The kitchen is finished!

At last, Billy the decorator has finished in the kitchen.   This is the third house of ours that Billy has worked on.  When we moved into Cecil Road in 1975 Billy Crowe was the 'boy' in the firm Hall and Crowe.  Now he should really be retiring.  He's a great decorator.  He's tidy and careful, he listens to the customer and is sparing with his advice.  He can mix and tint paint so it's just the colour you want and he doesn't mind how often he has to do it until it turns out right.  What's more, the finish and the quality of his work are excellent.  It's a bit strange having someone in the kitchen for days on end, but he works quietly (no Radio One or Two) and he has some wonderful stories to tell about people he's worked for over the years.   Such as the man who insisted on sitting in his usual chair in the middle of the sitting room while Billy decorated around him, throwing a dust sheet over his head when it came to doing the ceiling!

Billy is now working his magic in the scullery (utility room).   Meanwhile, I have been right through my cookery book collection and taken several bags full to the charity shop down the road. I've got rid of those books I haven't opened in years and those full of recipes that rely heavily on gelative and garish colour combinations....like this one!

I have now slimmed down to just two and a half shelves full, so now I can add some new ones to my Christmas wish list without feeling too guilty!

I have also been scouring the house for bits and pieces to decorate the dresser, now in a new position.  These are familiar objects given a new lease of life in a different setting and with different neighbours on the shelves.  

Cookery corner

The dresser

Another tastefully arranged corner!

The rest of the kitchen is rather messy with the contents of the scullery spread around, so I'm saving longer shots until a bit later. 

There's only one drawback to inventing your own paint colour and that is there's nothing in the shops to match it.  I've been into the city clutching a paint sample looking for a toning plastic table cloth for every day use and when the grandchildren come and some new teatowels but there's nothing in the right colour band.  Never mind.  Off to Amsterdam for a week so maybe we'll do a bit of design shop hopping.   Although, saying that, the strategy hasn't always worked out well.   Once we spent ages deliberating the purchase of a rug and had it shipped, only to find it in John Lewis down the road!  The laugh was on us!