First-time house renovation

jamtart6

Thanks for that excellent post TomsMom, this is the first kitchen shop we have been to and I'm absolutely not planning on buying one until about July (earliest) so have plenty of time to research & gather opinions and make my own decisions! Your kitchen is really nice by the way, I like that colour wood.

I am really not a slave to fashion. We saw a fabulous white & high gloss red kitchen in B&Q (although note: only for browsing purposes, never to be purchased from there!!) which looked great for a modern flat or house but would look silly in our house and I'd get super bored of it after about a year.

Ideally want it to last at least 10 years and we don't plan on moving, hence don't mind spending ££ on it, and want it "traditional with a modern twist" which is apparently old fashioned acc to the salesman!!

We have to have a 'light' kitchen as there are no windows in the kitchen once the extension is built, so only light from the extension and the velux in the extension hopefully streaming in. Don't mind that too much but I think a dark kitchen would make it look grim in there, hence going for white or a light oak colour (didn't see the colour I liked today).

I find it hard to picture things like that in my head (particularly as kitchen is currently painted forest green with painted gloss yellow tiles:rotfl:) so the more shopping around and researching I do the better!

OH's dad has just bought granite worktops (about 2months old), and they have now decided they are moving, so I said to OH "tell your Dad we'll replace their worktops with normal stuff and we'll swap them for the granite" - he didn't think it was such a ridiculous idea and suppose you never know until you be cheeky and ask :rotfl:

lisal0u

Hi guys!

I've not got a lot to report but wow you have all been busy!

jamtart6 - I can highly recommend a letter to the MD of B&Q. Worked wonders when I sent one to the MD of E-On. I had his PA personally arranging things for me! Still haven't sorted the issue out yet, had another co*k up on their part but we are getting there!

I'm also having similar kitchen dilemmas. I thought I'd decided but now I'm not so sure and I really need to decide and order it! I originally wanted the ikea askhome ash with black granite work surfaces but the floor is oak so im not sure it will go. So now I'm thinking white gloss units with an oak work surface. There are far too many choices!

I like the kitchen in the picture! Its so difficult to give advice cos everyones taste is so different!

KT1985 - Good luck from me too re the interview! I'm also really impressed you've been doing your own plastering! I watched our plasterers at work and there is no way I would attempt it hahhaha

latecomer - I hope you had your plans waiting for you when you got home! You would think in this climate people would be desperate for business and customer service would improve! Guess not!

BB1984 - Gonna go have a look at your blog right now! Bet you had a lot of fun removing them ha ha - Wow what a difference that has made! Im not a fan of connifers!

Infact going to look at all your blogs! Really should go to be as I've got to be up at 6am but I cant resist!

TomsMom - The front of your house looks so different, so much better! Its so nice that you have had such lovely builders. Mine have been ok but no way would they give me free labour! They charge for every little extra even if it only took a few minutes to do! Cant wait for the befores and afters inside now!

Ta ta x

latecomer

Well we have parted company with the architect. Cut a long story short there were no plans when I got home. I then phoned at the request of OH and had an "interesting" conversation with him.

Good news is one of my colleagues has an architect he highly recommends and has passed on details so I'm going to send an email to ask whether its something they would be interested in.

KT1985

latecomer- thats really bad news, I know how disappointed I would have been.

Lisal0u- I like plastering. I am quite good at learning whilst watching, so watched the plasterer once, and thought I would give it a go! I have the time atm, so why not? The worst that could happen is that I need to call the plasterer in to correct my mess. However, I am pleased with it as far as I have got.

Thanks for good luck wishes, interview is in 3 hours:eek: I have spent the morning making sure I know what I am saying... I held off from doing more plastering this morning, as it is a nightmare to get out of my hair- that wouldn't make the best impression... :rotfl:
Just excited to have an interview at the moment what with the job market being a pile of carp. It will be fun to go and have a conversation with someone in person after spending so much time at the house with only a paintbrush for company (and you guys know that paintbrushes aren't great conversationalists)!

KT1985

Right, I am off...
I miht even get some plastering done later!!

TomsMom

latecomer wrote: »

Well we have parted company with the architect. Cut a long story short there were no plans when I got home. I then phoned at the request of OH and had an "interesting" conversation with him.

Good news is one of my colleagues has an architect he highly recommends and has passed on details so I'm going to send an email to ask whether its something they would be interested in.

Such a shame that so much time has been wasted. Fingers crossed the recommended one comes up trumps.

latecomer

thanks folks. I think its actually a good thing as the lack of plans and communications was causing lots of stress all round. I still dont believe it would have been resolved any time soon had we kept using him so starting from scratch is the best result.

@KT - fingers crossed for the interview

latecomer

KT1985 wrote: »

I held off from doing more plastering this morning, as it is a nightmare to get out of my hair- that wouldn't make the best impression... :rotfl:

OH uses a hotel freebie shower cap for doing for painting ceilings etc

TomsMom

KT1985 wrote: »

Right, I am off...
I miht even get some plastering done later!!

I've just got back from our new house to see your message so have just missed you KT. Good luck, I'm thinking of you right now and sending positive vibes, hope the interview goes well and you come home full of confidence that you are on the short list at least. I have fingers, toes and eyes crossed for you!

We've been trying to decide on paint colours. The loft and the two bedrooms are being done first so that we can start moving some stuff over. Helper Helen is filling in any nail holes, doing knotting solution, sanding down etc. Petros will start wallpapering (the paintable sort for the two bedrooms) this afternoon. These are the only two rooms where there is original plastering left and didn't need dabbing/skimming. As they were previously wallpapered and not good enough to just emulsion we've gone for a very inconspicuous pattern, it will almost look like the rest of the house - painted plaster.

We're having those three rooms done in Timeless (a Dulux colour but made up in a Leyland paint as that is what Petros prefers). The bed linen is in cream and the carpets will pick out the bit of colour that's in the pattern on the duvet covers. I absolutely hate trying to put colours together. I was going to have an accent wall in the two bedrooms but talking to Helen she said it's usually the smaller wall that's done as an accent and as I wanted it behind the bedhead and those will be on the longer walls I've shelved the idea for now. I'm worried that this Timeless (pale creamy white) might make me feel I'm walking into a bowl of vanilla custard but if we're not happy there'll only be one wall to repaint if necessary.

Anyone want to come and do my interior design bit?

jamtart6

At work so only quickly read that post TomsMOm but I am exactly the same with interior design - I am freaking out about hating colours and haven't even been to the paint shop yet!

Gotta dash chat properly later