A job a day...

This will be something of an update post, since I haven't written anything on my blog for almost nine months (!)
I've decided to get back to writing again, inspired by some lovely blogs that I have been reading, so here goes:

July - September 2015

While I was hammering away at Open University End of Module Assignments and exam revision, Kevin had been plugging away at a 'job a day' on the cottage.

We  had new work surfaces fitted in the kitchen by the lovely John Baker, while the new ceramic sink unit was installed by Steve Martin (the neatest plumber and heating engineer that I have ever come across!).
Once this was done, Kevin re-tiled the kitchen and painted the units in 'Old English White' eggshell paint. He then used window film to create a frosted glass effect on the glazed cupboard doors and I am thrilled to bits!
Being on a tight budget meant that ripping out the kitchen and starting over was never going to be an option, but when I see what we have been able to create, I couldn't be happier.

This was the start of it, after the work surfaces had been installed and before
tiling over the old tiles (necessary, as we could never have got the old ones off the wall!).

A close-up of the new tiles, and before Kevin painted the units
and put the frosted film on the glazed doors.

Finished! Cabinets painted and frosted film on the doors.

My lovely new sink - I'd lusted after a butler's sink but
there really wasn't room.

Another change was to rip out the truly-tiny shower cubicle and build a dividing wall to create a much smaller combined downstairs loo and laundry room with a neat sliding door.

Note the little hole instead of a handle!

Tiny utility room - just enough space for the washer-dryer, lavatory and washbasin.

The ironing board is a bit small for anything other
than occasional use, but the cover is pretty .

Replacing this surface and the basin, and
re-tiling will be our next big project, along with the
installation of a space-saver lavatory.

This enabled us to bring the fridge-freezer in from the garage and install it where the shower cubicle used to stand. One thing that we did discover was that the 18th Century cob outside wall extends into the 1960s addition, leading us to think that perhaps there was a lean-to of some kind that, over time, became absorbed into the main cottage (the rest of the two storey kitchen and bathroom extension is constructed of rendered concrete block).

Other, harder decisions were also made, I  finally recognised that I was unlikely ever to revive Green Witch Crafts - the kitchen here is too small to make the quantities of soap that I used to produce - and the oils and butters that I brought from Surrey were out of date, so I  had a massive clear-out.
I also had a (very painful) book cull - Oxfam will be thrilled, I'm sure, as everything went into the Book Bank in Bideford - but at least the books that are left are ones that I will read again and again.

It had been too wet to do anything more - I needed to pull everything out and rearrange it and I couldn't do that when it was drizzling, but the weather eased up and I was finally able to make it into the sewing and writing studio that I had been dreaming of, ever since I first saw the cottage.

It's small but I managed to get all of my wool and fabric sash in!
Now to write my best-seller, LOL!