What's Old Is Not New Again...

I think it's fair to say I love vintage, vintage-inspired, and all that goes with it.

Take kitchen appliances:

I have stainless steel appliances and I am sooo over them. I bought mine before they came out with the no smudging properties, and I haven't been as good as I should be to keep them shined up. I still like how sleek and chic stainless looks, but this is where my heart lies:

(source: Country Living.com)

Now, I wouldn't go this vintage with the whole look of my kitchen. I like more of a modern country look. But, that pink fridge and vintage stove...so pretty. I am a bit doubtful of the function of the stove, though, but it makes for a pretty and nostalgic accessory, doesn't it? I think this next stove is entirely more useful, and just as pretty:

(source: Country Living.com)

I had a stove very much like this one in a former home:

(source: Coastal Living.com)

We never used it, but you can bet I was proud of it!

This is the baby I think of when I need to go to a "happy place":

(source: Big Chill)

Perhaps it will be in my next house.
Problem is they are over the $5000 mark, which just presses against my common sense button. I don't understand why manufacturers aren't coming out with a more affordable alternative. If they could do the harvest gold thing in the seventies, why won't they make a few retro models at a good price point and in my favourite shade of robin's egg blue? Is that too much to ask? Or is it that we are a fully-converted stainless steel society?

Are vintage appliances dead on arrival?\
Gasp!!

Would you go vintage, or is this more your cup of tea?

(source: Windsor Smith)

Gaga for Aga

photo sources: Aga Uk.com
Say what? For those who know not of this wondrous brand of stoves, please let me bring you up to speed. An Aga is so much more than a stove. In use since 1922, it is a wondrous source of gentle heat to warm you, a vessel in which to prepare delicious meals for your family, and, perhaps most important of all, an object of beauty (and yes, I can be that shallow).

The folks over at Aga, explain it best:

" Most people associate the name Aga with good food and fine living, but many are unaware of the rich and interesting history that lies behind the world’s most famous cooker.
Although often thought of as quintessentially British, the Aga actually began life in Sweden. The cooker that has become the heart of the home in more than 750,000 households around the world was invented by Dr Gustav Dalén, a blind Nobel Prize-winning physicist.
Appalled that his wife and their maid had to constantly tend to their old-fashioned range, Dalén set about designing a thoroughly modern cooker. It’s unlikely he could have predicted that his invention would go on to be widely acclaimed as a design icon."

photo source: Aga Ranges.com

Go here, and you will learn how it works: "Beneath the classic looks of every Aga is a heart of cast iron: the entire cooker is an outstandingly efficient energy store, steadily transferring the heat from its core into its ovens and hotplates. An Aga is always ready to cook instantly and there are no switches and dials because the Aga looks after itself. Thermostatic control maintains consistent temperatures while high levels of insulation within the outer casing and beneath the Hotplate covers ensure that every Aga uses fuel economically. The Aga releases a unique source of gentle, friendly warmth into your kitchen."

While some may pine after a high tech Viking range, with its multiple burners and shiny metal, I positively drool for the more mild-mannered (but equally able) gas/electric powered Aga. Flip through the pages of any British or European design mag, and you will find the most charming of kitchens built around an Aga. "She" might sit within an alcove of brick or amongst unfitted cabinetry, pretending to be modest and unassuming, while clearly stealing the show.

photo source: Aga Ranges.com

Its makers even vow that an Aga makes food taste better. Go here to read why, and have a look through their product list...but be forewarned, you too, will go gaga for an Aga!! Indeed, according to this website, " In the year 2000, the BBC published a retrospective of the 20th Century highlighting what it considered to be the top three design icons: first was the Coca-Cola® contour bottle, second was the VW™ Bug and third was the Aga cooker."

I'll take an Aga over a Coke and a Bug any day...!!

In fact, I'll take this one, please:

A Kitchen Revisited...

