Tuesday 13 January 2015

What's new?

Early last Spring, there was a house down a lane. A lovely old house whose timber frame creaked in the wind. A lovely old house full of nooks and curves, oak pegs and wobbly glass nestled into the hill. Such a friendly solid house but with a little dark kitchen...


We first viewed this house on a wet and windy November morning 5 years ago. Ellie Goulding was singing ..."This will always be my home..." as we turned into the drive and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. "I'll end my days here" I thought...then I shook myself, cursing my fairytale mind...To the left a little orchard, 6 or 7 fruit trees and a row of crab apples. At the corner an enormous fir tree, stories high. At the top of the drive a ramshackle group of derelict farm buildings. "I want it!" I mouthed to him as we stood in the cowshed with the roof leaking into puddles on the concrete floor looking out across the field we now call "Rounders".
"I think we should look at the house before we make any decisions" he said sternly
"Yes." I said, whilst imagining the apple blossom in jam jars on trestles inside the cowshed.

The house, well it's all we ever wanted. Oak beams, inglenook fireplaces, wonky windows...but light...all the rooms are light, walls full of leaded lights, an oriel window in the hall...but the kitchen...
"Oh", 
the kitchen is small and dark, with a strangely positioned cat-slide roof with a velux window that hints at a beautiful view but actually is a blank stare of sky just above the horizon.
"We'll have to change the kitchen" I mutter, " Yes," he replied.
-----
And so, last March, 4 years later, the digger rolled in and we began. I remember feeling excited and anxious. Having seen reels of Messrs. McCloud and Clarke I knew my naive exhilaration would soon become stress and ultimately tears, and I couldn't quite see the end but I dived in unabashed.


 
 
 I had thought I wouldn't write about the build here but my absence for long periods last year deserves some sort of explanation and now that we are almost finished it seems silly not to reference it at all.
-----
And I can report my earlier statement about the stress and the tears was completely accurate, but the end has come and gone and I am writing this from the end of our longed for and much anticipated kitchen island!




This wonderful new space is populated by treasures collected from, inspired by and or made by many friends made and found here in the blogosphere and so my grateful thanks to :
Alastair Hendy at A G Hendy Home Store
Alex and Zoe at i gigi
Chloe and Harriet at Closet and Botts
Gilly at Woodlea Craft & Design
Pen at Cottage Industry
Polly at Folly&Glee
Penny at Le Petit Jardin
Rose at Butlers Emporioum
and last but not least the gorgeous kitchen itself, all hand made by the wonderful Nathan Levick at LevickJorgensen

To coin a very hackneyed phrase, building something is a journey and an education. I  loved sourcing reclaimed Tudor bricks, our old oak beam, limestone flags, marble, basalt etc, You discover how resilient you are, as despite your best efforts there are always delays and budgets are stretched beyond your wildest dreams.
 Our kitchen was finished on December 22nd and the home team rolled into town on 23rd!
-----
And so at last, here we are!
Just you and me and the Boodle...it's quiet, no workmen...
bliss
-x-

46 comments:

  1. Wow, it's wonderful. Well persevered x x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Persevered is the perfect word Joy! Thank you --x--

      Delete
  2. Oh your post is so timely. We are currently immersed in the tears and stress phase of building our kitchen extension. So seeing through your eyes, the light at the end of the tunnel is both reassuring and inspiring. Thank you x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hang in there! It WILL be over and it WILL be worth it! If all else fails, I found walking up the hill and having a lung busting scream worked for me. So happy you like it...can't wait to see yours! --x--

      Delete
  3. It looks fabulous - it certainly has the 'wow' factor - so well worth the wait. Shame there was no 'before' to compare it to. Enjoy the new space and the quiet .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry Elaine...I didn't take many pictures in there it was so small and dark! Thanks for visiting --x--

      Delete
  4. It's beautiful. So inviting. Well done! Love your AGA. We just ordered ours from the U.K. Waiting anxiously for ours to arrive from across the sea!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, bon voyage aga! How exciting..hope it arrives soon --x--

