The Great Whitewash

A busy summer of visiting family and friends has meant a busy time in between visits, doing what we can do ourselves to make our house as comfortable as possible for guests. Some things we just can’t tackle ourselves – new kitchen, new bathrooms, new stairs, new boundary wall – and frustratingly, we are reliant on other people. Other people, who when they can do work for you, are superb – but superb people are in demand out here, so we continue to hope that one day soon, we’ll be able to make a start on the big things.

In the meantime, we’re pretty pleased with what we’ve been able to achieve in a relatively short time, especially as we are also still running our design business and so have to ensure that clients come first.

Our main aim has been to keep the exterior of the house as traditional as possible – but with a twist which is going to appear in the garden. When the builder commits… However, inside we just felt we couldn’t live with the beautiful, but ultimately, oppressive, natural stone which was prevalent in all rooms. So, the great white-wash started and we’re happy to say, that with the exception of the cellar, which will be our winter project, and half of our bedroom which is still be completed, we’re awash with white. The house now feels light, bright and airy – and seems double the size. So, here’s a peek at where we’re up to…

The four square montage to the left of the image below is the current kitchen – however, we’re hoping the big transformation will take place over the winter to something more resembling the image on the right. With all other rooms essentially white, we feel that at least one room can go dark and so are planning a beautifully moody kitchen…

As summer starts to draw to an end, we’re now planning the winter phase of the house. Another woodburner is being installed, meaning that the snug we’re intending to create on the lower floor will be cosy and warm. Hopefully, over the winter, our plans for the full kitchen and bathroom renovations will come to fruition – and by next spring, we’ll be guest ready again. Although hardy souls, who’d like to experience our first Istrian winter with us, are more than welcome to come and join us 🙂