Tuesday 6 August 2013

This hasn't been a healthy winter!





The past three weeks could not have crawled by more slowly if they tried!   Naomi from one of my favourite blogs Coulda Shoulda Woulda spoke this week about the Mercury Retrograde.  I'm blaming the two week break-down of our wifi,  Pneumonia and Shingles that was circulating in this household, entirely on this Retrograde!.. I mean - what other explanation could there possibly be.  My poor little grand-daughters have been constantly sick as well.  At last it feels (I hope) that things are slowly improving!   

So, while I wasn't lying on the sofa feeling sorry for myself,  I spent some hours on the computer doing 'house-stuff'!  The joinery drawings went off to be priced two weeks ago and I thought I'd show you a couple of the kitchen drawings and my choices.  It's such a coincidence that Heidi from Adelaide Villa is at a similar stage of her building as I am.  I am full of admiration of her skills as an architect//project manager and full time Mum to three little children.

Please go over to her blog and look at her kitchen choices as they are really beautiful - I especially love her choice of steel windows and the simplicity of her joinery.

I was inspired by lots and lots of kitchens .. and in particular...






Anyway - here are a couple of pics of my kitchen joinery.  As yet,  I am not sure whether the finish will be 2pac or hand-painted.  It depends which price is more attractive!  Unfortunately, I don't have all of the elements together in one picture so  fingers crossed it will look OK when it all goes in! 

I will probably use Hogg's Bristle half strength as the colour on the doors. I am still undecided about what to use for the bench tops...Probably Caesar Stone... or Stainless or both?  As you can see,  it is a very traditional design Not much glamour - hopefully functional, warm and inviting!  I have a lovely collection of old copper pots and Majolica which will be displayed.  I will also have terracotta pots with indoor plants on the deep window sill alongside the sink.  
This kitchen tap from Perrin & Rowe at the sink.
 


I have posted this pic to show the subway tiles as a splash back.  

This fitting above the Island - in chrome and clear ribbed glass shades.

I will be using a grey grouting 



Polished Nickel door knobs



Polished nickel drawer pulls


These oak floors throughout the Butlers pantry, kitchen and Breakfast/living

The Butlers pantry and kitchen

The East elevation of the kitchen.  The windows above the sink(not shown) are bi-fold.  The door on the left through to rest of the house is glass with glass side-lights


The view into the pantry from the kitchen.  The half-glass door through to the dining room.  Bottom right is a wine fridge, and bottom left of the door is a drawer dishwasher.


The dishwasher to the right of the sink will unpack mostly into the eastern side of the island.  The above shows the layout.  The tiles shown in the pantry are incorrect...we are using timber flooring.


I have also been dreaming about the garden.. probably as I've been inspired by Faux Fuchsia blog and her recent visit to many beautiful gardens in the UK.  


 In a way,  planning a smaller garden is more difficult as there is nowhere to hide .. ie - every square metre will be have to be planned out.  There is a level change in the back garden,  and we are planning a knee-high basalt stone wall with stone steps up to the higher level.  The pool is situated on the higher level.  I am using a timber pool fence which will weather grey and will compliment all of the pergolas which will be in natural timber as well.  I would have loved having the pool in the courtyard off the house,  but pool fences are ugly - no matter what material they are in.  Below are Pinterest images which I love.







Here's hoping for a bright, healthy couple of weeks ahead for everyone!  



