FRENCH HOUSE 2017
IT`S REALLY TIME FOR AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS ON THE FRENCH HOUSE.
DUE TO MY WIFE BEING ILL THERE HAS BEEN VIRTUALLY NO PROGRESS DURING 2015 AND 2016 BUT I WAS ABLE TO SPEND JUST OVER NINE WEEKS THERE THIS YEAR TO TRY AND FINISH OFF THE REVAMPING OF THE KITCHEN.
DUE TO MY WIFE BEING ILL THERE HAS BEEN VIRTUALLY NO PROGRESS DURING 2015 AND 2016 BUT I WAS ABLE TO SPEND JUST OVER NINE WEEKS THERE THIS YEAR TO TRY AND FINISH OFF THE REVAMPING OF THE KITCHEN.
FRANKLY, ALTHOUGH MY DAUGHTER CONSIDERED THE EXISTING 1960`S KITCHEN RATHER QUAINT AND CHARMING, PICTURED ABOVE IN 2006, I WAS NOT ENAMOURED WITH IT AS IT NEEDED MODERN COOKING APPLIANCES AND MORE STORAGE AND I WAS FED UP COOKING ON A TWO RING ELECTRIC COOKER WITH NO OVEN OR GRILL TO COOK BACON FOR SARNIES OR TO MAKE WELSH RAREBIT!
THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS TAKEN IN EARLY JULY SOON AFTER I HAD ARRIVED, SHOW THE PROGRESS THAT I MADE IN 2015 & 2016. I HAD RIPPED OUT THE SINK AND THE STEEL AND GLASS STRUCTURE THAT APED A PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN AIR EXTRACTION UNIT. THE JOKE WAS THAT THE SMALL FAN SET IN THE CEILING EXTRACTED INTO THE ATTIC WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN SATISFACTORY YEARS AGO BUT CERTAINLY NOT IN THIS CENTURY! THE KITCHEN ALSO HAD TO BE REWIRED AS THE WIRING WAS TOO OLD AND NEEDED RENEWAL AS HAD BEEN DONE INTHE REST OF THE HOUSE.
THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS TAKEN IN EARLY JULY SOON AFTER I HAD ARRIVED, SHOW THE PROGRESS THAT I MADE IN 2015 & 2016. I HAD RIPPED OUT THE SINK AND THE STEEL AND GLASS STRUCTURE THAT APED A PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN AIR EXTRACTION UNIT. THE JOKE WAS THAT THE SMALL FAN SET IN THE CEILING EXTRACTED INTO THE ATTIC WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN SATISFACTORY YEARS AGO BUT CERTAINLY NOT IN THIS CENTURY! THE KITCHEN ALSO HAD TO BE REWIRED AS THE WIRING WAS TOO OLD AND NEEDED RENEWAL AS HAD BEEN DONE INTHE REST OF THE HOUSE.
ABOVE LEFT, THE FRONT DOOR TO THE HOUSE OPENED STRAIGHT INTO THE KITCHEN AND ABOVE RIGHT. I`D CREATED A FALSE WALL ON THE INTERIOR OF THE OUTSIDE WALLS BY USING THE STEEL SECTIONS THAT ARE USED HERE IN FRANCE TO CONTAIN HI TEC INSULATION AND THE NEW WIRING. THE WALL WOULD BE FINISHED OFF WITH PLASTERBOARD OR "PLACO" AS IT`S CALLED HERE. YOU CAN SEE THE CLUTTER CAUSED BY THE WHITEWARE AS THERE WAS NO OTHER PLACE TO PUT THEM! YOU CAN SEE THE TWO RING COOKER ON TOP OF THE WASHING MACHINE AND BESIDE IT, THE TOP OF THE DISHWASHER SERVED AS THE PREP AREA FOR THE FOOD!
ABOVE LEFT, THE FRONT WALL OF THE HOUSE WITH IT`S RATHER LARGE WINDOW, THE SINK WILL BE PLACED HERE AND ABOVE RIGHT, A VIEW TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE HOUSE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE CARCASS FOR THE TOWER THAT WILL CONTAIN THE MUCH DESIRED OVEN HAS ALREADY BEEN ASSEMBLED.
