The light here in the last few days has been beautiful. It is so watery and clear. Nothing is too bright. All the colours around me look ever so slightly underdeveloped. It is my favourite type of light. And it always lets me know that Christmas is just around the corner.
It also makes taking photo's so much easier. Throughout the first half of the year I have had to wait until the sun hits the front of the house, late in the afternoon, if I have wanted to take photo's. But at this time of the year the light is best at the back of the house, in the kitchen, first thing in the morning.
When we first started the big kitchen redo, it was summer and the light was bright and unforgiving. When we came downstairs first thing in the morning it was often too bright to fully open the blinds. And I knew that a faded pale green would look wonderful on the walls. It would counteract the harshness perfectly.
But that time has passed and the light has changed and so have our needs. As we have drifted slowly in to winter, I have longed for the morning that I would stumble downstairs, Bella in my arms, and be greeted with that beautiful, pale Christmas light.
And this morning, Bella and I, bleary eyed from a bad nights (lack of) sleep, staggered in to the kitchen and there it was. There was the perfect light. My favourite light.
Not only the perfect light but also the perfect colour walls to reflect it. Had we managed to finish the kitchen months ago, when we expected to, the walls would still look pretty, but they would not be just right.
The kitchen would have a vaguely victorian feel to it. With it's waiting room green walls and it's pale cream tongue and groove. And it would still look nice.
But now, with it's pale grey walls and bright, clean, white tongue and groove, it is exactly what I wanted. It's touches of bright red, flash like a red robin against the greying snow. The little touches of green create a warmth and sense of life.
Yes, winter, is here, in my kitchen. And this year I'm happy for it to stay a while.
