Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Home Tour Tuesday - The Kitchen

Hello, friends!  Welcome to another edition of  Home Tour Tuesday.  So far we've seen the "mystery room" and the not-so-formal dining room and today we're headed to the kitchen.  




For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted a white kitchen.  Maybe it's because I grew up with one.  And our very first starter home as a married couple had a white kitchen, too.  But really, I just think white kitchens are so clean and pretty.

When we were looking for a home 3 years ago, we only had one day to find what we wanted and there were only a handful of houses on the market in our area.  I didn't exactly have the luxury...or time...to be picky.  I absolutely adored the house we're in now, but I wasn't a fan of the kitchen at all.  It was just so dark and not "us" at all.  


I thought the cabinets were beautiful...but they weren't white.

I wished for butcher board countertops...not granite.

And I didn't know what in the world I would do with all the roosters.  LORD...the roosters!!!!!

Please understand me when I say that I'm not knockin' roosters.  But my kitchen was filled with them...on the backsplash...on the pulls and knobs for our cabinets....in the chandelier...they were everywhere!!!

Instead of pulling the trigger and changing everything as soon as we moved in, we decided it would be better to live in the house for a while before making any major changes.  Figure out exactly what we wanted, what we couldn't live without, and what we wanted to do away with.  Since we planned on this being our "forever home", I didn't mind waiting it out.

No matter how hard I tried to love our cabinets, I just didn't.  At all. Our kitchen doesn't have a ton of natural light and the cabinet stain just made the space feel so closed in and dark.  After 2 & 1/2 years of going back and forth, "should we??  should we not??", we finally decided to have the cabinets painted.  And I couldn't be happier with the results.



We don't have a huge kitchen, but it's open to the rest of the main living areas so it feels a lot bigger than it is.  After living in two homes with lots of counterspace, I can say that I definitely prefer the minimal counterspace in this house.  Less to clean and keep clean.

We decided against an island because we don't want to close in the space anymore than it already is.  However, I recently saw a skinny island and thought "maybe" that might work.  We'll see...

I would still love butcher block countertops, but Mr. Spouse isn't sold.  And I've heard they're a beating to maintain.  But man, they're beautiful.  I'd love to change out the chandelier, too.

All in all, I'm in love with our "new" kitchen!!!

I love our farmhouse sink.  One of my most favorite kitchen features.


Glass flour & sugar jars:  Wal Mart (I've seen them at Target, too)
Utensil holder:  Pressed Tin Planter, Southern Living at Home (11 years ago!)


Remember the roosters I was telling you about earlier?!  Here they are in all their glory.


We are not taking them down.  These guys have grown on me and I'm in love with them.  The former homeowners were so very proud of this kitchen.  The husband painted these roosters by hand.  I love that we still have something of theirs as a way to pay homage to them and their vision for their "dream house".  Plus, it's a great conversation piece and the butt of so many jokes with our friends :)  They really do add so much character to this little space!

These glass cabinets were always here and when we painted them all white, I decided to have the inside of the glass enclosures painted a charcaol gray to help give it a little depth & dimension and break up all the white.  Plus, I really wanted all of my white dishes and pitchers to pop against the darker color!!!


My dishes are just plain white and I love them.  Nothing fancy.  Nothing expensive.  Just plain white.  I love being able to display my grandma's china, too.  Her teacups are my favorite little sentimental piece.  

Decorating the top of the cabinets called for a complete overhaul, too.  I did away with all the dated greenery and whatnot and decided to use that space for my white pitcher collection.  I've also displayed a few wooden trays and crates, some galvanized tin, and metal canisters.
This is a work in progress because I'm not totally happy with it.  Maybe I'm thinking too hard.  I don't want it to be cluttered, but I don't want it to be plain, either.  Still workin' on it.