I`D DECIDED THAT I WOULD USE KITCHEN UNITS SUPPLIED BY A CHAIN OF DIY STORES CALLED "BRICO DEPOT", THESE ARE FLAT PACK UNITS JUST LIKE THE ONES THAT YOU CAN BUY IN THE UK. I HAD ALREADY PUT IN A COUPLE OF KITCHENS IN THE UK SUPPLIED BY B&Q AND THE FRENCH ONES WERE OF A SIMILAR BASIC QUALITY, CERTAINLY GOOD ENOUGH FOR A HOLIDAY HOME
I`D DECIDED THAT I WOULD USE KITCHEN UNITS SUPPLIED BY A CHAIN OF DIY STORES CALLED "BRICO DEPOT", THESE ARE FLAT PACK UNITS JUST LIKE THE ONES THAT YOU CAN BUY IN THE UK. I HAD ALREADY PUT IN A COUPLE OF KITCHENS IN THE UK SUPPLIED BY B&Q AND THE FRENCH ONES WERE OF A SIMILAR BASIC QUALITY, CERTAINLY GOOD ENOUGH FOR A HOLIDAY HOME
ABOVE LEFT, ANOTHER VIEW LOOKING TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE HOUSE AND ABOVE RIGHT, ANOTHER VIEW OF THE EAST OUTSIDE WALL.
ABOVE LEFT, A VIEW LOOKING TOWARDS THE EAST. THE DOOR OF THE CUPBOARD THAT CONTAINS THE ELECTRICAL FUSE BOX HS BEEN REMOVED AND WILL BE REPLACED BY A SMALLER NICE OLD OAK DOOR TAKEN FROM THE ATELIER DOWNSTAIRS. THERE IS A LOT OF WORK TO BE CARRIED OUT HERE CHASING OUT THE DUCTS IN THE STONE THAT WILL CARRY THE NEW WIRING TO THE FUSE BOXES. THE WIRE SEEN HANGING DOWN IS THE ORIGINAL MAIN SUPPLY FROM THE MAINS THAT HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE NEW CABLE COMING FROM THE NEW MAIN 3 PHASE FUSE BOX IN THE GARAGE. ABOVE RIGHT, A VIEW LOOKING TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE HOUSE, THE DOOR TO THE TERRACE THAT CAN BE SEEN WAS ONCE A WINDOW AND THIS LITTLE ROOM WAS THE LIVING ROOM WHICH HAS NOW BEEN REPLACED BY THE MUCH LARGER NEW LIVING ROOM CREATED IN THE AREA ONCE USED TO STORE FOOD FOR THE PIGS AND DUCKS BY THE PREVIOUS OWNERS.
THE PHOTOS BELOW SHOW THE PROGRESS MADE BY THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST
I HAD TO LEAVE DURING EARLY AUGUST TO GO BACK TO OSLO TO TAKE CARE OF THINGS THERE SO THESE ARE THE PHOTOS SHOWING THE PROGRESS THAT HAD BEEN MADE ON THE KITCHEN. THE NICE THING ABOUT CARRYING OUT THE WORK YOURSELF IS THE POSSIBILITY OF CHANGING THE DESIGN AS IT GOES ALONG.
IF EMPLOYING WORKMEN TO CARRY OUT THIS WORK, ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS TO CRASH OUT THE WORK AND COLLECT THEIR MONEY AND IF ONE DARES TO ASK THEM TO CHANGE SOMETHING, THEN OF COURSE, IT WILL COST AN ARM AND A LEG.
IF EMPLOYING WORKMEN TO CARRY OUT THIS WORK, ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS TO CRASH OUT THE WORK AND COLLECT THEIR MONEY AND IF ONE DARES TO ASK THEM TO CHANGE SOMETHING, THEN OF COURSE, IT WILL COST AN ARM AND A LEG.
