Transitions

Last weekend I was stuck in a blizzard in Chicago, this weekend we had Spring like temperatures in Charlotte. If that's not enough to get your mind spinning, I don't know what is. Sure it's a little early to transition seasons, but a little Spring fluffing never hurt anyone.

Our breakfast room, the sunniest spot in the house, the perfect area to receive the first shot of Spring. 

The pine hutch, a Craigslist purchase in Chicago, normally holds a variety of white and green kitchenware. For the seasonal transition, I'm incorporating a shot of bright Spring blue. 

And it all started with the blue, white and red Bibelot Anthropologie pie plate I received for Christmas, perfectly tying in my existing blue and white Cornishware collection. Love when that happens.

Speaking of happy coincidences, I ran across these little blue, white and red dishes in the check out line at Marshall's - don't they look like they could be from the same series as the pie plate?  Adding these to the mix really brought the whole collection together. 

Next thing you know, I'm ransacking the kitchen looking for every piece of blue and white we own. 

But, it's all worth it because now it feel like Spring has sprung in our kitchen. And it makes me so, so happy.

Go on, give yourself a little shot of Spring.

until next time, 

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A Spot to Linger

Our living room isn't the only space that I've been interjecting a little fresh traditional style into, our kitchen is getting in on the action, too.

You may recall that I opted to list our old kitchen counterstools on Craigstlist back in the Fall. Mistake, let me just tell you. They sold that day. I spent the next 2 months looking everywhere online for an affordable counterstool to take their place. 

(Turns out counters height is decidedly more difficult to find than bar height.) 

It was not easy.

My wants: an upholstered or slipcovered counter height stool in a fresh fabric to add a little pattern, contrast and interest to the kitchen. Oh, and I didn't want to spend a fortune. 

That's the clincher.

Just when I thought all was lost, I stumbled upon these guys at HomeGoods. Geometric fabric in a coordinating gray to the countertops, nailhead trim, counter height - need I go on? They are perfection. Adding that touch of freshness to my mostly traditional kitchen. Score. HomeGoods happy.

And then there's this. 

There's not much more traditional than hanging a botanical in a kitchen. Am I right? But the oversized scale, black background and scientific style help keep it modern and not too stuffy. 

Plus, I'm digging how the black in the poster plays with the ebony legs of the counterstools and the iron lanterns. 

It's so important to repeat themes throughout your home to establish continuity and flow.

I can't even remember where I first saw an image of this poster, but I do remember that my jaw dropped when I discovered it was from Ikea. Ikea is the budgeteers best friend!

Note: Ikea is not currently carrying this poster, I found mine on ebay, by searching SIBBARED.

Seems as though my little plan to add a touch of black throughout the house is working. 

(you can read more about that here.) 

The stools have been a great addition that everyone, especially the girls, are loving. I'm so happy we went with an upholstered chair with a back - they really are comfortable and make lingering over that morning cup of coffee so much more enjoyable. 

Ha, yeah right - linger over coffee! Now that's funny. Not happening in this house anytime soon.

Hope you had a great weekend and got a chance to linger over your coffee.

until next time,

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Reader Request: Kitchen Appliances

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, a lot of us are spending more time in the kitchen than usual.  So, I thought it would be an ideal time to cover a reader request, I received shortly after our Kitchen reveal (here), all about our new appliances. 

When it came to the kitchen refresh, we made the decision early on to work with the existing cabinets, meaning our appliance choices had to be curtailed to the existing spaces, give or take a slight modification here or there - obviously.

Oven/Microwave:

The previous owners had one unit in this space that was a combination upper microwave/lower oven. The cabinet itself is 30" and there were two drawers below the oven and one cabinet above the microwave.

We opted for two separate appliances because we didn't want to lose the whole unit if one of the two appliances needed repairs. Originally we wanted two ovens, but just couldn't find a suitable location for a microwave. We ended up with a 27" oven and a micro/convection oven. We removed one of the lower drawers and added a shelf to accommodate the two ovens. 

Thank goodness for handy handymen.

Range/Cooktop:

The previous owner had an electric cooktop with a built-in downdraft. 

In my ideal world, I would have loved to have a free standing 60" gas range, but that's just not happening in this kitchen, with these cabinets. Second best option: a gas cooktop. But, how do we exhaust a high-powered gas range? And we don't have gas running to the kitchen. 

