Very cool, if true

Almost there!

The joiners spent the day here again, 8:30 - 4:30, getting the other side of the kitchen done, and everything ready for the electrician and plumber to wire it all up tomorrow.

They fitted pelmets and something-elses - wooden surroundy bits on the cupboards - got the kickboards cut to size, fitted the extractor fan above the cooker, moved the washing into the right place, and generally got everything done.

Tomorrow, all going well, we should have an actual, proper, real-life, honest-to-goodness kitchen.



Except for the plastering/tiling behind the sink/cooker, which looks like Godzilla dropped by for tea, and will require some work to finish off.



Oh, and clearly from that photo, the wooden surround for the window.

I took today off work to paint the kitchen twice. It really needed two layers, as the blue paint already on there was showing through the first layer a lot.

We ran short of paint after the first layer - we'd bought two cans, but went through 1/3 of the second time by the time we finished the ceiling. Julie's plan of getting an extending roller made that a doddle, but it seemed to really soak up the paint.



You can see from the photo that we've done a half-assed job in a couple of places - those bits are behind where the cupboards are going, so the next people to redo the kitchen will undoubtedly curse our names. There are also places where the wallpaper was a disaster, and had to come off - taking bits of plaster skim with it. Some of that we'll live with, as it too will be hidden by the cupboards. Some of it we've left because it's where the plug sockets will be moved to (they can't stay where they are, as the stove is going in there), and some of it will have to be replastered and then tiled over, as it will be next to the prep area.

The important part of today was painting all of those bits that will be hard to get to once the cupboards are in place. And that's sorted - any tidying up that's left over can wait until after the kitchen is installed, and we know what needs to be done.

It feels nice to do something physical, that has real benefits to it. I can look at yesterday's photo next to this one, and know that we did that ourselves.

On Satuday 532kg of kitchen arrived. It is currently taking up the entirety of our small bathroom (also recently gutted, replastered, and yet to be painted, as the plaster took two weeks to dry).

Yesterday I cleared out two of the kitchen cupboards into the study (where they join all of the stuff that was being stored in the small bathroom). Julie wanted to help, but was too tired.

Today, we worked together and cleared the rest of the kitchen out, into both the study (now full) and the living room (which has the microwave, kettle, and toaster in it, so that we have some food preparation possibilities). Julie was a champion, either actively helping me sort through things, or providing much-needed moral support the whole way through, with only a fifteen minute break while we went out to watch the fireworks go off over the athletics stadium next-door.

Tomorrow evening the joiner will clear out the kitchen.

Thursday, I have taken the day off work to paint the kitchen twice.

Friday, I think, the plumber and electrician will do their bits of the prep.

Saturday, the joiner will spend the day putting up cupboards.

Sunday, there may be a bit of finishing up.

And by Monday we should have a shiny new kitchen. And we will be able to cook again!

It's going to be a long week.

Visible in this picture, the original (blue) colour of the kitchen, and the white which Julie repainted half of it while I was in India, and she was bored:

(click to embiggen)

Edit: AND A DISHWASHER! I've been looking forward to having a dishwasher again for six years!