Canisters on parade

Over the weekend several of my canisters broke leading to wonder, what should I do next?

Owl Cookie Jar   ::   Ribbed Cannister  ::  Biscotti Jar  ::   Montana Canister 

Kitchen Envy :: {+ a top secret project}

We are in the middle of working on a super top secret project, but I am so excited that I can't help but give you a hint...  

That's right, there's a new kitchen in the works.  We have some really exciting projects coming up that require a new kitchen and this one is going to be awesome.  I can't wait to share more with you!


{it's not the kitchen at my house}

You can use that for what?

I'm on Q13 this morning at 8:45am with a few 'unusual' uses for household items.  Not only is this multi-tasking at it's finest, but these are all natural ingredient!  What will you use them for?

Kitchen Envy :: Kitchen of the Month{s}

It's been ages since I posted a 'Kitchen of the Week' - mostly because my kitchen is so far away from being remodeled it just makes me feel sad to see fabulous kitchens when I'm dealing with sub-fabulous.   But yesterday I was reading Habitually Chic about Gwyneth Paltrow's new house and I just had to share the kitchen.  You can see the whole house here - it was a Veranda Magazine project - or see just the kitchen below.

Things I love about this kitchen
:: Grey.
:: The use of brass accents
:: The island doubles as a prep area and a table to sit at
:: A dish washing 'station' carved out with dish racks, a sink, and a dishwasher
:: A few cozy chairs encourage people to stay and chat.  My family will stay and chat on a rugged outdoor bench.  An upholstered chair would be luxurious.

Kitchen Envy :: Mid-Century Kitchens

For how much I am inspired by the clean look of the "mid century" style - the kitchen provides a much less literal inspiration.  Kitchens in the 1950's were also a reaction to clean efficiency with built in appliances and matching cabinets.  They were still, however, tucked into the corner of the house away from the 'living' spaces.

When I tell people that we want to bring the house back to the era it was built in (and probably really cool in) they start talking about these kinds of kitchens.  It doesn't work for me.  I'm not actually trying to live in the 1950's - just revel in the good parts of the design from the 1950's.  Since I spend my entire day in the kitchen, it needs to be a good one.  And because my family (extended) seems to all gather in the kitchen, it needs to be a big one.

Do you like how the above Formica ad starts with "there is a definite trend toward making mother a member of the family again."

I've been looking at loads of "mid-century" ideas and it seems like so many people abandon the basic principals behind the kitchens of the 50's and just install a modern space.  Which raises the question - how do you create a 1950's kitchen that isn't a 1950's kitchen?

Twin Palms, Frank Sinatra's house in Palm Springs, has done an amazing job of renovating the kitchen to make it chef worthy while keeping with the original style.  Starting with St. Charles steel cabinets seems to help.

Frank Sinatra's kitchen now

and then

And we still have to find a way to integrate into the rest of the house...  This is part of why I love remodeling.  The challenges are everywhere and it's so fun to search for a solution.  Stay tuned!  The basement is coming along swimmingly and the upstairs remodel is only a little ways off!


Retro images from here.
Sinatra house images from here.

Kitchen Envy :: Kitchen of the week

I find myself being pickier and pickier on kitchens recently as we start to figure out a plan for our future kitchen.  So I've been less envious of kitchens and much more critical.  Then this morning this kitchen was posted on Design*Sponge and it felt like the perfect combination of the sleek modern that Mr. Hedin wants and the comfortably functional that I need.

See the whole Before & After here

Kitchen Envy :: White + Brass

I am really into brass fixtures right now.  I have some concern that it could be a bit dated, but since I am a few years away from a finished new kitchen, I have time to mull it over.

My sister picked up an issue of Canadian House and Home recently and the cover kitchen made me swoon.  Maybe it's the brass?  More likely it's the all white, modern vibe that still feels timeless.  Adore it.  And with Ikea cabinets, it's totally affordable.

Finding the right hardware seems a bit of a trick.  I found these...

1. Here
2. Here
3. Here
4. Here





See the whole video tour of the house here.

The A-List :: Kitchen Tools

This month's issue of 425 Magazine features an A-List that's near and dear to my heart; kitchen tools.  Because it's something I'm so passionate about, we spent a lot of time making sure our recommendations were tools we would use in our own kitchens.

The tools that made the list this month are ::

:: Staub Pots ::
I rely on these pots for everything from making jam to searing meat.  They distribute the heat really nicely and last for ever.  Literally, they will last for your lifetime at the very least - and my mother-in-law is using one that was her mother-in-law's.  I recommend the La Coquette in a 3 quart to get started.
Find them at Sur la Table, Mrs. Cooks, or Metropolitan Market


:: King's Road Redux Plates ::
Oh Rosanna - another winner.  My maiden name means 'crown' so more crowns are always welcome around our house - well really my mom's house but whatever.  The fact that they are a perfect fall gold only helps this season.
Find them around town, but also at Rosanna's website.


