Lovett Kitchen Reveal
We've been enjoying our renovated kitchen for over a month now, I believe. Almost two, actually. Now that it's done even TH is like, I can't believe we didn't do it sooner. And I'm like, I told you so. We hang out in it a lot now and as tweeted here, it's even become my new favorite workspace. I work while he cooks, it's a sweet situation.
When I looked at the before pictures, I was reminded of what 1954 looked like. Time stopped in our kitchen. But now it's part of the modern era and I feel way better about having people hang out in the space.
Brace your eyes for the befores.
We opened up the feel by knocking down that back wall and creating a counter for stools. Removed were also the peninsula and the upper cabinet. Kitchen now feels so much wider and we now have more counter space.
We got rid of the oven to allow for extra counter space on this side of the kitchen and replaced that lower space with drawers for pots and pans.
And now for the afters, as shot by my photographer/friend, Sabra.
Sink big enough for Felix to bathe in.
TH loves cooking now more than ever and he loves that I included a spice drawer to the left of the stove there for him.
Stools are from Serena and Lily.
By extending the counters, we no longer had room for a table in the space. I didn't want to deal with having to replace or move windows so I decided to fill the area with a built-in bookcase for Felix's toys and dogs bowls. And since this sort of creates a little play space for Felix, I went with chalkboard paint for the back of the counter cabinet doors. Chalkboard paint has been way done but felt it was really appropriate for this space.
You might remember from this post about the pineapple wallpaper. TH was just not going to go for it and the more I thought about it, the more I realized maybe he was right about me potentially getting tired of it. I still think it's super cute but it also wasn't right for this space. I wanted something really clean and open.
The second I sent him this butterfly art though, he said yes! I feel it balances all the white and ties in with my ebay-found rug.
Also from that post was the pendant debate. Although I didn't go with any of the options, I decided to go with a different glass one to tie in the glass cabinet doors on either side of the sink. Love the way the brass pics up the brass from the fixture over the sink.
Ta-da. Dinner at our place.
Happy Thursday!
Lovett Kitchen Update
We're on week two of our kitchen renovation and we're three days behind schedule. Gah. I don't mind eating Sharky's for dinner most nights but washing dishes in the tub got old quick. We try to keep the dirty dishes down to a minimum but somehow they keep finding their way in there. Total firstworldproblems, right? I mean, some people don't even have tubs. Joke.
I'm seeing the big picture though and can pretty much visualize it all in my head but TH still needs some cajoling, specifically toward the pineapple wallpaper I love. But they're pineapples, I say. And he looks at me like, that's why. I guess it's the equivalent of him showing me baseball cards.
Even though cabinets aren't yet painted and it's still dusty everywhere, I think it's coming along. My idea was to share before pictures and maybe some during pictures but by the time I get to sit down at night and write a blog post, the only thing I want to do is watch Housewives. And Ladies of London (!!!), which is basically just Housewives of London with etiquette. But that's a whole other blog post. That someone else needs to write.
So picture this, black trim windows. White cabinetry. White subway tile backsplash. Brass sconce over farm sink with polished nickel faucet. Mixing metals is still a thing. Quartzite countertops, maybe wallpaper. And black hardware to contrast the white cabinetry and coordinate with the black trim windows. I want to keep it simple and fresh because it's a small space but other times I feel like I'm mixing too much. And I'm not talking about my alcohol this time.
I'm stuck on which pendants to purchase to hang over counter where stools will go. Oh jeez, which reminds me, I need to find stools too.
Focus. Here's a quick visual.
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Which pendant?
TH likes two but I'm not sold. I like four but think it might be too industrial. Then I for sure thought one but thought it'd be white overload with the cabinetry. I like the shape of three but the half exposed bulb of one and four. And I love the brass accents of each, tying in with the brass sconce. They're also a great price.
Every time I think I know the one, I change my mind. I could just buy one of each to test and return the rest?
#designerproblems
They're all from restoration hardware and they have the best customer service.
Happy Thursday.
PS - There's a little designer insights interview I was featured on. So if you have time to read what I said about TH, check it here!
Lovett Kitchen Reno
We're getting close to a kitchen renovation. Haaaallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I've been patiently waiting for this since we moved in.
I'm not trying to do anything groundbreaking here. I just want some classic updates that will make the kitchen feel brighter and less dated. Less sad, basically. We lack serious counter space, so they'll be some tweaks with the layout that will hopefully not be too costly. This isn't our forever house so we don't want to install too many high-end materials but just want something fresh and new.
And with the amount of cooking TH does, this is sure to be a great investment.
Here are some kitchens I'm inspired by.
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I love the look of an open floor plan. I was thinking of partially knocking down the wall that adjoins the dining room to allow for that open, brighter feel.
I like the idea of a shelf designated just for cookbooks.
I thought the painted glass cabinet trim was a creative way to add just a small amount of color and depth.
butcher block countertops add durability and organic feel.
subway tile is a bit of a no-brainer. I'm leaning towards dark grout to coordinate with our existing slate floor tile.
