Kitchen Refurbishment

Our key driver to change our kitchen was to add a log burning range stove that would not only allow us to cook without buying gas but also heat the kitchen better. While doing this we decided to review the whole kitchen to make it the true heart of the home. So we also re-positioned the sink, upgraded the cupboards, expanded the space by using an old doorway to house the fridge as well as providing cupboard space in the neighbouring dining room and then ensured we had a good seating space. And finally we added more lights  having had one light and one plug socket for 7 years we now have light and power where we need it.

We initiated the project in July 2021 and focused on ensuring the large range cooker would safely be supported by the floor that is above an almacen. Discussing some designs with an architect made us realise that we needed a bit more space to maximise what we were trying to do. So we used the old kitchen door to the dining room to put the tall fridge in and then build cupboard space around this for both expanded kitchen storage and a desk area for Frances. The picture below show the work to do this and the final view from the dining room to the kitchen, we completed this ourselves and by January 2022.

Then we needed to rip out the old kitchen in March 2022 in readiness for the builders, carpenters and stove installers. Everything was late but by April the kitchen cupboards were in, marble installed and with the help of larger crane the stove was installed. The fitting of the sink only happened at the end of May after the marble 'experts' had cut the hole for the sink too large so that had to be re-done but after 5 months of no sink we had most of our kitchen back.

The final piece was the cooker extraction hood and some tiling and lighting to finish things off. Since we left the gas stove beside the range cooker for summer cooking we needed a bespoke large hood. This was delivered in December and then we tiled and installed the lights. From being the coldest room in the house the kitchen is now the warmest and we are enjoying the new stove instead of burning gas. Another step to self sufficiency and a lovely heart of the home - in the end well worth the wait and hard work.