SpookyMrsGreen

This is a very exciting, very challenging, and very exhausting time for me. In just two days’ time I am expecting delivery of a brand new fitted kitchen that we purchased from Magnet.

I have waited for this kitchen for almost ten years. Yes, you heard me, ten years!

My Kitchen Renovation Project

My husband and I moved into our very first home together, blissfully naïve about the amount of work involved in updating our Victorian terraced cottage. It is only a small house, the traditional two-up, two-down arrangement, although we have a large bathroom upstairs that used to be a third bedroom. Our kitchen is at the back of the house, and is very small and oddly shaped. It was very poorly designed by the previous owners, who convinced us that the cabinets were all newly refurbished when we came to view the property.

Being young and innocent, we did not bother to check the interior of the cupboards and drawers. We subsequently discovered that we had, essentially, half a kitchen. None of the base cupboards had shelves in them; they were merely boxes. The doors soon fell off and refused to stay put when repaired. The drawers were cheap plastic trays with false fronts, and the cooker had seen better days. Nevertheless, we persevered with it for several years, while we focused instead on other essential maintenance like a new roof and central heating system.

A dream becomes reality

Now, finally, my dream is being realised. We are having a brand new kitchen! I spent a lot of time deliberating about what to do. You see, the eco-warrior part of me suggested I buy some old, retro cupboards and repurpose them. It seemed a good idea for a while and I almost went ahead with it. Then I decided that actually, the best thing to do for our kitchen would be to utilise space for storage. That is what I need for a growing family of four. I need cupboards, shelves and drawers. And that is exactly what I am getting. Hooray!

We got the kitchen for a fabulous knock-down price in the January sales (with some help from my brother the plumber), and I found the perfect paint from Community RePaint, a national scheme where you can buy used tins of paint that are still in good condition. I bought 4 tins of paint for less than £10. They were not all full, but they were brand names, and I am incredibly pleased with them. Mine were purchased at CLIC in Winsford.

Keep checking back for updates on the progress. At present I have finished painting the walls and ceiling. At the weekend we will remove the final part of the kitchen. For now, most of my kitchen is packed away in boxes and scattered around the dining room. It’s been a mad couple of weeks!

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