Come On In ....
.... and I'll show you around.
We'll start in the hall where the flooring has been replaced. It was previously an orangey coloured laminate which was badly scratched with a few holes in places, and is now limed oak vinyl planks. The mat well still has to be finished (hopefully next week) and it has to be decorated - it'll be done out in white throughout the house but I haven't given any thought as to when that'll be done.
The door to the left of the front door (as we look at it in the photo) opens into the room I use as my music room, but which I think was supposed to be the study. The closed door to the right is the cloakroom and following the hall round to the right leads to the living room. The other door to the left leads into the dining room and kitchen. I'm sitting on the first bend in the stairs to take this photo, hence the funny angles.
Here is my music room. With all my sheet music and instruments, the storage in this room has always been a problem so I bought some Ikea Billy bookcases and they've been very cleverly installed to look like they are built in cupboards. I think this is my favourite part of the work so far. I need to buy a couple of extra shelves and then I can put the sheet music away.
This photo is taken from the doorway so the new bookcases are hidden behind the door (you can just see the door handle on the left of the photo). The piano is directly opposite the door and just fits nicely against the shorter wall.
Then standing with my back to the piano and looking out to the hall is where I currently keep my printer. I need to buy a new white unit for this to stand on but for the time being am making do with the small table, and then to complete this room I need to buy curtains and a rug, and hang the pictures. I also need to find the piano stool and move it back in front of the piano.
The door directly opposite the music room is the cloakroom. I've posted a photo of the new sink and units in here already. The extra storage gained from having this done has made a big difference in getting organised - cleaning supplies in the bottom cupboards with medication and personal care things in the glass fronted cupboard.
Next it's the kitchen. I've re-used the original units but they have been taken out and installed properly, so that the new oak work surface is level and correctly supported (they discovered that one corner of the old work surface was propped up by a plank of wood!), the electrics have been checked and are now safe and I've had a couple of extra socket fitted. It's all new appliances and a new, decent sized sink but the boiler is still behind the corner wall cupboard as I couldn't afford to get it moved upstairs. I changed to an induction hob, which I love and I'm so glad I didn't listen to the people who told me to stick with gas. Oh, and the tiles are new as well! The red kettle and toaster will be going as they've been replaced by cream ones - you can see them in a couple of these photos. The red slow cooker will eventually be stored in the new dresser, but more about that later.
Standing with my back to the sink and looking into the dining room you can see that I still have a lot of sorting to do! Clearing the dining room and living room is my target for the next week, so expect some updates - it'll make me get on with it!
The pile of wood is a chair and the old printer cabinet, both broken down and waiting to go to the skip. The freezer will go out into the garage for the time being until I decide whether I still need to keep it. Bulk cooking and the convenience of having a selection of meals in the freezer suits my lifestyle and overcomes a lot of the problems of cooking for one, but I don't know whether I can make it work with just the small integrated freezer so am holding on to the other freezer until I'm sure. This is where the new dresser will go - white and oak to match the table and chairs.
This photo is taken from the hall looking into the dining room. I am probably going to have the flooring changed to match what's in the hall. It wasn't part of my original plan but I much prefer the new flooring so now is the time to have it done if I am going to do it.
Finally, into the living room which as you can see is looking a tad untidy (understatement of the year!). The boxes are mostly filled with unwanted kitchen things or things that need to go in the new dresser when it's ready, so it shouldn't take too long to sort out and tidy up.
So that's how things are looking for now. I'll be glad to get the living room back to some sort of order and give it a good clean. Next to happen is the work on the garden landscaping but I'm still waiting on quotes so work probably won't start much before August.
Hope you've enjoyed the tour.
We'll start in the hall where the flooring has been replaced. It was previously an orangey coloured laminate which was badly scratched with a few holes in places, and is now limed oak vinyl planks. The mat well still has to be finished (hopefully next week) and it has to be decorated - it'll be done out in white throughout the house but I haven't given any thought as to when that'll be done.
The door to the left of the front door (as we look at it in the photo) opens into the room I use as my music room, but which I think was supposed to be the study. The closed door to the right is the cloakroom and following the hall round to the right leads to the living room. The other door to the left leads into the dining room and kitchen. I'm sitting on the first bend in the stairs to take this photo, hence the funny angles.
Here is my music room. With all my sheet music and instruments, the storage in this room has always been a problem so I bought some Ikea Billy bookcases and they've been very cleverly installed to look like they are built in cupboards. I think this is my favourite part of the work so far. I need to buy a couple of extra shelves and then I can put the sheet music away.
