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| Image Credit: Custom Kitchen Design from Shutterstock |
I've got to a point in life where I really am very content. I've achieved the things I want and now I am content to follow God's will and see where He leads me. Right now that means I am down in East Sussex volunteering, mothering and supporting my husband in his work. In the future who knows...
But if I am really honest there is one thing that I am a little sad I'll probably never get to do and that is design my own super stylish kitchen. My husband and I bought our first house in 1997 and we changed the old-fashioned brown tiles to a mix of bright and cheerful ones but that was about it as eighteen months later we were moving into a house that came with our work and we knew we'd only be there short-term so no point in doing any more than a lick of paint. The next place we bought was a brand new flat where we got to choose the tiles, worktops, cupboards etc which was nice but it was only a small place and I wasn't that excited.
Then in 2002, we moved into our forever home. My husband and I could see ourselves living in this house for the rest of our lives. It might only have had three bedrooms but we quickly converted the garage into another room which became JJ's bedroom and the plan was always to put an extension on the back and to knock the kitchen and dining room into the extension so there was a large, open-plan and very light space that I could pour my heart into and design.
I had the vision of how it would look, a light kitchen probably with simple shaker style kitchen units, a large island where I could cook and prepare the food whilst the kids sat up on high chairs on the other side and did their homework or some drawing. We'd have one of those enormous American style fridges with a water decanter on the front and all the white goods would either be built-in or hidden away in the utility room at the back.
The kitchen would open straight into the dining area which would be able to seat eight or ten so we could happily have guests around and then a comfy sofa and TV would encourage the kids to relax close by so that our lounge could remain an adult sanctuary to be enjoyed in the evening. I remember costing and planning it all out one evening and discovered that to achieve what I desired we would need around fifty-thousand pounds, that was a big wake-up call and the project quickly became just a dream. What I should have done is have a look at Kitchen Warehouse for an affordable solution.
Of course, in 2013 we felt called to move away from that forever house and it was a bit of a wrench to sell it but we felt for sure it was the right thing to do. We now live in a stunning 18th century stone cottage in 220 acres of land and we couldn't be happier here. I do finally have a kitchen large enough to have a small table in and the kids can breakfast with me pottering around or I can work (like I am doing now) but it is what it is - a cheap and functional Wickes kitchen without much character.
I don't want to come across as ungrateful as I am so thankful to be here but as the house is not ours there is no logic in us spending lots of money to make it into the space of my dreams and to be frank as I have travelled deeper into my Christian faith I now find it hard to justify many of the extravagances I once wanted. Oh well, it is such a small thing, I know that I'll be taken care of and if I am meant to have that big family kitchen space with plush appliances it will happen one day.
For now, I'll keep pinning all those little ideas that appeal to me and creating a beautiful kitchen on Pinterest! lol
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