How do I bathroom / kitchen / extension? etc.

After much prevarication, I finally decided that I did want a new kitchen after all. There was nothing really wrong with the old one (other than a total lack of full height storage) but it was looking old and dated. And was getting a bit tired.

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Work started yesterday, and by the end of yesterday most of it was gone.

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First fix on the electrics took place today, but nothing particularly photogenic. The coving's also been removed, and the plasterer will be around tomorrow. Actual kitchen fitting will apparently start on Monday next week, but completion won't be until late October/early November due to the lead time on the glass splashbacks.

Not wedded to bifolds - in fact I just use them as a shorthand for big, wide glass doors and I realise that might be inaccurate.

“There was nothing really wrong with the old one”

I think they're probably within their T&C's but I'm sure when we bought a human sense checked the order for precisely this reason - and I'd raise disappointment that this wasn't picked up then if it's the only panel in the whole kitchen. The planner is definitely not robust if you start changing cabinet colours/styles etc.

For what the panel costs I'm surprised they're quibbling..

My initial order was correct, then it was changed by their order checker. They then queried whether this was right, to which i replied, saying the x colour was for the island and y for the rest. You'd think this would be enough! But they are still quibbling. Not giving up on this though.

My bathroom has been going on since January now. Definitely benefits to paying someone!

Yeah. I was 6 weeks into taking down two internal half walls when I realised I’d never finish the bathroom so we’re paying someone. It’ll be done by the end of next week.

We had a few bits missing when we ordered ours - they acted quickly and I was quite impressed so I'm surprised. It would be a shame if the correct coloured end didn't arrive with the order and they had to send out another!

Any first hand experience of downdraft hobs/extractors here? Are they shit? My suspicion is they'd get rid of a bit of steam but not wok/skillet vaporized spray type stuff.

Well, nothing wrong with it functionally. It worked as a kitchen. Not really very well, but it was OK. Apart from the lack of full height storage. Hence the mop left out in the open.

I'm researching this topic too. General consensus from friends I've spoken with is that the integrated hob/downdraft is good, although noisy. I'm now trying to figure out if I can fit a built under oven below one.

The other option is to have a retractable downdraft hood behind the hob, From what I've read these are slightly more effective than a downdraft hob but additional complexity with install, also more cost and space used.

We have a Siemens one, and it's quite good at getting the spray, if you run it a full speed, which does get noisy. I think you'd have the spray on the stovetop with a roof/wall mounted one as well.
A chap at work as made a stainless steel box to go on top, with smaller slat near pot top level and is very pleased with the added efficiency.

A strange one it seems but we have a standard rainfall shower. Controls are on the wall perpendicular to the shower head and all plumbing is in the walls behind the tiles.

We'd like a hand shower as well as the rainfall one. There is no easy access to the plumbing and no taps on the bath (the water flow for the bath comes from an outlet in the bath) so I was thinking of some kind of splitter thing that mounts where the shower head comes out of the wall leading to either the rainfall or a shower on a hose.

However, these things either don't exist or I don't know the right search terms. Any ideas?

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Unless you love chaos won't you need new tap hardware to switch between rainfall/handheld/both too?

Slate worktop arrived. It's not installed yet but it looks amazing

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Something like this except the feed connecteds to where the current shower head is coming out of the wall instead of the tap.

https://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/aqualona-nebula-spa-shower-kit-with-fixed-head-handset-80764

Not sure what there is left once you take the existing shower head and square tube off the wall but if it is the standard threaded connector that you would get on a tap, then it would just need the right length hose to get down to the bottom of the shower rail. Diverter to switch between rainfall and handheld is in the rail itself. Wouldn't be the prettiest solution but would involve the least wall smashing.

Yeah that all makes sense. I think the garden just needs to make a little more ‘sense’ there’s a big paved area, an ugly ‘stone’ wall step thing, so lawn, a deck which is never used for anything, mature plants to one side and very little on the other (it used to be a huge hedge which I removed. The log cabin would be turned into a purpose built home office/gym which kid would probably turn into a den as she gets older

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Well, that's the bit I was hoping there is a neat solution for where the shower head comes out of the wall but I can't find.

@stevo_com I hadn't thought of doing it that way but should theoretically work. Not the prettiest as you say but worth investigating further.

is there a diverter valve model for the control box you have? do you have some spare tiles?
you could maybe fit a diverter box in it’s place and the pipework for the extra shower hose outlet next to it by removing 1-2 of those big white tiles?

That is beautiful, does it darken with use?

Even screwing off the current shower head might expose a thread you could put the inlet hose on. Again, even less pretty than if there was one closer to the wall, but a bodge that doesn't involve any smashy smashy.

I'm very jealous of your garden in its current state tbh. Bit of grass watering and that would look luuush.

I think a patina will develop - it'll probably be a bit less polished. Looking forward to seeing how it looks with age!