{kitchened out}

Initially choosing a kitchen was super exciting but now its just becoming a pain!!  To get to the stage for a quote the amount of time and faffing with some kitchen companies is painful.  I have found it pretty frustrating to be honest as I know exactly what I want.  I have had another appointment today which went very well and am now confident I will be using this company for my kitchen.  I love their matt white glass units :-)

This is a model of what I want although the positioning of the furniture is not quite right.  But the kitchen layout is pretty close.

The sort of style of kitchen is ultra modern like these:

I love these handles I have seen and also would have the white matt glass cupboards on the full wall and the dark grey for the island cupboards.  The designer white Corian would go on the kitchen island.

Sleek handles which give a minimal streamlined look

Matt white glass door (amazing), grey door and Corian worktop

Very excited to get cracking.  Have started a spreadsheet to track all the things I need to buy and choices which need to be made :-) I'm in my element!!!

{period delights}

I mentioned in one of my previous blogs that I would share with you some of the period featured which made me fall in love with my current house....

{Upcycling}

Upcycling - the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality...

I have a few plans at the moment for upcycling / revamping.  I have completed one little project which is a table I bought from the Heart Foundation charity shop for £15.

Here is a photo of the table as it was when I bought it.  It's not great quality nor is it a proper antique or anything but I liked the spindle legs and it was a perfect size for the turn of the stairs in my hallway.

£15 table from charity shop

I bought it with the plan to paint it so would never have kept it as is.  So firstly I sanded the table down to get a good surface for my undercoat.

I did the sanding by hand and carried it out as best I could on the legs but it was a bit tricky.

Next I painted a grey undercoat.  This went on very well and was easy to apply to the whole table.

Table with undercoat

Next I started with the layers of paint.  I painted the top with a dark grey gloss paint and the legs with a matt bright yellow.  The yellow on the legs was a complete pain and took about 6 coats.  All in all I'm quite happy with how it looks but if you examine it closely its not perfect.  I think if I tried this again I would test out a spray paint.  Of course the hall still need decorated so the muddy green carpet and delightful textured magnolia (grim) wallpaper don't really go with my snazzy upcycled table!!!

Finished table

Next mini project will be making and covering a new headboard for the bed in my guest bedroom.  Have been getting some inspiration via pinterest.

{my first period}

Property that is...

I started writing this blog post last night and actually am off work today.  I have a few bits and bobs planned including someone from a damp / rot company coming to the house to discuss a couple of things.  That's the only issue for me with older properties - the maintenance.  But I could still never go new build.  Period properties just do it for me!!

I have owned three properties in my life so far.  I bought my first flat just before turning 21.  It was a two bed Victorian tenement flat in the centre of Aberdeen.  I lovingly stripped back all of the woodwork and restored the doors - heat guns, nitromors, scrapers.....but it was worth it.  I stayed in it for two years before selling.  That was me hooked on the high ceilings and coving.  I've never looked back.  I'm surprised by my own file organisation as have managed to find some photos of it to show you!

Tenement from the outside - a little grubby looking! I was top floor.

My bedroom - the days when brown was my colour of choice (sorry grey!)

Kitchen - I think this looks terrible now but I loved pink!  This was the photo for sale.

My lounge - furniture was a random assortment of stuff I inherited being a poor student!

More pink stuff but these doors were all white when I moved in.

My next property was a ground floor Victorian two bed two public roomed flat in the West end of Aberdeen. I finally had my own front door.  It was like my own little house.  I loved this flat and did a lot of work in it over the four years I stayed there.  Redecorated every room, new flooring throughout (which I installed myself), new fireplace, new kitchen...again got some pics.

The front door of my old flat.  Lovely looking building on a tree lined street.

The lounge the day I moved in...(didn't have my wide angle lens then!!)

The lounge photo for selling. New floor, new blinds, repainted.

My bedroom - previous owners loved blue - carpet and stripes

My bedroom once decorated

Kitchen on the day I moved in - more blue!!

My new kitchen which was from Ikea.  Loved those plum brick shaped tiles!!

Dining Room on the day I moved in.  This wall colour was vile and the fireplace not great either!

Photo for selling - new fireplace, floor and redecorated.  Paint is Box Tree by Crown.  I had plum accessories to pull on the plum tiles in the kitchen.  The door was removed to try and create an open plan flow to the space.

Alternative view of the dining room.

Second bedroom which I used as my photography studio.

Hallway with moulded doors, skirting and plaster cornicing.

The next move was to the house I am in now.  I have been very fortunate with my property purchases making money with each move to build up my capital.  I have many friends who have not been so fortunate.  I do believe in stretching yourself.  No pain no gain is a motto which can be applied to many aspects of life.  I remember days when I literally did not have a penny in my bank account because I was mortgaged up to the hilt!  But it has all worked out in the end and looking back I wouldn't change anything.

I have taken some photos of the period features in my current house but will save them for another blog post as this has ended up quite long....

Bye for now...

XXX