Home corner, sweet home corner!

Yesterday was a very special day... it was Wiss's 2nd Birthday! I heard some 'scientists' claiming that it was actually the most depressing day of the year but how could we possibly be unhappy when we had one very excited little man?!

Wiss loves the 'home corner' at nursery and when we stayed in hospital, the play kitchen was the one thing he returned to again and again. We also thought it would be a good idea to have some toys in our kitchen to keep him occupied whilst we were cooking. Play kitchens are very expensive though, seem to be all made out of plastic...and usually come in pink!

(I can't believe that this kind of role play is still aimed more towards girls than boys, hello? It is 2012, you know! I also had many conversations with colleagues who questioned why a BOY would want a kitchen to play with? ...grrrrrr! We didn't think we were being ground-breaking or even controversial: we just don't want Wiss to be limited in any way. He can play with whatever he wants to.)

I searched on Pinterest and saw lots of fantastic home made and customised kitchens, so decided to make Wiss a kitchen of his own for his birthday. I will put my hands up now and admit I did enjoy getting carried away with all the little details, but hey, I am a modelmaker so how could I not?

I used some spare wood from our worktop for the upstands, and the rest was laminated mdf or a plastic material called Foamex. The base for the whole kitchen was a slim wooden bench with cupboards and shelves underneath and a back piece. I took a photograph of the wallpaper in our actual kitchen and printed it out on the big printer at work. Here are some work in progress shots as it came together...

I even branded the oven - showing off, I know! Wiss's kitchen is a mini version of our own, complete with walnut worktop and feature wallpaper! A vintage Fisher Price hob (eBay!), and  more birthday gifts of wooden fruit and veg, kettle, toaster and a dinner service were the finishing touches. (Thank you Nana Daisy, Auntie Hannah and Auntie Chicken!)

As you can see, it fits in pretty well and we couldn't wait for Wiss to see it. It's one thing for me to be pleased with it but would the Little Chef like it?

I think that's a yes!!! Move over Jamie, Heston and Hugh, there's a new kid in town!