Kitchen refurbishment

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This blog is mainly for the benefit of those of you who have visited us, and seen the 19th century squalor which has been our kitchen. Well, maybe things aren’t hugely better yet, but we have made a start, having paused for breath after our efforts with the ancient boiler.

We picked, as we thought, the only wall in the house which was absolutely flat to fit a run of wall cupboards. With the first unit installed, it became obvious that the wall leaned back at quite an angle, taking the cupboard with it. Down it came, so Malcolm could pack it from behind with battens so it would stand perpendicular. As the wall was uneven as well, even though it didn’t look it at first, all the battens had to be different widths for each of the 4 cupboards….

And then there was the matter of what the wall was made of. Mal’s drill, a good tough one, simply couldn’t penetrate some parts at all, though others were pretty easy. A couple of hours’ work turned into a day-long marathon. The cupboards are up now, and the spirit level tells us they’re absolutely horizontal. Pity the floor and ceiling aren’t.

Next stop - the sink unit. Which will be a great relief to anyone who’s contended with the dank and rotting draining board of the current model. And after that? Well, a false wall or two, to hide the undulating surfaces . The previous owners covered the more obvious waves with lino, and as wallcoverings go, it leaves something to be desired. Especially in sludge brown.

Then more units, then a dining area, and lastly light and bright paint. It’ll all be over for Christmas - maybe.

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Photos

I remember the bad old days.......
....when an ancient water tank loomed over the room. That's long gone

A splendid view of our lino
....and some of the many, many metres of piping wandering all over the kitchen. Even our neighbour the plumber isn't always sure which are gas, which water, which redundant, which useful

A unit carefully eased away from the wall
...so that it's upright

Homes and gardens it isn't....
(note those elegant pipes wandering towards the ceiling), but we're getting there