Bedroom...Done, Kitchen Organised, Lounge Room Coming...Yeahy!

9 or so days ago I was inspired by some pics of 6 cottages up near Budapest that I saw.

It was the perfect solution for renovating the place here in a way that would respect the past and colour the future use of the property.

Am a very happy camper now...well, that's not exactly true now as I'm not camping here any more!

I'm in creating a home mode now...

The Little Lodge of Many Wonders...for people to come and stay for a week or more at a time to enjoy a taste of the past in a tiny Hungarian village.

There are tours to the great plains of the famous Tisza area, relaxing hours at the local hot spa baths, plus visits and cruises, canoeing and swimming in and on the lakes.

There are heaps of walking trails to check out the amazing bird life that abounds in the area and soak up the pure delights of the coming seasons here in this delightful part of Europe.

So, that being said, it's on with the seemingly never ending work ahead.

A few pics to bring you up to date...when they load...that is...

Well, it's got snow!
Oh, well, I'll write all this in Word.and hope the internet is back on when I finish.

Painted and set up one bedroom to get sizes last weekend and I've slept in there on and off over the past 7 nights  Seems ok...
The room will be re-arranged when the window goes in, but all the furniture fits.

Done enough to see all things fit OK. before window goes in soon.

Check out the end of these beds...the same as mine...on the right track, I'm sure now. My top bed end is not as fancy as these are, but I have 2 similar to these ones, so am happy.

Painted the kitchen, built a kitchen bench top and small return this Saturday gone.
Then I had fun all Saturday afternoon and evening, setting up the kitchen for the next few months as a temporary measure.

Zoltan fixing the pesky smoke stain that wont paint out...

I have to test to see if how the windows open over here ---are how I want it to be--- in the kitchen.

It's one thing to say put in a window, as in your mind, you know the types of windows you are used to.

Over here...OMGoodnes! A different kettle of fish altogether!

You need extra space in the room for the blessed things to open, as they open inwards, encroaching into the room space...no double hungs or sliders here!

Now to the painting of the kitchen...any remaining  holes have been patched. So, it looks like I'll take an ordinary double window, like in the bedroom, turn it sideways, so it opens like a hopper, where the top one opens up, while the bottom one opens down. Meaning I don't have to keep taking plants etc off the big window ledges every time I want to open the windows.

Looking from the kitchen sink to the pantry under the attic stairs and door to the bedroom.

Doorway into the lounge area is over there, left of the fridge...

Plus, I'll be able to reach both locks from the same height.

Wait until I try and get Zoltan to do this...I can hear the entire village saying...nem, nem, we don't do it like that!"
Hahaha...Well, this time people, we are!

Starting the frame up for the kitchen benches. This stool in the front of the pic is the same as one in Catherine's Cottages!

Was chuffed when I saw that. It was a sign, along with the beds, that this was the way to go!

The bench we made will become a workbench in the workshop when the real kitchen goes in after the window is cut in, over the coming months.

It was a rush job with available materials from the old bath/bedroom floors, so it's not meant to be perfect, just needs to get the job done for a while.

One kitchen bench and mega storage, coming up! Plumbing pipes poking up and all.

Have found that there may be room for a type of return and 2 breakfast stools on the wall where the gas pipes were on the big chimney...not sure about that yet, as it seems as though it will fit, but I don't think it will suit the era.

If not, a spice rack definitely will fit. Will get a glass door complete with architraves and stick it on the wall and put in some nice timber shelves...Voila...an instant spice cupboard!

A neat spice rack can be placed near the stove.

I built one "like this", but full length, to the floor and without a door, into the wall in a house I built in Valentine in Newcastle back in the 80's. It was so handy, right next to the stove too.

Here will be the same if I go ahead. A couple of old widows would do too, but the new door with architraves etc, sounds good to me.

From this temporary set up I did for a change of walls, 2 weeks ago...to the one below...for a few months...I can't wait for the furniture to be restored as there is nowhere to put the stuff now that I've emptied out all the cupboards and dressers. I don't know which ones he'll take first and I'm not going to hold him up, so all are empty and waiting.  That means stuff in boxes and on benches everywhere at the moment. 

Have no idea where to put dog now. She can't stay in the kitchen and I don't like animals in the house, so am in a pickle until the weather gets warmer. It was 8C today and expecting a very warm 12C on Friday next, so soon she can go outside. Under the apricot sheet on the bench is stored so much stuff, you could not believe! Very happy to de-clutter now and get a bit of order, be it stage 1 of many, but it's on it's way at long last.

Now, I can see just how big this jolly room is at last! It's been a store room since I came and it's been fun  today, sorting thru all my bags of this n' that I'd brought from Australia over the 5 years I've been backpacking around.

This all gets moved again next Saturday for the room to be painted. This room is in pretty good condition, so there aren't many holes to patch. Will have bright covers made for the lounges for different rooms later on.  Look at the dust particles still floating in the air. Thus camera picks up everything.

Bonus...Found I had a big dining table! The bench I was going to use for a wash stand folded out and became a very nice sized dining table...so now I need an idea to replace the wash stand idea...Check out the nice legs on it.

After next weekend, I'll be able to put out my candle sticks...The one Jelena gave me...for safe keeping and my crystal ones I brought over in my suitcase!

My table like this turned out to be a nice family sized dining table!

Apart from the big lamp, these nic-nacs are from Jelena in Serbia, from her Grand Dad who collected these wooden ornaments on his world journeys. I just discovered the 2 little lamps are working replicas of the big paraffin lamp, that works.

Had a go at painting the wall behind a chair over there and tried some vintage type paint on the chair front. It actually creates a mood I never thought possible with such tacky looking work! Now much thinking before the furniture restoration man comes on Tuesday. Thankfully he is only taking a piece or 2 at a time, then bringing them back before taking more. So I should have something sorted out by then.

At last the girley stuff is started! But blue walls are out...white it is, all the way through, with lots of accents of bright colours.

I'll finish off now while I have internet.
Cheers
See you next week with the final paint thru of the 3 main rooms, then it's into the end room for major ceiling work and following that, its paint job.

Then Electro Pete comes in late Feb to cut holes everywhere in the walls and ceilings.
You probably are asking why didn't I get this done earlier.
Simple...
I didn't know if room sizes would work, walls would fit etc, as nothing is straight or uniform in size.
Plus any new dividing walls to go up...they want to make a foot thick!

No way...I'd end up with match box rooms, so am having gyprock walls as in Australia, put in to separate the bathroom and 2 bedrooms.

Have had so many applications from people who want to volunteer here and have decided to take 2 experienced people, one from USA and one from Slovakia. I wasn't going to take any more volunteers, but these people are older and tradesmen, so they know what's going on.

I couldn't go skiing in Slovakia, due to my Schengen visa still being needed for outside of Hungary...so Slovakia is coming to me!

I have 4 wine barrels that need major work done and both can help Zoltan with pulling the roof off all the sheds, cement paths around house, finishing off the fence, hinges on gate, putting back drain pipes etc etc, before all the major stuff starts...like rebuilding the sheds we are about to demolish in part.
One comes at end March for 2 weeks and the other  after that, so it's all coming together nicely.

Bye now...
xxx