no food in this one

I haven't written for a while - partly as I've been exhausted by the number of colds I picked up this year, and partly as the kitchen is not ... quite ... finished ... yet ...

The functional bit of the kitchen is all done - the immense pleasure of using a fully functional stove is only slightly clouded with getting my head around this fan-forced oven business. I still feel my back sing as I prepare food at a 95cm high bench. And there is almost enough storage. Remaining to do is painting, light installation and new flooring (which will be marmoleum - beautiful genuine lino in a bright blue shade). So we continue to live with the 'fridge in the bathroom, kitchen table in the louge room and lots of other stuff in passages and under beds.

The painting would have been finished months ago, but I foolishly decided the wood paneling around the walls (I believe dado is the correct albeit ridiculous word) would look better if stripped before painting. I did not anticipate what a mammoth task this would be.

This is just at start of the process - aren't the different colours pretty? We're much more efficient now at removing more paint in one go, but I'll spare you the details.

This is what was underneath. And what keeps me going, I really rather like that dark rail! Shame it turns to pine half-way around the room.

I won't go on as I don't want to turn into a renovation blog. Hope to blog more when I cook more. Well, see how we go.