The doorstep plant collection, carefully curated over four years by way of hardiness (the survivors of long periods of absence and neglect) has been reorganised by my neighbour, prior to demolishing the ground floor walls of the tiny tower and creating a reasonable space from two small ones. Rather than lob them to one side to give himself clear access, as I might have done, he’s built a bench along the front of the house, and the plants are now neatly lined up, sunning themselves against the front façade. They look fabulous and happier than they’ve ever been.
A new bathroom was installed on the top floor last year and so the old 1970s relic, still taking up a third of the ground floor, needs to go. I arranged with Juan to start demolishing stuff as soon as I left in February and, not one to hang around, photos of the emerging space arrived via Whatsapp a few days later. The light, open, single room, even though it barely tips ten square metres, is hugely satisfying. Friends of a friend have popped in to lend their vacuum cleaner, and with the expert knowledge of a couple of who have flipped many houses, immediately advise putting the kitchen to the far end, leaving the rest for a compact living/dining space. All I want is a sofa large enough for lounging. Four years in Estribela and places to relax other than the beach and bed have become more wanting each trip.
I love the furnished top floor with the bathroom, bed and balcony, but two visitors have suggested adding a toilet to the first floor bedroom, and whilst this seems excessive for a house of around twenty seven square meters, the reality of using the doorless loo when someone else is on that floor is quickly apparent. The MDF board I plan to fix to the back of the open shelf unit might not quite cut it. Something to mull over when resources allow.
Juan and I go searching for a kitchen. We agree that the best worktop for the winter-damp ground floor will be granite but also find a pleasing beech worktop in BricoCentro for under 200 euros. The stone depot is closed, so a visit to my favourite house clearance outlet, Rastro Reto, fills the time and although they don’t have the single kitchen sink we’re looking for, I come back with two beach chairs for a bargain price. Una ganga! Time to consult fairy godmother, Sarah, who quickly comes up with several storage ideas to maximise what’s left of the wall space and suggests a wall mounted dish rack to save the few centimetres of free worktop I’ll be left with once a sink and induction hob have been installed. It’s clear that a couple of hours on the Ikea website wouldn’t go amiss. The future kitchen will be a far cry from the single electric ring and George Foreman grill we’ve made do with for four years, but I can’t see a soul missing the simplicity of that set up. Occasional camping trips will scratch any back-to-basics itch.
I couldn’t be more chuffed with our house, despite its size, lingering smell of cat pee and peeling walls (and ceilings). But plans to make it comfy and more like a proper home are pretty exciting. Juan lingered over a state of the art step ladder in BricoCentral, possibly a requirement of fitting wall cupboards. In his words, it’ll be great to have the kitchen items in the kitchen and the everything else in its right place. I think he means not boxed up in the bedrooms and all over the floor. I totally agree.
