Fab Finds: Kitchen Style

This kitchen is consuming my creative mind... and I'm loving it! Today I went casually window shopping (virtually, of course) for some knick-knacks and other elements I'd love to see in my new kitchen transformation. While I'm still working on the big details, like color and cabinet style - I needed a little break from the major decisions to look at some cute things. 

As you can probably discern, I'm going retro! I think it would fit with the age the home and the rest of the design ideas I have for my other spaces. A paint color I am loving is Benjamin Moore's "Jamaican Aqua." You can see it as the top circle - being such a narrow space with limited natural light, I think this is the color. I plan on accenting with mainly red - mainly that beauty kitchen aid, as I'm definitely throwing that on the ol'wedding registry with high hopes! Here's my trusty sources:

Porcelain Elephant tea pot, $19, Oren's Daily Roast
Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer, $499, Sears
Acctim Delia Metal Clock,  £16, Amazon.co.uk
As Far As the Eye Can Tea Towel, $24.99, Modcloth
DII Pink Mixing Bowls, $11, Amazon.com
Westmont Light Fixture, $85, School House Electric
Nigella Measuring Cups, £27, Amazon.co.uk

House Tour: Part 2

Let's take a quick "jaunt" up the stairs and take a look around the second floor of our abode... (again, these photos we're taken during our first tour):

While the stairs may look like a sleek black in this shot, do not be fooled! In actuality, they are an icky navy blue that has seen a lot of rugged wear. More shots to come. All the walls here are oil as well :( But the potential is there - I'm envisioning wainscoting and a creamy yellow much like the lovely Sandra's from over at Sawdust & Paper Scraps... maybe I can find a way to faux the lovely wood stairs and railings.

Source: Saw Dust & Paper Scraps

Culinary Clear out

Gutted! We've finished the dirty work of getting our kitchen emptied and assessing what we dealing with under those old cabinets. Since we were intent on moving the back door to the pantry, we decided that as first time home owners and new to the reno experience, it was wise that we leave that big project up to the professionals. As it is an older home, we were nervous about encountering structural problems and/or wood rot. So in a matter of two days, our trusty tradesmen had moved our door and we were very happy with the results. And we were happy to learn that they saw absolutely no signs of rot.

So here's the state of things... and we did come across a few challenges. The largest being a the non-flush wall to the right side of the photo. If you take a look at the before, you'll see that the cabinets were actually recessed into the wall. Since we are not getting custom cabinets created, we needed to work on making that wall completely flush. Plus, we thought it would lead to a much nicer, unified look once we get our design in there. So here you can see the framing that's been put up. That part was relatively simple but we did have to call in an electrician friend to then bring all our outlets out to the new wall as well as add some more.

The sub floor is also down for the new hardwood. Those photos coming soon. We realized after clearing out the kitchen that the previous home owners had actually cut the laminate flooring around the appliances. Yikes. And obviously, since we're changing the layout of the kitchen, this wasn't going to work out... aside from just being silly. Some more photos:

While all this is happening at speed of light thanks to much help from my father and older brother, I've also been tinkering with the bathroom and master bedroom. The fiance is currently on the road shooting a series for the W Network following a couple building a B&B in rural Newfoundland. I'm just a tad jealous!

The Kitchen Chronicles: Before

And now the moment I've been waiting for - the blah kitchen post. Considering the smallish 115 square feet this kitchen maintains, the original layout seriously hindered the efficiency of this space. When we went for our first walk through of the home, we were told by our realtor that there were no offers made in the four months it was on the market. When questioned why, most potential buyers blamed the kitchen. And we can totally see why... but also we see hope with our visionary minds. That and there was no way it could get any worse, so we could only make this space better! that's what we told ourselves anyway. I knew this was the home when I would have dreams at night about the worst part (re kitchen), and how beautiful it would look when were done with it. I took that as a sign! These shots were taken just after we moved in and just before the tear down.  Warning, they be ugly and unedited: 

This is the view from the entry coming off the main hallway. The gaping, unbalanced white light ahead is sadly not another glorious realm, but our cutesy garden.  This door is incredibly drafty and we think this is why the former owners installed the electric heater. Either way, once you see the pantry off the kitchen, you'll be even more confused why this door is here.

Prepare to scratch your head after you note the (lack of) clearance on the oven door. Yes, it's all tight as it looks. I have a recurring dream that this peninsula is chasing me down the street... that's how much I dislike the thing. Joking aside, it just makes no sense! In such a narrow space, we're dealing with this jutty-out monstrosity... aye carumba! But behold the entryway to opportunity just to the side of the oven there... 

Fabulous Finds: Etsy

As a new homeowner hankering for some finds, etsy is my go-to resource like so many clever shoppers. I don't know whether it's where I live but not many people in my neck of the woods know about this amazing site. Which is why it's so awesome when I receive a compliment on a recent purchase, I then give them my best elevator pitch on how beyond rad etsy truly is. I adore going to some of my fave blogs and seeing their finds, so I just had to do it myself. Love, love, love!

