The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

silvasava

Money - I'm in the process of redesigning my kitchen too and have the same issues. The layout at the moment gives me very little useable working space - as I am tall I still want a built in oven but dithering where it will go! Shall we have a breakfast bar, would an island be practical - aaargh!!

Softstuff

When I read about kitchen design issues, I think on this I'm oddly unfussy. I mean, I'd like it to look along certain lines, but as long as there's cupboard space, the fridge and freezer, a sink and cooker I'm pretty good. It's probably a hangover from my last kitchen which was about 3m along one wall with 1 usable hob! I managed to cook Christmas dinner for 14 from it one year :rotfl:

The main reason for replacing this one is it has an odd dog leg bit that sticks out from the wall. Hard to explain, but nearly everyone who comes here is puzzled by it. It also has a black worktop, which hides dirt and cupboards so deep I can't get near the backs of them.

Still done nothing for Christmas. My friends daughter was asked where she wanted to go for her birthday dinner on Saturday. She said she wanted Aunty Softies lasagne, sausage rolls and cake so, her birthday wish is my command. For 8 people.

ivyleaf

I've just received a present from a dear friend in Scotland. A shopping bag bearing the legend "DINNAE FASH YERSEL AND GET THE MESSAGES" :rotfl:

(i.e. Keep Calm and Go Shopping")

We've received a card with our names and "Happy Christmas" written inside but the sender forgot to sign it, so I hope it's from someone we've sent one to.

ivyleaf

Aw Softstuff, that's sweet that she wants you to make her birthday meal :A

Silvasava The thing that would put me off having an island in the kitchen is thinking of how many times I'd end up walking round it!

Softstuff

ivyleaf wrote: »

We've received a card with our names and "Happy Christmas" written inside but the sender forgot to sign it, so I hope it's from someone we've sent one to.

I'm hoping everyone I should have sent a card to gets one like that and assumes it's me :rotfl:

moneyistooshorttomention

silvasava wrote: »

Money - I'm in the process of redesigning my kitchen too and have the same issues. The layout at the moment gives me very little useable working space - as I am tall I still want a built in oven but dithering where it will go! Shall we have a breakfast bar, would an island be practical - aaargh!!

I would say it's practical to have somewhere in a kitchen where its' possible to chop vegetables etc sitting down.

So a breakfast bar is pretty multi- purpose imo - one or two people can sit there for a snack type meal, sitting there chopping vegetables if feeling weary, extra work surface.

An island would be extra work surface.

Having said that - I think I'd probably have an island by choice - but the kitchen is average size (not large) and it would look odd with an island squeezed-in. Hence I've gone for a breakfast bar. The single biggest thing I need in a new kitchen is more worksurface space and that's part of how I'm going to achieve that.

If you're having one of those raised built-in ovens - then you will lose worksurface space to that - and therefore your need is all the greater to have either a breakfast bar or an island - or, better still, both.

Fortunately - I'm short - so my new oven/s are going to be set-in underneath the hob - so that I don't lose worksurface to that.

mardatha

Ivy, I still say that - go for the messages. My kids think it's seriously old fashioned and uncool, they all "go shopping" lol

ivyleaf

mardatha wrote: »

Ivy, I still say that - go for the messages. My kids think it's seriously old fashioned and uncool, they all "go shopping" lol

Aw, I think that's a shame! I must ask my friend (Glasgow area) what her DS and DDIL say!

ETA When we (my parents and I) first went to live in Scotland, I managed to set our chimney on fire :eek:. Thankfully all was well, but my Mum sent me outside just in case, and a lad going past commented "Yer lum's up!"

If my Dad hadn't bought The Broons and Oor Wullie every Christmas, I wouldn't have had a clue what he meant.

nursemaggie

Judging by the size of the average island I think every thing in the kitchen would have to come out and it would still only be accessible on two sides. :eek:

If I had room I would rather have a table it would be at a better height. All working surfaces are a little high for me just like chairs and just about everything else. If we had a bigger kitchen we could have meals in their and have some space in the living room. We would also be able to entertain. The table we have now is really just a coffee table on longer legs. There is no space on the sides for chairs, the sofa is one side and a wall the other.

I have been getting cards like that for the last 30 years. I always collect all my cards up when I take the decs down. I go through my list and there is never anyone missing. This year I have one I can't read the name on but I know who I gave this address to and it is not any of them. It is only addressed to me?

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm still getting cards for the last owner of my house - 2 so far this year for them. It's now over 4 years since they died - and one would think the sender would have realised by now that they aren't getting a response back and stop sending them.

The first year or two of that - there were a couple with a return address on the back of the envelope (I guess the sender had suspicions as to why they hadnt had one from PO the last year?). I duly "returned them to sender" with a quick one line explanatory note written by senders address. But then there is those others that keep coming - and so I just throw them straight in the bin by now (as I have no way of notifying the sender).