A built-in downdraft in the actual cooktop doesn't have enough pull to actually grab steam and/or it pulls the flame on a gas cooktop. 

Another option, the overhead hood. Something I just can't seem to get behind - it cuts off the view, you are constantly ducking and most hoods are fairly modern looking. What can I say, they just aren't for me.

Our final decision: an induction cooktop with a telescoping downdraft. It's the best of both worlds. Induction cooktops offer high speed and precision cooking like a gas cooktop without creating as much steam. 

The biggest obstacle we have encountered with the induction cooktop is finding the right nonstick skillets.

And, if that's my biggest issue, life is pretty good - right?

We were very fortunate to purchase our appliances during a great sale: buy three Thermador appliances and receive a free Thermador dishwasher. This promotion actually allowed us to purchase a "higher end" appliance package for less than 4 appliances of a perceived "lower" brand. 

Score for good timing! 

oven, microwave, induction cooktop, dishwasher - Thermador

fridge - Kitchenaid

downdraft - GE

Hope that answers any remaining questions you may have. As always, contact me directly or leave a comment with any others.

until next time, 

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Sayonara Forest Green Tile {Kitchen Refresh Reveal}

I had a friend recently tell me she thought I was crazy to undergo two kitchen renovations in two years. She may be right. 

In truth, I wasn't sure I wanted to tackle another big project like a kitchen update, after having just moved our whole family across country. But, John pushed for it, and I am so glad he did because we really couldn't be happier with the results. 

We tossed around a lot of ideas (like this and this), but ultimately chose to have the existing cabinets lacquered by a local finishing company. (You can check them out here, we found them to be very reasonable and flexible with our ever changing plans.) Once we realized that the cabinets were solid wood and more than likely custom at the time of their installation, lacquering became the best option to give them a new lease on life. We chose lacquer over paint because it's much more durable and gives a more professional look (less brush strokes, etc). Lacquer requires several thin sprayed layers that dry extremely quickly, allowing for a smoother finish than standard paint. 
Perimeter cabinets: BM Acadia White
Island cabinets: BM Brewster Gray

Sometimes I can't believe they are the same cabinets. Never doubt the transformative powers of paint, as they say. The finishing company did an amazing job. 
To further highlight the island from the perimeter cabinets we opted for two work surfaces. An accent granite on the island and a more subtle soapstone for the perimeter surfaces. Soapstone is its own entity, neither a granite or a marble. It is extremely resilient to heat, cold and staining, but it is soft and can scratch and chip easily. It also required seasoning (mineral oil) often after installation, which helps to minimize the appearance of scratching. But, it's all worth it because it looks so beautiful!
The backsplash is a simple small scale, mosaic white subway tile that we accented with two dotted pencil tiles. I think it offsets the soapstone beautifully.
We also looked at a lot of options for lighting, like these, but ultimately went with a French influenced iron lantern from here. I think the oversize scale fills the space well while the iron tones help to ground the area.

The kitchen desk nook: an unsung hero. 

Honestly, I didn't think I'd use this space as much as I have been, but I love it and find it so convenient - my new blogging home!

 In this area, I chose to remove the cabinet doors for a lighter look, easier access to cookbooks, and also to contrast all the closed cabinet storage throughout the rest of the kitchen. You know how I feel about everything being all matchy, matchy! I love open shelving, and this was the only place to make it happen. No one agreed with this change, including the finishers, John, the contractor and my Mom, but I went for it and am loving it! Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts...

A little peak into the breakfast room which is coming together nicely (more on that later). And the den, where the walls are painted in BM Brewster Gray, like the island. 

As you can see, the zigzag island still exists (you can read more about that here), but we rounded out the angle on the sink side of the island and did away with the angle all together on the other side. Less lightening bolt and more counter space - double win!

I mean, can you ever have too much counter space? I think not.

Of course, I couldn't write this post without including a good ol' fashioned before photo. I still walk in sometimes, stop in my tracks, and just stare. How far we've come!

Sayonara forest green tile! You are not missed.

linking in with:

A Stroll Thru Life

Savvy Southern Style

Between Naps on the Porch

Thrifty Decor Chick

until next time, 

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Falling Hard for Hardware

We're making more progress in the kitchen: the cabinets have been  painted and rehung, the appliances have been ordered and are awaiting delivery, and the countertops are scheduled to be installed in just over a week. It feels like it's been going on for-ever, but it's only been about three weeks. That's a lot of progress, yo!

