[...] Then there are the cabinets, on which we are forever hitting our heads when they’re open. Tear them out (how joyful that day will be). Honest exposed shelving running along the walls. Nothing to hide. Here are our glasses. Here are our plates. David’s mother made little sceptical noises when we mentioned the open shelving. That’s how dust accumulates in your glasses, she said, you’ll be rinsing them out all the time. Not if we use them regularly, we answered, and we had every intention of doing so, but now it’s just me, and I use the same two drinking glasses and the same two wine glasses, one’s in service and the other’s in the sink. The rest of our glasses are safe in the Formica cupboards that were there when we bought the place and by the time we have our open shelving I hope, I hope, David will be back.