The house renovation continues in the sense that anything that can get done while we’re locked down is one less thing to do when we’re not – sort of the opposite of trying to do everything when you’re not around. So in the name of sanding and oiling floors and repainting the walls to let the light in, the kitchen just got moved into the lounge – now a system of boxes full of food, pots and pans plus the deconstructed tables and cupboards.
Homeschool next week might have to be an outdoor affair, so hoping the weather stays fine. There is definitely a brightening that imbues what could be a stressful week with optimism. Well so far so good anyway. I’ll be eating my words by Monday.
Packing up and moving the kitchen reminded me of the last time we did it just before I had Sylvester, now 10 years ago. For some reason we were also sleeping on the lounge floor in the middle of all the boxes. I can only think that this was because we were also decorating upstairs but it’s all quite a blur to be honest.
Back then we focused on putting a stove in the kitchen where an old Aga once stood (sadly we couldn’t keep it as it was oil-fuelled) and creating the ‘heart’ of the house. A decade on and largely down to Covid, this heart feels like it has been relocated to the lounge, a place where we can curl up our lockdown spikes and hibernate.
Devoid of the possibility of guests or celebration, the kitchen meanwhile has very much become a place of preparing endless family meals and snacks plus the ubiquitous homeschooling. All the seats feel hard and uncomfortable as if they’ve petrified through a lack of gathering or celebration.
This year’s refurb is therefore about creating a more comfortable and uplifting habitat, whatever tier we’re in: getting rid of the dark corners and clutter to help keep it bright and clean; bringing back a sofa where we can sit and read, watch the projector or even sleep; rehashing the table so it’s long enough for the guests that we hope will be allowed to visit one day but also accommodate the everyday meals, the schooling and my work; finding or making chairs and stools that give better lumber support and have cushioned pads so you can sit and chat all night; conjuring up seats for the table and for the worktop and the sideboard too – if I’m going to make food all day I’m going to sit down and do it; and making space for herbs and spices, plants and flowers, inspiring books and crafting materials. The sink has to big enough for paint brushes and dye pots as well as food!
The heart of the house naturally evolves from a place of cosiness and warmth; for us, it’s also where the creation is. Looking forward to the kitchen and the garden beyond it to take up that mantle again soon.