There was already a very nice, comfortable, homely atmosphere in this area (although it may not look it in the first three photos – these was taken after the furniture was removed). Our goal was not to disrupt things too much, but tastefully brighten the area as well as keeping it warm and cosy. Figuratively warm of course, because it’s always pretty warm in Malaysia.
A lick of paint all over, polished floors and varnished staircase, new wiring and points, new lights, one new ceiling fan, and new wooden doors. We also lowered the ceiling slightly and changed the main windows from frosted to clear. The air conditioner (what New Zealanders call a heat pump) was removed and put up in one of the bedrooms. As long as you have a fan going, the air con really isn’t necessary in the lounge.
These are all simple things, but they’ve made a huge difference in this area. Where before we would need to have the fluorescent light on during the day, now we have a nice, warm natural light bouncing off all the surfaces.
The south-west side of the lounge
The south-east side of the lounge
The dining room
Preparing for the new ceiling in the lounge…
…and dining room. The terrazzo floor and staircase are covered with protective plywood.
Mind boggling: The entire electrical system in the house was replaced, and all the wires lead here, to the fuse box in the lounge.
The terrazzo being polished with big, noisy wheeled machines. I don’t know chemicals they were using, but they had all of us coughing. I guess this guy has either very strong, or sufficiently deteriorated lungs.
The dining room post-polishing. The railing seen in the first shot has been removed, opening up the room even more. The new fan/light is unique – the blades extend when it’s turned on, like some kind of angry, wooden, cycloptic octopus.
Here is the furnished dining room. The huge mirror was salvaged from the old dresser in the master bedroom, framed and mounted. The pictures are various bugs, much to Caroline’s delight.
West side of lounge
East side of lounge