Whats with the insanely sexist title you ask? I'm feeling silly. Overtly and overly sexist ridiculousness is a running joke in my house so I figured I would bring it to the blog, too. You're welcome.
Anywho. I started writing down what I want to incorporate into the kitchen in the new house. Then I remembered I started a blog for these sorts of ideas. Derp.
In a nutshell, what I want in the kitchen is practical, usable space, as much storage as possible, light, bright and airy with the whimsical beach cottage slant. Pretty much like the rest of the house. Color-wise, I am going white walls, colored cabinetry (shades of celery green), the same dark flooring as the rest of the house and I already have stainless steel appliances.
Now, onto the nitty gritty:
I will be doing 2-tones of the same color on the cabinets. I am going to reuse the cabinets that currently live in the kitchen as much as possible, and otherwise will go out to ReStore and try to get cheap-o ones. They are going to be painted anyway, so as long as their bones are good, I don't care if they mach. That is what paint is for.
There are two ways I can go with getting two shades on the cabinetry. My first thought was to go with something I saw on http://www.centsationalgirl.com
It is a very subtle difference here. I think doing the faces in one color and the frame in a lighter version is so sophisticated and lovely. But maybe it is too sophisticated for a casual cottage? Then I ran across this picture:
Here is a kitchen that is the wrong colors, and too busy for my taste, but there is something so warm and wonderful about it. Is it the light coming through the window? The glass shelves above the sink (I might have to incorporate that for a little mini herb garden)? All the greenery (plants, not paint) they have about? Maybe it is the way the owners have incorporated the 2-tone cabinetry. I am really leaning more towards this version of 2-tones.
Plus the added fun bonus... Adding glass to some of the cabinet doors (or leaving the doors off completely) and painting the interior of the upper cabs the same color as the lower, darker cabs would be so delightful. Observe:
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| Does that looks like they might have painted over beadboard wallpaper inside the cabinets to you, too? |
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| from Martha Stewart |
As far as counter tops go... it's been a real thinker. I currently have Corian, and I am not happy with it. It scratches. And it leaves marks if you put something hot on it. And it just looks cheap. Not as cheap as laminate of course, but I still am not happy with it. I am against the idea of tile too, so that is just out. I have never had to live with grout, but I am guessing I would hate it. A lot. We aren't the cleanest of people, and just the idea of all the little bits getting stuck in the grout-tracks gives me the willies. I need a nice flat surface that I can run a cloth over and know I got everything up.
Granite and marble are probably out of the picture, even if we find remnants or go to liquidators. It will just be too much cash to put out at the get go. So, I have turned to the idea of butcher block counter tops. The more I think about it, the more I LOVE the idea. I would not seal them so that 1) they could be usable - I am a cook. I love cooking, and the idea of a counter top that is not food safe boggles the mind 2) the raw wood has natural anti-bacterial qualities 3) although I probably wouldn't cut on them much, over time, the roughening up of the wood surface would totally fit in the with rest of the house decor and 4) it's cheap. I have been reading you can do the whole kitchen in butcher block from Ikea for $300 bucks in materials. Yes please.
This one looks to be sealed, but I am not sure.
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| http://www.theletteredcottage.net/ |
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| Decorpad.com |
Additionally, I am going to re-purpose a JC Penny Kitchen Cart I already own to fit the decor of the room. The unit I have looks along the lines of this, but it is a bit longer, and is all dark cherry stained wood:
My idea is to sand and paint the unit white, add some feet instead of the wheels, then get a remnant of granite or marble for the top in order to create an island on the cheap. I hope to find a topper that will overhang enough so that I can tuck a couple of stools at one side and have this double as a food prep (insta cutting board!) station and casual dining space. Not that we EVER eat anywhere but at the computer desks. In the house we are looking at, there is a non-load bearing wall in the way if where I want this beastie to go, dividing the kitchen from the dining area and living room. I smell demolition in it's future. Barring that (my pockets, they are not so deep), this will just get pushed up against where the wall currently is. I guess. Psh.
Another detail: bead board backsplash. So adorable! I have been seeing the look a lot on decorator blogs. Honestly though, how can you not love it. It is no wonder it has caught on with gusto.
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| http://kleypas.blogspot.com |
The place we are looking at does not have a pantry, so I thought that this was a great idea when I saw it on http://kleypas.blogspot.com (her redone kitchen sure looks a lot like what I envision for my future home...). Using free-standing cabinetry as a pantry, and then replacing the solid door with curtained frame is such a good idea. Plus, you can make the curtain tie in colors to your liking, easily clean it, and change it on it whim.
Not that I would get that whim very often.
Finally, lighting. I hate how dreary my current kitchen is, and it isn't even that dreary. I am just in the kitchen for most of my free time on weekdays and having fun creating fun foods on weekends, so I demand LIGHT. I want recessed lights all over the ceiling and over the sink (or maybe a pendant lamp there, but husband would hit his head on the rare occasions he does dishes). I want undercab lighting. And I want a pendant lamp in lieu of a chandelier or whatever over my island seating. If it is half as cute as this one, I will just squee:
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| from Coastal Living |
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