:: Mesh Scoop Colander ::
These came in the mail and I thought "meh."  Turns out I use them more than I would have ever guessed.  Especially helpful with canning peaches as they made plopping them in the hot syrup a snap.  I've also used them for noodles and making soup.  It's become as indispensable as the spider they are created in the image of.
Find them online here - and for $8 you can easily get a few and hand them out.


:: Flexible Mixing Bowls :: 
My sister saw these and thought they looked annoying.  I have found them super useful.  Ways they are useful ::
1. Pouring ice cream base into the ice cream maker
2. Pouring dry ingredients into the mixer
3. Pouring sugar into bubbling berries for making jam
Get your own on amazon.com


The cookbooks were chosen because they are a mix of stunning photography and great recipes/ideas.  More on those coming in the next few weeks.




photo by Jeff Hobson

Kitchen Envy :: Not so much

Every time I'm out doing a demonstration or talking with people I hear "You must have a fabulous kitchen."

No.

If you've asked me that and it seemed like I was stifling laughter, it's because I was.  My kitchen stinks.  My old one didn't.  My old kitchen was awesome.  But it represented a lot of hard work and money.  My new kitchen is - well - new.  Not technically, but new to me.  I have yet to be able to do anything to it because when we start on the kitchen it's going to cause a domino through the rest of the house and we're not quite there yet.

So here's a little tour of what I'm working with ::

The house is a late '50's house with mid-century modern elements throughout.  Sadly, the kitchen was remodeled in the early '90's with maddening results.  The cabinets are really cheap and on plastic glides, which mean the kids can break them really easily.  The countertops are a delightful "blue sparkle" granite which is beyond hideous.  The appliances are just new enough to not require immediate replacement - but just old enough where they don't really work with one notable exception :: the oven.  I am so lucky that the oven works great.  What would I do if I couldn't bake??

Here are a few charming details ::

Lucite cabinet doors + handles.  They wobble :: Drawer fronts that lead to nothing.  ::  The only three prong plug in in the kitchen.  Every appliance seems to require it. ::  Double ovens!!  :: Shelves we installed to create some sense of storage :: The fridge.  It's side by side which means there is no space is either the fridge or freezer.  Lars loves the ice/water feature however...  ::  The top of the fridge is massive for storage.  The top of every cabinet is filled with cookbooks.  It's not the most convenient to get to them, but there's a stool near by.

Why am I sharing this with you?  Because it lends itself perfectly to my Point of View (I've been watching too much Next Food Network Star) - if I can do all of the things I do in this tiny and highly un-functional space then you can too.  It's not glamorous, there isn't enough counter space or storage, but has still produced a few dozen recipes.

For reference, here's what it looked like when we took possession ::

That large cabinet that's blocking you from seeing the kitchen is what came down immediately and was replaced with the Ikea shelves.

We'll start remodeling as soon as the new baby is here and we are feeling somewhat more comfortable with our new FIVE person family...

Before & After :: The Old House Kitchen, final installment

Here's the last piece of our kitchen puzzle.  Day one you saw one wall - yesterday the other - and today the final piece of the kitchen.  Potentially overlooked as not "part of the kitchen" because it doubles as the laundry area, but it is a vital part of why this space works.

BEFORE

Originally this space had plumbing for a washer and dryer and full height bi-fold cabinet doors the entire length of the wall.  They came out immediately.  Before pictures were taken. And on the right you can see a door that leads to a "mud-area/ porch" that we decided to enclose into the kitchen.   The counter that you see jutting out was a temporary fix using a counter from Ikea to get us through until we could finish the kitchen.  

Do you like the half painted door?  Someone's idea of creativity...

INSPIRATION 

AFTER

Because we included the "mud room/porch" into the interior, rather than leaving it as it was originally designed, we were able to extend the cabinets and the counter top all the way to the end wall.  Visually, this creates a lot of space - it does technically too - but it's lovely the way your eye is lead directly out the french doors.

We chose to use upper cabinets here, despite the fact that neither one of us is crazy about upper cabinets, to maximize our storage space.  This is still a small kitchen and we needed to be rational about making room for stuff.  We chose a combination of glass and panel front for practical reasons.  I much prefer glass front, but we did need to store laundry soap and other things that may not need to be seen 24/7.  