This photo is taken from the doorway so the new bookcases are hidden behind the door (you can just see the door handle on the left of the photo). The piano is directly opposite the door and just fits nicely against the shorter wall.
Then standing with my back to the piano and looking out to the hall is where I currently keep my printer. I need to buy a new white unit for this to stand on but for the time being am making do with the small table, and then to complete this room I need to buy curtains and a rug, and hang the pictures. I also need to find the piano stool and move it back in front of the piano.
The door directly opposite the music room is the cloakroom. I've posted a photo of the new sink and units in here already. The extra storage gained from having this done has made a big difference in getting organised - cleaning supplies in the bottom cupboards with medication and personal care things in the glass fronted cupboard.
Next it's the kitchen. I've re-used the original units but they have been taken out and installed properly, so that the new oak work surface is level and correctly supported (they discovered that one corner of the old work surface was propped up by a plank of wood!), the electrics have been checked and are now safe and I've had a couple of extra socket fitted. It's all new appliances and a new, decent sized sink but the boiler is still behind the corner wall cupboard as I couldn't afford to get it moved upstairs. I changed to an induction hob, which I love and I'm so glad I didn't listen to the people who told me to stick with gas. Oh, and the tiles are new as well! The red kettle and toaster will be going as they've been replaced by cream ones - you can see them in a couple of these photos. The red slow cooker will eventually be stored in the new dresser, but more about that later.
The drawer units next to the oven have replaced a small cupboard
These red storage canisters will be replaced with cream ones as soon as I see some that I like. The fridge and freezer are behind the base cupboard doors - the fridge had always been there but the integrated freezer is a new addition.
Standing with my back to the sink and looking into the dining room you can see that I still have a lot of sorting to do! Clearing the dining room and living room is my target for the next week, so expect some updates - it'll make me get on with it!
The pile of wood is a chair and the old printer cabinet, both broken down and waiting to go to the skip. The freezer will go out into the garage for the time being until I decide whether I still need to keep it. Bulk cooking and the convenience of having a selection of meals in the freezer suits my lifestyle and overcomes a lot of the problems of cooking for one, but I don't know whether I can make it work with just the small integrated freezer so am holding on to the other freezer until I'm sure. This is where the new dresser will go - white and oak to match the table and chairs.
This photo is taken from the hall looking into the dining room. I am probably going to have the flooring changed to match what's in the hall. It wasn't part of my original plan but I much prefer the new flooring so now is the time to have it done if I am going to do it.
Finally, into the living room which as you can see is looking a tad untidy (understatement of the year!). The boxes are mostly filled with unwanted kitchen things or things that need to go in the new dresser when it's ready, so it shouldn't take too long to sort out and tidy up.
This end of the room, however, will take longer. I have to sort the piles of sheet music again (!!) and work out what to keep but it can't be put away until I get the extra shelves for the new cupboards. The pile of paperback books, along with approx. 150 books I need to bring down from upstairs, are being donated to the National Trust for their pop-up book sales, and they will be going next Wednesday. The pile of boxes in front of the radiator is all band stuff which I'm working on but which will go back when we start again on June 11th, so I only have to find room for it until then, and the unit with the blue sheet over it is going to auction (but I don't quite know when).
So that's how things are looking for now. I'll be glad to get the living room back to some sort of order and give it a good clean. Next to happen is the work on the garden landscaping but I'm still waiting on quotes so work probably won't start much before August.
Hope you've enjoyed the tour.
Thank you, I had a lovely time.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the last bit of sorting. The sense of achievement will be quite something - you won't want to go out!
Thank you, some wonderful changes. Oh I think it is going to be so comforty in all the rooms you will never want to go out again :)
ReplyDeleteTaking your time with all the decisions means you are going to love what you live with for a long time to come. Ah sorting it seems to be something all of us are doing right now.
love it! I found that I needed my chest freezer even when I had a fridge freezer because all the packets I was using went into the fridge freezer while the bargains and the bulk cooking went into the freezer. You'll probably find that the freezer will be more efficient in the garage because the air is cooler out there
ReplyDeleteI like it all,, especially the music room! Great idea how you did the bookcases!
ReplyDeleteBetty
An enjoyable tour and it is all looking very grand. Particularly love the flooring in the hall and the bookcases - might have to peruse the IKEA catalogue! Good luck with getting everything finished, Eileen.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed that! A peep inside a freshly decorated house is always a treat. It looks beautiful. And is that a dolls house I see? I'm a fan. I have one I packed away when my son was little and I keep telling myself I should get it out again.
ReplyDeleteThat all looks super - very clean lines.
ReplyDeleteI particularly like the bookcases and glass-fronted cabinets.
Enjoy!