It all began several months ago with this sketch…
Well, it began 6 years ago when we bought and moved into this dinky flat after renting a much larger one when I realised quickly, the kitchen just wasn’t going to cut it. We added three cupboards, fitted the hall closet with shelves and cordoned off areas in our bedrooms to devote to my precious kitchenalia. Hungry Hubby was not best pleased at having cake tins, roasting trays and various cake stands in his wardrobe! But of course, as any new couple starting their first home together, money was (still is) a restricting factor and my dreams of the perfect kitchen had to be parked up in the realm of day dreams.
That is, until two weeks ago. As some of you know, my dad (Daddums, as I call him) is a carpenter by trade and after a group of my foodie friends shared photos of their kitchens earlier this year, the desire to do something about my cramped kitchen grew stronger and stronger and I started to draw. It was around the time I’d redesigned my blog to what you see today and my artist fingers were itchy and ready to actualise those day dreams I thought were never to be in this wee home in which we live, by the skilled hand of my father :). You can see the shocking lack of space for yourself…
Just look at that photo – clutter, clutter, clutter! It drove me insane moving things from area to area in order to cook anything but, living in a new build apartment, space is very much of a premium and creating something which didn’t require converting the second bedroom into a utility (now there’s an idea! π ) room, was a little challenging. Luckily with a steady source of inspiration from lots of my foodie crew over at the Facebook group “Cooking Friends”, a plan was borne and Daddums was called into action! We spent several days researching the “how”, spent two days buying the “what” then I spent a matter of hours repainting before work commenced.
Bye bye red wall! You’ve been with us a long time but it’s time to go “Touchy Tealey” so on with not one, not two but three coats of white paint to rid of the red! Ooo, I ached from head to toe after doing all the painting myself (I was impatient to get work underway) but I’m so very glad I was brave enough to switch from that ubiquitous red to this jewel bright teal which radiates throughout our whole home, blessed with several very large windows, not to mention the floor to ceiling one in our kitchen-lounge-diner.
It really is remarkable but it does. It feels like being at the seaside to me, all that aquamarine that form my memories of childhood holidays in Cornwall (though in reality, I suspect the sea was daubed with a touch of grey then my romanticised Piscean mind recalls it).
And there he is, the man himself, Daddums! Please cast only a fleeting glance over the ultimate chaos that constructs the foreground and focus, please on the freshly painted wall and more importantly my dad, fit well and healthy. For those of you who caught my Carpenter’s Cakes posts last August, here and here, you may know we nearly lost my dad, not 11 months ago to severe, acute pancreatitis. Despite all my years of medical training and genuine love of science, I truly believe it was a miracle that Daddums is the Bob The Builder you see before you here today.
The first weekend he was in hospital, in ITU no less, we were told he wouldn’t live to see the Monday. I sat with him and said my goodbyes in my head, never before feeling more pain in my life than I did that day yet Monday came, Tuesday even, then another week. Another month. Finally, 17 weeks in hospital and more than once moments from death he emerged from hospital, a few stone lighter and diabetic to boot but alive and getting stronger by the day. I will say it again – a miracle. So here we are today, Daddums yet again to the rescue, making my house the home I long for it to be.
So, in with the base units, onwards with moving of the plug sockets, over with the Italian walnut worktop and up with the chrome legs of my breakfast bar to be. Then the construction of the box units (customised by Daddums in his swanky double garage workshop, back home!) to go on top. Oh, he is a hard-working clever Daddums – not bad for one day’s work eh?!
Day two saw yet more progress with the unit being fully assembled, only relatively minor jobs about the kitchen to be done like moving the light fittings and replacing the plinth, or footboards to the rest of the kitchen (they were a tad battered from repeatedly having to remove them to fix our dodgy washing machine).
A couple more days of tinkering saw the job complete. Well, all but the blackboard being made for me to fit the right side of the boxes which Daddums is working on still. He’s a bit of a perfectionist, a trait I definitely inherited! Hence why it’s taken me as long to clean, tidy and reorganise the kitchen to what follows, much to the annoyance of my Facebook followers who have only had wee sneaky peeks at the work in progress! But, may I present to you, the brand new and absolutely beautiful (in my eyes anyway) Kitchen a la Casa Blogs π
I now have an unhealthy obsession with soft furnishings from Zara π
Just look at that – jewel brights, high gloss white and warm, dark organic wood mingling together to form my new storage unit and breakfast bar! Of course, lunch and dinner will be had at the bar once our bar stools arrive too – it’s too good to save just for breakfast!
Oh look at that!!! Everything has a place and there is still plenty of space left to go! I cannot tell you how happy I am with these boxes which make my modern take on a Welsh dresser – I’ve fallen head over heels for it and there’s no sign of me falling out ever! Take a peek at what’s below too:
No more oven dishes in Hungry Hubby’s wardrobe, no more Le Creuset living atop my stove, no more cake tins falling out of my choc-a-block hall cupboard. Oh no, just organised kitchen peace and tranquillity with room left to spare!. Can you believe it?
Oh bespoke kitchen, I could gaze upon you all day long! And I may just do that, when I finally finish this degree in six weeks and one day π
And just so you know I haven’t forgotten my “old” kitchen here’s a snap from t’other side – MUST LOOK AT THE WORKTOP SPACE! This is where I shall be preparing all the goodies to come on my wee blog without having to move everything off the surfaces, as there isn’t anything to move off.