The built in washer/dryer has been a source of conversation.  While some have said it's unsightly to have them in the kitchen and others have thought it was trying to have the kitchen do too many things, we have found it highly enjoyable.  Not only can I do laundry while the kids are playing - but laundry gets put away fairly soon.  When it's stacked out for everyone to see, it's a good reminder to put it away - at least when people are coming over.

The bar sink is next to the back door which is great for cleaning up when you come in from outside.  We also keep our collection of pint glasses directly above making getting a glass of water handy.  The coffee pot is makes each cup individually - and we love it.  We make coffee a dozen different ways but this is the simplest way to always have "coffee' available.  The clock was a housewarming gift that came from an old bar on Camano Island.  

Under the bar sink used to be storage for trays.  Then I had kids.  This use has been beyond practical and so nice to be able to have the kids play in the kitchen - and be able to throw their toys in a cupboard really quickly when we need to clean up.

We collect pint glasses from everywhere we go - we have dozens upon dozens that spill from their intended cabinet into the one next door.  

Before & After :: The Old House Kitchen, cont.

Yesterday I showed you what changed on one wall of the kitchen, now I'll show you the opposite side of the kitchen.  This directly faces the wall of cabinets + fridge.

BEFORE

We started with the most minuscule amount of work space and viable cabinet space imaginable.  For reasons unknown to us, the original owners decided to forgo counter space in order to put a small kitchen table and chairs in front of the window at the end.  

I don't think I need to mention the scallops over the sink.   

The cabinets had been painted to get the house "ready for sale" and the cabinet doors on the upper cabinets removed before painting.  I'm not sure the thought behind the pale green exterior and the dark green interior, but someone must have had a plan.  

And because they had hired (I'm assuming) student painters or their nephew to paint the place, it looked awful.  I am super picky about a paint job.  If done right, it makes all the difference in the world.  If done wrong, it will never look good.  Spend your money on a good painter and you will reap the benefits for years.  

THE INSPIRATION

House Beautiful

We looked at a lot of black and white kitchens, more than I can recall even.  This kitchen was the kitchen of the year for House Beautiful in 2007.  Despite the fact that it was just after our remodel, this kitchen has been one of my favorites and is a conglomeration of all of the elements I wanted in a kitchen... -ish.

 AFTER

We opened up the space by first removing the wall to the dining room then adding windows.  The wall to the dining room was unnecessary in such a small house and made the kitchen feel incredibly claustrophobic.  We recaptured space in front of where the old window was and placed the stove there.  By extending the counter out four feet past the stove we created an eat-in area that didn't require a table and chairs.

While the white cabinets and black countertops were always in the plan - the plan was actually for honed granite in Absolute Black.  It looks more like slate or soap stone than granite, which we liked better, but they were way out of our budget - ironically polished granite was in our budget.  Go figure.

The opposite end of the kitchen, where you see the washer and dryer, I'll talk about tomorrow - but that space makes a huge difference in how the kitchen functions.  

We chose to extend the flooring from the rest of the house into the kitchen to visually create a seamless line from one room to the next.  In a small space like this, breaking up the flooring can be jarring to look at and actually make spaces feel smaller.  The laminate floor was a great choice for a dog and kids because it wipes up with water, always looks shiny, and is virtually indestructible.  

The kitchen works perfectly for one person cooking.  Or one adult + a three year old.  Because of the galley style - and that it functions as a pass through - having more adults trying to cook in the space is challenging.  Ideally our next house will have a space that is more accommodating to two cooks.  Mr. Hedin is a great cook and it's fun to cook alongside each other. 

Tomorrow, the other end of the kitchen - the last piece of this puzzle.   

Before & After :: The Old House Kitchen

Mr. Hedin and I did A LOT of work on our old house.  A LOT.  The only part of the house that is still "original" is the coat closet.  Everything else is entirely new.  Not just cosmetically but the heater, the hot water heater, the wiring, the windows, the roof, you get the picture.  

I thought this week I'd share before and afters with you of the house we bought almost ten years ago and the house we are now selling.

We poured everything we had - emotionally and financially - into this house.  It's the house we came home to after our wedding, the house where we brought our two children home from the hospital, and the house we brought our dog home to.  While we are excited for our new house there is still an emotional attachment to our first home and the joy and celebration that has happened there over the last (almost) ten years.  

As sad as it is to see the for sale sign in the front yard and the pile of realtors cards in the front hall - it's a joy to see how perfect we made the house and how well received it all is.  Knowing that our labor will bring someone else joy for years to come is a rewarding feeling.  Now hopefully someone REALLY GOOD buys our house.  

Today I thought I'd start with the back wall of the kitchen and show you what we started with, what inspired us, and what we ended up with.  I'll continue all week as we get ready to move into our new space!

