2 March 2012

shiny new



We finished our kitchen today! Twenty five days ago we were grumpy about the mould, the plaster dust crumbling into the pots and pans, the rust falling from the taps and clogging the drain... And the low benches, the never-ending pile of dishes, the lack of somewhere to sit and chat! When we first wandered into our nest, on the day we ended up buying it, I took a long, deep sigh as I looked in the kitchen cupboards, toddler on hip, and said "We have a lot of work to do". And five years and an owlet later, on the smell of an oily rag, the scariest parts are behind us. Well, for now...

I guess you could say the finished product is, um, somewhat eclectic. Stainless steel benches were the absolute cheapest solution we could find for our level of expertise. Which is not much. But they are practical and I think they kind of work. The floor was the easiest solution for a tricky situation. Not our first choice, but quick, cheap and protecting us from what we suspect is a nice layer of blue asbestos glue.



We picked up an old cabinet to use for extra storage, bench seats and a lovely old and very well worn table... Lots of room for chats and food with friends and owlet lunches! We'll be collecting some curtains and cushions along the way for a cozy winter.



There's a dishwasher! Huz is finally off the hook and we have a space for all those dishes that accumulate during our days at home. Not a necessity, but something that will certainly improve our days. Oh and a new stove! No burnt-bottom cakes and suspicious turning over of biscuits! So this evening we've eaten dinner from the new kitchen, cooked with bits and pieces fresh from our new garden. The relief with which we all devoured real food again... I don't think any of us will be requesting take away for a very long time. And it's a good thing too, because we'll be on a somewhat austere budget for a while to come. Now we get on with things like growing the garden and cooking the food. The important stuff. The fun stuff.


32 comments:

  1. Looks lovely! Did I see that table with a sold sticker in the second hand shop at Margate just today?! (Found you via FB group Hobart Natural Parents, loved reading about your summer)

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    1. You did! Yep, Huz picked it up today :) I just love that train...

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  2. It's amazing ! Love the Bench seat by the window especially, it reminds me of dinners at my nan's..x

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    1. It reminds me of my Nanna's a little bit too! I'm hoping to make some lovely new cushions to add some colour and fun ;)

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  3. Congratulations! It looks totally amazing!

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    1. Thanks, Michelle! We may have been just a little bit inspired by your own kitchen of amazingness ;)

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  4. WOW that's awesome. I love the cushy couch!

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  5. So do we! Especially Huz who I expect will spend wintry Fridays working from kitchen ;)

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  6. That looks awesome - and it all just works together! Love the blend of the shiny, industrial styling of the steel with the classic checkerboard floor, cushy seats & old furniture. The new paint brings it all together. You have a knack, that's for sure :D

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    1. Thanks, lovely :) Pop by for a sit and chat sometime! xx

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  7. I love it....it has the feel of a sunliner caravan and you get to live in it! how happy you must be :-)

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    1. Oh awesome! Thanks! It's a 50's house so we hoped to retain the 50's vibe while updating it. Feeling very happy with it now :)

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  8. I love it!!! And the best dining table ever! Thank you so much for sharing all the squeaky clean new!

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    1. We are totally in love with the table too. It has a loveheart etched into the side. I wonder where it was before? What it's story is? The man who sold it to us said lots of people walked past it because it was too scratched and loved. That's what we love most! :)

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  9. It's flippin' gorgeous! I have kitchen envy :)

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  10. That is basically my dream kitchen! Looks great!

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  11. Lovely Lauren! Really gorgeous! I'll be having some elements of your kitchen in my new nest as I have a bit of a stainless steel obsession at the moment. Love your checkerboard floor too. So glad you guys went and did it. It makes cooking and eating so much better, doesn't it? xx

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  12. It's gorgeous and cosy and clean and new and awesome. My fave is the little sitting nook, I can just picture tea-sodden mornings looking out of the window cradling a cup of tea.

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    1. Oh yes. I can just see the water from that nook, and it looks out over the vegie garden, so I can sit and dream a little. Well, I imagine. I'm sure one day I will have a chance to! Ha!

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  13. I love your kitchen! In my dreams I would live in a lovely old house and have a cozy kitchen just like that - my favourite bits are the corner seating and the floor covering. Yes, I have kitchen envy too.

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  14. Hello!
    I tend to be a "lurker" rather than a poster - sounds a little ominous-lol- but I had to post because I just adore your kitchen. When we were younger we had eclectic tastes and made mismatched items work together. Then the late 80's and early 90's arrived with its matchy matchy style and "big" houses - much bigger than we ever needed. Here we are hitting 50 and longing to have what we have always loved. Individuality, comfortable corners, interesting things to look at and open, practical shelving. I absolutely love your kitchen - the nook reminds me of my Aunt's home - her and my Mom would sit in the nook gabbing over coffee. I loved being there with them. My husband and I are revisiting our "roots" and your kitchen has been most inspiring. Congratulations on a job well done!
    From Denise on Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada

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    1. Thanks so much for saying hello, Denise :) It's lovely to meet you! My Mum has a knack for eclectic furnishing and lots of our bits and pieces were inherited from her, or collected along our travels. I can't imagine living in a place where things match! Its so fun when every piece has a story, isn't it? xx

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  15. I love it, you guys did a fantastic job! I'm quite keen on those stainless benches myself and had every intention of installing them at the next house (which is happily no longer happening)I love how light and bright and yet cozy it looks.That seating area is fantastic! :)

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  16. Oh yay! It looks wonderful, beautiful. I'm back home tomorrow night, and will be over within a couple of days to sit in the corner and share a pot of chai with you. I'm so excited! Sel xxx

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    1. Haha! I thought of you when we bought the seats and table, Sel. There will be many pots of chai consumed in this kitchen now ;) xx

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  17. Totally LOVE your style!!! (And we have the same kitchen floor too :) )

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  18. Hello, I have been lurking, but had to say I love your new kitchen, very retro and efficent looking :) Liz

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  19. Hi Owlets.....I'm loving your new kitchen very stylish...the stainless is the bomb. x Chrissy

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