The renovation of a cottage kitchen

In my 24 years as a homemaker I have lived in 8 different homes. Each home has been special in a different way, some more than others as the memories that were made there were sometimes good, sometimes bad.

When we moved back to Cape Town after a second 2 year stint in Johannesburg, we moved into this little cottage in the Southern Suburbs. It offered us what we needed but besides for fixing up the bathrooms which were in a shocking state and putting some paint on the walls, we didn't do much else. Well, I suppose we did give the garden a big overhaul 5 years ago! :)

Our kitchen has been getting progressively worse and worse to a point now where the cupboards are falling off the hinges, the counter tops near water rotting and worse! Time for a gutting and renovation. We have been planning this for many months, I have been stashing away ideas on Pinterest, getting the advice from a close friend who is a born designer and considering the budget over and over again.

This past Monday saw the beginning of the project which will continue over the next 6 weeks. the first 3 days were pretty grim as the builders had the jack hammer going making the new entrance into the kitchen, getting rid of the 4 layers of floor tiles!!! and bashing out windows.

The camping kitchen

This simmered down to the happy babble of workers voices as they bricked and plastered and has kept our youngest busy with real life learning. Each day he tells me new words he has learnt in Afrikaans, how to mix cement, how to chip off old cement from bricks to be reused and more. The girls have hidden in their rooms with the cats appearing to help with meals, cooked camp out style in the lounge.

As we are completely out a kitchen for 6 weeks, we set up kitchen in the lounge with the microwave, two plate cooker, slow cooker, toaster, kettle and bread machine. Soups and stews it is in this wet June weather. On good weather days, Superman has braaied (BBQ) for us. And besides for the dust that covers every surface, we are quite content with our makeshift kitchen.

The rest of the house is like a dump with boxes stacked high holding all the kitchen things, but we can do this...I know we can as we keep our eyes on the end goal. Here are some pictures of the week's work:

This all has to be covered while they work and even then the dust seems to get under the black plastic...everything has to be washed before using or eating.

Gutted - decidedly nervous smile on the project managers face!

The stove used to stand on the left which is now the new entrance. 

The big opening on the left is bricked up to make a pantry

The pantry now looking from the back kitchen door.

Here are two design drawings to give you an idea of what the end product will be. The non water surfaces are going to be wood, water surfaces granite, hand made terracotta tiles for the floor, baskets for some drawers (made by the Blind Society) and new appliances bought by a hard bargaining Superman.

Two fridges! We are so tired of scratching in overflowing fridges!

Entrance to the left. Blank wall ahead goes to laundry. Wont be using black counter chairs!

So that's it...one week down - five to go!