Getting the old kitchen out was a big job. Having emptied all the cupboards and set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house it needed a lot of effort and a good thump with a big hammer to remove the rest of the units.
The previous owners of the house had told us that it took five big blokes to carry in the large expanse of granite worktop on one side of the kitchen. Common sense told us that it would probably also take five big blokes to get it out again – if it was to come out in one piece at any rate.
Having carefully prised it away from the plasterboard covering the walls, the time came to heave and grunt and get it out of the front door and into the back of a large van.
The worktop survived and everyone looked very pleased with themselves. A very tricky job done successfully.
After that the rest came out much more easily and we were left with pretty much an empty space.
I’m pleased to say that nothing is going to be wasted. The granite worktops, sink and the old cooker have gone to one new home and some of the units are in the barn waiting to be collected by their new owner. We are keeping a few of the wall cupboards to re-use ourselves when we remodel the utility room later in the year.
We have set up a temporary kitchen in the dining room. Our old spare cooker stands in the doorway that we never use and is working fine. We have put a skeleton selection of pots, pans, cutlery and crockery on the top of the sideboard and any other available surface so we can prepare proper meals. The appeal of eating out for several weeks is great, but from past experience we would probably get thoroughly fed up with it after a few days.
The only awkward part is that our water supply is in the utility room at the other end of the house. When I have to walk the length of three rooms and back again to fill then boil a kettle I try to remind myself that the other option was using a series of bowls and buckets, so this is much better. Almost luxury in fact!
Of course the other awkward part is that the sink in the utility room is directly under Daisy’s (temporary) cat flap. So far we have managed to avoid a clash of activities but I dare say it can only be a matter of time!
Hope you won't have to wait too long to get your kitchen sorted out....but you look more organised than I have ever been during the years when I have had temporary kitchens!
ReplyDeleteOh my!
ReplyDeleteWalt, we thought the same as we surveyed the scene of destruction!
DeleteWe recently did much the same. Our fitter came all the way from Lyon just to make sure everything was perfect... and it was. Real craftsmen are so rare.
ReplyDeleteA brilliant job done. Granite is very heavy but very resilient and beautiful. All ready for the new floor now. I'm impressed with your temporary kitchen organization. Wise to use the old spare cooker - I'd have made do with a microwave and hot plate which wouldn't be very inspiring. An you're quite right about eating out. Doing it all the time takes the "special" out of it. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteA job well done! Hope little Daisy won't end up in a sink full of water (lol)!
ReplyDeleteMartine, this is exactly what worries me..........the little face at the cat flap window followed by a splosh as she falls into the washing up !!
DeleteThe only way is up... / things can only get better... ;0)
ReplyDeleteWell done looking forward to the follow up posts. Keep well Diane and Nigel xx
ReplyDeleteWow! Very definitely all gone!
ReplyDeleteConsole yourself with the fact that if Daisy fell into the sink you'd be treated to the classic cat method acting of " of course I meant to do that" followed by a grand huff :-)
Shadow managed to jump up on the bed and put one of his paws squarely into a pot of Nivea yesterday. It took a while to get hold of him and wipe down the offending paw and I am left with a perfect paw print in the cream :-D
Gosh... if only I could get my kitchen to that stage!!!!!!! :)))
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that destruction is the easy part. Putting a new one in might take a little longer!
DeleteSo, how are you going to manage the attaching of the new cabinets to these stone walls?
ReplyDeleteGreat work, and I'm so impressed that it's mostly all going to a new home. What a waste it would be, otherwise! (But, oh boy! How great it will be to have JUST what you want in your new kitchen!)
Glad to see progress is being made. Your temporary kitchen takes me straight back to the weeks when DH and I were fitting the new kitchen in our last house. It was worth all the hard work, but I wouldn't want to go through it again!
ReplyDeletePerpetua, I have already declared that I never want to go through this again!
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