It’s been over a year since our extension was finished, and the memory of the dust and chaos is still there! As we use it and live in it, we still can’t believe it’s ours. We have so much space now compared to what we had before. The kitchen was so tiny with one small window and hardly any cupboard space. We didn’t even have a single drawer for cutlery, I had to keep it in a container on top of the microwave.
We had our kitchen extended and the dining room wall knocked through to create a large open-plan living space with bi-folding doors to the garden. There are two skylights that flood with light as well. We have a door from the kitchen going through to the garage where I have my washing machine and dryer out of the way.
We also extended into the loft, creating two more bedrooms, meaning all the children have their own room, and we have an office space that was the box room on the second floor. We went from one bathroom to three; one shower and toilet downstairs, a family bathroom on the second floor and another shower and toilet up on the third floor that has the skylight.
What’s working
With everyone having their own room, plus an office area, everyone has their own space to retreat to without arguments. We love the kitchen space and there is room in the cupboards for everything. Mr L works from home a lot since the pandemic, and his office space is working well, he likes that he sits by the window with the light coming in and he can be a nosy neighbour if he wants to. William’s mental health has improved by having his own larger room because he has his own space away from everyone else. He is autistic so he gets triggered by extraneous noise and clutter and it gives him a lot of anxiety.
The utility area works well, I love having the washing machine and tumble dryer out of the way. We had the tumble dryer and freezer in the garage before, and I used to have to go outside and into the garage to get something from the freezer or use the dryer. It was particularly unpleasant in cold weather. Now, I just pop through from the kitchen, it’s so easy. Plus, we have a fantastic new fridge freezer in the kitchen, so I don’t have to go to the garage every time I want to use the freezer. I probably paid a bit too much for the fridge freezer, I saw someone with it on Instagram and of course, I had to have it. It’s an LG fridge freezer with an ice and water dispenser American style door in door. You can knock on the window of the fridge to see what’s inside, and you can open just the top door to get milk or a drink out. We call it the ‘knock knock fridge.’
We absolutely benefit from having a downstairs toilet, it’s so handy for everyone, and I’m glad Mr L talked me into having a shower too downstairs because it is very useful for the dog when he gets muddy on a walk and needs a shower. I wanted pink tiles and brass-style fittings with matt black, because I felt like our other bathroom was quite bland and boring, I compromised with that one so I wanted this one my way. The builders thought I was a bit mad with all the pink tiles but once it was done they were impressed with how it looked and took photos to show their other clients. I still love it every time I use it.
What could be improved?
It gets a lot of light in the kitchen diner, which is lovely until you’re sitting at the table and are getting blinded by the sun. We have thought of a few solutions for this issue. Firstly, we could hang a curtain pole or track and have curtains or voiles hanging to pull across when needed. Secondly, we could get shutters installed or choose DIY window shutters which is the easier and cheaper option. Lastly, we could go for an awning outside that would be remote-controlled. At the moment we don’t have much budget left over, so it’s a future project.
Daniel tends to hang out in the kitchen in what he calls the gaming area, he has a TV, sofa, and his PlayStation there. The only trouble is when I’m in the kitchen I like to listen to music, and we often argue about who should turn their volume down. I plan on getting some wireless headphones to sort that out. I wanted to use this gorgeous wallpaper somewhere, and I put it in the kitchen on the far wall, the photo doesn’t do it justice but it’s floral with birds on. We still have some pictures to go up, but I never seem to be in the right mood to go for it!
So, all in all, we love the extension and it was worth the upheaval and the financial strain. When I think back to our tiny kitchen, messy dining area that doubled as a playroom and our fold-out table, kids sharing, and William in a tiny room, it really was a struggle. It has improved our lives tremendously and I’m very grateful.
Disclosure: collaborative post
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