Let’s just pause and think about that last statement a second. That’s life changing cooking that is, all thanks to Daddums! And in case any of you are wondering where guests will sit who come for dinner, right behind the leather couch is a foldaway, extendable table which will seat 6 at a push. Just call before you drop in so we have time to move the furniture around and get the folding chairs out the hall cupboard π
So there I leave you, no recipe this post, just a whole load of piccies of where hopefully, many more dishes will be created, photographed, served and eaten. All thanks to my incredible, miracle badge owning dad and sponsored by my very last Student Loan payment (well, if you spend 10 years at university’s it’s only fitting that the last instalment pays for your dream kitchen right?!).
Here’s to many more special days being Daddum’s little apprentice, fetching and carrying his precious tools, making his Earl Grey tea with lemon, not milk and feeding him dinners just like I did as a wee tot and still do today, a matter of weeks away from finally being a doctor. For the fact that he is alive today to create such a magnificent home for me and Hungry Hubby to live our lives in, is the greatest gift a girl could ever wish for.
Love it Jodie , your Dads done a great job and love your new colour wall xx
Thanks Pat – I adore it!
Jo honey, this is just lovely. Actually got me teary eyed. What daddys do for their little girls. Its a great re-vamp and love the table-storage. The colour is Devine!! Bringing the seaside to you π enjoy it!!! x Sharon W from FB x
Aw thanks for stopping by Sharon, and welcome to my kitchen! I’m telling ya, when it’s quiet I can practically hear the sea lubbing the shore and the seagulls in the distance π
Well done Jo, it looks just fab, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it loads. Only problem is, now you’ve got me wondering if I could fit one of those lovely wall units on top of my breakfast bar!
Well this one was a 4 by 4 box unit my dad cut down to a 4 by 3 as you see here. They are very affordable and from Ikea π
OH my goodness, it’s gorgeous and entirely worth the wait! I’m glad you’re so happy with it π
Now put that beautiful kitchen to use! π
You don’t need to tell me twice Ellen, I’m on it! π
Woooooow! I love it! It’s soooooo pretty! Truly a dream come true. xxx
I’ll never want to move out Capp, it’s exactly what me and the Hungry Hubs need, nothing npmore, nothing less. Just perfect π
It looks amazing Jo! I LOVE the wall colour!!!!! π I bet you are going to live in kitchen even more over the next few weeks!’nb
Well I *have* to live in it Roberta as we only have two bedrooms and a bathroom elsewhere in the flat so this truly is our one and only “living” room. And I’m sooooo happy I went with the loud and proud teal, I almost did it duck egg blue and I think it would have lost all it’s impact π
AWW babes, your daddums did such a great job! That colour is fantastic!!! Bright and happy during the day and betcha its all moody and romantic at night! π Love the colour combos too! You did well girlie! Am proud lol!!! π And dum dum dum…another one bites the dust! Zara is evil π
Ooh la la, mais oui, Madame PP! π
And thank ye, oh Master Interior Design Tutor – your lessons in the old ways bare fruit at last! X-D
Oh Jo it’s amazing! Love everything about it love the colour think it may be appearing on many more kitchen walls lol. Well done love
lol, well, seeing as I’ve added Pinterest to my blog, folk may start pinning it! Lordy, I never thought folk would want to copy a thing I did home wise lol!.. X
It looks gorgeous… *and* practical too ! And what a joy that the happiness of having the kitchen revamp is all interwoven with your Daddums’ return to healthy ! xx
The best of both worlds BettyBobs, in many more ways than one π
Gorgeous Jodie! All colour coordinated to match the Le Creuset too! Love it!
A very happy accident, that was Hannah! π
P.s. it wasn’t until I did this that I realised just how much teal I have in my life! It’s clearly been a subliminal message, telling me to do a whole wall in it!
Wow, look at how much space you have now! I love the open shelves – they make such a difference to small kitchens. I have had open shelves in all of my homes, I think, since I moved out and they really do open up the space, allow you to access things more easily, plus provide an opportunity to show off your wares π
Aside from the new kitchen unit, I think the most major change to your home is the bright teal wall!! Well done for pulling it off so well! And well done to your dad for bouncing back to health. It’s so nice when someone in the family can help out like this π
It’s startling to see my dad so well after seeing him so ill Thanh – he worked slowly on this project, was utterly shattered and I think he’s realised his limit for now. But his return to “proper” work is so what he wanted, I’m sure he’s chuffed with this end result :).
As for the space – I can’t stop giggling at it, I’m giddy with the joy of not having to move things before I prep food!
Love your kitchen Jo!!!!!!!!!! I had a bit of a revamp a couple of years ago and canΒ΄t believe how I ever managed without the extra counter tops and cupboard space!!!!!!!!! The open cubby-holes are great and easy to locate and get things at a glance. Well done!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Grace – I’m very pleased indeedio I am π
Thanks Grace! I love open plan things, the only downer will be the need for more dusting π
Oh, that came out sooo good. What a lucky you to have a handy daddy! Nice to hear he is back and strong and healthy! Enjoy your kitchen so we can enjoy the posts π
Just about to make my first thing in it Ann oooo!
just pulled my first recipe out the oven Ann – Nigella’s Irish oaten rolls :). And oooooh they were gooood!
Your dad is a wonder, what a great transformation.
Oh hii Choclette, I recognise you from Facebook, welcome aboard. He’s a special dad, and extremely talented at what he does π
Love the new kitchen Jo, your Dad has done a fabulous job :-))
He really did :). The bar stools will arrive at Hubby’s work today so hopefully we can have our dinner at the breakfast bar tonight! And yes I’m aware of the irony of that statement lol!