We’re getting closer to finishing our extended areas and that means we’re starting to think about moving out of the original P&S Lowline spaces so that we can re-skin it with new Gyprock (and insulate while we’re there) following our October 2016 flood.

I am underplaying it. It sounds simple, but it’s the part I’m dreading. I’m dreading everything being stripped back to the frame and all the lovely features removed (even if it’s temporary). Apart from the beams and the windows which are already replaced, the shape and size of each room also stays the same. The bathrooms will need to be sorted out. They’ve served us well for 6-7 years but there’s no mistaking 50+ year old toilet bowls and tiles which appear to have been cemented on thick. The laundry (and we) will benefit from having the asbestos removed. It’ll all come together…Just as long as we re-mount or replace the trims, the internal doors, similar bathroom tiles,  rehab the built ins and add great carpet.

It will probably take at least 3-4 months and may not start until November. We’d happily go faster if we had limitless time and money!

So, for the sake of memory and documentation, I’ve detailed those unique “details” below.

1. Internal doors – floor to ceiling, mysterious but lovely pale eucalypt colour. Will be trying to keep the handles if they don’t fall apart

2. Oregon beams and beam trims 

3. Subway tiles 

4. Timber trims

5. Cork floors – Unfortunately as our kitchen is moving, we’re not able to save the cork but we love it!

6. Recessed bathroom cabinets

7. Fluorescent kitchen lights – we’ll be saying farewell to these

8. Copper fireplace – I’ll forever lament its removal but due to asthma and space issues, it will be converted to an outdoor fireplace.

9. Painted brick, softly bagged – years of painting by the previous owner meant paint was flaking off the exterior (below). It means stripping back what we can before the final exterior paint is applied in Dulux Weathershield Natural White

10. Cedar siding – originally placed at our entrance and painted Mission Brown. (Shown in Dulux Monument, apologies for the photo as it was bright that day). As it was quite brittle when replacing windows, we’ll replace it with matching new shiplap cedar.

11. Floor plan

Referred to as ‘linear living’ in sales materials, this idea was a new way of thinking and a departure from post-war mostly square Fibro houses, Victorian terraces and Federation homes. Notably, the P&S bedrooms are often sized to fit precisely the 3.66m width of broadloom carpet (with no wastage) as it had just become available in the 1960s.

With the new areas, our plan will continue the concept of linear living as so:

Was:

Now/Soon: