen series much before so feel I could read this novel with a fresh perspective and not compare to Jane Austen's books and movies too much. I don't recall watching the Pride and Prejudice movie but know the storyline is about Jane Austen and her 4 sisters who as it was in those days want to find a man to fall in love with and marry and start a life together.

 

Longbourn is based in England in the 1700s and is the story told by the servants - Mr and Mrs Hill, teenage Sarah, young Polly and a new man servant James who work for the Bennet family in Pride and Prejudice. Oh yes how the tables turn in this book, reading about the main characters from the servants view is a totally different perspective of life in those times and just how much work goes on behind the scenes for the Bennet family to live the life they do and be fed and clothed with such grace and attention.

 

Right from the first few pages I really enjoyed reading this book. The writing style described everything in so much detail you could virtually feel the chilblains on young Sarah's fingers as she was doing the laundry. I felt the fear Mrs Hill had about losing her job with the Bennets, the coldness poor old Mr Hill felt on the horse and carriage riding the Bennets around in the rain, the tiredness of young Polly working from such a young age and the excitement felt by Sarah as she discovers men for the first time.

 

This book is split into 2 chapters - Chapter 1 was mainly about Sarah and her hopes and dreams for her life. Chapter 2 was more about Mr and Mrs Hill and James and really started to tell you more about the Bennet family and the story started to get really interesting and intriguing. Even back then there were scandalous things going on, they just did a much better job at covering it up!

 

This character map gives a pretty good idea of the characters in the book and how they fit into the story line, from the Bennets to the servants. Trust me you'll need this map to refer to to see how everyone is connected when the story takes a turn in Chapter 2!

 

 

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen fans and romantics.

 

I give this book 4 stars

 

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch re-runs of Neighbours than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd pass up a pack of tim tams for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read
 

 

Longbourn can be purchased from Random House Australia here
 

Sharing my book review on Random House here and Good Reads here

 

Disclosure: Random House and NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote their product. As part of this promotion I was given this book published by Doubleday to review. I have not received any payment or compensation for this review. I have not been told what to say about this product, I am free to form my own opinion and share them in my own words. All opinions are my own.

 

 

[Images via Random House]

 

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Cinematic Light Box

I've become a little obsessed with cinematic light boxes. I've been admiring them on blogs around the web for a while but I've also started to see them in shop windows for displays with cool and quirky sayings on them.

I've been trying hard to justify whether I could spend almost $400 on something that is a bit of a toy or if I should look at it as an evolving art piece that you can change the sayings and words on for some daily inspiration. I'm a real sucker for quotes and do think that I would get a lot of use out of it.

   

 

Simone from Honey and Fizz always styles her light box beautifully and I have total light box envy ... Well actually I have whole house envy Simone's home is truly amazing!

The only other issue I have is I'm not sure where to put it. I'd love to sit it on a side buffet or shelf near the kitchen so I can change up my quotes for the day. Unfortunately I don't really have anywhere in the kitchen to plug it in to light it up and I'm not sure if it will still look good without being plugged in - I'm thinking with a name like light box it needs to be lit up to be effective!

I guess it's never too early to start my Christmas list ... Santa baby I've been a good girl this year :)

What do you think of the light box?
Is it worth the splurge? 

[Images via 1 and 2, 3 Honey and Fizz, 4 Honey and Fizz, Down That Little Lane]


 

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