Our Friday deadline is looming ominously, and we packed after church yesterday. Progress is slow but steady, but we are out of book boxes again. Ed is trying today to get phone service, electricity, etc. lined up for the new house, and I’m going to ….. Pack! Sigh.
As a small diversion, though, I am posting pictures of the new kitchen and am hoping for decorating suggestions! The kitchen in the new house has the virtues of being large and, apparently, functional (we don’t really have high expectations for the appliances and are planning to replace the stove, fridge, and dishwasher, which all look to date from the 1970’s). The traffic pattern is not wonderful, but the part I’m really hoping for input on is the décor. The cabinets don’t match, and I think paint is the answer. Ed says they are not so bad, and if we just removed some of the doo-daddy trim I would like them fine. However, he also sort of likes the wallpaper, so his judgment is clearly a bit off here (it is all about the heating and cooling systems, plumbing, and bathroom for him!). I thought perhaps a sage-y sort of green for the cabinets? I think the walls should probably be an off white, and I’m not sure about the pine paneling (it would be nice if we could just tone down the color a bit). The vinyl floor doesn’t really match anything, but it is new and we are planning to keep it. We will replace the countertops (which are different heights in places where new cabinets have been added over the years) with something new and formica – color suggestions are welcome! The weird knick-knack shelves on the wall over the stove are going, but I’m not sure what to put on that wall. More cabinets would be nice, but probably will not be in the budget, so I’d love some other ideas. That strange little round counter just past the refrigerator isn’t anchored to anything, and we are tossing it. The door from the back room opens right into the kitchen, and I’m thinking maybe we should take it out entirely. We are planning to heat and cool that back room, so why not, eh? I would like to take out that strange cabinet at the end of the kitchen as well, the one with the dark brown “fake sink” thing (anyone know what that is?), and build in a small pantry. Ed wants to take the cabinet out and put a breakfast table there. There might actually be room for both, if the table was pretty small. Anyway, if you’ve read this far and looked at my pictures, I owe you a big Thank you for your patience, and promise you a heaping plate of cookies when you come visit us at our new place if you will make a suggestion or two (or more!) for making the place look more presentable! (Actually, we’ll make you cookies when you come to visit even if you don’t help decorate, but I’d sure love some ideas!)
Monday, August 14, 2006
My New Kitchen Needs a Make-Over!
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7 comments:
Wow! That kitchen is....interesting. Removing the trim will help a lot. Painting the cabinetry and wood paneling and then adding updated hardware will make a huge difference. If I were doing this I might reconsider the knick knack shelves on the stove wall; instead of removing them altogether you might strip the funky trim away, then paint them and purchase some of those fabric storage totes that are all the rage nowadays. You could organize dry non-perishables in the totes and label the ends of them. Of course I can't tell how deep the shelves are, so that might not work.
I've got to say, I LOVE that kitchen! It has serious potential, and you can adjust the flow with how you fill the cabinets and such.
We have one of those happy homeowner magazines that had a cabinet paint job in it that is SO beautiful Zorak was actually tempted to do it to our brand new cabinets. (This, from a man who didn't want to cut a hole into the back of a cabinet for an outlet...) I'll see if I can dig it up. And I'll brainstorm on the kitchen. What do you want from your kitchen? What feel do you like, and what do you want it to evoke when you walk into it? You know, the intangible stuff we try to capture with the tangibles (like that lovely trim! LOL!)
So, I'm guessing this all means the inspection went well and the house is yours and now we'll have to vacation in the Carolinas if we want to see you? Well, aside from us not having you for neighbors, I am really thrilled and excited for you. This house kind of spoke to you from the start, though, and it kept coming back, so I think this is where you need to be. It needs your family. :-) Congratulations, guys!!! Happy moving!
Dy
Kelli -- Interesting is such a nice word!
I'm starting to look at the HGTV web site for ideas, and I'll look for the fabric storage totes you mentioned to see if they'll work!
Dy -- Thanks! Coming from you, that means a lot. I'm not a decorator, so any ideas you have would be appreciated! I like a country or traditional look, but easy on the knick-knacks and doo-dads (I don't like dusting, so simpler is better!). Our house now is mostly light colors -- cream in the main living area, light floor, white cabinets, etc., but the rooms in the new house are so big that I think we can use a little of some darker colors. Ed and I were playing around with the Lowe's Virtual Painter site last night, and we kind of liked the look of medium green cabinets, white ceiling, and off white walls. I'm thinking of maybe just lightening that pine paneling to a very light blonde (and taking off the wall paper, of course, and then deciding on the wall and cabinet colors based on what went well with that? Some of those cabinets aren't even fixed to the wall, so we are planning to rearrange them a bit.
The inspection actually doesn't get done til tomorrow! I will be devastated if something dreadful turns up. Ed checked around the basement and the attic quite a bit with a flashlight, so I think he has a pretty good handle on how extensive the problems were there. The furnace could be a big deal if it proves to have issues, but the sellers claim to have been using it every winter to keep the pipes from freezing.
Ok, can you help me get oriented w/ these pictures? From the first picture, where did you go to take the second picture? I can see the breakfast bar in both, but I can't make it match up with the background stuff...
Dy
That kitchen is going to be fabulous and homey no matter what it looks like. Sage green sounds lovely and fresh.
I've got funny shelves round the top of my dining area which I've put photographs on, simply because I can't bring myself to hammer hooks into the perfectly-plastered walls, but I'd have put my cookery books on them if they'd been deep enough.
Does that qualify me for cookies? :)
Dy -- In the first picture you are standing in the doorway leading to the dining room, looking toward the doorway coming from the future schoolroom (on your left). In the second picture you are standing in front of the sink, looking toward the dining room. That breakfast bar thing is right between the doorway coming from the schoolroom and the refrigerator, and it is, thank goodness, not anchored down! It is the first thing headed for the garage. I put a floor plan on my latest post, but it may be too large an image.
Cherrypie -- Thanks for the positive thoughts! I think that kitchen, while currently disfigured by its 70's frumpery, will be a good room.
We think alike in never wasting usable bookshelves! You are now fully qualified for cookies. Just let us know when to expect you!
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