We have lived in this house since 1999 and although I love it and think it is big enough there has always been one problem with it (in my eyes!)....the kitchen! The kitchen I had was beautiful and not very old, it was quite large but it was narrow and for me that meant I could not have a table in it! I am a country girl. For me the kitchen is the centre of a home. I spend a lot of time there. However, as it stood, unless I was being helped with something, the rest of the family did their thing in the rest of the house. I know I don't have a mansion so they were only ever a room away, but I wanted the kitchen to be a communal, warm area to be in. So, we planned and discussed and planned and discussed some more. What to do?Well...make use of the most unutilised, misused space in the house.....the garage! My "utility" area was at the back of it and the rest of it was used as a dumping, sorry, STORAGE space for everything that couldn't find a home!! We have never parked a car in it and neither did the previous owners! Much better to convert it...so we did!
On Monday 1st August work began to extend my kitchen into the garage (without changing my existing kitchen units) and to create a separate utility room at the front. It has been messy (I didn't realise quite how much dust would be created and filter throughout the entire house!!), noisy, chaotic and occasionally frustrating but SO WORTH IT! Here are some photos of work in progress....
Some VERY wet days!
Some extra help for the builders!
The new space at the end of the kitchen with lovely new doors opening on to the garden which was also transformed!
The kitchen originally ended at the wall where you can see the TVAs you can see, inside is basically finished and we are thrilled! I love my new bright space. We are all using it and I now spend 80% of my day in here!
The utility room is also a godsend. A clean, bright area to do my washing and a neat area to store all the bits and pieces.
Please excuse the paint pots!
The ground at the back of our house has always been very damp and marshy. A small patio area sat unevenly outside the conservatory and my washing line was in the middle of mud outside the back of the garage.
This is it now.....
The builders should be finished later this week when they have finished the path alongside the side of the house and put up a new fence and gate. They have been great to work with (they have worked sooo hard) and in a funny way I'll miss having them about (not too much though!) to make coffee for and have a wee chat!
Hopefully you have enjoyed the renovation tour and not found it too boring! Just the rest of the house to redecorate now! Funny how when you decorate one area it shows up the need in the rest of the house! Pennies need to be saved though and a husband to be persuaded.....
The utility room is also a godsend. A clean, bright area to do my washing and a neat area to store all the bits and pieces.
Please excuse the paint pots!
The ground at the back of our house has always been very damp and marshy. A small patio area sat unevenly outside the conservatory and my washing line was in the middle of mud outside the back of the garage.
This is it now.....
The builders should be finished later this week when they have finished the path alongside the side of the house and put up a new fence and gate. They have been great to work with (they have worked sooo hard) and in a funny way I'll miss having them about (not too much though!) to make coffee for and have a wee chat!Hopefully you have enjoyed the renovation tour and not found it too boring! Just the rest of the house to redecorate now! Funny how when you decorate one area it shows up the need in the rest of the house! Pennies need to be saved though and a husband to be persuaded.....
16 comments:
How lovely! Now your kitchen can really be the hub of your home. It all looks great.
I'd like to do our kitchen too as it is small and dark. One day....
Catherine, it's wonderful - I'm green with envy!!! We're currently saving up to convert our garage to make a bigger kitchen too and it's taking AGES!!! I can now vicariously enjoy your lovely kitchen and utility room while I wait! No wonder you spend so much time there.
Hx
Gorgeous!
We have been having similar discussions here but do not have a garage space to fall back on! If we wanted to get a kitchen diner we would have to loose the dining room - both rooms are tiny in the first place - so we are still at the ideas stage! Your new kitchen looks spacious and the patio a great entertaining area!
June
How lovely - and yes, to have a table in the kitchen for family life together is a truly wonderful thing!
blessings on you all as you enjoy it together!
It's just lookking fantastic, and you have realised a dream of mine there - we do have space for a kitchen table, just OUTSIDE the kitchen, in the big living area, but I do have plans to build on one of these days - I may be getting in contact to find out more from you if we ever bite the bullet! Thanks for your comment too - would you like to enter my book giveaway on the post below, too?
Lovely! I too am green with envy - it's so much more sociable having a kitchen/sitting bit all together, isn't it? It looks great and I hope you continue to enjoy it v much
Emily x
It looks fantastic! No wonder you're so pleased with it! I think we all underestimate the amount of disruption things like this cause. I've been threating to re-do the living room and hall for about two years, and it's the thoughts of disruption that are putting me off. I want to go to work in the morning, then come home to find it all finished! I don't think that's too much to ask!
Oh I do love a renovation! Particularly in pictures instant visual happiness!
What a great way to extend your kitchen without needing to extend. It all looks fab, just love your kitchen!
MBB x
You have a beautiful home :)
Looking good :D Having all that paved outdoor space will make a huge difference ... we've never regretted completely paving our small courtyard garden. I just wish I had space to extend my kitchen!
The new large kitchen looks ever so warm and fresh and companionable. Many happy years of chatting and cooking to you all!
How wonderful Catherine, to have your dream realised. It looks fabulous, all that extra space and the cupboards, everything looks so orderly. The outside space looks great too. How lovely that you got it all done in time for Christmas.Love Linda x
I would love to do the same thing and have a communal kitchen. It looks great. It's good that you found decent builders, that's the bit I always struggle with, getting somebody reliable.
Hope you are enjoying it all. x
Hi Catherine, thanks for your nice comment. I just had to leave one here, because I smiled to myself at all the pics of work in progress. We are currently renovating an old barn that came with the house into a gallery-workshop for both me and my photographer husband, Hernán( from Chile by the way, not very Norn Irish name!). Leaking roof, damp walls, etc. etc. You`re so lucky to be on the other side, but like you said, it`s worth it! when it`s done, it`ll be brilliant, a dream come true! just as long as the economy doesn`t get any worse, hey? but enough pessimism! Love your pics of St. Georges. Will keep you posted when and if we ever have an opening night!! Your new extended kitchen looks lovely by the way! Judith
Catherine, it looks great!
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