Kate Livingstone: Well worth the wait

Don’t get me wrong, now it’s in we’re all in awe at its shininess and loveliness but getting to this point has been a bit a headache.

The problems started early on with Emma constantly changing her mind about the design and worrying the colours she’d chosen wouldn’t match.

Once she’d eventually decided on the over-all theme all was well for a few months as she waited on a delivery date once everything was measured and built.

She decided to go with a local joiner to fit it as he had been recommended, plus he was charging a third of what the kitchen company’s own fitters wanted to do the job!

How companies actually get away with this is beyond me although I suspect it’s because some folk think it will probably be less of an upheaval if the one firm does everything.

The joiner she chose suggested she sell her existing kitchen which wasn’t something Emma had even considered but she decided she might as well give it a shot and was surprised to find she did end up selling it quite quickly for a small sum – and the buyers were happy to dismantle it and take it away too – result!

The only problem was they wanted to uplift it two weeks before the new kitchen was to be put in which obviously wasn’t ideal as it left Emma with nowhere to cook dinner for the two little ones for over a fortnight.

So mum obviously stepped in to help, offering the use of her kitchen any time it was needed. I didn’t bank on it being needed every night but Emma was so glad to get away from her own house for a few hours each day as the state of it was getting her down, with pots and pans in every room and cluttering up most of her hallway.

She’d also made a few yucky finds while clearing out her cupboards like tins of tomato soup seven years out of date and a selection of herbs also way past their sell by dates!

Anyway now Emma’s new kitchen is in and all the stress is behind her my nightly visits have come to an end which I have to admit has made me a little sad as I‘d become used to seeing her and the kids every evening, cooking and cleaning together and chatting around my dinner table.

I’ll just have to invite myself round to her’s instead.