Well, as you may have noticed this blog no longer gets regular attention. My client projects keep me so busy these days that it’s just not feasible for me to blog as much. If I did it would make life look a lot different….more stress, late nights, unnecessary deadlines. In my quest for a more simplistic (and less frantic) life this just doesn’t sound appealing. Instead I am using the blog for mostly client updates, reveals, and the projects from around my own house. Speaking of, those projects have also taken a backseat to client work right now! I am really happy that I have built this business and it’s definitely fulfilling creatively, but man I miss the constant tinkering around my own house. Taylor…probably not so much 🙂
Over the summer I did find time to focus on my list of projects a little and top of the list was our kitchen. This room has been my sore spot for a long time. Yes, yes you would be correct if you feel like we have talked about this before. I have been dying to change our kitchen since the day we moved in. It was renovated before we moved in and although they chose some really nice finishes, it has never fit my aesthetic. And more recently it has not functioned properly for our family.
That’s just a sneak peek of my little kitchen. This bar area is actually where we started with some changes. I have gone through phases of dreaming of a full on demolition to more recently accepting that we don’t necessarily need more space. I think that I can give up my dreams of a 10 foot island and just try to work with what we have. I came to that conclusion for two reasons:
- The cost of a full renovation!! We think we will be in this house for awhile but we are also open to moving. I am just not comfortable sinking lots of money into a full renovation since it would require a lot of planning, design changes to the current layout, and $$$.
- Simplicity. I am determined to keep unnecessary stress out of our lives, especially my own, so that our family can focus more on simple joy in life. I have found that more stuff, more money spent, and just the “more more more mentality” really has an effect on our family and not in a positive way.
So instead of tearing down walls I decided to focus my energy on making the space more functional for our family. My kids eat a lot of meals in the kitchen and with Harper out of a high chair the seating was no longer enough. I decided to hire someone to build a built-in banquette in the existing bar space which also meant losing our hutch/storage. I love how it turned out and can’t wait to share it with you guys buuuut I am going to wait until one pretty reveal of everything! Don’t fret though…I am not totally keeping you guys in the dark. I knew exactly what I wanted for the overall feel of the new area but I thought it would be fun to go through some of the design process together! Let’s start with my inspiration so we can get on the same page…
Design Inspiration
Lauren Liess is my all time design crush. I love her earthy traditional rooms because they always feel cozy and inviting. She also has a knack for adding those 1 or 2 modern elements that keep her rooms from being too stuffy. Although my aesthetic is a little more modern and bright this is the direction I would love to take my house (and clients’ houses when willing).
Paint Inspiration
I have always loathed our cabinets. The stain just doesn’t do anything for me. I think if they stood out more from our floor color I could deal but it all just looks like one big orangey box to me. I have always assumed I would paint them white, but over the years I have found myself pinning more and more neutral kitchens. I love this grey/putty color and have spent countless hours hunting down my favorite shades. I have it narrowed to Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter and Farrow and Ball’s Shaded White
The Pieces
These are the pieces I have nailed down so far. We have already purchased the tulip style table (and used it a ton!) We will be swapping out the hardware for gold, I would love to replace our sink for this concrete version, and I am pretty sure I want this black shelf from IKEA. I haven’t decided for sure but I think I want a vintage style rug in the main kitchen area and possibly bamboo blinds on the two windows in there. And obviously the biggest decision of all is countertops. The black is way too dark for me so I am hoping to go with a solid white. I am narrowing down my quotes this week and am determined to get that on the schedule asap. More updates on that to come!
Textiles
After many weeks of pouring over my favorite fabrics and textiles I have narrowed my choices down considerably. Its funny how you can love a certain look but have trouble choosing things that reflect that. I naturally gravitate towards more graphic, geometric shapes. I also love the contrast of blue against white but I am fighting those inclinations in hopes of getting a more earthy vintage look. So those are the contenders.
Wall Treatments
I’m really torn on the wall situation. I first thought maybe I would wallpaper the table area. Then I thought I would do some sort of textured wall or stencil and now I am back to thinking I just want to slap some good ole fashion paint up there. What are your thoughts? Faux grasscloth? Stencil? Paint to match the rest of the kitchen?
Lighting
Since creating that little graphic (I did that for my own personal planning) I have actually found yet another major contender. I love all of those lights still but this simple white light is really making it’s way to the top of my list!
I feel like I have a million decisions to organize in my head and not a lot of time to figure them out. I have not given myself any kind of deadline but with the holidays right around the corner I can’t help but envision myself baking up something great in my new and improved kitchen (will need to learn to bake BTW). I would love your feedback on all of these decisions! Have you made changes to your kitchen? What advice would you give me? What do you love or hate about your kitchen??
Make sure to stay tuned on Instagram because I will be giving more real-time updates over the next month or two!
Rebekah Purnell says
Tulip style kitchen table is my favorite one. I appreciate your choice. Have a blessed day