Its time to start thinking about the interior design for the shabby chic kitchen. We’ve torn out the hideous seventies one and now are waiting for Listed Building approval before any structural works can be done or things like first fixing the electrics or plumbing can commence properly. The property has been ripped out back to brick and plaster all ready and the design is coming together as decisions are made. In any scheme there is always some object or colour or fabric which forms the starting point; in Project Cathedral it was the magnolia splashback, in Rose Cottage it’s the monster won-it-in-a-competition-the-lucky-cow Belling oven…….
The proposals are going to the Listed Building team (is that their official title?!), and the deliberation is whether to have an extension to replace the tumbling down outhouse, or just play around with the internal structural wall between the kitchen and living room. And if we don’t do the extension just yet, we need to design the room so that if it is done at a later date, the kitchen still ‘works’ and doesn’t have to be messed about with. I’m helping H to plan the interior and organise builders, plus to source items. I took her up to a place where I shop as I knew she would fall head over heels with a country ash kitchen I’d seen there. Chunky free-standing units, solid wood, utterly spot on for the shabby palace. And fall in love she did.
We measured everything this morning, and planned out where it all would go – it’s not easy to fit free-standing units in a relatively small kitchen (3m x 5m). It means a change to the opening up of the structural wall, to the right instead of the left, so we can bring the dresser into the living area, but it’s a small change to ensure the layout is right. Means getting the structural engineer to do a recalculation, he’ll be delighted ;-).
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