We are now six weeks into our renovation project

The walls have been torn down

The steels are in place

And our house is beginning to take shape again

A new shape

A different shape

The shape of our home

I am beginning to envisage now

How each space will be used

What we will do where

Our 1930s house

Is becoming our 2016

Perhaps 2017?

Home

David is on site every day

Making decisions about the build

Lots of little decisions

And big ones too

Adding an extra metre to the extension

Adding a mezzanine floor above the lounge / dining area

Putting the structures in place for

A master bedroom ensuite

Adding a metre to the back garden patio

Sizes and shapes of windows

Heights of ceilings

There has been a lot of super quick thinking on his feet

And David is doing an awesome job

He consults me as much as he can

But as I am out and about with the children

Sometimes there is no time

And he has to make the decisions alone

I will become much more involved

When we begin decorating and accessorising

And furnishing each room

I am very excited

And more than a little nervous about that

We will begin with the kitchen

The heart of our home

We have been working with a brilliant kitchen designer

At Wickes in Maidstone, Kent

He has helped us so much in choosing units

Appliances

Talking us through different products, designs and ideas

It took months of back and forth

To finalise our design

And he has been incredibly patient and kind

The Tiverton Slate kitchen is ordered now

Though we are getting our solid oak worktops

From somewhere else

We are getting our oven from Wickes

But our super duper gas hob is coming from elsewhere

As is our American style fridge freezer

Which I think we will buy from AO

Soon it will be time to start choosing the little things

The lifestyle things

I am looking forward to having a decent size kettle

I want to have groups of friends round for coffee and chat

For afternoon tea

I have my eye on this Dualit kettle

Though I do like this one too

And think David may prefer this one’s price!

I would also like a new toaster

Preferably the same make as

And a similar design to the kettle

I am also looking forward to choosing saucepans

All of ours are hand me downs

It is going to be so nice

Having things that are new

And inspired by our home

When I style our home

As we fill it with gizmos and gadgets

I have all our hopes and dreams in mind

We have waited a long time to make our house a home

I want it to be a place we never need or want to leave

For the longest time I have had visions

Of coming downstairs

Sitting at a breakfast bar

Reading my emails

Drinking a frothy coffee from a Nespresso machine

I have imagined preparing meals

While watching my children crafting at the table

Making feasts

Holdng parties

For all our families and friends

I have longed for a large, light open space

Where we can all just be

A place where we can live for Tilda

And that is what we are making

What David has so carefully and cleverly designed

A home that is made for us

Built around us

A home in which we can grow as a family

A home with a kitchen at it’s heart

This is a collaborative post.