The Kitchen Shelves

I forgot to take some partially done pictures of the new shelves we're putting up in the kitchen, but here are some shots of them 85% done. We've got adjustable bookcase strips for part of it so we can move the shelves around to accommodate our rapidly growing book collection. The only part we need to put on are the architrave that will go on the vertical and horizontal edge to add a decorative touch and hide all the structural work. Can't believe this only took two weeks!

The Great Builder Dilemma

Well despite our best attempts to get this sorted out for weeks hubby and I have been subject to "The Great Builder Dilemma". We were originally planning on using the same builder who did all of the earlier work on the house (kitchen and bathroom), but with the bathroom having major problems due to not being completed correctly we have been on a quest to find a new one.

I can honestly say that there is nothing more annoying and time consuming than finding a builder. Not only do you have to find one that you are comfortable with, but you have to go over what you want done with each prospective and then wait an age for them to come back with a quote. Afterall this is someone you have to leave alone in your house with tools capable of mass destruction and all your worldly goods. Findig a builder is like using a dating service to find someone you want to marry without dating. Talk about stressful.

Luckily, we only had three options and one of them was out of the running right away for treating me like a small minded woman who doesn't know a RSJ from a flitch. I've steamed off wallpaper that was more engaging than him. Anyways we are now down to two options and they are:
Colin - English guy running a one man band who has been used before by our next door neighbors
Jack - Polish guy with a large company able to supply a whole crew to do the work. Brought loads of references with him and is going to arrange for us to see one of his current sites.

We're leaning towards Colin because our friends have been really happy with him, but that all depends on price. Even though we haven't picked our builder one thing is certain it's going to be a while until we knock down the first wall.

The Chairs!

Ok so not exactly the catchiest title in the world for a post, but I just wanted to share a few pictures of my newly recovered chairs. So excited about them. In fact I was so excited that I haven't even sat on it yet...just been oogling them lovingly. Hooray! Here's the before and after shots.

Before:

After:

Adventures in Green

The other night while eating dinner I was looking around and trying to imagine what the dining room will look like when it is all finished and opened out. In my mind it is light and bright and most likely green. I know most people think of deep reds and other similar shades when thinking of a dining room, but our dining room is going to be too small and the only thing I like red about my dinner is the center of my steak.

Our hallway in our flat was green (check first post for an image) and we're probably going to go for something similar in the upstairs landing. Since the dining room is open to the stairs it make sense that it's the same color. Feeling particularly grand I started browsing the Farrow & Ball website for possible options (both green and a few not green).

What I love about Farrow & Ball is not only that it has really lovely historical colors with many based on 18th and 19th century wallpaper and paint colours, but they also have the best descriptions. For example: "Colour No. 81. This colour is lively both by day and candlelight." Candlelight? Was this brochure written pre-electricity...I now demand only candlelit dinners because it makes my walls look good. I digress

Here are some of my favorite options (love the names):

Vert de Terre

French Gray                              Pale Hound

And if the room was bigger:

 Breakfast Room Green                   Cat's Paw 

Getting in the summer spirit

Well spring has sprung here in London and then promptly fled for the hills as the cold weather came back! That hasn't dampened my determination to actually use my back garden this year as something more than a builder's dumping ground (much to my husbands dismay). So there goes my sudden obsession with bright colours and outdoor furniture. As you may know I'm a big entertainer and love nothing more than filling my house to bursting point with friends. 

So I've started to look around for a stylish table and chair set that will let me entertain lots of people while also being stylish and an addition to the backyard not a space absorber. Here are two that I love:

I really love how the seats form a circular banquette which gives it a very different feel, but also means that no one is out on a limb and it's space efficient. Definitely a plus when you are having friends and family over and you have a city garden. Plus with what looks like space for eight you can definitely fit plenty of people around.

The second option I totally love is from Crate and Barrel made of nice sturdy aluminum. While I'm much more of a wood person myself I really love the colors. Seriously enough to brighten even a slightly cloudy afternoon. Plus I think it has just enough of the girly touches to please most without having to resort to bribing the other half to allow it to live in the garden.

Now I just need to find something that won't break the bank!

The fabric

Now very exciting to me was the message that our fabric order for the two bedroom chairs was ready to pick up at lunch today. So of course round I went to John Lewis (great fabric selection btw) and waited and waited and waited. I got a bit nervous there had been some terrible mistake, but the nice salesperson then appeared with a large roll of fabric! YAY! It appears to be double sided one side very blue and one more neutral....not sure which side we'll use so let me know what you think.

An update

While we were off enjoying the delights of Val D'isere and trying to deal with the mess of the volcano in Iceland we did have some good news. Everything appears to be sorted out with the flat and we should complete on the half sale on Friday 23rd! So exciting. This means that with the six weeks the builder needs for the stairs we should be getting started the beginning of June. Hooray!

In the meantime there'll be plenty of small project updates now that the weather is nice and we're getting closer to D(estruction)-day. First up some chair recovering and shelving in the kitchen (pictures to come soon). Did I mention that the fabric for the chairs is coming from The Designers Guild (see old post). I'm so excited because I love their stuff and it's this really nice blue and cream/tan striped fabric. They are just hte two bedroom chairs we have, but I think it'll make such a difference. Once these are done we're going to save up and get the dining room chairs done. Don't know if it's even worth getting those until the work is done, but we'll see.

Most exciting of course is planning the garden and what we're going to do. So far it involves replacing all the fencing with a brick wall/fence mix, new paving, man cave (shed) and who knows whatelse. I just can't wait to have my first glass of wine in the sun!

Also, a big congrats to my lovely brother and sister-in-law who closed on their house last week and have moved in! Hope you have as much fun with yours as we have had with ours.

Check back soon for more...