The Royal Throne!

Every kingdom needs a royal throne! In fact … Ontario’s building code requires it 😀 We were fortunate that only one throne room is required in our cozy little Kitchenland. This is due to the location of thrones, enough for the entire royal court, just steps away across the Garden 😉

From the very start we wanted to ensure that citizens from throughout the High Park Kingdom and the GTA Territory, even foreign dignitaries from afar … like Barrie, would be able to access Kitchenland and all it has to offer! So an accessible drawbridge is now built for all to use. It leads our treasured guests right up to Kitchenland’s grand entrance. It too is completely accessible (as, most importantly, is the Royal Throne 😉 ) for all to gain entrance to this beautiful land.

Now the drawbridge (which will in fact never be drawn) is actually the end to this chapter of our tale. The beginning brings us back to a time before paint and cabinetry even before ramps and rails. We start this chapter with bare plaster walls and a cement floor waiting patiently for its beautiful adornment.

Now that the shell of Kitchenland is complete all is warm and dry inside. This means it’s high time to start pulling together our grand interior … Kitchenland needs cabinetry people! But first a beautiful floor for all to tread upon.

This stately floor is not only beautiful but also strong. It will stand the test of time for many years to come! Our friendly merchants at Stone Tile International (Toronto Location) were kind enough to donate the floor and back splash tile for the whole of Kitchenland.

Another important addition to Kitchenland is lighting. Only the brightest and most energy-efficient will do for our young cooks and crafters!

Fluorescent pot lights in our ceilings provide plenty of light to cook and craft by. These lights are bright but cool and use only a fraction of the energy of a regular incandescent light bulb. Kitchenland sparkles and shines at night without wasting oodles of energy!

A bright and shiny Kitchenland is helped out by a beautiful coat of paint throughout the interior. This paint is special to straw bale building and helps seal the cement-lime plaster walls. It’s a silicate based paint and is more like a thin coat of plaster than a regular coat of latex paint.

Cabinetry for crafting supplies and cooking equipment stands guard around the perimeter of Kitchenland providing ample space (which will be filled to the hinges) for storing our wares. This fine cabinetry will be capped with a jaunty red counter fit for true royalty.

Speaking of royalty … our new throne will be the envy of the High Park Kingdom (seriously the nicest washroom in the entire park 😉 ). The automatic lighting, toilet and faucet fixtures will help save both energy and water. No taps or lights left on to waste the Kingdom’s resources!

Now that the floors and cabinetry are complete it’s time to add the most important elements to Kitchenland … The ingredients that make Kitchenland a true Kitchen! Our outstanding appliances have arrived.

This commercial grade equipment will help teach children far and wide (and near and … narrow?) how to cook with fresh vegetables straight from the High Park Children’s Garden. They will learn that not only are fresh veggies good for you … but they taste good too!

Lights are in, windows are sparkling, appliances are gleaming, the air exhaust system is fireproof and we now have something called an Occupancy Permit … it’s official! The Children’s Teaching Kitchen has gone from egg …