So we have been busy. My role has been as painter and chief decorator, Rich’s role has been carpenter, electrician, and handyman, which is good as this is his registered career over here.

When we moved in we had no kitchen, other than the few cupboards, and I have added a picture below to show exactly what we had, which does not show the 2 stud walls, or the tongue and groove that was blocking a vent and causing damp! Check out the funky wallpaper – trust me that was going going gone!

In true Kirsty Allsop and George Clarke style we have moved the old cupboards to the utility room behind the kitchen. They have been a godsend whilst the kitchen has been renovated and will be shabby chic’ed to the max by this time next year.

So there we were with a sink unit, as previously posted…., no hob, no oven. Thank the lord for slow cookers and the actifry!

The stud walls have now gone, and my wonderful husband has hand built me a kitchen. I wanted a kitchen that was NOT fitted but had evolved so we bought a large island unit and oh my has it evolved, about 5 times to be exact! My advice to anyone who is trying to fit a new kitchen this is the first time I have designed one in this way and this is the best way to go, because you get to live with bits of the kitchen as it is built and can then decide to move the items that can be moved to improve the layout – genius!

We also hated the old white tiles, but were they cemented to the wall or were they cemented to the wall. So I painted them with and Autentico eggshell paint, and I wished I had never taken some of them off the wall because they have come out brilliantly. Kirsty would be proud!

There is still some work to do, but the shabby chic shelves are up, the kitchen is in, and I love it!! I now have an old double fronted cupboard I have bought for 20e – Vide Greniers are the way to go. This will be shabby chic’ed tomorrow (apologies for my made up word but I do think it should be included in the dictionary now.)

But…… do we know that we are 12 years older than last time we did it! When I am painting low down I now sit on a piece of cardboard to pull myself around the floor by, so I don’t have to keep getting up and down! It also softens the hard floor for my poor old arse!

There will be more pictures to follow please keep following and share my blog with your friends. You never know they may feel inspired. I know I am!