I can't believe it's time to start concentrating on the fine details of the kitchen refurbishment. And by fine, I mean hardware, people. Searching for hardware can be super overwhelming, unless of course you just head over to a big box store and pick up a big 'ol bag of matching pulls and knobs. That's so not my style, as I am sure you guessed. I think hardware is like the jewelry of the kitchen. I'm not looking to break the bank here, but a little effort must be in order.

You know I love brass: always have, always will. I did it in our last kitchen, and loved it. But this time, I wanted something a little more eclectic, vintage and modern - if that grouping can really go together!?!? Sure it can.

Taking inspiration from this image, I started searching for glass knobs. It didn't take long before I found these on Amazon. Love them. They are scheduled to arrive later this week and I can not wait to see them on the white upper cabinets. I think they will add that little bit of something special to the plain fronts. 

Classic Brass Bail Pull with Rosettes

old world hardware - classic drop pull

Old World Classic Hardware Drop Pull

Once I had the tone set for the hardware, it was easier to narrow down my search. I concentrated mostly on the site, Myknobs.com- they have a great selection, reasonable prices, online coupons and fast delivery. I also had my heart set on drop bail pulls, which are most similar to furniture drawer pulls, for the drawer fronts. Between choosing brass and bail pulls, I managed to narrow down the selection to just a couple of pages, and eventually these three. It was hard to decide, but again I went for that classic style slightly updated to a more modern look and went with option 1. 

I choose the rest of the lower cabinet knobs from the same collection to ensure the finish would match. Sadly, that even proved to be tricky as there were just so many that I truly loved. 

Here are just a few. Although, I was truly smitten with the knob in the upper right corner, I ultimately decided that the bottom left was the more practical purchase from a budget standpoint. 

It's all a give and take, and if I am going to cut back somewhere lower cabinet hardware seemed like a safe bet.

You can check out their whole collection here. 

More pictures to come after installation!

until next time, 

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Kitchen: Inspiration, MoodBoard, Progress

As of today, we have officially owned our new home for 2 whole weeks. And no, before you even think it, let alone ask it, we are no where near ready to move in. We're working outside and in, at a furious pace, all in the hopes of moving in mid September. We're tackling lots of little things from the inspection hit list, and some bigger, messier projects as well. Namely, the kitchen. 

Here's where we started. No, it's not that bad. (if you ignore the lightning bolt island, the forest green tile and mismatched appliances) But, after living through and finishing our kitchen remodel in the Chicago house only a short two years ago, we weren't looking forward to doing it again (anytime soon). Simply put, that's how it moved to the top of the list. 

We decided to save the cabinetry, making this a more budget friendly refurbishment. Painted cabinets, new counters, new appliances. 

Here's our inspiration. Now, it's time to bring it to life in our own kitchen, in our own style. While the inspiration kitchen is still very traditional, it's much less farmhouse-y in style than our Chicago kitchen. I might even go as far as to say it's verging on transitional (transitional = blend of traditional and modern). Yikes! You know what that means: research, research. 

Here are some of the ideas we are working with for our kitchen. Some of them are set in stone (no pun intended!) like the counters, appliances, faucets and paint colors, while others like the accents are not. 

I'm looking to achieve a warm, eclectic, slightly transitional kitchen. I chose to mix our metals through appliances, fixtures and hardware - I think it will help to achieve the eclectic style I am after. Also, you may remember my comments on stainless appliances - how I think they are clinical and cold - I think the addition of brass will counter all that stainless. 

Here's my progress shot. Not a lot to look at. Just enough to explain our color choices.

As you can see, I'm mixing cabinetry colors. I'm really hoping to make that zigzag island pop by painting it a slate blue and adding a contrasting countertop. Can not wait to see it come together!

Hurray for progress. 

Today is the first day of school around here. Unfortunately, my new Kindergartener is home with the tummy flu. How sad is that? I'm making caramelized peach ice cream to cheer her up, when she's better, of course. Poor thing.

until next time, 

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The Not So Maple Kitchen Inspiration, one last time, hopefully...

So, at first I toyed with the idea of a maple and green kitchen, then I went the complete opposite to a more modern, all white kitchen, and now I've changed it up again - back to the land of white cabinetry and stainless appliances. Are you surprised? Probably not.

Traditional Kitchen by Wayzata General Contractors Hendel Homes

I've got this inspirational kitchen to thank for my ever changing kitchen plans. But, one look and you can see why this kitchen has made me change my plans again. Warm white cabinetry, paired with a smokey gray blue island that blends perfectly with the stainless appliances. 

