Making Plans

So, it's six years coming and likely another six months or so of serious contemplation and planning, but it going to happen. Eventually.When we first moved in, I began making plans immediately to change the colors. It's a large kitchen--well, the largest I've ever had. The walls were a bright sunshine yellow and the cabinets were a glossy white. The first thing I did was paint--the yellow became Laura Ashley gold 4 (or maybe it was 5).
Our big project, though was before we hosted our first Thanksgiving in the house (we moved in in July) was to paint the cabinets. First we sanded, then a layer of the same Laura Ashley gold 4 or 5. Then, THREE coats of black later, I started sanding--aging the cabinets. We didn't seal them--I wanted them to continuing wearing/aging. We added new hardware. In between coats--while they were drying--we attached ceiling tin for our back splash. This stuff is the real thing--difficult to manipulate, cut, and attach to the wall. We didn't seal this either--I wanted it to patina. I LOVE it.
So that's it. Since then I've been bringing home floor samples and looking at appliances.



There is a lot that I like about my kitchen:
I like my stereo. I LOVE my island. It was a huge desk I found junkin' in Germany. Darren hated this thing--it took-up our entire garage for almost a year. I had NO idea what I would do with it. It had no feet; the top was destroyed--the veneer was lifting; it had no knobs on the doors (still doesn't--still thinking on those). I ordered the feet and added them. I attached a piece of plywood to create a "bridge" across the leg space. It now holds a small number of my cookbooks on one side and a wine rack on the other. We topped it with a piece of salvaged granite--it was slightly short so we finished the edges with some quarter-sawn wood we found under the house. The beauty of this island is that it's the perfect height for my short-self.
I also love this sink--it'll stay.






Not that this is a fixture, but I love our table. I found the base at a flea market in Germany--again, no real plan for it. When we got here, I found the door and we eventually made it into our table.

So, that's what I love.


Here's what I don't care for:

I hate my counter tops. I really, really dislike my flooring. It looks dirty even when it's just been washed.

I dislike--strongly--this oven. I've never liked it, but since the incident of the open house weekend (when it blew-out two burners) it's never been quite right. It's not big enough for the large meals I sometimes get to prepare.

Well, I could go on and probably will in future blog posts. If you have suggestions for me. Personal experience with certain brands, types of flooring, whatever--I'm interested. Have you renovated your kitchen? Any tips?

Thanks for your indulgence.

Paige