The most recent love of my life... MY KITCHEN!

It's easy to spend time in such a beautiful and elegant space (even if I do say so myself). Cooking here and in my new oven is a dream.

I've been baking, roasting, grilling and frying up a storm. Here's a sneak peak at one of my latest creations. Chewy in the middle and crunchy on top with little hidden chocolate delights.

The best ever Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

½ cup plain flour

¾ cup cocoa powder

1 ¼ cup caster. sugar

160g unsalted butter

2 eggs, cold

⅛ tsp. baking soda

1 tbsp. cornflour

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup. chocolate chips

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Line a 20x20cm pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2.     In a microwave safe bowl, add the butter and sugar. Heat in the microwave on high for about 1 minute and 15 seconds. Remove, stir, and cool on the counter for 5 minutes, then stir in the vanilla extract and cocoa powder.

3.     In the bowl of a stand mixer add the warm (but not hot) butter/sugar mixture. With mixing speed on low add one egg at a time, mixing just until incorporated.

4.     In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until no flour pockets remain. Remove bowl from stand and fold in the chocolate chips..

5.     Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the brownies are set. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30-45 minutes before cutting. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Lights - Teledo Pendants from Schots Home Emporium 
Countertops - Carrara Marble from Corsi & Nicolai
Oven - Belling 110cm Richmond Duel Fuel Range Freestanding Oven from Harvey Norman
Door & Drawer hardware - Cast plain semi-circle drawer pull and Round cupboard knob from Schots
Splashback Tiles - Carrara Bianco Herringbone Mosaic from Beaumont Tiles

Weeks 24 & 25...

It's been a couple of big weeks, cabinetry has gone into the kitchen

pantry,

and bathrooms.

Ensuite

Main bathroom

The laundry is also looking almost finished, just needs tiles and appliances.

And my favourite part yet. Our Carrara Marble benchtops have been installed! I literally squealed with excitement when I walked in saw them for the first time, much to the amusement of the tradies. They are all that I have imagined and more.

The next couple of weeks will hopefully see the tiler, concreters, plumber and electrician all do their thing. Everything is sitting there ready to go, now we just need all the trades to fall into place one after another to get us in before Christmas.

Week 22...

Render is done and we are now ready for paint!!!

Oh the difference 5 months makes!

Week 22

The inside is looking like the real thing now too. We have cornice, skirts and arcs, doors, WIRs are fitted out and the last of the outdoor beams have been boxed up.

Left: Double shower in en-suite, Top right: Master bedroom WIR, Bottom Right: Loving the Gyprock Concerto Cornice we used throughout the main living areas.

One of the kids bedrooms.

Living Room.

We chose our slab of marble this week too.
Well wasn't that a daunting task... so much pressure to pick the right one when its costing so much. In the end we picked this one for the even spread of veins and lack of yellowy-brown tones. 

From Corsi & Nicoli

Next step is paint, first outside, then in. Once the outside is painted the concreters will be back to do the front verandah deck, our bedroom patio and the alfresco area.

Week 14...

It's been a big week.

The house has been wrapped...

and topped with a roof.

We also received the cabinetry renderings.

I am so in love!


Along with it being a big week on the actual building front it was also a huge week for decisions. We did a trip down to Bairnsdale and had meetings with the flooring people, builders and cabinet makers. We walked into the flooring place at 8:50am to decide on floorboards, carpets and tiles, then went to the builders followed by the cabinet makers who we left at 6:00pm (we did manage a 40 minute break for lunch somewhere in there too).

We have now finally decided on a few things tho.

KITCHEN:

Carrara Marble for the kitchen benchtops.

Kitchen door and drawer hardware from Schots Home Emporium

The whole stones benchtop thing has been a real learning experience for all involved. It has worked out that, mainly because of slab size (when buying stone for benchtops you have to buy it per slab as apposed to by the meter to fit to your bench sizes) the natural marble (bigger slabs) that we originally wanted is actually going to be cheaper. Finally something went our way. This has also meant that there will be enough stone after the kitchen is done to do the vanity top in the main bathroom aswell. Another win for us.

PANTRY:

In the pantry we are going for a diamond gloss benchtop in White Valencia

With a white subway tile splashback

I like the contrast of the white tiles with the dark grout

As there are no windows into the pantry (the only natural light will come from a solar tube) we are using a lot of white to keep it nice and bright.

ENSUITE BATHROOM:

For the vanity top in here (because it is bigger than the main bathroom, therefore too big to use up the marble off cut) we are going to use a diamond gloss benchtop with the new square edging.

and something along these lines for the tiles

Next week we are off to the plumbing store to choose our tapware, shower roses, vanities etc
Bring on another big week of decisions.

Things are becoming real

This morning was particularly exciting as this is what I found when I arrived at the block to meet with the builder who had come up form Bairnsdale to meet and have a chat with me and some of the local tradies who will be working on our house.

We spent a couple of hours going over final decisions and plans. At last it has felt like we are actually one day really going to end up with a house on our block. Things are becoming real!

Also today I have been on the hunt for our kitchen bench tops. Originally I wanted Carrara Marble but after a little research I quickly changed my mind as I found out it is a lot softer than granite and therefore can scratch and absorb stains quiet easily. I don't want to be one of those people who is so over protective of damaging my benches that I scare everyone out of the kitchen. For me the kitchen is the heart of the home and somewhere that everyone congregates and collaborates. My family put a big emphasis of food when it comes to gatherings and celebrations and I want everyone including myself to enjoy the heart of our home. I have found a few amazingly beautiful alternatives to marble and am falling more and more in love with the lighter coloured granites every time I look at them.

My top pick for the island bench - Bianco Romano Granite

closely followed by this - Super White Granite

      

then for the surrounding benches around the walls (as long as it matches when I see it in person) - Macauba White Granite

However when you are dealing with a natural product such as granite it does sometimes come down to what is available at the time as they can't just whip another slab out of the factory like they can with composite stone benches such as Caesarstone etc. So I am keeping my mind open and trying not to get my heart too set just yet.

My other research project for this morning has been concrete stamping. Both of front veranda and the alfresco/outdoor area/outdoor kitchen at the back of the house are going to be concrete slabs (poured after the initial slab so that they don't get damaged during the build process) so I want to add a stamp and maybe some colouring to make them fit more with the style.

For the alfresco  area I am thinking a paving look stamp in a charcoal colour.

And for the front Veranda and porch wood-grain.

Watch this space as D-Day approaches. I will have heaps more exciting updates coming your way very shortly (I hope).