KITCHEN AND UTILITY RENOVATIONS (part 3)

The building work continues....

(above) Electric first fit

 (above) Boarding fitted around the new utility room window and existing wall of cupboard prepped for plastering.

 

 (above) Toilet room window and walls

We're getting somewhere at last....
day by day, new and exciting things happen to make a change. 

The end of the tunnel is in sight!!

KITCHEN AND UTILITY RENOVATIONS (part 2)

I digressed for a little while from the kitchen and utility renovations, 

so these are the next photos of the stripping out stage.

More or less everything had to go, from worktops, cupboards, to the ceiling to the floor and wall tiles to some of the windows. 

Not all of them because we'd replaced two in the sitting area previously. 

Above is looking west towards the utility room.

Above is facing west towards the utility room before we started the changes.

You will see that the door is in the centre of the room.  

We decided that blocking the original door up and adding a new entrance on the 

right-hand side into the utility room, would be far more beneficial to us. 

This giving us, two L-shaped work spaces in each room.

Standing at the new utility door, looking the other way towards the end of the kitchen, 

to the 'sitting area'.

(above) Inside the utility room looking at the new (and very exciting) window on the south side of the house.  Adding this window was such a good idea.  

The advantages of the extra light are immense.

(above) Still standing in the utility room, looking west at the large walk-in cupboard on the left and through to toilet on the right.

(above) What the cupboard and toilet originally looked like.  We've decided to keep the barn doors and paint them.

Looking inside the small room where the original toilet and sink have been removed. 

New toilet, sink and radiator will be added .

This shows two new wooden windows in the utility room and toilet (left-hand side).

Lastly, looking back into the kitchen, from the utility room through the new door way. 

The stud frames on the walls have been put up, floor tiles gone and ceiling with mock beams removed. The room is bare for all its exciting new changes to begin.

WALKING IN FIELDS

A walk in the fields near our house.

A VISIT TO AMSTERDAM

Taking time off from house renovations, 

I managed a trip to the beautiful city of Amsterdam.  

Wow! what a treat for the senses that was.......such a cool and interesting place. 

Lots of bikes....

a bit of culture...... 

inspirational images at the exhibitions of photographer Vivian Maier 

and painter Marlene Dumas. 

then onto an emotive visit to Anne Frank's house.

House shopping at Weldadd, Raw Materials and Sissy Boy. 

 

 Seasonal vegetables and herbs at the local market.

stopping to look at the graffiti...

and more on the pavements.... (translated means 'dogs must poo in the gutter')

This probably accounts for the reason Amsterdam is clean and not smelly!!!

and finally, 

stunning food at De Kas restaurant located in the impressive renovated 1926 greenhouse. 

Here they grow their own Mediterranean vegetables, herbs and edible flowers,

along with seasonal vegetables they harvest on their farmland in the Beemster area. 
Simply healthy, gorgeous food.

PUMPKINS

Stopping for a breather from kitchen renovations, 

it gives us a chance to realize that it is Halloween today.....

baked miniature pumpkins for tea.

 and if you look closely, 

there is a sneak peek at the concrete worktop in the newly restored kitchen!!!

KITCHEN AND UTILITY RENOVATIONS

BEFORE (kitchen)

This is our kitchen as it was when we moved in....fantastic potential, great size, appliances that were on their 'last legs' and a dated space that didn't reflect our personalities.  

(above) Standing in the middle of the room, looking west towards the utility room which is just through the door in the middle of the room.

Standing at the utility room door, looking east to the other side of the room.  

To the right is an Aga.... a very old one, which probably dates back to the early 70's.  

We've had lots of discussions about whether we should have it re-conditioned, enameled a different colour or do without it and sell it.

(above) Going back into the middle of the room and looking north, the door goes into the pantry. 

The pantry has shelves all around it, a small window and a spice rack fitted on the door. There is a slight step down from the kitchen into the room.  

At the end of the kitchen, there is a 'sitting area', which has a wood burner.

In the same area, is also a cupboard that we believe is original to the house when built. Roughly a year ago, it was decided to take out the wooden panels on the top cupboard doors and add glass. It made a tremendous difference to us. This was a lovely asset to the kitchen that was used for salad bowls, jugs and wine glasses etc etc.  We'll continue to use this cupboard in the same way. Underneath houses, gas meter, sewing machine and various other bits and bobs.

BEFORE (utility room)

Moving from the kitchen to the utility room, highlights the need for a major update in this room.  

There is a window facing north and door beside it to the garden outside.

Washing machine and tumble dryer are positioned in the middle of the room, with the sink the other side of them.

It's easier to understand the layout, standing with the garden behind, sink in front and domestic appliances the other side of the small brick wall. We initially thought the brick pillars were added to hold up the ceiling but further research showed that this was not the case allowing us to take them down.

Another view from the back door showing the brick pillars and mock beams.

(above) These two doors off the utility room access a toilet and large cupboard. 

 

(above) Both photos show the toilet and sink and painted brick walls.  When we first moved into the house six years ago, there was signs of damp on the walls.  This has now been 'treated' by Rentokil who provided us with an effective treatment that sorted the problem.

  

(above) First stage of the renovations , saw a window being knocked through from the south side of the house into the utility room. This was essential to the changes we were to make.  It meant more natural light into the utility room as it was a very dark room and an end to constantly having to put the light on when entering the room.