Over the past few weeks, I haven’t spent much time documenting the renovation, but more time on the renovation itself. What-a-job. And I have help, but it still feels very overwhelming. Especially when people with DIY experience come into your house and say, ‘Oh girl, there is still so much work to be done here.’ And then you think, ‘Aarghh, you should have seen how it was when I bought it’ and ‘Thanks for the reminder, I was already stressed about this, but now that you, as an expert, say this, it must probably be even more work than I had estimated.’
I really can’t wait to drink a coffee in the garden or on a terrace somewhere on a weekend day and not think about everything I have to do. If you are reading this and you aren’t renovating anything: please count your blessings if you experience peace of mind and body during your weekend. What a blessing that is. Anyway, I know people like to see the progress, so I have a photo diary of some moments from the past few weeks when I did think about taking pictures, especially because of people asking ‘Bridget, do you have any photos?’ And then you take photos. :’) Thanks guys! Take a look:
Since the last update, I have primed and painted the kitchen, as well as the hallway. But that definitely needs another coat…
The first bird on my rickety fence. It looked a bit like a robin, but I don’t think so if you look at its chest. Anyway, I look forward to more little birds visiting or maybe even a squirrel like the one a friend of mine comes into her garden daily. Too cute!
The bathroom, I am really in love with the combination I chose and how it all comes together. I still have to prime and paint the ceiling, but it is the only room that is otherwise neat and it is nice to look at this every now and then so as not to lose heart for the rest. All credit for building this goes to my contractor Fejza Interieur en Afwerkingstechniek; they did a really great job and I would definitely recommend those guys.
Part one of the kitchen is slowly starting to take shape. The color of the doors on the right is a bit lighter in real life, and the countertop is anthracite. And a peninsula is still happening in front. I had estimated this project to take quite some time, but man oh man, this is taking way too long. It’s truly awful. If you ever plan to renovate your kitchen: skip IKEA. It is pure hell getting your kitchen into 116 boxes and having to sort, combine, and build everything yourself. Plenty of things go wrong, even when you think you’ve read the scarce instructions really carefully. The waiting list for installation by IKEA itself was six months when I ordered mine, otherwise I would have had them do it. But now we have to fix it. Take this as a free tip, at least: just get your kitchen from a kitchen store where things are already more assembled upon delivery. And tip two: if you want to save money there, look at showroom kitchens that are being discontinued 😉
Yet another trip to Action and the hardware store. I am really lucky that Action is super close to my new house, so last-minute items can be picked up quickly and easily. Their paint trays, tape, tarpaulins, rubble bags, et cetera, are really great and super cheap.
Just half an hour to myself with my favorite croissant from Dodo. Lovely to catch some sunshine; I was lucky with this little table perfectly positioned for this. But I notice that I just can’t sit still because there is so much to do. At the same time, sometimes you just need to switch off your mind and body a bit; after working on the house for a long time, your focus really does wane.