Well this weekend is the week. We are going to pull out our old kitchen and we start on the big works. Eeek!
I'm going to be honest, this level of living and renovating is really hard. Its old stonework and the dust is just insane, and it gets absolutely into everything and everywhere. I can't believe I agreed to do it again after our first stone cottage, but clearly I did at some stage, as I find myself facing it all again. Ha! I'm an old romantic, I love old homes.
I must admit I'm dreading this next stage and crossing everything that Grant can smash out the worst of it in relative speed. His father who is a builder will come and help us with the big timber lentil which will be needed to be put in place as we open up the rear stone wall.
But it will be so lovely when we are finished. Clean, well designed, bright and airy. We will be restoring the old sash window in the kitchen which is broken, and re-installing the original bedroom door which at some stage was replaced with a sliding door. We will be widening the fireplace and putting in our bigger vintage wood oven we sourced recently.
Our last kitchen we did HERE we bought a solid timber kitchen off ebay for $1300 then Grant re-configured it, painted it, installed it and it was amazing. But this time round we are going to Ikea. This space is quite small, we need every nook to matter and be functional. Also it is a time thing. Our last kitchen had less structural work to do, so we could afford the extra time in which it took to re-configure the second hand kitchen to make it fit. This time we have an extra child, and a little less energy and a whole lot more structural work to do.
We are going for grey cupboards, (partly to work alongside the 1930's enamel electic oven we are keeping) white hand glazed subway tiles, wooden bench tops, a white butler sink and black taps and door knobs. Grants not certain about the black hardware but I think it will nod to the black cast of the wood fire. The walls and timberwork will be painted white and the floors will be an oak laminate which is through the rest of the house. I'm thinking about painting the fire place wall a soft earthy grey to draw attention to it, and then it would add a good contrast for my vintage plate collection I plan on hanging above it.
Perhaps something like THIS....
I was going to do white cabinets, but these children and their grubby hands....It will drive me mental. So grey it is, with lots of bright white elsewhere and cute vintage accessories, our wooden dresser which is currently in storage, as well as the old wood stove to try and keep some soul in the kitchen. I think it will look cozy, but I'm a little concerned it will look too "new" and shiny. Hopefully the wood bench tops, the wood fire, the old vintage electric stove we are keeping and by disguising the dishwasher as a cupboard we can be sympathetic. But the reality is, it needs to be done. Kitchen design and kitchen technology has come a long way! The little old cottage needs to be gently shifted into this century, to suit our current lifestyle so that this space works for us. Currently it is awkward, cramped, poorly designed and saggy, our fridge is living under the enclosed back porch. Despite it looking kinda vintage cute, a kitchen to me, needs to be a good functional working space, easily accessible, with good storage, safe electricity points and simple to clean. All points which my current kitchen fails on.
We have pulled up the caravan to the front of the house, and this will be our kitchen/dining room while the renovations take place. Grant did a fantastic job of pulling it up so we will be under cover as we walk in and out, even in the rain. It has a great little reverse cycle aircon/heater in it so will be plenty cosy, and no doubt with a BBQ, slow cooker and my Thermomix we will manage the cooking side of things quite well. I might have to ask to borrow my neighbours oven for baking, but I'm sure with a trade of eggs they will be more then happy to help out. They are just lovely.
Anyway we are due for a Dr appointment for little Henry, I think he needs a preventer as he seems to be developing asthma. Since the weather has cooled he has struggled quite consistently. I was hoping it was a run of viruses but I think it is a combination. It has been the case with all three boys from varying degrees, asthma is a family thing. If you could keep the boys in your prayers for those that do, for strengthening and healing, that would be so greatly appreciated.
Much love,
Emma
xx
I'm going to be honest, this level of living and renovating is really hard. Its old stonework and the dust is just insane, and it gets absolutely into everything and everywhere. I can't believe I agreed to do it again after our first stone cottage, but clearly I did at some stage, as I find myself facing it all again. Ha! I'm an old romantic, I love old homes.
I must admit I'm dreading this next stage and crossing everything that Grant can smash out the worst of it in relative speed. His father who is a builder will come and help us with the big timber lentil which will be needed to be put in place as we open up the rear stone wall.
But it will be so lovely when we are finished. Clean, well designed, bright and airy. We will be restoring the old sash window in the kitchen which is broken, and re-installing the original bedroom door which at some stage was replaced with a sliding door. We will be widening the fireplace and putting in our bigger vintage wood oven we sourced recently.
Our last kitchen we did HERE we bought a solid timber kitchen off ebay for $1300 then Grant re-configured it, painted it, installed it and it was amazing. But this time round we are going to Ikea. This space is quite small, we need every nook to matter and be functional. Also it is a time thing. Our last kitchen had less structural work to do, so we could afford the extra time in which it took to re-configure the second hand kitchen to make it fit. This time we have an extra child, and a little less energy and a whole lot more structural work to do.
We are going for grey cupboards, (partly to work alongside the 1930's enamel electic oven we are keeping) white hand glazed subway tiles, wooden bench tops, a white butler sink and black taps and door knobs. Grants not certain about the black hardware but I think it will nod to the black cast of the wood fire. The walls and timberwork will be painted white and the floors will be an oak laminate which is through the rest of the house. I'm thinking about painting the fire place wall a soft earthy grey to draw attention to it, and then it would add a good contrast for my vintage plate collection I plan on hanging above it.
Perhaps something like THIS....
I was going to do white cabinets, but these children and their grubby hands....It will drive me mental. So grey it is, with lots of bright white elsewhere and cute vintage accessories, our wooden dresser which is currently in storage, as well as the old wood stove to try and keep some soul in the kitchen. I think it will look cozy, but I'm a little concerned it will look too "new" and shiny. Hopefully the wood bench tops, the wood fire, the old vintage electric stove we are keeping and by disguising the dishwasher as a cupboard we can be sympathetic. But the reality is, it needs to be done. Kitchen design and kitchen technology has come a long way! The little old cottage needs to be gently shifted into this century, to suit our current lifestyle so that this space works for us. Currently it is awkward, cramped, poorly designed and saggy, our fridge is living under the enclosed back porch. Despite it looking kinda vintage cute, a kitchen to me, needs to be a good functional working space, easily accessible, with good storage, safe electricity points and simple to clean. All points which my current kitchen fails on.
We have pulled up the caravan to the front of the house, and this will be our kitchen/dining room while the renovations take place. Grant did a fantastic job of pulling it up so we will be under cover as we walk in and out, even in the rain. It has a great little reverse cycle aircon/heater in it so will be plenty cosy, and no doubt with a BBQ, slow cooker and my Thermomix we will manage the cooking side of things quite well. I might have to ask to borrow my neighbours oven for baking, but I'm sure with a trade of eggs they will be more then happy to help out. They are just lovely.
Anyway we are due for a Dr appointment for little Henry, I think he needs a preventer as he seems to be developing asthma. Since the weather has cooled he has struggled quite consistently. I was hoping it was a run of viruses but I think it is a combination. It has been the case with all three boys from varying degrees, asthma is a family thing. If you could keep the boys in your prayers for those that do, for strengthening and healing, that would be so greatly appreciated.
Much love,
Emma
xx
