Wednesday, February 18, 2009

remodel: the kitchen.

For spending as much time in the kitchen as we do, we had a pretty crappy one.

Dark and cramped, with zero counter space (and shallow lower cabinets so even if you TRIED to work on the counters you'd bonk your head), which explains why the previous owners put in the island. And I know it's personal opinion, but why anyone would want tile, with gunk-collecting grout, as a counter surface is beyond me.

We looked at a lot of Craftsman kitchen books as we were planning, and tried to choose things that were (for the most part) fitting for the era. All the usual stuff - subway tile, farm sink, blah blah. Some things we just couldn't afford - antique-looking stoves like this one are amazing, but come ON. And there are lots of true antiques out there which are gorgeous (my friend has a stunning cobalt blue Okeefe Merritt) but function beats form occasionally, and I really wanted something to hold commercial sheet pans.

The salvaged windows turned out really well for the cabinet doors, and we reused all the original beadboard from the tear-out, for the hood, a couple of cupboard doors, and behind the bookshelves.

It's so great to finally have a place for my cookbooks. In the old kitchen, Drew had nailed a board over the door, using the door frame to help support it, and it was alarmingly saggy with overflowing books. Now there's plenty of room for them, and no danger of collapsing shelves.

I'd wanted to put a chalkboard somewhere in the room, and had considered making one with chalkboard paint and a frame to stick on the refrigerator. Then I found a vintage chalkboard that fits perfectly next to the shelves, which is probably a better solution.

It's small but it's useful, and helps warm up the room, I think.

Regarding warmth, as well as form/function, I really like having things out where I can reach them (as opposed to having them stuffed in drawers where I have to rummage around looking for the right one). So the pots hanging on the hood are ones I use all the time, and the measuring cups and spoons are arranged according to size where I can just grab them.

I had done this in the old kitchen, and I can't tell you how many people would say "Wow, that looks so pretty - do you actually use them?" Um.

So that's the kitchen. Not much bigger, way more functional. And generally in keeping with our tiny old house.