Monday, June 24, 2013

Guess Whose Coming To Our Place?

The fabulous, super cool, UK designer and decorator, Ms Abigail Ahern, that's who!

Okay, so she's not really coming to our place per se, but she is fixin our kitchin!

(well, kind-of)

Not with her own fair hands (that would be too insanely awesome!) but vicariously, through a new segment on her wonderful blog she calls Style Surgery.


(Unfortunately) we have been blessed with a lovely 80's style country kitchen. You know those heavily lacquered, oak fronted, raised panelled doors, with a hideous orange hue to them? That's our kitchen! Here's how it looked when we bought the house:

Another real estate listing pic, which has been heavily photo-shopped (believe it or not) I could almost handle this kitchen but in real life it bears only the faintest resemblance to the kitchen we got when we bought the house.

Late last year we replaced the benchtops, appliances (we needed an oven that worked!), blind, and painted out that yellow, but it still looked awful.

(we couldn't, and still can't, justify ripping out the cabinetry. Hideous as it is - it's Tasmanian Oak and it would've cost a packet back in its eighties hey-day.  We don't feel it would be right (or very nice really) to rip it out, only to replace it with something crappy made of melamine which would still cost big bucks regardless of quality)

Anyway, my attempt to make it better failed miserably. In my note to Abigail I said it was a bit like plastering cheap concealor over a pimple - you could (and can) still see there's something ugly there, festering away (not so quietly) under the surface.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I received an email from Abigail saying that our kitchen had been selected to feature in her first ever Style Surgery feature. I mean seriously, how cool is that?!

Abigail Ahern is "tricking out" our kitchen!

Who care's if it's me doing "the dirty work"!
I'd be happy to be her apprentice/trades assistant/lacky any day of the week - especially if our kitchen turns out like any of these:




all images Abigails blog.

It's booked in for 'surgery' soon - it goes live over at Abigail's this week. I am so excited to see what she comes up with (aren't you?) and I can't wait to pull on my rubber gloves and start the healing process.

I'll keep you posted.

x

p.s. I'm moving (albiet it in the extreme and far-removed fringes) of some illustrious circles these days...guess who designed my fabulous new header? (and all for love I might add!) Click here to find out. I'm a very lucky girl, and she is a lovely, lovely, lovely person.

  
  

24 comments:

  1. We bought a house with a very eighties pink and grey kitchen of the laminate kind so I feel your pain. I'm looking forward to seeing your kitchen after all of your hard work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love you new Header!! She is one talented lady that Pippa.
    Can't wait to follow your kitchen through 'style surgery'. x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow Kylie, Abigail Ahern, what did you gave her to do this for you... Only a joke...
    It´s amazing! I f I would get an email from Abigail you must call the doctor because I would hyperventilate.

    Your new design of the header looks very stylish. I love this detail of your living room.

    And I´m so anxious to see the result of your kitchen restyle!
    x, Ria

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello Kylie...so many good things happening at your place! Love the new header.

    I cannot wait to see your kitchen transformed, be sure to keep us updated! How exciting. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  5. dying to see it done. Def. with you on the oak, it's lovely, just needs a zhuzhing up...!

    ReplyDelete
  6. That is so incredibly exciting. You must be skipping around! She is so cool. I hope the kitchen is going to turn out really beautifully for you. I would be the same re the kitchen, luckily I only buy houses which are so beat that you have to start all over again.

    I noticed the new header straight away. It's great branding, as it sums up your style and your actual house so perfectly. Keep us posted re the kitchen! xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. The new header is amazing! Is there anything Pippa can't do?

    And that's such exciting news about your kitchen reno. I know you must be walking on air to have been chosen by Abigail Ahern. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Why did i think abigail ahern was a comedienne?!!
    Seriously though, judging by the pictures she looks like she's got some classy style and i'm super-excited to see what she comes up with.
    What a brilliant opportunity Kylie!
    I would think there are many, many of those types of kitchen cupboards around so it will be great to have a cool solution people can google!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh gosh Kylie, you lucky lady.
    Cant wait to see the transformation. x

    ReplyDelete
  10. Firstly, just LOVING the new blog header and look, very chic my dear!! Now for the kitchen, sitting here feeling just a little giddy for you, wow, now that's what I call striking gold. Please keep us posted as dying to see what they do with it. Enjoy the process!! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  11. OOOh I cant wait to see how it turns out, lucky you! Your new header is lovely too. xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow! I will have to look Abrigail up, shame on me, too busy making tassels! I hope she gives you a dark blue or black kitchen! I'm going to investigate some more!
    My pleasure on the header, I'm so pleased folk got that I was trying to reflect you! xx

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm seriously excited for you. Abigail Ahern. I thought she only designed fabulous table lamps like the poodle one I've been lusting after for an age and will never have because it's toooo expensive (cue sulking and stamping of feet. I didn't know she advised on kitchen transformations too. OMG, AND SHE HAS A BLOG (I told you I was seriously excited). I'm off to have a butchers. The heading is a stunner btw. xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. ooh la la!! I love your header (and your head by the way!)...nothing French about it I know but I love saying ooh la la. Ms Ahern has her work cut our for her....im sure it will be fab. Al x

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wowee! And Abigail Ahern designed kitchen. I can't wait to see what dirty work you will be required to do. And love, love, love the new header. xx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Now you see I am going to sound like a total idiot here, because I have no idea who Abigail Aherne is! I am laughing at Max for confusing her with Caroline Aherne, the British writer and actress, but really, I am none the wiser. I will investigate her blog and hang my head in shame...
    Hope she comes up with some great ideas for your kitchen, Kylie. Oh and that is one stylish new header! You have cool interiors, I have frilly pants and false eyelashes - we each know our place! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  17. fantastic news Kylie! Can't wait to see it all done. Header is fabbo too!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am very excited because, as you know, a kitchen redo is in my future as well. I will be most interested in what the cards hold for you. And your headers looks awesome. Lucky girl.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow! That is so cool! I can't wait to see what she does!
    xClaire

    ReplyDelete
  20. That is so exciting for you...I am going to be checking it out and see how the transformation goes....ours desperately needs ripping out if only the cash was there. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh also I love your new header...so very modernly you xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow that's so good! Header is tops too by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Never heard of AA, am I living under a rock?! But looking forward to what she comes up with for your kitchen. Lovely floorboards by the way, but are those inset tiles I spy?! I am the unfortunate owner of a 90s kitchen, all green melamine, with cream tile edgings and terracotta tiles on the floor - what I'd do for real wood floorboards.......

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wow! Thats sooo exciting! I am looking forward to seeing the virtual makeover. I really like your new header too! T x

    ReplyDelete