Plans are always good when they start to come off! We have been planning to expand the storage and work surface in the kitchen by building a peninsular unit the other side of the door to the "utility room". When we were over in March, we ordered the custom worktop: we've had a call to say it's ready for delivery.
Now we've taken delivery of the wine fridge, which will be installed within the peninsular units. All we need to do now is organise shipping to send it over to La Matha to co-incide with me being there at the end of the month.
As ever, photos and updates will follow to show progress!
Friday, 13 April 2012
Monday, 19 March 2012
"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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Where does the time go?
We have just booked a couple of trips for us to go over - a weekend in mid-march and then a week at the beginning of May. The March trip will be to view the improvements which have just been finished. These should make a big difference in the triple bedroom upstairs - mainly a larger shower-room with new fittings and a small velux window, as well as a now firmer floor in the bedroom!
As ever, photos of the improvements will be posted here when we get back.
We will also be working out what we need to buy to build a new set of kitchen units to form a peninsular between the kitchen and the dining room. We intend to include a wine fridge in this area, which will be very useful and will leave more space in the main fridge for food! Installation of the kitchen units will be my work when I'm out there in May.
We have heard from our builder that Gironde has not been immune to the cold weather we have been experiencing in the UK. Apparently, one night the temperatures reached -17c, and they have had 15cm of snow. The south-west of France does not normally see much more than a dusting of snow, and therefore are not equipped with gritters and snow ploughs. Roads were closed for a number of days and schools and businesses were also forced to close.
We will of course ensure there is plenty of heating oil for the boiler, so if the worst comes to the worst in August, the central heating will work!!!!! (I can't for the life of me believe that would be necessary!).
Finally, we initially thought that bookings were coming through a bit slower than the last couple of years - or at least none of the enquiries we received seemed to be coming off for various reasons. We felt that the recession might be starting to bite. However, we have just had a couple of bookings in quick succession, which means that August is now fully booked. Hopefully the interest will continue and we will also let July and most of June, as we did last year.
Thank you to all our visitors for keeping the faith with us!
As ever, photos of the improvements will be posted here when we get back.
We will also be working out what we need to buy to build a new set of kitchen units to form a peninsular between the kitchen and the dining room. We intend to include a wine fridge in this area, which will be very useful and will leave more space in the main fridge for food! Installation of the kitchen units will be my work when I'm out there in May.
We have heard from our builder that Gironde has not been immune to the cold weather we have been experiencing in the UK. Apparently, one night the temperatures reached -17c, and they have had 15cm of snow. The south-west of France does not normally see much more than a dusting of snow, and therefore are not equipped with gritters and snow ploughs. Roads were closed for a number of days and schools and businesses were also forced to close.
We will of course ensure there is plenty of heating oil for the boiler, so if the worst comes to the worst in August, the central heating will work!!!!! (I can't for the life of me believe that would be necessary!).
Finally, we initially thought that bookings were coming through a bit slower than the last couple of years - or at least none of the enquiries we received seemed to be coming off for various reasons. We felt that the recession might be starting to bite. However, we have just had a couple of bookings in quick succession, which means that August is now fully booked. Hopefully the interest will continue and we will also let July and most of June, as we did last year.
Thank you to all our visitors for keeping the faith with us!
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