Finally, some kitchen plans

Countless apologies to anyone who started reading this blog two years ago thinking it was going to involve an imminent  renovation. Instead it has drifted into ten thousand other distractions while  the reality of planning and executing a  renovation with small children underfoot sank in.

I would not describe myself as a ditherer.  In fact, given that I grew up hearing my mother's plans for her house rotate through an endless cycle of adding a deck, building under and a yurt for the backyard and none of them eventuated, I am extremely intolerant of plans that never unfold.  (My mum is a Libran if that explains anything). Generally, if I am talking about doing something, then I am probably already doing it or will be staying up until midnight doing it tonight.

So, it is with much mortification that I am finally assembling a post about our new kitchen. Which better be coming soon or I will have to eat my pendant lights with the shame of it all. I do already have the pendant lights, remember, from about nine months ago.

 If you are not remotely interested in renovations, look away now. In fact pop back to this blog in about six months when it is all over because there are going to be a whole  lot  more reno related posts coming.

So, our current kitchen has pretty much no redeeming features. In fact when the kitchen designer asked which features of our current  kitchen that we wanted to retain, there was  a long, long pause and then some snorting I think.  It is small, dark, has pitiful storage, minimal bench space, decrepit appliances that are on their last legs and a view onto the carport gutter.

When we bought Betsy, I was upfront with Legoman. If we bought this house, the kitchen had a lifespan of two more years. Max. Today we are at two years, 6 months and counting. It seems I am either psychic or I have personally willed all the appliances to start failing. I think it took about a year before we were sure about leaving the kitchen in the position it is in currently. And most of this last year to agree on the layout and design. So what are we doing?

The plan is to double the size, add a massive window, remove the carport and throw in some flash new working appliances and an island bench. Here is my dodgy hand drawn version of the floor plan.

One end will look like the top photo, a walk in pantry, a white vj wall and a new fridge. This  exact Fisher and Paykel fridge in fact ( one of the details Legoman and I actually agree on).

So something like this.

Along the back wall will be a massive window above the bench and a concealed rangehood with open shelving on either side.  Much like this, but without the cupboards at either end.

Here is my version of the plan. I am embarrassed to admit how much fun I had drawing in all those teeny tiny pyrex bowls. (Slightly less fun has been had boxing up all my real life pyrex bowls ready for storage).

So, similar to this, but with a window for a splashback,

 and this is the kind of window we are envisioning, (we have found a frameless window that looks like one big panel but opens to allow cross ventilation)

We are planning Dulux vivid white vj walls, carrara marble benches and stainless steel appliances, with a feel much like this,

but with more contemporary tapware (Gessi),

and sink (Oliveri Sonnetto)

We have a kitchen company, an acceptable quote, a rough timeframe but we still need to go and choose a slab of this,

and make one last hotly disputed decision. Back soon with a whole other post on that missing appliance.......


Photo sources 1. Home Beautiful, 2. me 3. I think House and Garden, 4. Home Beautiful, 5. Heather Nette King's blog, 6. Designer Kitchens 7. House Beautiful, 8. Abey 9. Oliveri 10. No idea!