"It's the final countdown.."

No, I'm not referring to the immortal words of 'Europe's' '80's super hit. But the home straight in our renovating journey. 

It's probably no surprise by the lack action here on the blog, that things have been busy. Things have dragged on a little with delays here and there so Lisa and I made an executive decision and gave ourselves a dead line to not only get the cottage finished but the shop open also. And that's the end of this month. So come high water or the other place, the doors to both will open to the public. 

On the cottage front, the kitchen received its final coat of barn red paint from Lisa this morning and the Ringed Gidgee drawer pulls and door handles from me this afternoon. I'm quite happy with the final outcome and I think it reflects what a contemporary Shaker kitchen should look like. Lets not forget that the Shakers embraced technology ( some say they invented the washing machine too ) so I think a dishwasher would feature in a modern Shaker fit-out. Add to that an electric fan forced oven with gas cooktop and that's the conveniences sorted. I think the solid Elm bench top compliments the barn red paint too.

Little details are there too if you look for them and icing on the cake will be a traditional hanging wall cabinet, which I will get a start on this week.

Lisa has done a fine job of the curtains with just a few finishing touches like small flat lead weights that are to be hand sewn into the corners to ensure they hang neatly.

Lastly the drawers of the 'chimney cupboard' are yet to be made, but I'm saving that for the end of the week. Nothing like hand cutting more than a hundred dovetails to see out the week!

Before the end of the week I'll be posting more details of the cottage as we begin to fill it with the furnishings we brought back from the U.S. and others I have made. Then it's all systems go with the shop.

It's going to be quite an eclectic assortment of products made by mine and Lisa's hands and also by others both local and abroad. There will also be everything that a budding ( or experienced for that matter! )  chair maker could want, from chair parts, chair making tools and milk paint etc. So stay tuned it's going to be an action packed 10 days.....