Would this work for our kitchen?

We already have a beam in the ceiling that I have been feeling cuts up the overhead "flow".  So perhaps actually adding an additional faux beam might bring some symetry and add a certain coffered look to it?  Plus the idea of having open shelves there with a small counterspace could work.  They would all have to be very shallow- but then again, that's not always a bad quality...in SHELVES!

For Mike, my contractor....

Tell me Mike, do you still hate white kitchens?!?!?

Isn't this clever!?!

After I have my cabinets painted- which is actually, really, finally happening NOW!!!!, I think I will add this to the back of them.  It's a great way to add some space in those drawers that seem to open half way and get terminally hung up on some whisk or another. 

Um, does this remind anyone of a certain kitchen?!?

just sayin'.  i don't want to point out that I DID THIS FIRST or anything....

btw- do you like those chairs?  would they be comfy?  are they too casual for a dining/ kitchen?

Is this a good idea?

Still trying to get some ideas for the kitchen.  But I am closer to closing the deal!! I make partner on August 17th, which means more cashflow to make some of the "dreams" a reality.  New table is picked out, email actually composed for the order, just have to hit "send".  Accent/ pop color picked out.  Time set aside for the cabinets to be painted, just have to get an estimate. 

But I am still pondering over finding cheap, nice chairs.  I had decided to use two upholstered chairs for the heads of the table.  But the side chairs.  Do I go with the aluminum/ metal chairs for an industrial look?  I have been talking about that but I think I may be over it.  I have now seen it all over the blogoshpere and I want something different now (who says procrastination doesn't pay?). 

What about these?



They are SUPER cheap, like $29 each cheap.  They seem like they would be sturdy, made of metal afterall.  Plus, with the price I woudln't feel bad about painting them another color.  But I could leave them the gold, I have no objections to that!

What if I painted a rainbow of colors on these babies?! 









Am I cool enough to pull it off?  I would love to try it, but may not have the balls to do it....

Still liking the stripes....

Striped rug from rugs direct.  $165 for a 5x7.  Not bad at all!!

And love the chairs paired with it....overstock has them at $397 for 4!!!!

Addendum:
I have to include the rest of the images from Luisa's home.  Can you believe this is a one bedroom apt measuring in at only 500 sq feet.

I want...

this is perfect for my new kitchen and my husband will get the inside joke...



etsy find ten primary cloud formations from macroscopic market.  At $25 what's not to love?

dress you up in my love

I am recovering the dining room chairs to use (for now) in our new kitchen/ dining room...you remember, the kining room, right?

Here are some contenders.  We are going with an indoor/outdoor fabric because we KNOW we have two little boys and one messy adult!!

flora imperialis

sea scallop coral reef

kool koi coral reef

gomer bluebird

gomer white tea

kaufman jungle spring

better homes & gardens ardiana capri

(unavailable right now)

faylinn mandarin

Still looking, but these are the front runners for now....

Leaf Eaters

Harrison would just LOVE these, and I do too!



Aren't they the cutest?  They are from a cute little etsy shop called Plaidpigeon and come with the plant for about $16-20 each.  I think they could look really really cute in our new kitchen/dining room; the kining room.

Considering my namesake

I feel like I am cheating on my all-white kitchen fantasy by even considering this.





Grey?  Could I?  Should I?  Is it a trend or will I love it always?  Maybe the SLIGHTEST HINT of it?
Hmmmm...  Decisions, decisions....  Do I have more than one true love?!?!

Looky here...

So I found the chairs I have been wanting, on sale NOW at HauteLook.com.  Don't look Mom, you will hate 'em!



They are $98 each which, after looking for a while I recognize is a good price.  Unfortunately I'm not really ready to make the purchase, the kitchen hasn't even begun yet and I can't afford to buy a whole slew of chairs that I can't use for 6 months at the moment.

That being the case, I also found a rocking chair that I think could work in my little sunshine's teeny-tiny room.



