It all started in a kitchen… is it a kitchen showdown?

It’s been nearly two years that I am working on my apartment and it is soon going to be a year since the blog started. And yet – so difficult to reboot after holidays!

I have outlined a number of hot topics, but am still so reluctant to put them to paper and share. Why? Outcome is not quite like the project…

For one, there is the presentation media which is not reliable. If you’d start with 2D believing this is what you’ll be looking at – well you’re so wrong! 2D is Egyptian papyrus, and our life is at the very least 3D renaissance painting.

So, 2D’s were good to lock measurements and run the alignments, but it is not what your project will look like.

Then we have the 3D presentations – and here it is the colour which may fail us.

It is with great nostalgia that I look back at mysecond blog post: Before after and encore. In brief – it was only my second post and I was already so contented to have in first place changed the appalling violet colour of my kitchen, but also to have identified so many things which needed tackling – and therefore the encore.

Then, more recently, in July, in the blogpost  One two three … testing

I proudly demonstrated how I was midway there! In the process I most certainly shared the difficulties I had with the handy men, materials and more. Today on the other hand I am happy to report progress, but also I can carefully examine the result and work out whether it is the showdown. So, bear with me.

Given that my goals were clearly set in my initial post, I can easily estimate where I am today:

It is a bit comical that I have the question do I really want to keep this same kitchen on top of my list. It is not a bad kitchen, and indeed in the limited space not many improvements are possible. (I can surely think of some). But, yes, I hope the kitchen will be good for a few more years, especially since I do not cook regularly.

And to the list: 

1.Tiles very ugly – you must have agreed with that – for a full view of the original tiles, go to the original tiling dilemma.

Worse than tiles were the uneven, lopsided brown joints. And on top of all that – so hard to clean … I think I should have them removed even before I knew how to replace them. Utterly disgraceful. The new tiles unfortunately were a bit of a cheat – the original shade I wanted was gone. So, those are light grey tiles – not the cream colour which tied with the walls and the cabinets.

On the positive side – it is much cleaner job and given that I also have innox in the composition of all – not so out of place. It is also a question for designers in principle: what do you do when your ersatz material doesn't live up to your original choice? Please, don't be shy – go to the comments and share your thoughts!

2. Lights missing – got some terribly expensive lights from IKEA, packed with a blue tooth switch. I love their sleek design and adaptability. Negative sides: I wanted something brighter. In fact – and important area of the work surface remains in the dark. Another trip to IKEA is due, then.

And that's about it – compared to the original list – I have only gotten that far. Oh, and of course got rid of the gas stove, and got a fantastic new tap. And managed to complete skirting, among other smallish things, of course. But back to the original list:

3. Still no extraction through chimney – obviously it is not worth the job if chimney won't function – so maybe schedule a check, or have a chat with the neighbours?

4. Saloon doors still there – I so much need an efficient way to be able to lock kitchen smells in, when necessary , but got used to the cowboy outlook of the kitchen, so called (otherwise just an end to a corridor)

5. Hide pipes – indeed will be happy when it is done – but is it possible?

And now, if the same method should be applied – maybe I should be asking for an encore- encore list. I wholeheartedly retake everything from the original list, but will be happy also when:

6. Radiator is cleaned and restored to a nice shape (no rusty stuff insight please)

7. Joinery is also cleaned

8. Seating area improved – ideally table decluttered 

9. Adorn walls ? that is something to study! In general storage is scarce but will mounting things to the walls give me also a sense of order? (I associate open shelving with clutter)

10. Reorganise storage – with/without dryer for clothes?

So, here is my list – in spite of my near satisfactory result – I have it doubled. The kitchen at least will keep me busy for some more time, but the accomplished points do create some sense of satisfaction. Do you agree? Or would you rather have it all done in one go?