Chez Joy {or the house that joy built}

The times they are a changing, my friends.
This blog about nothing in particular, will soon become a blog about building a house...in particular.
After my mum's recent tumble it has become obvious that we need to change our living arrangements for a more permanent, happy solution.  My darling dad passed away 10 years ago and to be honest, we're all still grieving  his loss.  Not in an unhealthy way, just in a "gee I wish he was here to share in this" sort of way.  Mum is very independent and has a whirlwind social life during the day, but the nights are tough.  I hate that. Makes my heart sore.

So, the best solution for all of us is to form our very own family compound.  {I'm hoping that you're getting a Kennedy Clan in Hyannis Port vibe rather than David Koresh in Waco cold shiver....we can talk about my delusions of grandeur later}
To that end we're building a brand new Chez Joy in mum's humongous back yard.  My brothers are being AMAZING.  Praise God - this seems like a solution that suits the whole family.

We've met with Gus the Gorgeous Architect {you'll get to know him} and given him this brief:

*  laundry as big as a bedroom


That was as far as we got.

Then we thought....hmm, can we squeeze a little slice of Hyannis Port into suburban Sydney?  {I know, we'll need to workshop, I know...again with the delusions of grandeur}

Gus said - Yes, we can!

Then I told him our budget {gulp} and he said {was I imagining it, or was it less enthusiastically??} - Hmm, every project has it's challenges, don't worry about it...don't suppose your best friend makes windows and doors? {Most of my friends make babies, but let's not quibble....if they can do that, windows and doors should be a doddle}

I assured him that with a bit of resourcefulness, eBay chic and some creative ingenuity it can be done.
{Let's face it girls, if we can make a book display out of a well-placed dishdrainer via Pinterest, the sky's the limit}

Speaking of the Mother Site, I was his very first client ever to introduce him to Pinterest.  I know! A pinterest virgin!  He might be from super-edgy Surry Hills, but us mums in the 'burbs have a few tricks up our sleeves.

So, in a nutshell, we will be building a home whereby we can love and nurture and care for each other and have mum as part of that story, in her own home, surrounded by all with which she loves and is familiar .  Mum will be able to live without anxiety about falling at home alone, having dinner alone and our kids will have an extra audience member to show their Irish dancing.  {They don't actually learn Irish dancing, but the little boys watched "Feet of Flames" once and are convinced that they can out-tap and wiggle Michael Flatley}.

Happy Days!

Oh, in case you're wondering....Dave is STOKED.  He adores my mum and loves the idea of the kids having an extra pair of loving arms to be comforted by.  They've got a great friendship....phew!

This room is the basis for the main room design.

Some of the decor is a bit over the top, but we love the floorplan and idea of one huge living area with white exposed beams, timber floors, big dining room table and general air of "hey, this is where we all hang out!".  Of course, our version will be a pared-down version of this, but you get the vibe, right?

We're also going for a weatherboard exterior with colourbond roof....happily this is a fraction of the cost of brick and tile, so I think we're starting off on the right budgetary foot.

Are we in this together?  It's going to get interesting....I have pretty much no idea how to do this, so at the very least you'll be able to come visit here for some light entertainment.

Love you more than my floorplans,

Meredy xo