Traditional Kitchen by Wayzata General Contractors Hendel Homes

I'm loving the darker toned counters at the perimeter (soapstone?) paired with the creamy island granite. It feels warm, not too fussy and casually elegant. Basically, it has my name written all over it - wouldn't you say?

Traditional Kitchen by Wayzata General Contractors Hendel Homes

Thank you, Houzz, for coming to the rescue once again. I really think it's going to stick this time - and my cabinet refinisher is hopeful too :)

I'm telling you, picking a whole-home color scheme before you move in is hard work. I'm sure you're getting impatient with all this house talk, but no reveal yet. Rest assured, it's coming. Our due diligence period is almost over and we'll be sharing the details then. Can't wait!

In the meantime, I think I've found the perfect fabric as a jumping off point for my color scheme - sharing soon, promise.

until next time, 

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A Not So Maple Kitchen

We've spent the last two days dealing with inspections at the new house, and we're happy to report that all seems to be going well. The good news is we are inching closer to the time that I can officially share our new home with you! 

The bad news is, the kitchen is so not what we had thought it was. While the cabinets are in good shape, the oak (not maple) clear coat finish is not. So, where we thought we could save a bit of cash and work with them, we've decided that they need to be refinished. 

Which is a shame, considering we had a nice little plan going that I outlined here. And, even managed to gather some samples for a real life moodboard. 

(maple spice cabinets, seagrass stained island, cream crackle tile backsplash, granite counters)

But, as I predicted, our plans have changed and we are back to square one. As you may have guessed, we are considering painting the cabinets white. But, you know how I feel about white cabinets and stainless appliances...so, some of the new things we are considering are: white appliances. 

source

Check out this houzz article featuring white appliances. 

source

Or, this kitchen featured in House Beautiful showcasing the new Whirlpool Ice Collection. Stunning.

Gone are the days of the plasticy, bubbly appliance fronts and in are the sleek, white metal ones. Definitely something to consider when creating a streamlined kitchen. 

So, tell me, do any of you have the new white appliance lines in your home? Do you think they are here to stay or are they destined to be the new 'harvest yellow'?

source

Something else we are considering is an Induction cooktop. To learn more about them, click here. Definitely an interesting option - very new wave technology, which can be hard to wrap your head around as a die hard gas cooktop lover. 

Anyone out there a proud owner of an induction cooktop - I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Follow along on my Pinterest board to see my up-to-the-minute kitchen inspiration.

Wish us luck as we continue to narrow down the options for our new kitchen!

until next time,

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A Maple Kitchen

You'll never believe it, but we actually made a decision on a house and have a signed contract! Until we get through the due diligence and inspection period, I won't be sharing all the details (although, I am sure you could figure it out if you really tried!), but I will be sharing some tidbits here and there. 

If you couldn't have guessed, we went with another project home. You know I just can't help myself. The big difference, this time around, is that the projects will, hopefully, be a bit more manageable. Like a kitchen with good space and bones, but not particularly my style. Check this out: light maple cabinets, dark green tile countertops, mixed appliances and forest green tile backsplash. 

source

Fortunately, the cabinets are in good shape and do not need to be replaced. Naturally, my first idea was to paint the cabinets, but we're worried about normal wear and tear. So, what if we tried to work with what we have? What; a non-white kitchen? Is that even possible? Of course it is. A quick round up on Pinterest lead me to a bunch of great inspirational pictures. Like this maple and white kitchen that looks fresh and light.

source unknown

The appliances, on the other hand, need to be replaced. I'm not usually a fan of stainless steel with white cabinets. Something about it just seems so stark and clinical to me. The good news is, stainless steel with maple cabinetry seems to be working for me. Maybe because it breaks up all that wood, I am not sure. But, I like it. 

source unknown

I know I just got done saying no to painted cabinets, but look at this island. Such a beautiful focal point to the kitchen. And you know how much I love green! The white counters really help to lighten the whole space. 

So, that's done. A plan for the kitchen! Ha, if only it was that easy. I am sure it will change a million and one times in my head between now and when we close on the house. 

Stick with me to see it all unfold.

until next time,

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Rethinking the Kitchen Shelves

Remember the whole taking the breakfast out of the breakfast room shelf makeover? Well, those items that I removed from the breakfast room turn library, had me re-thinking our kitchen shelves as well.

