The Real Block - Update

 There's been a lot of preparatory work at The Real Block over the last few weeks but not much to show for it I'm afraid. Beams in the verandah roof have been replaced. Insulation has been installed. Taps have been plumbed in. So what have I been doing? Well, as the weather has been cold, I've been cooking up a storm and made this mandarin cake above (Claudia Roden's recipe but I subsituted the oranges for mandarins). I dropped some off to my neighbour who's been very kind to the tradespeople and allowed us to use his backyard as a storage area.

 Meanwhile, I've been getting my collection of vintage, retro and antique lights rewired and repolished ready for installation. The man to refit your light is Kamhl from Chandelier Restorations. He's a genius. And his shop is filled to the brim with gorgeous chandeliers and glass.

I've also been tracking down new internal doors to match the original doors (photo above) for our new bathroom, powder room and hall cupboard. The original doors are timber and just so beautiful. Did you know most new doors are hollow? That's why they're so light. Anyway, the new doors will be timber and will match the profile on the originals. Stay cosy.