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