A bijou Brighton home, demands a bijou Brighton kitchen, which is exactly what we now have. It may be very small, but it is fully equipped, tiled, and newly floored. We are happy.
As the cook of the family, I have never demanded a huge kitchen with various cookers, acres of work surfaces, Aga, islands, etc. That style of kitchen I entrust to those who never actually cook anything.
The most basic kitchens I have ever seen were in France. Even in the grandest of homes, one still finds two ring portable gas cookers, ancient pressure cookers, and old free-standing ovens. The French cook will produce miracles on the most basic of kit!
We do have two 'luxuries'. One is a very good quality black Toshiba microwave oven, and the other a superb Haier fridge/freezer. Otherwise the rest of the kitchen is just of a good basic standard.
The tiler has now been and gone. His work was impeccable, and the tiles we chose have lived-up to our expectations.
He left no mess, but he did leave the fronts of two double wall plugs hanging off. He couldn't put them back as the tile cement wasn't dry enough. First I had to buy four extra long screws (two for each), then spent about four hours trying to screw the bloody things back together again. Not easy, especially where they were positioned.
There is an old Greek proverb that says 'One minute of patience, ten years of peace'. We certainly needed to be patient with the workers, but the end was worth it.
So, with all work now finished, we let the Champagne flow, and toasted to our finally-completed kitchen. CHEERS.
Love your new kitchen! There was a cooking show years ago set in one of your so-described French kitchens which was also a Paris's smallest restaurant (for 2 diners!) which proved your pudding. I've noticed the English fridge has grown to Normal size. You didn't go for the traditional bar fridge for all your comestibles?
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like the lovely Rachel Khoo. She had a cookery show that was filmed in her tiny apartment. Quite typical on many kitchens. The fridge is really nice, it has two separate freezer sections.
DeleteYes, she was very lovely.
DeleteCro, The grey blue slate tiles give it a clean contemporary look. But were you ever tempted to go with red brick tiles.
ReplyDeleteNo. We did think of all sorts of colours, but always came back to what you see. I think it works OK.
DeleteIt looks very nice and not much larger than my own tiny kitchen. I do wish I had more bench space though and a bit more storage.
ReplyDeleteStorage is far more important than fancy kit. We do have an 'outdoor' pantry as well, but it's not huge.
DeleteThe kitchen looks great. Our kitchen is on the small side but I find it functions very well. Haier is pushing hard to get a foothold in Australia. Whoa, where is the dishwasher?
ReplyDeleteBoth the clothes washer and the washing-up machine are hidden behind the lower cupboard doors. Neat!
DeleteIt looks lovely. We have a small galley kitchen and it works just fine. I have never understood the need for huge kitchens and don't see the point of islands taking up huge space.
ReplyDeleteWe have a big kitchen and island at our newly converted barn in France, but we had masses of space to play with. Here we don't.
DeleteMy daughter has an island about 4 metres long, but they do a fair bit of business entertaining and that's where the food platters get made and served from.
DeleteIt looks very nice, about the same size as my kitchen. I have got a 3 ft aquarium on one side of mine though, so less useable space. I seem to manage very well, cooking delicious meals, in a space about the size of 2 large chopping boards!! (3 steps across the room to the fridge)
ReplyDeleteIt's knowledge, care, and pride that makes a good cook; never the size of his/her kitchen.
DeleteI have no idea how you define a kitchen as large or small. Depends on so many variables - a single person's or a couple's needs will be different to those with a large family and what else you may use the kitchen for. Anyway, can't say yours strikes me as particularly small (as I don't trust camera angles I came to this conclusion by counting the number of undercounter cupboards).
ReplyDeleteThe tiles remind me of the colour of the beautiful "mermaid" plate you recently showed us, albeit a bit darker. I'd find it hard to cope with the area above the sink being tiled up. If there is one thing I need in the kitchen it's a VIEW (not least when doing the washing up) and day light, and a window to OPEN (can't bear the sound of the extractor fan whirring; never use it).
Congratulations on having reached the finishing line and not getting yourself electrocuted.
May many a delicious morsel jump out of your new playground,
U
Yes, the fact that I didn't electrocute myself is a miracle. I could have turned off the power, but my son would have accused me of cowardice!
DeleteIt does look very smart and, unlike the kitchens in swanky magazine photos, it looks as though it is actually used.
ReplyDeleteI cook three times a day; every day. It takes methodical tidying to cope.
DeleteHmm I've never heard of that proverb and neither has my traditional Greek. But they're very wise words so they Must be from a Greek philosopher.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your new kitchen
Well, Local Alien, I dare say Cro needs to air his Greek every so often to keep it fresh and fragrant. In plain English the proverb is "Act in haste, repent at leisure".
DeleteU
Let's call it Chinese then. Unless, of course, you go around saying it all the time, when eventually it would become Greek.
DeleteAs I wrote, very wise words. Obviously from a Greek philosopher. Aristotle, Plato perhaps. I vote for Socrates. As he said 'the only true wisdom is knowing that you know nothing' amen
DeleteYes it looks like it will do the job.
ReplyDeleteIt's been OK so far.
DeletePerfect ….. I love a neutral colour …. We are having a lot of work done later in the year including a new kitchen …… I’m going to have to make my mind up on SO many things !!! XXXX
ReplyDeletePrepare for grey hairs. So many decisions to make, and it'll be ALL YOUR FAULT if you get it wrong. Good luck!
DeleteIt looks fantastic, Cro!
ReplyDeleteIt's all good so far, I haven't found any faults yet.
DeleteThat's a very nice kitchen. Cooking will be even more pleasurable in your new kitchen.
ReplyDeleteYes, it already is. You should have seen the old one.... dreadful.
DeleteI can assure you that some cooks and farm wives make jolly good use of their Agas - I miss mine every day For drying wet farm clothes on the Sheila maid above it, for cooking rice puds and casseroles overnight in the bottom oven, for keeping the house warm - worth their weight in gold.
ReplyDeleteI cooked on one almost exclusively for three years at my people's Shropshire home. I loved it, and it produced masses of hot water.
DeleteIt's a nice kitchen..but oh, Weave yes!
ReplyDeleteThe heart of a kitchen, the heart of a home.
Even if it be tiny.
DeleteYour kitchen is gorgeous. I love the tile colour. We just went through a kitchen make-over as well. I always make sure the kitchen is super tidy before I head to bed so I can get that little burst of pleasure when I see it again in the morning.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very good idea. Nothing worse than coming down to a mess in the morning.
DeleteThe kitchen looks great but the amount of screwing you got up to sounds fanciful to me.
ReplyDeleteI live in hope!
DeleteI see one of those switchplates. That was a lean on the elbows and bend to a right angle job.
ReplyDeleteThe were in a position where it was impossible to see what one was doing. Finding the tiny holes for the screws to go into was a NIGHTMARE.
DeleteLovely tile and cabinets! You chose well…..
ReplyDeleteAll I have to do now is keep it clean and tidy!
Delete