"Expanded" Kitchen

One of the problems we've always found with the kitchen is the lack of work surface for food preparation.  To get round this, we have just ordered new kitchen units, which we'll be installing in May.  This will be a peninsula just over 2m long by 90cm wide, and will be just to the left of the door into the utility room.  There will be three cabinets helping with storage.

We will also be installing a wine fridge, which will ease space in the main fridge, and help visitors ensure they always have enough wine chilled!

Photos posted here when completed.

Landerrouat - a Ghost Village Comes Alive

Landerrouat, a nearby village, and home to both our gardener and swimming pool man, has always seemed to be a bit of a ghost village.  There was a bar there, although we've never been there for a drink.  When we were visiting in November, I was concerned that the bar had closed.

That concern has now been put to bed.  The Bar has now re-opened, there is an epicerie next door, and also a creperie!  Next time, we will have to make sure we try them out.  We hope that they will have enough business to keep them going!

"Utility Room" Ceiling

The "utility room" adjacent to the kitchen is in reality an unfinished room, used as a store room and contains the washing machine and (very large) boiler.  One thing that makes it unfinished is the lack of a ceiling, as seen in these photos.

When our builder was refurbishing the en-suite, we also got him to put plasterboard up to make it look more attractive.  As you can see, it's a big improvement! I'll be painting the ceiling later in the year.

Refurbished En-suite Shower-room

In the triple bedroom upstairs, there was a small en-suite shower room with a loo and washbasin.  It was very small and dark - these photos don't really do it justice.

We realised that there was about 20cm of boxed in space wasted, so we were able to make most of the room wider, and then also made it lighter by having a small velux window fitted.  These are the first photos - we will be decorating this in the next month or so.

A Weekend Away

We've just been over to the house for the weekend, the first time since November, and we were anxious to see the results of the work that had been done.  I will do posts on the refurbished en-suite and the utility room, as well as other things we discovered whilst out there.

One of the small things done, was to have a door put on the pool house.  Whilst this isn't needed for security, the pool house had been home to swallows - lovely to see them swooping around the garden, but not the mess they make from the nest in the rafters.  The door will now keep the pool house clean, and will mean that all the pool paraphernalia will be safe!

Other posts to follow!