Updates to the Kitchen

A few months ago my job moved to a new building and bought all new furniture.  This was great because they were getting rid of every little thing that was in the old office (for the most part).  I snagged a couple of items and have put them to great use since.  One of those things was a kitchen cart.  It was perfect because I wanted one for the kitchen anyway and I didn't even realize that it was a cart until I pulled it out of the corner in the break room that it had been in for years.  I thought it was just a metal shelving stand and I had intentions on putting it into my office as a new more sturdy place for my printer and paper.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was a cart with wheels and everything!  I had been wanting to add an island here since last year when we had a small table in there temporarily and I liked the extra work space that it provided.  I thought this cart would make an ideal temporary island.  It cleaned up great and is a nice little addition the kitchen.

Here's a before of the kitchen a while back.  It has pretty much been like this for 1.5 years.

And here is the "island" now!

Oh yeah, I also scored that vase from the old office, too (the flowers were from our rose bush out front)!

Next for kitchen updates is some art work that I DIYed.  My intention was to hang a few art prints related to kitchens or cooking on the large wall that separates the kitchen from the dining room.  I searched for a few quotes and came across one that I liked and turned it into an art print.  I also liked the silhouette images of kitchen gadgets that I had seen around pinterest, so I got a few images from a free clip art site and made silhouettes of four different gadgets then paired it with the print.  Here is the wall a few years back (old image, excuse the small size).

Still a work in progress, so this is it so far.

If I decide to stick with the gallery wall idea, I'd like to do something like this:

Of course I would use different images that match better and aren't as busy, but hopefully you get an idea of what I'm thinking overall.

So that's all for the kitchen changes thus far.  I think it's coming along okay, but I have been thinking about repainting in there again.  Oy!

Challenging Space- Above the Kitchen Cabinets

I'm still in the process of decorating my kitchen.  It has been a while since something was done in there, but I've actively been looking for the perfect light fixture (this could have something to do with the 2/3 fluorescent lights blowing out and knowing that the third one is on its way).  I have also been a little puzzled with what to do with the space above the cabinets.  You know, that awkward area between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling.  Our kitchen for example:

I don't want plants, beer bottles or wine bottles displayed there, so what other clean, clever, modern options do I have?

Here are a few ideas that I came across:

Layering in a corner                               

I love the way these surprise elements add interest to the kitchen and draw your eyes up.  I also enjoy the fact that this area isn't too busy; it's very clean and chic.

Add windows                                                                       

This is a great way to get more natural light flowing through your house, and definitely adds interest to the kitchen (if it's within your budget!).

Add a stencil/wallpaper to the top of the wall                            

This will add visual interest as well, and you will be able to keep the top of the cabinets bare.

Upshine!                                                                                  

Add some under-counter lighting to the tops of the cabinets so that the light will shine up.  This will also give the room more dimension.

Cute plates                                                          

I love the look of this.  It's kind of an updated version of adding antique plates to the tops.  You can also choose plates with designs that compliment the theme of your home.

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Do you all have this space in your home?  If so, how do you decorate it, or do you just keep it empty?

Wooden cabinetry anyone?

I understand that white kitchens are the thing right now, and believe me I LOVE a white kitchen.  The problem is that the cabinetry in my kitchen is cherry...and the house isn't old, so there would be no point in altering them.  I still enjoy wooden colored cabinetry, and I'm going to find a way to make it sexy again (along with black appliances)!  Here are a few inspiring images-

 

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I feel another kitchen painting session coming on...have I mentioned the decisive person in training to you before?

Live in rooms full of light...

...Says Cornelius Celsus. I agree with him. Light is such a beautiful thing, especially shining into a room. I prefer sunlight, but of course I have to see at night. With that being said, I have still been on the hunt for a kitchen light. As stated in previous posts, I really want to get rid of that builder's grade fluorescent rectangular growth on the ceiling. I want something more modern and chic. One issue...since we have an open floor plan, the dining room light and kitchen light have to look similar, otherwise it will just look crazy. This has been a challenge because I envisioned a different style of light in the dining room from the kitchen. Oh well, we'll figure it out. In the meantime, here are a few lights that I enjoy and am considering purchasing:




{The following is my favorite...but not the price...eek!}


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So confused...and this is where the decisive person in training would take over. It's not working though.

Kitchen Progress

This post comes to you after weeks of pleasant changes (which is why I haven't posted in so long...forgive me!).

When I last spoke of the kitchen, I showed the pre and post painting pictures. We have made a few more additions, though we aren't done completely. To start, I visited the site 20x200 which is a site that you can purchase various pieces of limited edition wall art in a variety of sizes at a variety of prices. According to their website,

"When we first launched, the smallest size was reprinted in the largest batch — an edition of 200 — and sold at the lowest price — $20. Hence the name 20x200".

Cute/Witty right? Since I am a visual artist, I tend to enjoy things that aren't of the norm, and I pay close attention to certain details. Okay, maybe I'm just anal. Tomato Tomahto. Any who, I didn't know what kind of imagery would look nice in a kitchen. I didn't want anything that screamed, "This is a kitchen!!", but I didn't want anything that screamed, "This is NOT a kitchen!!". After searching, I came across this image:

It's called "Ideal Bookshelf 102: Cooking" by Jane Mount. According to her,

"I paint people's ideal bookshelves: your favorite books, books that changed your life, books that made you who you are."

Granted, I'm not a chef, but I still appreciate the design of book covers and such. So I ordered it. The best part about it is that I already had a frame in mind to use (re-purpose!). I was planning to get a mat board to place the image inside of the mat and have Michaels (or whoever) cut it down to size. Then miraculously, as I was cleaning out the guest room closet (more on that later), I found old art work of mine and old mat board! Hence, I did my own matting and framing.

Progress:
The final piece:

Oh, did I mention that I bought a rug it Ikea that was only $20?! Hopefully it won't fall apart, ha! It's held up well thus far.
Here it is all together:
Now I just need to find a new light fixture to replace the fluorescent one that is there, and attempt to organize/decorate the pantry. Okay, maybe I'm being a little overzealous on that one.

Indecisive No More!

Wow, what a busy weekend this was! Thankfully I felt like I spent my time wisely, because often times I feel like the weekend has slipped away with no accomplishments under my belt.

To start off, I FINALLY painted the kitchen! I decided on a color called "Whispering Wind" by Olympic. Since our kitchen has darker cabinets and darker floors, I wanted to use a paint that was light just so that it would still feel as light and airy as possible. The color of the paint chip looked like a shade of greige (gray and beige for those unfamiliar with that term...hey, I just learned it last week), but it looked more like light gray once it was up. That was fine with me though because I love gray anyway!

Hopefully you will be able to tell the difference in the before and after pictures, because the new color looks similar to the old color. Of course I can tell the difference because I'm anal enjoy details!

Before

After

Before

After

After

Now it's time to find some art work, a different light fixture and reorganize the pantry! Okay, maybe not the pantry just yet...

Kitchen Sink Gadget Solution

Lets get honest here...is this or is this not a mess?

I vote YES! With all of the little cleaning gadgets that we had, this poor little Ikea basket runneth over in a bad way. I had been looking for a storage solution for this issue for a while and finally found something.

Yeah I know, a measly tissue box holder. BUT I found this at Home Goods in the clearance section for $2.50 and decided to flip it over and VOILA!

I'll be posting pictures of the kitchen this week, so stay tuned!

*all images via my mobile, therefore, excuse the graininess!*

All I can say is...

...THANK YOU tiered bamboo spice shelf!

And thanks to this image...

We got this...


Yay!