BEFORE

The original back kitchen wall contained a fridge and a vintage stove that didn't work.  A lack of counter space and cabinets unable to be reached by someone 5'4" (ahem.) made this space totally unusable.  Not to mention that the gal who lived here before us had cats.  Do I need to go into detail on what cat hair does to a fridge filter?  It's sick.  The fridge is long gone.  The other problem with this space was the wall that dead ended into the dining room.  There was a door to the dining room that made it awkward to have a conversation with the people around you.  Not to mention how poorly the rest of the kitchen was laid out...  but we'll get there.

THE INSPIRATION

I tore this photo out of Martha Stewart Living eons ago.  Literally, eons.  I have kept a notebook of good ideas and things I like since I was 12 years old.  This was in there.  I liked the idea but it needed some tweaking.  

THE END RESULT

I loved the glass front cabinets from the Martha picture, but I needed more counter space.  Not just counter space, but highly functional counter space.  How we built this was using standard counter depth under-counter cabinets and topping them entirely with bamboo flooring.  Because of it's durability and light color, bamboo flooring was a perfect choice for a countertop.  It also doesn't show crumbs which is good and bad.  

On top of the under-counter cabinets we placed wall hanging cabinets directly on top.  EXCEPT we had the bottom of the cabinets cut out so they sat directly on the counter.  This means when the doors are open we have a full depth countertop.  Appliances only need to be pulled out a short ways to work and there is no awkward ridge to deal with.

We chose to do drawers on the bottom cabinets because of how accessible they are.  But if I did this a second time I would use three deep drawers rather than four thin drawers to maximize bowl storage, etc.

This side of the kitchen is the "baking station" which means everything needed for baking; from bowls to ingredients, to utensils; are all stored in these cabinets.  The idea originated with my mother who had funny stations all over our house - like the "cereal station" was right next to the fridge (milk).  The bowls were in the cabinet next to the fridge, the spoons (and other silverware) were in the drawer by the fridge and the cereal was in the cabinet below that.  It sounds silly, but it's amazingly convenient.  Turns out Martha does the same thing.  Potentially to an extreme...

The fridge stayed on this wall, but recessed into a nook to keep the space looking crisp while retaining the perfect "triangle" to work in.  

Tomorrow, the other side of the kitchen!

Dream House :: Kitchen Shelves

The new house has really awful kitchen cabinets.  But I don't want to do anything major right now because we have a full-on kitchen remodel planned for the next year or so.  But in the mean time, I don't know if I can handle cooking in that space!

What it needs is open shelves.  So far I have not convinced Mr. Hedin that taking down the cabinets is a good idea.  I married a completely practical person and it sometimes gets in the way of my 'creative vision' (a.k.a. wild whims).

But if I can dream...  then they would look like this.

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

http://www.calfinder.com/blog/kitchen-remodel/open-kitchen-shelving/

Martha's shelving support system.  Something tells me Mr. Hedin won't be construction something so intricate for a temporary fix.

Design*Sponge

If I was being totally practical, I would use this idea from Sunset Magazine.  It's cheap materials that look pretty good.  For a short term fix, this could be awesome.

To be fair, we don't own the house yet.  We get the inspection today - and we don't close until April 1.  But I am so excited for a new project that I just can't wait to get started. I have been packing boxes for days and I am not sure you would ever know to just look at the house.  It's really depressing how much stuff we have.  Which is the other problem with kitchen shelves.  They aren't for "pretty" they have to hold a few hundred pounds each.

Design Envy

Maybe it's because my living room is at a standstill.  Maybe it's because it's the new year and I am anxious for a change.  Maybe it's knowing that we have to move pretty soon.  What ever it is, I have major design envy right now and it seems like everywhere I turn there is something else to inspire more shades of green envy.  

First, the new Lonny Magazine did a feature on Bunny Williams.  I love Bunny Williams.  When I was a little girl I poured through magazines looking for her work.  When I was 12 I wrote her a letter asking for a job.  I love her.  I love how her style has changed over the years while still maintaining her signature look.  So when I opened the magazine (ok, clicked the arrow) and saw that Bunny was featured, I knew I was in trouble.

The trouble continued in Lonny as I found some beautiful kitchens and more inspiration.

Like Lilly Pulitzer.

and this Lucky Magazine editor's house

And then there was this sneak peek on Design*Sponge

And then, of course, there is this kitchen from Martha Stewart.

But my living room has to wait.  And a new house has to wait - I'm told this spring will be a good time to buy...  Until then, I'll just keep pouring over inspiration and dreaming of a new project to work on.  I think there's a new Rue Magazine coming out soon - and my sister got me a subscription to Anthology for Christmas - so I will have loads more inspiration pouring in soon!  If only the cash poured in with the same sort of regularity.