Finally a MFW! :D

KolaKube

My head is a little busy this evening! LO is teething I think so has been upset most of the day... so I thought this evening I'd have a nice relax and think about how to redo my utility room (really needs it!)

Currently it's got 2 old bits of worktop (one brown one a sort of cream laminate fake marble) down each side, and old 1980s brown laminate cabinets down one side (the cheap dark brown 'wood grain' kind, with a metal trim, yikes). It's all falling apart but could be rescued, and the way its laid out I can't get my tumble drier / freezer in, even though there would be plenty of room if some of the worktop removed...

I've boiled it down to the following options:
(All will involve paint and a floor retile)
1) Replace worktop on the cabinets side, remove the other side completely, replace cupboard doors (difficult to find the same size)
2) Same as above but some sort of cupboard doors makeover??
3) Same as above but new units entirely thus bypassing the door size issue
4) Forget the cupboards, rip them out and put a lovely big dresser
5) Forget the cupboards, rip them out and put a freestanding kitchen unit eg the ones from ikea... (which would provide some worktop space)

Brain fried. Must beer now. All suggestions welcome! xx

toerag33

Exciting times. I would make a list and then subscribe to the freegle/freecycle lists! Put a wanted ad for one or two items and see how it goes. Amazing what people want to get rid of.

toerag33

tootoo

congratulations on the move!

KolaKube

Thanks guys

Yep we freecycle away but nothing has come up so far... I have been keeping a keen eye on the local charity furniture shop and so far come up with the following
- huge chunky solid oak table and chairs... £85 :T
- solid pine single bed for a spare in LOs room... £30
- beautiful laura ashley floor length curtains in cream with dusky pink roses.. £10 :eek:

So that allows me to crack on with the dining room and LOs room once we're done with the utility.

We have been working hard this past week on the utility room makeover, fitting it round LO and OHs work - decided to go with a cupboard revamp to save £ as they are very solid, just a bit 'cosmetically challenged'... Have removed the horrible old worktops and replacing tomorrow with solid wood butchers block style worktop down one side. Cupboards are now cream and getting brass handles. Spent most of this evening scraping away layers of loose paint and filling the walls, although there is still a good bit to be done before painting. Bought a lovely new light fitting earlier half price in B&Q - to replace the fluorescent light currently in there. Getting there Not a fan of disruption generally but I am enjoying how much a little DIY can change a room completely! Trying to strike a balance though - there is a LOT to do (every room in the house!) and realistically its going to take us at least a year if not longer to get it sorted - in the mean time we need to keep a focus on LO and make sure theres plenty of family time too.

Enjoy your extra hour tonight everyone, OH has promised me a lie in tomorrow as he got one today and I plan to make the most of it! xx

KolaKube

Woohoo just ordered £98.65 of soft furnishings for a grand total of 65p using my annual MrT vouchers (doubled up!) - pleased with that as I got a lot (mostly for LOs poor bare room, but also new sitting room cushions and a lamp shade for my soon to be dining room)

:money:

Getting there slowly, I'm off to primer the utility room lol, will be catching up on diaries later on xx

skint_spice

ooo a lampshade you say... I have a good few mr t vouchers myself and need one of those, shall have a peek!:D

KolaKube

Gave up the primering half way round for the night as its getting late - difficult to fit this decorating business round a baby lol you have to try to squish it all in after hes gone to sleep! At this rate I should have the utility room done for next October lol.

I realise I should have said light shade rather than lamp shade skint lol but they have plenty of them too

It's blooming freezing here tonight, as we're up in the attic conversion I'm going to have to put the heat on for an hour overnight as I can't have poor wee LO getting cold for scrimping sake .

Feels like we're haemorrhaging money at the moment but I think thats probably to be expected with moving into a 'fixer upper' lol... dying to make an OP but we just won't have the money until I have a wage again, and even at that we've a whole house to renovate / emergency fund to top back up :eek: Glad we are sticking with an MSE attitude though, and that'll have to do us until we become a 2 wage household again in Jan... :rotfl: in the meantime I'm enjoying seeing what we can get done on minimal ££ lol xx

System

Hello, sounds great, well done on moving in and I am subscribing to your thread. It'll be my first one I subscribe too but it sounds very interesting If you have a dining room does that mean you've got 4 bedrooms to do up now instead of 5? Or 3 bedrooms and a dining room and study?

Sounds like you've done great so far, I look forward to seeing how you get on!

EchoDelta

Sounds like you are doing great things KolaKube

How old is your LO?

KolaKube

Hi guys thanks for the interest and good wishes!

LO is 8 months (a week shy of 9 months now that I think of it)... hes just on the verge of mobility which I suspect will be a mixed blessing lol

We have the house set up as a 3 bed with a study and dining room - if / when we have more kids they'll be sharing to start with (LOs room could hold 3 easily lol!) then Im afraid the study would be for the chop as the kitchen would be too small to house a table big enough for all those kiddies lol... <long term mega plan is a single storey extension of an open plan kitchen diner and bigger bathroom returning the dining room to a bedroom but thats a long way off!>

Payday for OH today so its spreadsheet day woohoo!

My aims for today are to finish primering the utility, buy the required colour of paint, washing, ironing, do the filing, ring garage about OHs car, and the usual cookibg cleaning and minding LO... wee buns as hes finally slept through again after 2 weeks of night waking and I feel like superwoman lol!

xx