I'm telling you, it was a shelf-a-palooza around these parts. Nothing was safe.

Sadly, there were so many cherished items that I really wanted to include in these shelves. But, alas, space is at a premium so I had to make some sacrifices. 

Editing, it's one of the hardest lessons to learn. You really can't and more often than not, shouldn't display everything at once. 

Some things have to go. It's just a matter of trial and error to see what works and what doesn't.

The platter, which we received as a wedding gift back in the day, was a must stay. I just love the colors and all that it adds to the space. And, of course, the canisters had to stay because they actually do function for our flour, sugar, etc.

With the bulkiest items in place, I had to be a ruthless editor. 

I did try to do without the blue and white, but it's so fresh and bright and plays so wonderfully with the platter that I decided they could stay. Nothing wrong with a pop of color and a shout out to Spring.

I'm slightly undecided about our chicken-wire roosters. I LOVED them when I bought them, like 5 years ago, but I'm kind of feeling like they are overplayed. Maybe a little too country for me now? But, if you can't have roosters in the kitchen, where can you have them? So they are sticking around for a bit longer. Until I've decided they are really done :)

Phew, that was a lot of posts concerning the kitchen for one week! I think you're all caught up on this space now. 

Next week, I'm stepping back in time to share what has become of the Mom cave. Spoiler alert: it's not pretty.

Have a great weekend.

until next time,

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Little Organizational Changes in the Kitchen

Colds, ear infections, crummy weather, and overnight babysitting for our nephews kept us home most of the weekend. Which is just fine by me, because I was finally able to tackle some of the much needed organizational projects in our kitchen. 

After realizing that the basket of toys under our DIY kitchen island was doing nothing other than creating lots of clutter in a small space, we decided to replace it with a storage basket for some of our bulkier pantry items. Onions, garlic, and potatoes seem happy enough here and the height of the basket has kept enquiring minds and curious hands at bay.

Speaking of the pantry, this is what we've been dealing with. A small, but deep space filled to the brim - to the point where it's hard to find what we're looking for. 

A quick and simple solution - make use of the vertical space. 

We used one set of expandable shelves (similar here), individually, on both the upper and lowest shelves. Infrequently used canned goods have found a new home in the back of the pantry with the more frequently used grains on the upper shelf. 

Clearly, this isn't rocket science. It's the little things - like being able to actually find and use your pantry items. Amazing.

Same goes with our spices cabinet.  No more lifting each jar to find what we're looking for. The tiered organizer is the perfect solution. (similar here)

Seriously, opening the cabinets and seeing this just make me happy - not much more I can ask for, is there?

Hope you had a great weekend!

linking in with:

Met Monday

Until next time, 

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Kitchen, 1.5 years on

I'm working on a little behind the scenes project for my site {details of which I plan to share later this week} and realized I hadn't posted updated pictures of our kitchen. A year and half after completion and we're still loving it. 

Of course, we've made a couple changes here and there. Making things more functional and pretty. :)

The biggest change, that you are probably already getting sick of, is the addition of the sofa table turned island. {To read more about it, click here.} How we functioned prior to the island has quickly become a mystery. It has turned a one butt kitchen into a two butter faster than I thought possible. Love. That's really all there is to say. 

The only downside to the island is that it restricts the view of our beloved stove! {To read more about our stove selection, click here.} We initially choose this stove because we loved the look, but have been very happy with how it works and, of course, the capacity. And no, the fact that it is not self cleaning has not posed a problem for us - even with the weekly bread cooking at 500F.

My other favorite change over the last year and a half is the addition of the cafe curtains. Living in the urban suburbs of Chicago, our neighbors are literally a driveway width away. Not great for privacy. Replacing the roman shade with the cafe curtains allows us plenty of natural light, while maintaining our privacy. Plus, the little splash of color is a welcome addition to our mostly white kitchen. 

In search of additional and somewhat unconventional storage, we opted to hang our bread boards on the wall. Kitchen artwork is always such a challenge - do you go with the obligatory food/wine image or not? Now we have something pretty to look at as well as functional. Two birds, one stone. 

Yup, that's a Christmas wreath hanging on the back door. And no, these pictures aren't old. What can I say? I like it. Holding on to the season just a bit longer. 

Check back later in the week for an update on my 'behind the scenes' project.

linking in with:

Tuesday's Treasures

Wow us Wednesday

until next time, 

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