I know many of you have seen my kitchen before. However, I am participating in Julia's (of the fabulous blog, Hooked on Houses) house tour (make sure you head on over there...after leaving me a comment, of course), and I thought I'd give her readers a quick look around my favourite room in our house. I also figured, you don't see a kitchen with blue cabinets that often, so here it is:
My husband built the cabinets himself, although we purchased the doors from a cabinet maker, and the kitchen island was my 10th anniversary gift from my husband, which he made to my specifications. The colour on the kitchen cabinets is Summer Shower, from Benjamin Moore. We settled for laminate counter tops disguising themselves as a marble look-a-like. They don't pull it off, of course, but they fit the budget and are easy to clean. I applaud those who invest in the real thing, but I am not yet into higher maintenance surfaces, and certainly not into trading my children's college fund for high-end counter tops. Maybe someday...

I love my schoolhouse lights, and they were bought at a great price from local building supply stores. The light over my dining table is from Homesense, and was a steal at $130. I love great lighting, and I believe every kitchen should have lighting that draws the eye up.

Most of the accessories in my kitchen are from yard sales, flea markets, or Homesense. I like the less is more approach to dressing your counter tops, although it is an ongoing battle to beat the clutter bugs living with me. For some reason, pockets tend to get emptied onto my island, and I often find Barbie shoes, "special" rocks and seashells, and gum wrappers that simply don't make it to the waste bin.

Our flooring is hardwood - I prefer wood to tile, as I am very clumsy, and would otherwise have to replace my dishes more often than is reasonable if I had tile underfoot. I also love the warmth of wood, and find it lends a more cozy feel to an otherwise cool palette.

My back splash is miniature subway tile with a line of glass mosaic tiles thrown into the mix.

One thing I would never change about my kitchen is my open shelving. They offer such easy access to everyday dishware, and provide great display space for my favourite treasures. I know some feel dust is an issue with open shelves, but our dishes are used and washed on such a frequent basis, that I give it nary a thought. I love the look of an unfitted kitchen, and while my kitchen has more of a traditional design, the open shelving is my nod to old-fashioned kitchens.

My kitchen isn't perfect - it isn't large, and it isn't filled with high-end appliances or finishes...but, it is bright, welcoming, and fills our needs. I have attempted to create a space that has vintage style paired with modern conveniences. It is, to me, a pretty kitchen, and I am happy it is the heart of our home...

Coming out of the (cabinetry) woodwork!

photo: HGTV.com

Well, who knew my post on painted cabinetry would elicit such a creative response? After I finished my most recent post, and included pictures given to me by those of you who share my love of painted cabinetry, even more photos trickled into my mail box! Who am I to keep them to myself? I just had to share them!!

The following photos are courtesy of Laurie at Magpie Ethel . I LOVE her kitchen...that colour (like jadeite), the back splash, counter, and faucet!!

...but most of all, I love her stove!! Sigh...

Oh, and that striped schoolhouse light fixture (from Schoolhouse Electric)...heavenly!!

Sara of Goddess of Four , has a vintage-style unfitted kitchen (very European), with fun red cabinetry and the most gorgeous sink...

...vintage stove...

...and look what she did to her kitchen ceiling!!! Gorgeous!

The following painted cabinetry is from the uber-talented Kijsa ( sister to the equally talented Kari), of Ask Kari and Kijsa ), and Kijsa takes the idea of painted cabinetry to new heights...heights to which I won't be attempting!! According to Kijsa: "I love, love, love painted cabinets (in fact, other than our master bath, all cabinetry is painted in our home.) Part of that is that it was old, and dictated by a previous owner, but we are even purchasing new cabinetry for a bath unfinished, so that it will be painted as well. Such an easy and fun update!!"

Kijsa describes her kitchen this way: "All kitchen cabinets are painted high gloss oil in China white...lots of years of paint make them quite thick!!
"The window seat and upper cabinets on one wall are in red, antiqued to let a bit of olive green glimpse through. Veggies and fruits are on the upper cabinets."


This pretty cabinet is in Kijsa's daughter's bathroom!! Lucky girl!

These cabinets are in Kijsa's laundry room. I think she's trying to make laundry a bit more enjoyable...!

Painted masterpieces!! Did you expect any less from Kijsa??!!

This kitchen was a remodel. Lynn from The Vintage Nest painted her cabinets a warm cream, added glass knobs and her own decorative flourishes.

