Well, the kitchen is done bar a few small details, and I am going to make you WAIT to see it. 
It is a mess now as I am moving things back in.
The six weeks went smoothly until the final week when I mentioned to the builder that I could smell gas in the kitchen.
“That’s new paint smell” he said.
I was dubious, and in order to set my mind at rest the builder said he’d get the gas plumber around.
So, by now convinced I was being a silly woman imagining things, I waited for the plumber to come about. Eventually I saw his van and there was a knock at the back door, and I opened it mouth open, about to apologise for wasting his time.
He didn’t allow me to get out a single word.
“You have a major leak,” he said, “get out here now!”
Wow! The excitement! As it turned out, I had TWO leaks, one minor, one devastatingly major.
The plumber took me around the front of the house where the gas meter itself was hissing out gas. Major leak. “I’m going to make a phone call for you,” the plumber said, and rang the gas company, and I swear to God before he’d hung up trucks were braking to a halt in front of my house and servicemen were piling out armed with their spray bottles of soapy water. I wish I could always get tradies here that fast.
“Could have taken out the block,” was the pronouncement as the gas company men replaced the meter. Once that was done they took a pressure reading and, oh no, there was a leak further up in the house as well.
After much ado they found the leak behind my newly installed kitchen cabinetry. Gas plumber blamed the builder, builder blamed the gas plumber. But that, too, was fixed with relatively little ado and you can’t tell from the cabinetry it had to be taken apart so the plumber could fix the minor leak.
I am glad I still have a house and a life!
And I am glad I don’t smoke. Just one person lighting up near that major gas leak ….
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:56 pm
What a tease you are Sara & I am so glad that you & all your neighbours are still all OK & no major disasters have occured
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:52 pm
Hi Sara, I have been reading the preserves thread on simple savings and popped over here for some recipes, discovered your beautiful garden blog and am so relieved that Hobart has narrowly avoided total annhilation! Am in the middle of crazy mad building project myself and have decided to concentrate on cooking and playing in the garden instead to retain a little sanity. Enjoy being Queen of your new kithen.
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Just goes to show - always trust your instinct!
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:42 pm
What a tragedy it would have been if your beautiful new kitchen had blown up! But it is safe, and so are you, so have have a wonderful time enjoying it.
March 4th, 2010 at 8:43 am
Ohh you ARE cruel Sara ..show us the kitchen…or I’ll come down with a box of matches…muahahaha
March 4th, 2010 at 8:49 am
I am excited to see how it turned out. You are such a tease Sara!
I am also really glad you didn’t blow yourself up!
March 4th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Great news on the reno front! …and thanks for not blowing up too- you might have taken out my house if you’d had a biggie!
March 4th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Holy Moly Sara, you could’ve blown up the whole of Tassie, thank goodness no one was a smoker. Glad you and the house and the new kitchen are all ok.
March 4th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
no 325 - you have no idea how close we all came! The Lord Mayor may have been safe, though.
March 4th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Congratulations on your narrow escape! You do live life on the edge.
March 5th, 2010 at 7:52 am
How wonderful. Finally finished. And almost totally finished off for a dramatic ending! Enjoy Sara. Can’t wait to see the photos……..
March 5th, 2010 at 7:58 am
You could have out-done the Mount St Canice boiler explosion of ‘74 pretty easily there. Roughly speaking if you took out my house but not the LM, thats a 450m blast radius.
March 6th, 2010 at 10:19 am
So glad to hear that a major catastrophe was averted! Can’t wait to see the finished product.
March 8th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
I was emailing Lenka (Sara’s designer. I refered Sara to Lenka originally) saying how good I thought the pictures were, and she informed me that the pictures don’t do it justice, and it has really come along. she is so thrilled with it, so folks I think we have a treat in store when the final pictures are finally put up here.
i know it must have been horrible, but the gas story is so funny to read.
March 9th, 2010 at 5:19 am
There are still several major bits to install - pot rack, firescreen and pantry door, so until they are don I won’t put any more pics up. I want it to be ALL finished before you see it. Oh yeah, some light fixtures, too. LOL