Grocery sign:  Hobby Lobby
White pitchers:  ALL over the place...mostly Marshall's & Ross, but several are from antique stores
Wooden trays:  Ross
Galvanized tin buckets:  Ross
Farmers Market Turquoise canister:  Home Goods
Bird pictures:  local trade days, but I've seen these everywhere!!!


Does anybody else have this fridge??  Can I tell you how much I don't like it??  The freezer on the bottom is ALWAYS leaking.  Always!!!!!  I have a friend with the same one and she says hers does the same thing!!!  Grrrr!!!  I kept the top of the fridge minimally decorated.  The artichoke pillars are from Ross and so is the Farm Fresh crate.  Such a fun find!!!  I put two more of those exact same crates on the opposite wall right above the cabinets on either side of the stove.

Right next to the fridge is our little coffee bar.  It's a bit busy and cluttered, but I love it.  And you know what I love even more?!?!  That precious artwork from my boys!!!!


Coffee & Tea canisters:  Marshall's
Mug tree:  World Market
Coffee sign:  handlettered by me, from Hobby Lobby
Wooden tray:  Ross


Moving right along...

Here's our little breakfast nook that's attached to the kitchen.  I love this space!!!!  It's so quaint and cozy.  We eat dinner at this table every night and this is where the boys do their homework, too.  


Rug:  World Market (3 years ago on clearance!!!  $75!!! )
Table:  Hand-me-down
Chairs:  antique fairs and local trade days
Chandelier:  Home Depot
Curtains:  Home Depot, Martha Stewart (I have two panels on either side)
Woven wood blinds:  Lowe's
EAT letters:  Hobby Lobby


This is the table I grew up eating on.  It eventually followed my brothers to college and then ended up back at my mom & dad's.  As you can imagine, this table has seen it's share of rough times...especially in a bachelor pad in College Station...so when I got her she really needed some TLC.  I painted the legs white and then the top brown.  This table is A LOT bigger than this...it has two leaves that fold out...but I like to keep it small so we'll have more space.  


Beaded charger:  Target
Stand:  antique fair
Boxwood ball:  Ross

My husband followed this tutorial to make these shelves.  When we hung them, it was about 3 in the morning the night before I hosted a baby shower for my sister and we hung them the wrong way.  The bottom should be on top and vice versa, but I actually sorta love it better this way.  And Adam refused to put more holes in the wall :)  Hahahaha.  I inherited the buffet from my grandma and it's been several different colors.  I finally settled on white and it fits so perfectly in this little room.  I think I even love the decor on the shelves....FINALLY!!!

Buffet:  grandma's
Window:  local trade days
Pitchers:  Marshall's & Ross
Glass bottles:  Home Goods
Subway art:  Hobby Lobby
Nesting bowls:  Anthropologie
Shelves:  made by husband following THIS TUTORIAL
Milk crate:  Home Goods
Milk jugs:  TJ MAXX

The curtains on these windows have changed more times than I like to count, but I'm happy to report I've finally found a winner!!!  We've had these hanging for a little over a year or so and that's more than I can say for the others.  There  used to be white wooden blinds on the windows, but it needed a different look and loved the idea of adding some dimension with woven woods (kind of echoing the window treatments in the other rooms).


Mom and I found this antique washing table at a local trade days several months ago.  I got it for a steal and knew exactly where I'd put it!!!  I love this thing!!!  I found this amazing piece  above the table at Home Goods and had to scoop it up.  It was the only one.  I had lots of china teacups I inherited from my grandma and couldn't wait to display them.  They're the perfect size.  A girlfriend of mine suggested I use this piece as an advent calendar during the Christmas holidays and that's EXACTLY what I plan to do!!!!  Such a great idea!  I'm not 100% sold on the way this space is decorated at the moment, but it'll do for now...and then change about 15 more times in the weeks to come.


Table:  local trade days
Wire basket:  Ross
Pitcher:  Marshall's
Moss balls: Tuesday Morning
White tray:  Ross
Display shelf:  Home Goods
Fresh Eggs sign:  Home Goods

So that's our kitchen & breakfast nook in a nutshell!!!  Next week...the living room!!


























