Kitchen completed.

Apologies for tardiness in getting these pictures up.  The kitchen was finished a couple of weeks ago and we're really pleased with it.  The quartz worktop is fantastic and the quality of the Schuller units is immediately obvious in use.

Let the pictures do the talking...

Bespoke glass splashback from The House of Ugly Fish.

Small steps forward...

The light at the end of the tunnel is getting ever closer.  We now have running water in the kitchen and the extractor hood but we can't get in there until Wednesday when the floor tiles have set.  So far the under floor heating adhesive is curing and the tiler is coming back tomorrow to finish up.  Our custom glass splashback looks the business!

Kitchen Update

The end of week 2 and we now have a worktop.  No hob, extractor or water and the sockets need to be straightened out but we're getting there.  These guys did all the work, quickly, efficiently and tidily.  As ever, pictures are worth more than words:

Kitchen Update

The fitter has been on site for 3 days and is more or less finished.  The worktop has been templated and will be installed in about a week, we've gone for a white with grey flecks quartz composite.  Once the worktop has been fitted the floor tiler moves in and the job is complete.

This weekend sees us painting the ceiling and walls and trying to fathom the user instructions for the Neff appliances.

Let the pictures do the talking:

The magic disappearing oven door!

It's arrived!

Remember this - the render of my bespoke AV rack:

It's based on an Aveos model from Blok but we removed a drawer, added the top shelf and widened the central section to accommodate my centre speaker.  The order was placed at the end of July and it was delivered this weekend.

To say we're pleased is an understatement.  It's a serious piece of furniture, very solid and very heavy.  Thankfully it's on castors so it is easy to move about, even when fully loaded with our AV kit.  Here's the pictures.....

For the curious the rack contains the following:

• naimuniti - a combined cd player, DAB & FM radio, network music streamer
• Yamaha RX-V1065 AV amplifier
• Castle Keep II centre speaker, the floorstanders are Castle Severn MkII's
• Sony blu-ray player
• PlayOn HD network media player
• Virgin V+ box
• Nintendo Wii (well, you just have to really.....)
• Network switch and wireless acces point (the naim, blu-ray player and PlayOn all require network access)

Kitchen end of day 3

3 days into the kitchen installation and so far so good, no nasty surprises hiding behind the old units, all plumbing in good order and some easy jobs for the fitters to move sockets etc.  The plasterers have been and now we're waiting for the plaster to dry out before painting.  The fitters move in on Tuesday to begin installation.

Kitchen Day 1

Remember this monstrosity.......

After day one it now looks like this:

And the old kitchen is now on my rear deck:

Minor update

Our lounge appears to have sprouted a lawn!

We have also just taken delivery of these nice new shiny LED downlights from ecoLED. These are for the kitchen and bathroom.

The real news is that the kitchen fitters start on the 21st. We've gone for a Schuller Kitchen from a local company.  It is a completely handle-less design in gloss white with Neff appliances and a white silestone worktop.  Watch this space for pictures and updates.

Finally we have a lounge

4 months to the date we moved in, our lounge is taking shape.  The carpet is down, the decorating is finished and we're starting to unpack.  We're still waiting for delivery of some new bookcases and an AV rack, and umming and ahhing about lighting but we're getting there.  Dining table and chairs are still all packed away for the time being.

Here's some before and after pics for you......

Here's one to show our new triffid light which was an absolute bargain from a furniture shop that was closing down ('scuse the flash reflection on the wall).

The new vertical radiators are brilliant, they really push out the heat and as well as being a 'statement' they have actually freed up a lot of wallspace as they are only just over 300mm wide.

So what's next?  We're still looking at kitchens and think we've found one we want, we're still just sorting out the finances for it.  The hallway is also scheduled to be completely re-plasterboarded and skimmed and then the spare room.  For now though, the main living areas are complete and we're just enjoying unpacking and rediscovering all our books, pictures and other 'stuff'.

Further Progress (pics to follow)

So - where are we at?  Decorators have finished, the plumber has re-hung the new rads, the builders have completed the snagging list, the new sofas have arrived but the carpet has yet to go down.

We've got a week in limbo really as the carpet chaps can't come until Sat 20th.  Our attention is turning to easy jobs outside like power-cleaning the deck and patio, painting the tiles on the front and back of the bungalow and sorting out the insulation in the loft.

The decorators have done a stunning job and the new vertical radiators look fantastic.  The new leather suites have arrived and our old one was donated to a good cause - we're just waiting for the damn carpet so we can get all the other furniture (like dining table and chairs etc) unpacked.  The good news is that for the first time since 7th July we can watch the telly whilst sat in comfort rather than on camping chairs.

Time has been spent replacing all the plug sockets and light switches with shiny new ones, filling in the gaps in the old flooring with self-levelling compound and installing the trunking to carry the network infrastructure in the lounge.

Pics to follow - promise!

We have some colour

First coat of colour is on the walls, decorators are coming back on Monday to finish up.  Really impressed with these guys, they are perfectionists, I'll put a link to them on the 'links' page when I get all their details.

Progress!

We now have skirting boards, architrave, coving, working electrics and the mist coat in the lounge.  Colour going on tomorrow!