Renovation food for thought

Have been half watching the current block series - and watching on DVD some old Aussie Grand Designs series and has made me think.

Who remembers the old Grand Designs of the Italian couple from Sydney, building in Byron Bay. Massively overspent on their house and (at last count) made something like 78 changes to the plans during construction?

They also installed a kitchen worth around $200,000, imported from Milan that came with it's own Italian installer - because it had all the latest mod cons and gadgets and Milan style.

Watching the series again - and not to many years later - the very expensive, ants pants, kitchen now looks dated, with superseded appliances and cabinetry systems.

The same can be said for other houses where they've put in miles of wiring for (now wireless) electronics and especially built spaces for outdated TVs.

We're currently renovating our kitchen (then laundry - then bathrooms plural), in a modern but classic style that won't date - with no fancy gadgets like steam ovens or built in coffee machines - mainly because we wouldn't use them, but watching GD has imprinted again on my mind that renovations are best kept simple and leave the gadgetry as something that can be added/removed as required.

That being said - if I were to build I'd definitely put in solar heated water under floor heating, e glass, self cleaning windows and a roof garden.
 
I got poo-pooed several years ago by my in-laws for suggesting the issue of things 'dating' when they built their new house with special wiring and controls for home entertainment, lighting, etc. Now they have components that have worn out and can't get replacements, and are looking at having to decommission it and go back to standard switches.

A pretty expensive way to show off, I thought.
 
... and then - don't you love it - when you're slacking off watching old episodes of Grand Designs and you get a inspiration to:

a. save money
b. end up with a great looking finish

on a current project.

Bugger the super expensive manufactured stone benchtops - nearly fell of the chair when I got the quote - I'm liking the idea of cast polished white sand concrete.

Now to sell it to hubby
 
The thing with those houses is the people are happy enough to re-do the kitchen as it goes out of style, purely for a "Jonesey" (word I learnt today) and because they can.

Double glazing is the most overlooked thing with most people I notice. It isn't the huge cost it used to be, and the benefits are enormous, more so if commercial frames.

Most ridiculous thing I have seen of late, is a teppenyaki hotplate with in bench rangehood that pulls out for said hotplate.

That said, I want one.
 
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