Happy New Year! What are your resolutions for 2011? I've decided that this year I have new year 'goals' and 'ambitions' - 'resolutions' just seem doomed to fail. Too much pressure!
In the spirit of aiming low in order to exceed expectations, I've got a pretty slim list this year:
- the obligatory fitness goal: keep being active (zumba at least once a week, walking every day I can)
- finish renovating and decorating the apartment by the year's end
- find a new job (I really like my current one but it's a maternity leave role ending in June - boo)
- go overseas on holidays.
Renovation up-date
On the renovating front there has been some progress! My husband, Tom, being the hardworking electrician that he is, finished re-wiring our apartment ready for the wall to be removed between the kitchen/dining room and living room (I was the trusty apprentice, of course). We've already re-wired our apartment once before when we moved in, so couldn't quite believe that we had to do the whole thing again not even three years later! Oh well, we didn't realise at the time. At least now we're ready for the wall to be knocked down, and one step closer for building work to start.
Tomorrow our builder should be back in the office so we're going to check where our job is up to. Before Christmas the architect came to do final measurements and drawings, but we're not sure whether the development application made it to our local Council prior to the Christmas break. Hopefully we're still on track for the January 2011 start date!
In the meantime I've started checking out some door hardware. Our current door handles are a bit of a mish-mash of styles and in poor condition, so we're going to replace them with some chrome art deco-style handles. I've found the following ones that we're deciding between:
The above handles also come in a 'lever' style (as below), which probably don't look as good, but I think I prefer from a practical perspective (i.e. trying to open one-handed or with hand cream on, etc). This style looks a bit 'flashy' when new, but is perhaps the most authentic in style; I noticed that the door to our building's fire escape has one almost exactly like it, but bronze in colour.
Not really sure which ones I prefer?
I also happened across these beautiful hooks which I am just going to have to incorporate:
I found these at Restoration Hardware, there are some other really lovely styles there as well.
Luckily, it just so happens that we do need to replace the old Bakelite hooks on the back of the bathroom door, so we'll also do both bedroom doors to maintain consistency.
We had yum cha lunch today at Sydney's fish markets with our lovely friends Clara and Eugene, who were visiting from Canberra. Clara suggested that Tom and I apply to be contestants on the next series of 'The Block'. Hmm... food for thought!
If we didn't have enough of our own renovation work on our hands, our apartment building is also in the process of being slowly upgraded. It's been re-painted and re-carpeted in the last year, and Tom is now putting in some art-deco style light fittings in the foyer, which will totally finish and 'dress' the space. I should have the before and after photos (and supplier details) to post tomorrow, if all goes well. x
Happy New Year Candy! Wow, lots of exciting stuff to do in the next 12 months. The handles are both lovely and I totally get your dilemma. The lever handle might be slightly more user friendly. I often use my elbow to open doors when my hands are full. Saying that my last place had knob handles and I never found it annoying at the time.
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