We took the decision in May. We could not put it off any longer despite my abhorrence of having builders in the house. (We have done this three times before and I have always hated it). The kitchen was very tired looking. Furthermore, half the cupboards would not close properly anymore, one of the ovens had stopped working, we had no grill, the hob was temperamental and I always hated the brown we had inherited from the previous owners.
So here is a series of photographs I took of our kitchen before all the upheaval started.
Going round the room anti-clockwise
The welsh dresser with some of my blue and white, the antique plate rack and a shelf with some of the antique glass I have been collecting in the last 30 years.
I will miss a lot of the things I have been collecting over the years.
Last Monday British Gas came, removed the old, temperamental, inefficient boiler
and the new boiler was installed. I would like to take this opportunity to say how impressed we were with British Gas, with their professionalism and efficiency.
The days before Easter and Easter itself were spent clearing everything out.
I have lost count of the number of boxes we took to charity shops but I have the feeling that we have still kept too many things - I foresee lots more trips to the charity shops when we start putting the new kitchen together.
Tomorrow, the nightmare begins: the whole room is going to be gutted making way for new units, new floor, new everything. I am dreading it. I am dreading the disruption, the mess, the chaos, having to live without a kitchen for four weeks, and most of all, the dust, as it's one of the things that triggers my asthma.
I am however, focusing on the future, and look forward to our new kitchen.
I am sure it is all going to be wonderful. Love from France. X
ReplyDeleteI am sure too, and I am looking forward to it. Have a great time in France.
DeleteI hope that there is not too much dust; but in my experience, having a new kitchen, designed to suit whoever is going to use it is a glorious adventure and definitely worth it.
ReplyDeleteI empathise with the charity shop runs! I have been downsizing the whole house slowly but surely for some months now. Wonderful to be able to do it in one fell swoop as you have over Easter. My sorting seems to create more chaos before any order arrives!
I am looking forward to the finished kitchen, Olga. It's going to be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteAs for the charity shops, I agree, getting rid of clutter is very liberating. It's only the kitchen though... The rest of the house is full of clutter, but hopefully this will give us the impetus to continue once this is done. I also agree about the chaos being created once one starts sorting. Looking at all the boxes that are on the sitting room floor I sometimes wonder if I dreamt about taking stuff to the charity shops.
I alphabetised my books a few months ago and that was fantastic. I got rid of so much - maybe up to a third. And now, I can find anything I am looking for. Wonderful.