The Kitchen

Well here it is, the long awaited kitchen reveal.  Is it finished? Of course not, because nothing in this house is EVER finished, so you might as well see it as we go.  I think I may be entering my "blue" period. I love how fresh and different everything looks, but I am already looking for ways to incorporate a little red here and there.  I like to stretch myself a little but I still need some of my favorite things and colors :>) Don't we all?

So grab a cuppa, this is a longer post than usual but I just had to show you the progress

A small collection of blue and white plates adds some color to the corner

I looked back at my archives, it looks like the last time I painted was 2010. I find it fascinating how my taste has changed over the years. I credit blogging and especially Pinterest. It's so easy to gather rooms I love on a pinboard and then analyze what they all have in common. 

 

That is a real boon for someone like me who,

a. Tends to fly by the seat of my pants without a plan when decorating.

b. Likes so many different things it can make me confused about what I want and where I want to go with my decorating.

 

This is the 2010 mini remodel. It really brightened up the kitchen but it wasn't long before I realized it just wasn't doing it for me. I had abdicated and let my daughter choose the color. It was pretty, but it wasn't me.

And just for grins this is what the kitchen looked like before that. Yikes! This was one of those times that I woke up and decided to paint that day, (see point a. above). Earl was gone hunting, I had a day off and that is just how impulsive I can be. I did this in early November, just before the holidays and I am sure that the warmth of the color going into a cold, dreary Michigan winter influenced my choices. I loved it at the time. It was fresh and warm and felt a little daring.

This is the same corner today.  Ahhhh, fresh cottage farmhouse.  We changed out the lights, painted the kitchen a warm creamy white (I dumped all my leftover whites together, no lie. The only bummer is I will never be able to get this color again.) I have all my paperwork junk hidden in that cute thrifted basket on the shelf, with another basket below to hold my potatoes. It works great, out of sight with enough air circulation that they don't spoil quickly.

Here is a larger view of the kitchen, quite a change from the dark red and oak cabinets of yesteryear.  We painted the cabinets right after the 2010 photo so they need some touching up already.  The wood countertop is from Ikea, of course, and it is by far the most economical counter material we could find.  The whole thing cost around $500 and I love it! It's warm and beautiful. We didn't stain it, just finished with natural dark tung oil and citrisolve which did darken it a little and is a fabulous finish. It is all natural, non toxic, (although we do not use our counter for cutting!), and best of all since we finished the counter in the winter when we were not able to open the windows, the tung oil had a citrus scent that was much easier to deal with inside than a stinky solvent smell.  I have already dripped paint on it (shhhh, don't tell Earl!) and didn't notice until the little drop was dry. It came right off without a trace when I picked at it with my nail. We applied extra coats around the sink and at first we were really careful to wipe up any drop of water we saw, but sooner or later you are going to have water you didn't see, glasses that sweat on the counter and leave a ring, etc. We have found that even those things have not left a mark, it has proven to be a very durable finish!

The curtains were found at Salvation Army last week for $2.99 each. I saw buffalo check valences at Kohls at 60% off clearance that same day for $12.99 which means I got a great deal. I had been thinking of buying buffalo check fabric and these saved me a lot of time and money. I like the color they add and the fact that they don't block the light.  I am enjoying all the white, but you know by now, I have to have some color or I'm just not happy.

The lights are from Home Depot, I was afraid they would glare when we bought them, but I really loved the look. I am happy to report that they cast a wonderful light and don't glare at all. The glass shades are beautiful when we turn on the lights and I love the farmhouse look they give.

The beautiful Irish linen tea towel by the sink was a giveaway win from my friend Barbara at Cornish Cream blog, sent all the way from England. It is gorgeous and I will always think of her when I use it :>)

I know it's wrong to love "things" but I have to say, my new white sink was l♥ve at first sight.  It looks nice and bright against the warm wood countertop and I'm not a stainless steel lovin girl. Earl was lobbying for stainless, but once we got this sink in he loved it too.

This little corner holds my aprons on the mosaic hook that I won from my dear friend Penny at The Comforts of Home. I love it every time I look at it and always think of her. She has been visiting this blog since almost the first post, and that is going on 8 years! I don't know how she found me, but I have been grateful so many times that she did. She is an encourager and kindred spirit and I hope we never lose touch :>)

And finally, the coffee corner, a little red geranium for a touch of my favorite color and a mug tree from World Market (super affordable!) makes this a spot we gravitate to many times a day. Again, coffee spills are a regular occurrence, but the countertop has not stained and seems to just get smoother with use.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the tour:>)  Things are bound to change a little here and there, they always do, but this gives you a basic idea of what the kitchen looks like now.

Is there any remodeling in your future?