ABOVE, INSTALLING THE NEW WIRING. THE TEMPERATURE IN THE HOUSE WAS 29 DEGREES CELCIUS SO THAT RUNNING THE CABLES IN THE LOFT SPACE WAS A REAL EFFORT WITH THE RESULT THAT MY OVERALLS WERE COMPLETELY WET THROUGH WITH PERSPIRATION BY THE TIME IT WAS TIME FOR DINNER.
ABOVE LEFT, THERE IS NOW A SMALL HALLWAY THAT WILL BE FITTED WITH A DOOR WHICH WILL MAKE THE KITCHEN MORE COSY. THIS ALSO CREATES MORE WALL SPACE FOR CUPBOARD UNITS. ABOVE RIGHT, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PARTITION WALL THIS CORNER WILL ACCOMMODATE THE DISHWASHER AND FRIDGE.
ABOVE LEFT, A VIEW LOOKING TO THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE, YOU CAN SEE THE CARCASS OF THE SINK UNIT ALREADY IN PLACE. ABOVE RIGHT, THE CARCASS OF THE TOWER UNIT PUSHED ROUGHLY INTO PLACE, THE WASHING MACHINE WILL BE RELOCATED IN THE OLD LIVING ROOM.
ABOVE LEFT, A VIEW LOOKING TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE HOUSE, YOU CAN SEE THE OVEN AND HOT PLATES AND ANOTHER CARCASS OF A FLOOR UNIT WAITING TO BE INSTALLED. ABOVE RIGHT, DINNER IS SERVED BY BRUSHING ASIDE THE TOOLS AND STUFF ON THE DINING TABLE. BY NOW THE TWO RING COOKER WAS DOWN TO ONE ONLY WORKING BUT I WAS ABLE TO RUSTLE UP A WIENER SCHNITZEL WITH SOME POTATOES AND TOMATOES ACCOMPANIED BY A NICE ROSEE.
UPDATE OCTOBER 2019
I MANAGED TO SPEND SEVERAL WEEKS BACK AT THE HOUSE AND ALMOST FINISHED OFF THE KITCHEN AND THE ELECTRICAL REWIRE.
ABOVE, THE COOKING AREA WITH THE NOW WORKING OVEN IN PLACE. THE RHS PHOTO SHOWING THE HOB UNIT NOW WORKING AND THE "NEFF" GRILL THAT IS NOT YET FINALLY INSTALLED.
THE SINK UNIT AND THE FRIDGE NOW IN PLACE BUT SOME OF THE DOOR PANELS ARE YET TO BE INSTALLED. THIS IS DUE TO THE AWKWARD ANGLES BETWEEN THE THREE SIDES OF THE KITCHEN AREA, WHICH MEANS THAT THE REMAINING DOORS WILL HAVE TO BE CUT TO SUIT THE GAPS.
HERE IN THE NEW HALL AREA THERE WAS A PROBLEM IN GETTING THE NEW ELECTRICAL CABLES TO THE FUSE BOX. I HAD TO CREATE A PARTIAL FALSE CEILING TO HIDE THE CABLES AND DRILL A LARGE HOLE THROUGH THE STONE WALL TO GET THE CABLES INTO THE CUPBOARD. WHAT I DISCOVERED WAS THAT THE ELECTRICIAN THAT ORIGINALLY INSTALLED THE NEW THREE PHASE SYSTEM IN THE HOUSE ONLY CONNECTED ONE PHASE WIRE INTO THE FUSE BOX AND THIS DOES NOT CARRY ENOUGH CURRENT TO HAVE ALL THE APPLIANCES TURNED ON AT THE SAME TIME! I WILL HAVE TO RUN TWO MORE PHASE CABLES FROM THE MAIN FUSE BOX IN THE GARAGE TO THE CUPBOARD AND INSTALL ANOTHER FUSE BOX IN THERE TO MOUNT ALL THE NEW CONTACTORS THAT WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THE HEATING AND FUTURE APPLIANCES..
TO BE CONTINUED