[Q&A ]

Any cost-cutting tips?

We sold our old kitchen cupboards on Gumtree for R5 000, which we then put towards paying for the new cupboards. Herbert installed all the lights and the new braai with the help of a friend.

What would you do differently next time?

I’d rent another house to stay in while renovating; sleeping on a mattress on the floor with the dust, cement and bricks for seven months in winter isn’t ideal!

Any tips for other renovators?

• Work from top to bottom – old ceilings can be really filthy. After skimming and cleaning all our walls, we removed the ceilings and then had to clean the walls all over again.

• Stack your freezer with lots of homemade frozen food; we got so tired of eating takeaways!

[FINE FINISHES & CONTACTS]

Kitchen cabinets Caraldo Kitchens (022 921 2033, caraldokitchens.co.za) Lights Eagle Lighting (021 424 4071, eaglelighting.co.za) Tiles Malls Tiles (021 510 5500, mallstiles.com) Bar stools Decofurn (087 740 1800, decofurnsa.co.za) Display shelves and brackets Dassiesfontein (028 214 1475, dassies.co.za) Wall clock Bali Trading (028 713 2080, balitrading.co.za)

Many of the pieces in the kitchen are heirlooms that Marlene inherited from her grandmother. It was only after they’d started stripping the white paint off the display cabinet (below) that they discovered it was Oregon pine.