moving in

It's almost like moving house. We have two whole rooms to play with! We ate our first meal in the new kitchen on Sunday December 23rd. It was rather chilly, as we had left the door between the sitting room and new kitchen shut, thus preventing any warm air from the sitting room woodburner from getting in to heat the kitchen. So we ate quickly and retreated back to the warmth of the old house. On Christmas Eve we left the kitchen door open and the kitchen warmed up nicely. It is so well insulated that the warm air stays in here. We are gradually moving furniture out of the old kitchen and into the new, and enjoying the way things are beginnining to look. Lots of people have dropped in and admired the height and size of the kitchen. The oak purlin in the vaulted roof has attracted many admiring looks and we have been told that the new back door is American oak. The floor is reclaimed Canadian maple, the slates on the roof are second hand Welsh and the music and cuisine are typically from all over the world.



Looks good, but very high maintenance

We were given a very pretty Victorian fire place by a neighbour from Dalston several years ago. It has been kept dry and clean in the shed since then and Steve was very keen to install it in the kitchen. We have lit it a few times and it draws well, but unfortunately most of the heat goes straight up the chimney. It also requires constant attention, so it is coming out and we will fit a small woodburner instead.



The wardrobe sits against what was the outside wall of the house. We have kept the original crazy tiling and rendering.

We have also spent four nights in our new bedroom. I love this bedroom. It is well lit and far bigger than we thought it was going to be. There is a gorgeous smell of oak from the window frame and Steve and Polly laid the maple floor in there too. Once they started on the floor they both found it very rewarding and enjoyable. They further tested their ability to work  together by taking the wardrobe to bits and rebuilding it downstairs. It is perfect and fits very snugly at the far end of our room. There is a spacious loft space above our room. Various options for this have been mooted, but we haven't decided what to do with it yet.

Window removed from thick clay walls

Looking into the kitchen through newly made doorway

And the window made its way into our bedroom.

The house has changed so much and we are really looking forward to welcoming you to it. So next time you are up our way, please come and say hello!