Viewing the house, August 2013:
How the kitchen looked since we moved in: clutter galore due to lack of storage:
Ripping the heating system out in May 2014:
Kitchen emptied, ready for renovation, May 2015. The kitchen itself looked in relatively good condition, but in reality many of the carcases had bowed out meaning the shelves couldn't fit in them anymore. There was also no corner solutions so a huge amount of wasted space:
Samples for everything:
Rip-out begins:
Wallpaper stripped:
New plasterboard, with noggins installed across the studs to hang the wall units from. The previous wall units were attached to the plasterboard (not necessarily the studs) with normal rawlplugs.
Plastered:
Units beginning to go into place:
Floor units all in place:
Wall units hung and appliances fitted:
Walls mist coated:
Worktop day!!
Running water!
Delightful old flooring...
Ripped up:
New screed:
Screed drying:
Painting the walls:
This is to remind me of the horrific state of the living room during all of this - this is what happens when you're in the early stages of pregnancy and feel like hell, the kitchen and hallway are out of use, and you have a ton of scores to sort out for a concert:
NB: The living room no longer looks like this. THANK GOD.
New floor laid:
Deciding the paint colour is wrong. It should be the same as the creamy toned walls in the living room. It was not.
So, we re-painted:
I'm not sure it's very clear here, but it's a definite improvement!
Ian's fancy under-cabinet lighting :D
Here's a video of the lighting phasing through some of its many colour options. I think you need to listen to something like this whilst watching... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWf3XDYzeSQ
Fridge back in place, skirting boards fitted and painted (thanks to my wonderful Dad for his impeccable craftsmanship when fitting the skirting boards!)
The painting in the photo below (which is going to be hung on the wall it's leaning against) is by Anna Mason - https://www.facebook.com/AnnaMasonArt - she's an amazing artist whose work I fell in love with at RHS Chelsea Flower Show one year. I commissioned her to paint these runner beans as a commemoration of my Grandad's life. Grandad died in 2010 and was an excellent gardener (and cook!). I have many many happy memories of my childhood spent running between the rows of runner beans in their garden, and of eating roast lunches on Sundays with piles of runner beans (and lakes of gravy, of course), so I think this is the perfect place to put this painting which reminds me of him:
Possibly my favourite part of the kitchen, my wonderful 5-ring induction hob:
I tried to photograph the worksurface and didn't do a very good job, it's quartz with sparkles in:
Sparkles catching the light:
A few of the nifty features we really like:
Larder unit (LOVE):
Corner solutions:
Chopping board/baking tray storage:
Bins (it's really hard to take an attractive photo of bins... there's a general waste one and a recycling one):
I'm so so pleased with the kitchen and hope you like it too!
A final closer look at that painting - it's been in bubble wrap since we moved and I just love being able to look at it again!
