[gangzoom]

^Sticking with white paint for now, decided the focus should be to get all the remaining jobs done versus make more work for everyone!

Kitchen is coming along nicely, and we have a boiler+hot water tank. Sparkies are back on site next week to connect up the kitchen but also start 2nd fix electrics, finally things are really starting to come together .

[Pond]

That cylinder looks massoosive!

I can see where your money is going now. All your 'trades' seem to have Festool power tools. They are the 'Ferrari' of tradesmen's tools.

It is starting to look very nice. Liking the kitchen!

[gangzoom]

^I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a well made tape measure, its probably better built/engineered than the car .

The real kitchen is still being installed (8 days and counting now!), but made use of the new kitchen in the garden at the weekend!

[gangzoom]

Lots of stuff going on in the house now, we have base layer of paint going on to the walls, 2nd fix is on going, kitchen install pretty much done pending work tops and 2nd fixes, even the stairs are here but cannot be installed till the flooring is done.

Need to keep the momentum going but it amazing to see the rooms finally starting to take shape after all the hardwork by the lads onsite over the last 14 months!!

[gangzoom]

This is what the old hall way and kitchen looked like. It was by no means small or inadequate, but the difference now is literally night and day. It's hard to believe its the same house!

[Bryans69]

Looking good, although still not convinced about the kitchen size / layout

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by Bryans69

Looking good, although still not convinced about the kitchen size / layout

Happy wife =Happy life.

Actually the colour/finishing choices are looking really nice in real life. Not sure when the work top is coming but it's all coming together nicely now. Just need to keep pushing the trades, getting 2nd fix electrics/plumbing done next week wil be great.

[gangzoom]

The work tops were installed today, had forgotten what we had gone for, looks good against the black units, though at this stage anything close to finished looks good .

One thing I really like is running the worktop into the window still, it was the kitchen fitters idea and I think it looks great.

[Pond]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

The work tops were installed today, had forgotten what we had gone for, looks good against the black units, though at this stage anything close to finished looks good .

One thing I really like is running the worktop into the window still, it was the kitchen fitters idea and I think it looks great.

Looks good having no cills, just hope nothing 'settles' much or that window will shatter. The worktop has absolutely no 'give' in it.
I would ask the worktop company for a guarantee against that happening in the next 5 years TBH.

After spending all that money, are you re-using your old oven? Looks identical.

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by Pond

Looks good having no cills, just hope nothing 'settles' much or that window will shatter. The worktop has absolutely no 'give' in it.
I would ask the worktop company for a guarantee against that happening in the next 5 years TBH.

After spending all that money, are you re-using your old oven? Looks identical.

There is a reason we have gone with all local independents with good reputations, I have zero doubt to not trust the workmanship of the guys on site, no offence .

Yes we are reusing all the old appliances, fridge, hob, dishwasher etc, have to ‘compromise’ somewhere.

[Bryans69]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

One thing I really like is running the worktop into the window still, it was the kitchen fitters idea and I think it looks great.

We did that with ours, really pleased with the result. Wasn't planned originally, but got suggested early on, so everything could be adjusted to make it work

[gangzoom]

^Is that an arcade machine in the kitchen!! Good work getting that approved by SWBO. I’m not even allowed to decide where the coffee machine goes .

Meeting the decorators this weekend, we are playing around with ideas of a mural on the wall……not sure though, we want something that isn’t just a mass of white paint.

[Bryans69]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

^Is that an arcade machine in the kitchen!! Good work getting that approved by SWBO. I’m not even allowed to decide where the coffee machine goes .

Meeting the decorators this weekend, we are playing around with ideas of a mural on the wall……not sure though, we want something that isn’t just a mass of white paint.

It's one of two. That one is a PI based one running Mame. At the other end is an original 80's table top Galaxian. Fortunately the wife is a big arcade fan.

Interesting idea with the mural. We have a lot of white, but actually not a huge amount of wall space, despite the size of the kitchen, so it isn't to bad, and we have some decent photo, and a nice large painting covering one wall. I quite like the idea of something like this https://www.itl.cat/wallview/oRJhmh_...for-man-caves/

[ade555]

Looks to be the trend with worktops up against window in Europe , I like it but I would only do it if the window was fairly high and kitchen have high ceiling. Another one is stone window sills, works well with modern house decor.


Personal choice them black cabinets, not sure 🥴, everyone has different taste but love the lines/shapes in ceiling. Looking forward to finished pictures 👍

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by ade555

Looking forward to finished pictures 👍

As am I .

Boss builder back from holiday this weekend, when the boss is away all the trades seem to slack a bit, so will be catching up with him Monday. Not that many big jobs left actually, flume install for the fireplace, leveling and tiling of downstairs floor which will than enable stairs installation, exterior render/cladding.

The rest is than all decorative, need to sort out garden cladding for the patio too. Making good use of the BBQ cabin already though, have had a BBQ and enjoying the garden 3 weekends in a row now despite the ongoing building works.

Temp is dropping to single digits today, tempted to do a log fire today in the cabin instead of another BBQ.

[Pond]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

As am I .
Making good use of the BBQ cabin already though, have had a BBQ and enjoying the garden 3 weekends in a row now despite the ongoing building works.

Temp is dropping to single digits today, tempted to do a log fire today in the cabin instead of another BBQ.

That does look really good. I would imagine that fire pit thingy cost more than my kitchen and utility put together (and probably bathrooms).

[martin10chk]

Looking fantastic and not at all pointless! I have great admiration for those who are prepared to take on such ambitious projects. Hope you manage to get the last bits wrapped up soon. My only limited personal experience of this stuff is that the last 1% of finishing touches seemed to take 10% of the total time.

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by martin10chk

My only limited personal experience of this stuff is that the last 1% of finishing touches seemed to take 10% of the total time.

I would say it all takes time!! And every trade is eternally optimistic, the kitchen guys are now 90% done, but it's taken them 10 full working days on site, still need to fit the bulk of appliances. They originally estimated 3 days .

Still time is well worth it, got some work top inside the wall cupboard to hide away the microwave etc. We now have no shortage of drinks storage, should be able to fit in 20 bottles of vino and than plenty of gin/malts (with back lighting).

The kitchen fitters also made some suggestions about stepping towards some of the counter units so we lose a small amount of floor space on exchange for a ridiculous amount of work surface!!

Cannot wait for the rest of the house to catch up now

[ade555]

Looks good but what made you to go for different colour on kitchen island?

[gangzoom]

^I had zero input into kitchen design, but I do actually like the contrast. More importantly we now also have stairs, things are moving really quickly now







The garden cabin is getting plenty of use, BBQ instead of Friday night take away, when the food is done throw on some logs for a cosy fire. When a brunt marshmallow becomes one the biggest 'worry' of the day, there really isn't much in life I can really moan about!!

[gangzoom]

The front door now opens, we also have heating and the correct ktichen sink .

We now have the quotes in for the log burner flue, and only waiting on quote for some corten for the garden walls. For costs am pretty confident we'll come in at just over £2400/sq meter all in (including VAT). For the space and spec really cannot complain.

Once the flue is in, we can pencil in a moving back in date.......cannot wait, coming Home everyday to such an amazing space is going to take some getting use to .

[Pond]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

For costs am pretty confident we'll come in at just over £2400/sq meter all in (including VAT).

I presume you do know that a a square metre is around 3ft by 3ft?