Mason jar chandelier, $175, Boots and Gus
Butterfly shadow box,  $100, krystlerose
1954 Monopoly set, $22, MidwestFinds
Vintage Michigan map, $21, StoriesDivinations
4x6 Teacup print, $7.50, SevenOlives
10 x 11 Ampersand, $29, SlippinSouthern

Our House: Part I. And so the saga begins...

We moved! Before I go ahead an start snapping shots of the home completely empty, I thought I would share photos of when viewed the house for the first time. I referenced these pictures so much after our first look - it's kind of wild how the mind can play tricks on you. For example, I was thinking the whole house was radiant heat, until I saw a picture of an electric heater and it reminded me! Or picturing rooms in your head to be a lot bigger than they actually are. I'm so guilty for that. I'm also guilty for these low quality shots on a crappy digital camera. Apologies, I will work harder!

These pictures were taken in January when the snow was still very much around. We were happy with that,as our winters tend to be very wet and seeing the house in these conditions could serve as a reality check. And fast forward to late June, it is fun (and a little nerve-racking) to watch our back and front yard unveil itself. So let's begin the tour...

(View of front from driveway)

We like to move it. Move it.

Well, we didn’t move much. The day kind of came and left in a hectic hurry. Did the final, pre-close inspection. No real surprise there – other than some major dings in the walls, which were cleverly concealed. No biggie. As soon as we had keys in hand, I paint-swatched the place like a crazy person. I am a major doubting tom when it comes to decisions so the more time to stare aimlessly at color chips, the better! I also did the nail polish “latex or oil” test on all the walls. Sadly, we are dealing with some major oil tragedy. Kudos to Canada for banning all oil paint – every store is phasing it out, so that means we’re taking the more time consuming but healthier approach; prime, prime, prime and then go latex or water-based. I’m doing some product research on low cost, low voc paint lines in Canada so stay tuned.


We did make one big decision in a jiffy. My dude and I both agreed that we would not be moving in immediately. Sounds silly, I know but hear us out: we have major renos coming our way in the form of a full kitchen rip-out. Combined with having to paint most of our walls with oil primer (yuck), we decided that it would be too much of an allergen-tastic mess for both of us to handle. I have a hard time resisting anything considered “tastic” but in this case, it is for the best. So here’s the game plan for the next few weeks:

• Prime and paint our most lived in spaces
• Rip up some carpet to see lies beneath (yay for mystery!)
• Figure out our kitchen style/inspiration
• Round up kitchen quotes
• Demolition fun!

... And the search is over!

So we have found our future abode! We are beyond ecstatic! Pictures to follow as soon as we take possession on March 30th! I have to honestly say that we were very lucky given the market conditions in St. John's, Newfoundland right now. Given the offshore oil boom in recent years, real estate has skyrocketed. Although, a lot of peeps are opting to build new homes... not really our style so the older casas that need a little love were our domain. We scoured the market prior to Christmas but decided to take a break and save some money. I'm so glad we did because this cute 75 year old home is absolutely perfect for us. Or at least, it will be once I get my hands on it!

While I cannot contain my happiness, I will say that I'm so relieved this week is over. Stressful was an understatement given all the inspections we've now completed. Being older and our first home, we wanted to be thorough... Mike Holmes has instilled to fear of bad inspections within me! We had a home inspection, fireplace inspection, electrician and heat guy take a look. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Without a question. Particularly the fireplace inspection, which revealed none of the four flues in the home were lined, whereas the listing had stated they were indeed lined! The quote to do some repair work and install liners came in at a whopping $8,400!!! Yikes is right. We want back to bargaining table and came out with a very good deal to have the work done as soon as we take possession.

So onto the finer details of the home! It's a two story, 3 bedroom (one biggie master), 1 bath sitting at a comfy 2,064 square feet. Picture nine foot ceilings, three original fireplaces, original light fixtures, quaint pantry, and hardwood (mostly?) throughout. The only major issue with this place is the kitchen... cue blood curdling screams about here. At only 117 square feet, the layout is a very poor utilization of space. The cabinets are ummm... yucky, the counter has water damage and the laminate flooring is cut around the appliances. Yikes. But! It has major potential to be the cutest galley-style kitchen. We offered a price that reflected this sad kitchen and with some back and fourth, we settled on a price that will definitely lead to demolishing that kitchen asap.

Overall, the place is rock solid for a 75 year old house. No structural issues and thinking about slapping some beautiful colours and decor in there makes me drool!

Hello bloggy blog!

So, hey! After drooling over DIY and design inspiration blogs for way too long, I have decided the next best thing: to make one of my own. How groundbreaking, you may say. Well, for me it is. I tend to be a watcher and not so much a doer but this year is shaping up to be one of my most doing-365 days yet! I’m getting married in pure DIY style and buying a house that needs some major lovin'. My future husband and I are very excited, albeit slightly nervous, to be tackling so much in a short time. But we have enough creativity to last us to infinity and combined with our (…but mostly my) ingenuity, we’re going to tackle 2011 with brute force. Hooah!!!