And just because I'm hoping to get the ball rolling on this, I've already rounded up some items.
light fixture // subway tile // faucet // sink // hardware // butcher block // runner
I'm ready to demo!
Kitchen Makeover
I just finished up this kitchen makeover. We wanted to update the look of these builder-grade cabinets while not completely replacing them to keep costs down. By replacing cabinet doors, countertops, adding hardware, staining, painting, purchasing some new appliances, accessories, table and chairs, we were able to achieve a look that feels freshly updated while still remaining slightly conservative to represent the clients' needs.
Before
After
I'd been wanting to try this new look of different color lower and upper cabinets and was happy when client was on board. I think it adds the right amount of contrast. We also built-in the microwave above the stovestop to clear up more counterspace. I decided to take the new subway tile up to the bottom of the upper cabinets rather than leaving the backsplash at about 1/4 of the way up the way it was before. I think it feels more complete this way.
New table chairs, refrigerator, a roman shade to bring in color and pattern and opted for two glass doors to flank the window to add some dimension. Some crown moulding was also added.
Much more fresh looking.
Happy Tuesday!
Dish Towels
Check out some of these pretty dish towels that might actually make my sink look cute.
shop the dish towels: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
And don't forget to enter the HomeGoods giveaway. Winner announced tomorrow!
Kitchen Stools
Hope you all had a fun Fourth of July. I mean, as much fun as you could have on a Wednesday without feeling the consequences today.
I managed to stay relatively sober. I impress myself.
I still woke up wishing it was Saturday and realized I didn't plan a post for today.
I think I've been meaning to share kitchen stool ideas, so here you go. Kitchen stools. Oh my.
And there you have it. Which do you prefer?
Happy almost Friday!
Kitchen Work. And I don't mean Cooking.
The Husband and I were living in archaic times after our water heater busted (as mentioned here). No hot water equals cold shower or no shower. After my face went numb when I washed it with ice cold water, I decided I wanted to feel my body for the rest of the day, so I took the renaissance route and went no shower. Don't judge me, it was only one day. I've gone longer. Uh, I mean. Anyway, we're back to living liked civilized people and I need to remember to be thankful for hot water. Thank you, hot water. You feel good. Real good.
You're probably dying to know what damage, other than unshaven legs, happened as a result of a broken water heater. And, well, we get to replace our kitchen floor. Hopefully, on insurance's tab. But you know how sneaky those bastards can be.
I'm thinking if we're already going to be down there, might was well work our way up and redo the cabinets too. Today we get to look at kitchens. C'mon be excited.
Remember when I talked about these floors here. Yeah well, I still want them.
I've had a love affair with white cabinets since I got married and we're still going strong. I also like glass doors to show off the pretty plates I don't yet own.
I know I just said me and white cabinetry are going strong, but I'm also thinking I might cheat on them with some blue.
After cheating, you usually end up with the one you really love. Or alone. But we're clearly only talking kitchens here.
Happy Monday!
images via, unknown scanned by me The Way We Are, Arianna Belle
Kitchen Remodel
We've been in our house for over a year now and there's still so much work to be done until I feel it really captures our style (okay, mostly mine but The Husband's totally okay with all my cutesy decor as long as I make sure to include some baseball stuff. And I have, voluntarily.) and feels more updated.
The biggest eyesore is our 1950s kitchen enveloped in knotty pine. It couldn't be more outdated than if I were taking a horse and carriage to work.
Check out Interior Designer, Erinn Valencich's Kitchen. (I also discussed Erinn here).
We both live in the same area and her kitchen layout was identical to mine until she made some changes.
Sometimes people have a difficult time envisioning what our kitchen would look like sanding away the knotty pine, but these images should help a ton.
So much brighter and cheerier. If you look closer you can see the before picture up on the top right.
And to find out how Erinn approached this remodel, visit her blog here.
xx,
Irene
Friday You're So Inspired by Color
I'm quickly finding out that one of the elements that inspires me most is color. I look for unique color schemes everywhere I go and often find them in their natural form when walking, driving or traveling. I find some random color coincidentally mixed in with some other colors and say to myself, "I bet I could design a room based off these hues."
If I would've been the designer behind this kitchen, perhaps my inspiration derived from a present packaged in deep, blue wrapping paper, white bow and orange tag.
Once my room is complete, I stand back and create an outfit.
Be on the lookout for appealing color schemes, apply them to your home, floral arrangements, or clothing and everyone will think you're a color genius.
Happy Weekend,
Irene
images via Table Tonic, Zara and Chloe
Planning for the Future and Listening To
I've decided that when the times comes to re-do our kitchen, I'm going with this herringbone pattern for our floor. I may even go with the black. And if anyone wants to donate all the other materials, call me.
And for Christmas, I'm asking for a closet makeover.
I like to joke around and say I have a walk-in closet because it's about 2-3 feet deeper than the standard. It's more of a step-in, stand-in and fantasize about a walk-in kinda closet, but this image here shows promise that I can make mine real cute.
And today I'm going to listen to this song on repeat.
Love you for reading me,
Irene Lovett