An Update on the Kitchen Here in Our Cottage-In-The-Making

Long time no see!

Sorry about the crazy-long break ... wow!

end-of-year-school-stuff for our boys can really kick me in the patooty:O)

It catches me off guard each year because it's actually

more than the hussle-n-bussle of the holidays
... it really is ... 
but now summer vacation has officially begun!

YEE-HAW!

I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE having my boys at home ...

I'm just one of those moms who loves being at home with her kids!

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Sooooooooooo ... here's a quick update on our kitchen flip ...

Remember this wall's beginnings?

Those old green walls are gone!

I painted them White Sand by BMpaints 
and everything you see in white is 
Decorator's White by BMpaints.

Isn't it just dreamy?  I love it!

Here are some more pics of the current uppers ...

By the way ... I would love your feedback on
our current updates ... let me know how you
feel about the colors, design, execution!
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These were my initial thoughts in color & textures ...

White dishes, glassware, mason jars, earth tones,
some sort of basket system,
and the yummy warm color found in that,
oh so adorable,
crock!


As you can see it turned out a bit different ...


This is our first home that I can display some of our
Land's End dinnerware :O)

Didn't Dan do a fabulous job adding detail trim to
these old 70's cabinets ... :O)
I just love that man!

These wooden corbels were about $10 at
The Home Depot ... they add that country farmhouse
style that I so love.
And that bead board is more of the same great stuff ...
wallpaper!

Dan added a small bead of trim at the top of the
original cabinet ... then he added a 1 x 4 to increase 
height and then finally the crown molding to give
it that WOW factor.  And wow it is!

Do you remember in the recent post called
"How to make those bookshelves sing!"
There are some helpful suggestions for layout & design
when loading book shelves.  I applied these same 
techniques to the country cupboard.


(1)
The picture above shows a Vera Bradley, Cooking with Friends  
cookbook under the little tea-pot my dear friend, 
Susan Carter, gave me as a going away gift when we 
moved from Colorado to Massachusetts.
The white cookbook was in a (pretty but) bright blue book jacket ... 
so after unwrapping the jacket ... I found a hard bound book in the
exact color palette I was gunnin' for!


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(2)
The picture below applies rule #2

work from the left to the right on the first shelf 

and 

right to left on the next

this will help achieve balance

and 

keep the viewer's eyes flowing in a zig-zag pattern

soooo ... start at the top left and move right ...

do you see the zig-zag pattern?

(this is when I wish I had Photshop so that I could

draw fun little arrows to help make my point!)

Here are some everyday household items that

look great in a mason jar ... 

Bingo Balls

&

Scrabble Pieces

:O)

I got this idea from my most recent PB

on the itty-bitty desk ... there are two glass jars
with everyday household items ...
clothespins and scrabble pieces!




Isn't it good to display something that is functional too!

I think I'll display them in these jars found at IKEA.com

I really like the brushed nickel lid which will
go nicely with the cabinet hardware 
and 
pendant lights above the peninsula

pendant lights for the peninsula

 drawer pulls and door knobs


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The baskets were a bit of a challenge

but I am very happy with the ones I settled on ...

 

the darker stained baskets were too dark in this

very light and airy space PLUS the wood floor we'll

be installing (Red Oak w/Rustic Grain) will blend

so much better with the ones below ... 

and

these Waterhyacinth Baskets from Pier1.com are

great for storage (can't see through them)

and

they won't scratch the new paint job!

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I hope to hear from you -- until then
happy summer :O)