Lynn wrote to me about the challenges of updating her kitchen: "When we moved into our home nine years ago that kitchen was painted a dirty yellow and the cabinets were a dark brown and the counters and island were butcher block... I spent the entire summer redoing the woodwork, the kitchen and bathroom cabinetry and walls and tearing down ugly wall paper. The previous owner had tried to use a lot of Williamsburg wallpapers and colors and this house is just not a Williamsburg kind of house. I love our now white and black kitchen but must admit the cabinets are not easy to keep clean with the grease and all. Now it's time to have them repainted. Somebody else is going to do it this time around." I love Lynn's range hood cover. It brings to mind what Chris from Just Beachy made for her kitchen...herself!!
Kay from Garden Chic2 sent me these photos of her fresh, pretty, yellow kitchen. I love the addition of the blue island... It just looks like a kitchen one would be happy to wake up to each day!

I hope you have gained some new ideas and inspiration for creating, or transforming, a kitchen with the use of a little paint, creativity and hard work (I won't lie about that part...). Painting your cabinetry and injecting colour into your kitchen is something anyone can do, and is a budget-friendly face lift for any tired (or boring) kitchen! If anyone else has painted cabinetry photos they would like to show us, feel free to add your link with a comment. Happy painting!!

Got the Blues??

To be honest, I have only recently (in the last few years) gotten back into the colour blue. The last few homes I have built I used tons of yellow in all its shades. Cream, pale yellow, daisy yellow, right up to muted mustard shades (think Benjamin Moore's Vellum. In the home prior to this one, I discovered the most beautiful shade of blue- kind of a washed out robin's egg blue. I used it in my bathroom and I loved it so much, I carried it with me to my new home (again in the bathroom). I also painted my kitchen cabinets the freshest shade of blue-gray and I am thrilled with how I feel when I enter my kitchen. Blue truly is soothing...not at all cold, although I think I will feel cooler in the summer with so much of it around me.

Colour selection is one of the most daunting choices when decorating a room (or rooms). That is because there is so much choice!! Does it really make a difference if you go with the dark sage as opposed to the olive green? In a word, yes - every space has different light and shadows and a colour can look totally different from room to room. My best tip is to find a colour you love either in a decorative item or even the clothes you are wearing. Chances are, if you like a colour enough to wear it on your body, you will likely enjoy it in your home. Take this inspiration piece with you to the paint store and have them colour match it. This is your best chance for making the right paint selection. Meanwhile, back to the blue, why not give it a try? Paint a small bathroom or even the back of an open cabinet or shelving to breathe new life... fresh air...a bit of summer... into your home!!


***the photos above show my kitchen (sorry for the repeat performance), and my dream living room and bedroom (if I could start from scratch...)

Open Shelving

I finally have open shelving in my kitchen and it makes me as happy as I thought it would! Although it is not for everyone, I find open shelving looks beautiful and is convenient for the cook to quickly grab a needed pot or dish. They add personality and style to a kitchen and force us to be neat and tidy and eliminate from view, that which we do not need. I personally use my open shelving for my everyday dishware and glasses, thus the problem of things getting dusty is not an issue, as everything goes through the dishwasher on a regular basis. That said, I made sure that I love my everyday dishes! You wouldn't want to stare at ugly,mismatched cups and plates 24 hrs a day! I also display little treasured objects like my iron bird collection, lacework plates, and my beloved cream pitcher from my Auntie Jean.

Some people are scared of open shelving because they are afraid it will look unfinished. It is important to select shelves and brackets that complement (notice I didn't say match) your cabinetry. Choose a glossy finish so they will wipe clean easily and be sure to space the shelves adequately so that you will be able to stand up your plates if desired. My shelves have a simple routered edge and I purchased my brackets at Lee Valley Tools. Now is a great time to find brackets, though, as the stores have many to choose from in their seasonal/garden sections. If you are opting for open shelving within a cabinet that has glass doors, consider painting the backs of the cupboards a pretty colour that will make your displayed items "pop". Have fun with it and display what you love. Chances are if it looks great to you, it will to others as well!