26 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for the kind mention! I just love all your choices - Hog's Bristle is such a great colour (in all its strengths), it'll look perfect with the oak floors. So you've decided against the encaustic tiles then? Probably a good idea as you have so much flow with your living areas. Love your plans, and I have to say I'm very, very envious of your butler's pantry - that was on my 'list' of must haves in my kitchen... and I had to cut it out (the children have a playroom instead!). Your garden plans sound beautiful - stone walls always give such atmosphere and great structure as well. I've been looking into pool fences as well...I have to say that I really hadn't considered out of the box (i.e. tubular steel or glass), and my landscape designer came up with some great ideas. Although you're right, they still look like pool fences in the end!! Hope you're feeling much, much better soon, and fingers crossed to us all that with mercury retrograde waning, we'll all be pushing forward with our projects/ health! xx

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    1. Thanks so much Heidi. I am still having the encaustic tiles - in the gallery... using the full patterned tile with plain green borders. Also using the plain green/cream in the Mud room/laundry. I had a wooden fence on the farm - it was beautiful in the end with Pierre de Ronsard roses growing over it!.... If one's gotta have a fence, we may as well not try to hide it!!

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  2. Love your layout and adore the idea of a mud room, love the wooden floors and I personally adore tiles with a contrasting border of a different material with subtle hints of the border in the main field. I can't wait to see the final result and really hope you are all feeling better. Building is VERY stressful that's why we are in Plett for a year! xx post lots of pics and I love your blogs.

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    1. Thanks so much Lesle ... I am still using the patterned tiles in the gallery with solid green tiles to create a border. Thanks so much for commenting and I am rather envious of your year in Plett! What fun! xx

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  3. It's all going to look fantastic and I am looking forward to unpacking the dishwasher - if MRI gives me a chance that is!! xx

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  4. Right next time there is a MR - I am giving you advance warning to up your chicken soup and vitamin c!! I can't believe you still had energy left to sift through plans...But they look fabulous - can't believe you are going to have a proper pantry - that is so Nigella- i would love one myself but no space...I think the kitchen is going to be beautiful. Landscaping the garden is going to be very interesting but then you seem to have a knack for that as well so would be interested how you are going to lay it all out. Do you work with a landscape designer or do you just design and let them plant? Get well soon and glad you are back in action xx

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    1. Yes Please!!!... I need very advanced warning! I had very little energy - and it is s l o w l y coming back! I was excited when I realised that I fit the pantry in.. ... pity there's no butler though! I am planning this garden on my own... a bit daunting but am planning to keep it fairly simple. I started off thinking that it would be very plain and structured - but I just can't help myself and know that there will be plenty of flowers too! xx

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  5. Jenny, sorry to hear of your horrible two weeks - I hope that things improve on the health front from now on!
    V jealous of your lovely kitchen plans - and absolutely love the subway tiles. We will be having those, too, if I get any say in the matter!

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    1. Hi Ruth! Thanks so much and so glad you like the plans. I LOVE subways tiles in all shapes and forms and with an added bonus of them being so inexpensive! Have a lovely week! xx

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  6. Oh Jenny - you poor thing. Shingles is horrible and I hope whoever had it in your house is on the mend. So painful.

    Kitchen plan looks fabulous.

    I completely agree re pool fence. They always look a bit odd - particularly the ones that had to be retro fitted here in the 90s. My parents' house in Perth wound up having to have an odd meandering fence put in across the courtyard. Weird.

    Take care and I really hope you and your family stay well.

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    1. Thanks so much for the good wishes! Getting over this pneumonia and my poor hubby getting over the shingles is taking for absolute ever!!! How is your garden coming along... must hop over to your blog! xx

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  7. Sorry to hear about your difficult two weeks and hope everyone in the house is fit and well now or at least well on the way to recovery. I have been following Heidi's project and I see that you too have some lovely plans. I like your choices including the dark floor and the fabulous light fitting for over the island. Those Pinterest garden images are so pretty too - such inviting little spaces. My favourite is the rose arch leading to a secret hideway. I could just imagine reading a book for a couple of hours or more(!) in there!
    http://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Thanks so much miss b!! I do love little nooks in gardens - These usually take some time to establish though! A rose arch or arbor takes some beating I think!! xx

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  8. Your plans look wonderful. I hope you are on the improve, sounds like an awful time you have had.
    I didn't know about the Mercury retrograde......but it explains a lot! x

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    1. Hi Penny ... thanks so much for dropping by... I am definitely improving and getting back to normal! xx

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