Kitchen worktop

So back to the kitchen. We had decided on oak worktops, I wanted the warmth of them against the cool of the cabinetry and to give a feel of a country kitchen without going over the top. I sourced them here and the service and quality were excellent. We went for the square edge, chunky ones at 40mm thick. My only concern was whether I would be able to lift them. I was OK with the 3 metre length but came unstuck with the 4 metre. Fortunately 500mm needed to be trimmed off and I managed to wrestle it into the kitchen.

Waiting to be cut

We used (I'm using the royal we here, in fact it was Andrew) the cardboard sheets protecting the wood to template the spaces, which worked well.

Templating

 

 

Because the worktop has a square edge, not a bull nose finish, Andrew didn't need to worry about fancy angled joints but he did get to use his router for the joining bolt cut-outs.

Neat job Andrew

Some people worry that wooden worktops are difficult to maintain and damage easily, but if you treat them right they're great. The first few days you need to keep coating with worktop oil and treat the surface gently for the first couple ofweeks until the oil has hardened properly. We got six coats on as quickly as we could and have added another couple since, and will probably add a new coat every two months or so. When we put liquid on the surface it just sits there as a little droplet and doesn't penetrate. If after a few years the wood starts to look tired then you can just sand it back and start again.

Getting the worktop in meant two important things:

1. After eight months I got a hob - and the first thing on the menu was a risotto

2. No more washing up in the bathroom basin - and I get to fit my wonderful sink

Franke sink (piping to be boxed in at some stage)

Now I appreciate that it's not everyone's cup of tea but I love it. Designed by Porsche and manufactured by Franke it's big enough to take my largest baking trays with room to spare. And added to it's appeal is the fact that I only paid £5 for it. When I worked in a kitchen showroom two or three years ago we had a refit and the display kitchens were sold off. Nobody took the sink so I donated £5 to the company's approved charity and it was mine. At that point I had no idea where I was going to use it but I had to have it. The sink we found at Screwfix and chose it as it echoed the square design of the sink.

We need a trip to Ikea to buy a couple of bits to finish off the kitchen  - we made a couple of last minute design changes - and then the biggest job is the wall tiling.  So hopefully I'll soon be able to show you some pretty photographs.


Until next time




Sharon