Here's how it was looking when it was photographed for Ideal Home a few years back. When we moved into the house some seven years ago now, we inherited kitchen cupboards that were only a few years old but not really our cup of tea. We couldn't justify getting rid of them so we invested in new appliances and some jolly tea towels, of course. Hmm, that's a little weakness of mine.
On the back of the six months of building work we've had to have done, we decided finally to treat ourselves to a new kitchen. So this week, the kitchen started off looking more like this...
Over the last few months, I've really tried to get ahead and sort through the kitchen cupboards; getting rid of utensils and gadgets I haven't used in years, throwing away packets of lasagne sheets circa 2009, you know how it is. (Please say you know how it is.)
As we started to chip away the old, the previous blue tiles and yellow walls started to reveal themselves. Delightful, very Van Gogh's Sunflowers?
Oh it's not a pretty sight.
Nobody warned me it was going to get worse before it got better. Silly me.
Yes, that's my parents there. Be careful if you ever get invited to stay with us. A week ripping out the old kitchen is our idea of a holiday.
But gradually, as the plaster dust settled, we could finally pick up paintbrushes and start to get things on track.
We gave my Dad a reprieve and let him fiddle with our old record player. Generous, eh?
Meanwhile, the old units were taking on an unusual form down at the bottom of the garden.
I'm not the only one with a den, it seems.
In the background, I have been very lucky to decamp to the utility room along with the microwave, to reheat meals I made and froze a few weeks back. Here, I am surrounded by my motley collection of flower jugs and the vintage curtains make me happy enough. I try to forget the rest.
Today, I treated myself to a £2 bunch of dahlias and used my charity shop mug for the first time.
But back to the kitchen. By the end of Sunday, we'd pretty much done what we could. With the main re-plastering, decorating, and electrics done, we can hand over to Steve our trusty handyman for the next stage. It still looks pretty dire, I know!
The other end of the room which is our family sitting room is not faring much better. Its contents, the main furniture and so on, are luckily still in storage after the main building works which took place. But finally, a big van pulled up and the new delivery came on Monday, so now it's down to installation. Deep breath.
Let's get on to the fun bit. Planning the new dream kitchen! I cannot deny that when Sophie Dahl's telly programme came on, the thing I was most in love with was the kitchen. Oh goodness me, the colours, the vintage touches, the flowers. Maybe not wildly practical but oh so lovely and inspiring. The Guardian newspaper described it as "preposterously perfect".
If you do a quick search, you can find all manner of articles devoted to this kitchen. Well, who knew? The kitchen is not Sophie's at all but was rented out as a location (it has been used in Cath Kidston shoots, too) and at the time, the house in which it is located was for sale for £1.45 million. Golly.
I recorded the entire Sophie series and while away the odd hour here and there with a bit of enchanted viewing. You can still see clips here.
Mostly, I am hankering after an old English pantry meets Shaker look. If I were a millionaire, I'd have headed straight for the design studios of Plain English whose kitchens are pretty much restrained perfection in my eyes and look as though they have been stylishly in place for years.
Swoon.
There's definitely a spot of larder love going on...
Belfast sink? Stone worktops?
Paint colours, handles, knobs, textiles, hobs, tiles, the list goes on. My "kitchen inspiration" Pinterest board floweth over with so much divine loveliness, it's obscene.
So many decisions, each one a pleasure to lie awake mulling over.
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