The first pass of concrete grinding is underway, with the floors and sitting ledges transformed with the white aggregate (chosen to improve light reflection) exposed. 
The stair screen in the Entry and Gallery is now being lined with the original house hoop pine flooring and small bands of hardwood.
Some splashes of colour...
The locally produced planatation hoop pine doors and windows to the exterior have now been hung, giving a better sense of the spaces.
The Entry area is almost complete with recycled hoop pine flooring to the ceiling, sustainably source ironbark batten screen to the garage and soft finish of the natural limewash render to the blockwork. 
Fences are almost complete, all constructed from parts of the original house. The rear, west boundary uses the hardwood t&g flooring from a more recent addition and the courtyard screen featuring the original verandah posts is now complete. The front feature fence will reuse the narrow chamferboard cladding.
After...
Hardwood verandah posts before...
After...
Chamferboards before...
Stay tuned for next week's entry for "after"
Photos above by Marcelo
A fantastic storm last night started to fill the two 23,000L rainwater tanks beneath the front yard.. and the surrounding soil.
The timber screen to the courtyard, which will give privacy on both sides of the fence, will be constructed of timber from the original house. Recycled timber decking palings will be fixed to the hardwood rails, on the taper-chamfered posts. 
The recycled laminated beam supports to the River Terrace roof have been stained, oiled and meticulously flashed to protect them from the elements.
The last two tanks (47,000L) will be lowered into place tomorrow in the front of the house. This will make the total rainwater storage capacity to around 60,000L - sufficient to run the house and garden.
The last wall to be rendered is now complete and the natural limewash finish is underway externally. This wall will receive a natural clay and plant fibre render finish.
Wall linings are almost complete using the high-recycled content "plasterboard" and recycled vj linings from the old house. Balconies are being lined beneath to provide weather protection to the spaces below. 
The front trellis is underway to the balcony - constructed from reycled hardwood, with deciduous vines to be grown over to extend shade in summer time.
Most of the external painting, with the exception of the blockwork is painted in VOC-free paint by the cheerful, singing painters. Lightweight cladding is in two tones of soft green, broken by bands of galvanised flashing.
Internal vj linings from the original house are now complete. These will be painted over for a more consistent look but it is hoped that a feature section in the Living Room will be retained with a clear seal as a historical reference to the old home.
