I took some pictures of the dining area in our kitchen last week. I really wanted to remember this space the way it was, knowing it was about to change a lot, and having mixed feelings about that.
T. is slowly, but surely, working on the attic room. We think that room is one of the weirdest design decisions anyone ever made in a home. It’s a room on top of the kitchen, at the side of the house that has the best (sea)view. There is about a metre height difference between the other part of the upstairs space (that we use as an office right now) and the attic room, but there are many, many ways to work with that, I think.The people who added this part to the house though, decided it was best to build up the walls completely, with just one little window. A proper attic room, yes. But it basically closes off the best view of the house. Why? What were they thinking? I can’t understand, no matter how hard I try.
Anyway, we’re planning to open the space up and make it into either an open balcony or a windowed balcony. Phase one of that big job was to reinforce the floors. Phase two, T. said, was building proper stairs (we have some rather primitive steps right now) to reach that space.
And, well, you probably guessed it, those stairs needed to go in the dining part of our kitchen. Since the floors took a long, long time to finish (due to being sick and the heat and things like that) I’ve been kind of ignoring that fact for a long time.
So, when T, informed me that the floors were done and he was going to move on to the stairs, I was shocked. And then I had to bit my tongue (more than once) to stop myself from whining about breaking apart the one space in our house that feels finished and truly like home. I mean, what’s the use? It had to be done.
Instead, I started thinking and planning. And reminding myself that I love changing rooms and moving furniture. It would be fun, I said. Change is good. I was fully prepared to start moving stuff around this week, but I did take those pictures as a way to say goodbye to the way it was.
T. had a bit of a restless night this weekend. And the next morning he told me that he was going to leave the stairs the way they were right now. “I really don’t want to break apart the one space in our house that feels finished and truly like home,” he said.
Um, well. Okay, if that’s what you want.
Actually, there may have been a bit of rejoicing on my part.
But I’m still going to post those pictures. You know, for future reference. Because in our home, nothing ever stays the same. And that’s fine.
what a lovely space and everything in its place. We have renovations to do but we are resisting because it will disrupt the house, I’m excited to see your progress photos!!
Thanks. Yes, that’s always the hard part about renovating. I really have to keep in mind what the result will be… I will try to take pictures when we start taking down the walls.
Your space is lovely, and you are right it would be shame to put stairs into that. Perhaps one day you will but it doesn’t sound like now is the right time.
Yes, one day, but not yet. We really enjoy it the way it is now.
It’s a lovely space. You will make needed changes when it’s the right time.
We love it so much. We’ll be ready for change when it’s time, but not right now.