Kitchen Progress

The forecast for today was some for showers. As it was, there were half a dozen spots of rain and the temperature remained well into double figures and was even at 15°C at 6:30pm. Because the rain was forecast I decided to continue with the kitchen unit. I’ve checked and re-checked the instructions but I still have 8 screws left over that really don’t have anywhere to go. The instructions also state that I should have 8 screws to secure the work top but only show 4 which is the number I have.

That said it has been pretty straightforward to assemble. It took me over half an hour to work out how the door hinges fit together. There are explicit instructions on how the screw each half to the door and the carcass but nothing on putting them together, you are just supposed to know. The drawer was also a bit of a juggling act.

I think the drawers will be very sturdy; they have metal sides and the base is a centimetre thick chipboard. Screwing the base to the sides requires a lot of manual dexterity as you have to hook together the sides and back then slide in the base and then screw together from underneath. Well I only stripped one hole. Now I have to make the second drawer.

I didn’t make the other, as I wanted to take it along to the tile shops to check the colour of the tiles against it. Finally deciding there is no time like the present, I set of this afternoon for Villeneuve and tile shop 1. I was really happy with the colour against the wood so got a sales person so I could order the tiles. Instead I was told to get a trolley as they were in stock. Brilliant! I now have 10 m² of my base tiles.

I decided to push my luck, and I did have the base tile and the wood front in the car, and set of for the hour drive to Bergerac to tile shop 2. The base tile was much nicer than the similar tile in that shop and the blue tile worked with both the base tile and the wood. I pushed the button and awaited another sales person. These tiles were also in stock. It must be my lucky day.

This evening has been spent ‘playing’ with different tile designs on the lounge floor. At the moment I’m happiest with the simplest design, that of a single line of coloured tiles above the work surface and a small block of colour behind where the cookers will be. I have far to many kitchen gadgets to put a fussy design on the walls as well.