I'm not too sure how I feel about this chair.  I love the modern simple lines of it (weird that I am so into that right now).  I also love how it would fit in such a tiny room.  Additionally, I luuurve the price at again HauteLook.com, $119!  However, I am not loving the fact that there isn't somewhere to rest my head.  I can picture myself up all hours of the night with the little bugger during say a cold, or the inevitable sleep training period, wishing that I had something to rest my head on.  Hmmmmm... what do ya' think?

Light it up

I am thinking of using West Elm's large rectangle hangin Capiz Pendant in my new kitchen....really new, as in hasn't even been born yet!



At $259 it's just expensive enough to make me think twice about it.  This could hang over my parsons farmhouse table, you know the one I haven't bought yet but keep talking about.  Can't wait!  But I will have too....boo hoo.

Al- loo-MIN-ee-um

Never, EVER thought that I would say this but, I really, REEEally want aluminum chairs for my dining area!!!

I just love the traditional school chair design combined with the industrial aluminum.  I can't wait to pair it with my parsons farm table!!!

 Ooooo, I am just becoming a neo-traditionalist more and more each day!!

Now, to find 6 of these really, REEEEEally cheap!?!?!?!

new kitchen on the horizon...

After having little H's birthday party, N and I solidified an earlier idea to combine the formal dining room and kitchen into one, large eating area.  This will entail removing a wall, rerouting a heating baseboard and some electrical, redoing the floor, and possibly figuring a way to not let the ceiling cave in around us!  So, while we ponder our tasks and scrimp and save as much as possible I have been getting excited about finding a long formal looking farmhouse table.  Thanks to Jenny from Little Green Notebook, I think I might have found it!!
This table from the Lorimer Workshop is a combination of the sleek lines of a Parsons table with the rustic warmth of a farmhouse!  Love it!!

More daydreams of a kitchen I can really sink my teeth into...

Soon M. & I will start the seemingly daunting task of painting our cabinetry white and redoing the (presently gross) backsplash.  Eventually we will also add a wood floor in there, to mathc with the rest of the house, stained a dark jacobean.  I am petrified of messing up what are expensive cabinet doors, unfortunately not done to my tastes.  Here are some more examples of what we are going for.  We plan on painting the light wood cabinet a white and using some chrome pulls, probably cap pulls along these lines:

The countertops are done in a gray-pink swirl patterned granite. Also expensive and therefore totally not going to be replaced, but again, not really in my style.  Nevertheless, to prevent M. from having a heart attack, I will not be touching them!  So instead of the white carrera marble I have pictured in my head, I will, in the words of Tim Gunn, "make it work!".  I plan on ripping out the blue and white little-dutch-boy tiles that are the current backsplash and doing a white subway pattered backsplash.  I think I will be using dark gray grout, to bring out the gray of the granite tops.

      

As for the island....well currently I am using a table I got from Ikea.  It really is the perfect height for an island and, in my long narrow kitchen, has proven to be the perfect width, so much smaller than I planned!  This table has turned out to be a great dress rehearsal for the permanent island we plan on having, and I am glad we did it this way (even though it was more of a happy accident).  I am trying to find a picture of it, but cannot remember the name (probably something like the Kjorkelsowrhfadkjlprtb knowing them).  Sorry!

Anyway, that is the plan....

I'm dreaming of a white kitchen....

Alright, so the holiday season may be over.  A girl can still dream about giving herself a nice gift, no?

I really love the brightness of this kitchen.  I must admit, I never considered doing industrial BRASS lighting fixtures, but I am now considering.  I also am really into the old fashioned "nook".  Cozy, comfortable and tailored all at the same time.  I plan on sometime soon trying to make one in my own kitchen.  The backsplash of simple white tile done in a subway tile pattern really speaks to me.  It says classic, functional and clean.  Sounds like me, ha!  Additionally, notice the clever placement of the paper towel dispenser- built in! Love, love it! These images are all from the Jan. 2010 issue of Traditional Home.