Henry, who produced the structural design brief and plans for our kitchen extension came round on Wednesday to take photos of the finished ‘product’. This reminded me that I had not posted any photos so far, mainly because there are a few bits and pieces to finish off. But then this week we’ve had some glorious light through our roof lantern and this morning it spurred me into action.
But first, this is how it was just after we moved in:
The sitting room then had a galley kitchen (around the right hand corner) and the back door opened onto an oldish, large uPVC conservatory. The conservatory was pleasant enough in summer being shaded by the house and the hedge on the south-west, but its doors also faced north so it was pretty chilly in the winter.
Our plans for replacing it with a properly insulated room were constrained by the hedge and the position of the upstairs windows. We are also in the town’s Conservation Area. We thus had to stick to the original footprint although we could add a metre or so along the rear wall, taking in the exterior downstairs former kitchen window. When it came to the roof, we could have had a shallow lean-to option with roof lights, but decided the parapeted flat roof with lantern would give us the best light.
So: there were all sorts of compromises, including cost, and constraints over access at the rear of the house and to the front of the house for debris removal and deliveries. We also didn’t want to do anything that would be at total odds with this modest little 1920s town house.
It finally came to fruition thanks to weeks of conscientious in-put from builder-hero, Alan Morris, who project managed the whole thing. He was also responsible for some nifty brickwork, as well as taking pains to match, as far as was possible, the original brickwork.
Alan Morris conducting a spot of problem solving with Graham.
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And the final result suits us very well.
Here are some reminders of what happened in between, starting with the conservatory as moving-in dumping ground:
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And inside, it all went on around us:
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The old kitchen:
Range cooker gone and original access to cloakroom restored. This is now the utility room, stud-walled and doored. The downstairs loo has been much smartened up and its parma violet and bottle green walls banished. Also discovered but covered up again was an old flue that probably served a laundry copper. Still some finishing off to do in this quarter.
New wall and door to the utility room on the right.
And the new kitchen – yes, I know, It is more than a touch quirky. For one thing, we didn’t domesticate the original outside wall, just washed the spiders off, and kept the window spaces too. Anyone who moves in after us can plaster board over them if they want to.
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We left the window space by the back door open. A kitchen ‘hatch’ no less. It gives us instant access to the utility room sink. Ideal for chucking freshly dug spuds into it:
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And of course there’s the aardvark:
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Handmade units made by Shepherd Hills cabinet makers. The angles either side the cooker were tricky to deal with:
The ‘horrid hedge’, which I’m still tackling, has turned out to be just the place to hang some bird feeders. The sparrows and robin have found them, but the jackdaws haven’t (not yet anyway), and we have good mealtime views of passing birds.
And now, after all that, a good sit down beside the wood burner is called for:
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There’s still a lot to do. Top of my list is that Graham needs to get rid of all his trailing cables. We don’t have TV but stream and screen things we want to watch via a laptop and projector. At present the system is mobile and makeshift, waiting for the moment when all the wiring will be hidden under the bedroom floor. There are signs that this might happen soon. Apart from this, much decorating is still required, and we still haven’t quite moved in. One day…
In the meantime, the Castle is a good place to be.
It all looks good. I have a similar lantern on the conservatory, a magnet for passing birds! Luckily my window cleaner is happy to go up on the roof and clean it. I do wish we’d gone for a proper extension though, as we still get water in through what was the external wall.
Love the warthog. I have a hippo and two Zimbabwean soapstone figures.
Yes, a magnet for birds. I can just about squeeze out of landing window and deal with same. Not a long term strategy methinks 🙂
I am inspired by this post. You have planned well and added nice touches.
Thank you, Flower, that’s really nice of you to say so.
It looked pretty good when we saw it in the summer, but the finished product is wonderful. Definitely not pulled straight from a catalogue, but properly thought through to work in the way you need. It looks great, and I love the colour palette too.
Many thanks, Margaret. I’m so pleased you could see it person too 🙂
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It must feel so good….Enjoy:)
Thank you, Janet. When I look back on all the turmoil that preceded it, yes, it is really good to have it done.
It’s wonderful. You didn’t follow typical “styles” but created what you need for what YOU do. I love the naked brickwork and the nooks and crannies making it unique — with great views, too. I also love your carved creatures. I’ve got some too, but my kitchen is so full I’d never try to put them there. They get broken — dropped, crushed or soaked with something that stains it blue, red or yellow.
Before you bury wires, may I suggest you consider running them in a tube along the edge of the floor in place of standard molding? If something goes amiss, tearing up a floor is a big deal. These “tubes” makes contained wiring look just like regular molding (except it’s kind of rubbery). It is easy to get to and relatively cheap to replace. We have some buried wiring that we are regretting. It was fine for the past 15 years but time has its way with wires.
Many thanks for those wise words on wiring, Marilyn. And so pleased you like our rather eccentric kitchen. Its dimensions are pretty odd too. A little more width would have been perfect. But as it is, there’s just enough room to move the dining table into the middle when we have guests.
Your new kitchen looks so welcoming Tish. I love the refrigerator and that you kept the original brick wall. I hope you have enjoyable meals in that kitchen. And thanks for showing us the outside of your home. It’s beautiful.
Thank you for all those encouraging words, Anne. We’re rather looking forward to warmer months when we can open the double doors onto the garden. Patience required on that front 🙂
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It looks lovely, Tish. Well done.
Thanks, Ian. I hope you and Ann are settled in the new house?
Still wrestling with the hypercomplex central heating system and we are planning to convert some of our back lawn into a petanque pitch. You must come over for a set of boules next summer
Commiserations on the heating system. You are not alone. We have to keep watching YouTube instruction vids in order to use the thermostat device. And for everything else as well come to that! The thought of boules on a summer lawn sounds very inviting on this dark and soggy Shropshire day.
Lots of work – spectacular results.
Cheers, Thom 🙂
A lovely upgrade on what was there. I really like how the view from the living room to kitchen doesn’t look like a kitchen:)
Many thanks for that comment, Sharon.
oh Tish its so enjoyable seeing all the progress via before and afters. You have made it such a welcoming homely space with a gentle touch of class – love all the niches though I do think you could have left the spiders at least for Halloween. My eye was drawn to the photos!
Photos, Laura: the John Lennon by Jane Bown perhaps? Our very favourite photo. The one in the kitchen niche is a vintage Graham shot, taken in Little Stretton behind the spring water factory. I don’t know why he’s stopped taking photos.
But so pleased you like our kitchen makeover.
I wonder if Graham will dig out his camera once you are more settled – or perhaps Santa will bring him something to inspire again?!
Or I might steal his unused camera? 😉
nothing like a bit of competition either!
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It looks wonderful in this light. You must be so relieved at the end of this work.
Thanks, I.J. Yes a big relief that this job is done. A few smaller ones still to do still.
WOW!!! 😀 … what a transformation! 😀 … I remember when all this started. It must be soooo wonderful to have it all, almost, done! 😀
Many thanks for that rousing cheer, Widders. It is a big relief 🙂
Wonderful!
Thanks, Jennie. Happy thanksgiving!
You are welcome. Thank you for the Happy Thanksgiving wishes!