26 comments:

  1. I love your style!!! This will be my inspiration for decorating my new house! Could I maybe email you and get your opinion on some awkward spaces in my house?

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    1. You are so sweet :) Of course you can! Not sure if I'll be much help, but I'm happy to try!!

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  2. So crazy how the white cabinets change up the whole look! You are making me want to re-do my kitchen now!

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    1. Don't they though?! It looks totally different!!! I'm sure your kitchen is stunning!

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  3. Love!!!! The cabinets turned out gorgeous!!! I like how you kept the roosters as a nod to the original owners, very sweet. And that farmhouse sink...swoon!

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    1. Thank you!!! Those roosters :) I really do love 'em! HA!

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  4. I love your kitchen! We are planning on painting our cabinets white...I've always wanted a white kitchen. So this post was timely and helpful. We're still debating DIY or hiring out. It looks like a pain, but I know it will be worth it since I spend most of my time in there. I love the decor on top of your cabinets.

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    1. We debated doing it ourselves, too. We *almost* did. We had a local company come in and they did it all by hand. It took them 5 days, but they sanded, primed, the whole 9 yards. There was so much attention to detail. I can tell you right now we would've cut a million corners and the paint would already be peeling :) Hahaha!!! Good luck with yours!! You won't regret it!

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  5. Thanks so much for the tour!! I do LOVE the white kitchen!! I can tell summer vacation is closing in.. I am itching to do some house redecorating! :)

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  6. I have been anxiously awaiting the kitchen tour! So I think maybe we could be soul sisters- we had our very nice oak kitchen cabinets painted white last year, and I couldn't be happier with them! We have granite on all of our surrounding counters but have butcher block on our island- it does take a beating but I use it like CRAZY. I kind of like the beat up, worn look of it- gives it character. Your decorating is out of this world- if you come to Ohio let me know. I will make warm scones in exchange for decorating help! ha! The HomeGoods shelf/advent calendar is my favorite thing ever- I remember seeing it awhile ago on insta. I too have a teacup collection that my mom started for my when I was little and would LOVE something like this! Thank you for sharing!!! :)

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    1. DOn't you just LOVE them now?!?!?! I love the worn look of butcher block, too! I bet yours is STUNNING!!!!!

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  7. Love the white - you're right, it really brightens and freshens up the space!

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  8. OMG...We had that fridge for a hot second, like two days and retuned it. I love our new one. It seemed really cool in the store. :) Love everything about your house!

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    1. We should've done the same thing!!! This fridge is the bain of my existence!! AWFUL!!!!

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  9. The chickens!!! Oh how I love them...and I'm not even a "chicken person". :o)

    JJ
    www.dressupnotdown.blogspot.com

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  10. The white cabinets made a HUGE difference! And...I have to say, I'm kind of in love with your roosters, too! It definitely adds character!

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  11. I love you kitchen nook area, and I actually liked the look of your "old" kitchen better-but both looks are really nice. I just prefer the darker stain cabinets. And, the roosters blend in so nicely as well, very nice.

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    1. My mom said the same thing when we had our cabinets painted. She was so sad we made the switch!!! She loved the darker stain...more warm and cozy!!! I really didn't mind them terribly, I just love the way the white brightens it up!

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  12. We have the same fridge and what a pain! My boys have all slipped and fallen on the water that seeps out. We've also had to replace the touch panel twice because it cracked!
    I am seriously considering painting my cabinets white also. Was it expensive to have them done? Is it something I could tackle or would you recommend hiring out?

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  13. Oh my goodness! LOVE everything about this kitchen space! Would you mind sharing what brand and color paint you used on the buffet and kitchen table? I'm in the process of doing the exact same thing and can't seem to find the right color, you would be a lifesaver if you would share your expertise! :)

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