      Delete
  5. What a wonderful kitchen, I love it all, it looks so welcoming and the hub of the home.xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Michelle, so kind of you to say --x--

      Delete
  6. You kitchen is awesome and now that the stress is over you can simply enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Phew, too true...so happy for the peace and quiet! Happy New Year --x--

      Delete
  7. Gorgeous kitchen, mine would fit into your new kitchen about 20 times!
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. like our old kitchen..it was so sweet...Kitchen's are the best spaces whatever the size! --x--

      Delete
  8. Fantastic! What an amazing job, you must must be thrilled, Jane x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Hello! Thanks Jane, yes, all is well, Happy 2015! -x-

      Delete
  9. My dream kitchen, you are very clever and very creative! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello You! Happy New Year...hope all is well at Wild Acre...stunning gem --x--

      Delete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I haven't popped over here for ages (life with a little one has truly taken over) but your absolutely divine kitchen just popped up on my Pinterest and I simply had to nip over and take a peak! My what a beauty - all my kitchen dreams in one. Enjoy your amazing hard work now and hope this finds you well xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello little Daisy! Good to hear from you...sending you and the tiny daisy love for 2015 --x--

      Delete
  12. oh to have a lively bug light filled kitchen!
    joy oh joy!
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should see my tea-cosy! Bring some lamingtons Pen, oh and some of those raspberry friands...and we'll have tea...--x-x-x--

      Delete
  13. Serious Kitchen envy, but Thank You for sharing
    Best Wishes
    Sue xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely - I could live in that kitchen! Do you have a spare hammock? :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow your new kitchen looks amazing, well worth waiting 4 years and suffering stress and tears. I would have been sold by the orchard too! Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
  16. He He! Fruit trees are just lovely aren't they --x--

    ReplyDelete
  17. Well what an exciting and stressful year you've been having at home. I'm glad you are so pleased with the end result though. It all looks fab and to have so many special things within it makes it even more special.
    Hope you enjoyed the Dr Who Christmas special too!
    Lisa x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Are you Kidding! I've watched it 6 times...gotta love Father Christmas, me and my Faraway neph. Have discussed at length..all is well with the world! --x-x-x--

      Delete
  18. What a gorgeous space, def worth all the hassle and wait me thinks! Wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, Thank you so much...lovely of you to say --x--

      Delete
  19. Absolutely beautiful, love all your little finishing touches.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jayne, Happy New Year! Bit late I know! --X--

      Delete
  20. I have been there too; with stress accompanied by blood, (and broken bones), sweat and floods of tears, not to mention a few grey hairs.
    For me the end is in sight, but I wonder have I the energy to cross the finish line? Fortunately you have reached journey's end. Oh! How good it looks! I hope mine turns out even half as lovely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Broken bones! Ouch! Hope yours is finished SOON! --x--

      Delete
  21. straight out of the dream kitchen bible ... all good things come to those who make hundreds of cups of tea... cleaned and sorted bricks by hand ... stayed clam patient and always smiling !.... beautiful job looking forward to an invite xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah Hello! And you shall be, duly invited...thanks Sarah, love to you --x-x-x--

      Delete
  22. just lovely - delighted to have made a small contribution x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well the thing is Polly...it's just perfect,my lampshade I love it, thank you --x-x-x--

      Delete
  23. Awesome work.Just wanted to drop a comment and say I am new to your blog and really like what I am reading.Thanks for the share

    ReplyDelete
  24. Great article, Thanks for your great information, the content is quiet interesting. I will be waiting for your next post.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I really appreciate your professional approach. These are pieces of very useful information that will be of great use for me in future.

    ReplyDelete
  26. very informative post for me as I am always looking for new content that can help me and my knowledge grow better.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi, could you tell me where you got the flagstone floor from? it’s fab x

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for contacting me! I love to hear from you it makes me smile x

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.