Kitchens!
September 30, 2011 § 12 Comments
Well, my mother in law has decided to remodel her kitchen, and since I live in her house, that means I’m sort of getting a new kitchen, too. Now here’s where it gets interesting: She’s decided she trusts my aesthetic so much (really?) that she wants to let me steer the ship on the whole thing. Quite a fun task! Daunting, too. I’m not sure how you feed a family on a very strict budget when you can’t cook for a few weeks (at best!). But, whatever. We’ll make it. I’m just so excited!
So, I’ve been scouring everywhere for kitchen inspiration, spending hours and hours looking for things to copy and avoid. Here are some of my favorites (AND I’m looking for input here….if you have any advice, chime in!!!):
via Decorpad
via Remodelista
Probably too modern for us, but I love the gray grout with the creamy subway tiles on the backsplash and the open stainless shelves. Looks like a kitchen that really works!
via Cote De Texas
And, this one is quite a bit too formal, but I love the wood and white together.
i say no on chrome shelves, everything else looks great! what if you do a kitchen similar to the one in 5130? i really like the white/light wood combo you’re looking at…
I have no advice, just support!! I love everything you picked out so far. I love the openess with few to no cabnits on top, dishes and food are nice to look all the colors and labels. I also love the idea of having a table in the kitchen. I kinda have a table in my kitchen( although it is really because our house is so small my dinning room and kitchen are on top of eachother), it is a great work station and back saver.
I agree with Susan about the crome, that could be a bitch to clean!!! Also, I prefer a horse head on my wall as opposed to a cow head. ;)
Monica, you have great taste. All of these are great. I do really like the subway tile with dark grout. I also like the ceiling detail on the first picture. If I were able to do a kitchen design I think I would want a raised bar on the island in order to hide messes on the lower countertop. Copper is a great alternative to stainless steel/chrome. It develops a nice patina over time and gives a rustic look. Enjoy your project! <3
Sarah~yes, on the copper vs chrome thing. That’s sort of what I’m looking for…something that will go with the room the kitchen is in. It’s full of brick and wood (ceiling!), so I want to brighten it all up, but not get too shiny and perfect, you know?
Meghan~I hadn’t even noticed the cow head! And with the love of horses in this house, if we put a horse head on the wall in our kitchen my kids would start a riot.
Sus~I’m thinking like Dorman Rd. but not so shiny. That’s my goal, anyway.
this is from my favorite hgtv show, dear genevieve. this kitchen may have some of the elements you’re looking for…http://www.hgtv.com/video/50s-kitchen-upgrade-video/index.html
this one is also good, http://www.hgtv.com/video/a-modern-cottage-kitchen-video/index.html
Thanks for both the links, Sarah. Very pretty and I like how she mostly works within their budgets. I need a call back to earth sometimes!
Love it all. The “too modern” Remodelista is my favorite. After being stuck with other people’s show pony kitchen designs, I really want a kitchen that *works* some day; one that puts function before form. There’s no way I’d get that stove though. It looks so showy. All those knobs scare me.
Only advice I would have is to avoid dark counter tops. They show every little water mark and are super reflecty. I’ve basically given up with mine. We just put some soapstone in our bathroom too and it’s a nightmare with the kids and never seems to look clean. Not the look I was going for.
Cindy!
Thanks for the advice…I was actually really considering soapstone because of all the beautiful pictures I’ve seen. The don’t usually show what happens in a bathroom when the kids leave toothpaste all over the counter, though. :) I really appreciate you chiming in.
Yeah, I was a sucker for how pretty it was in magazines. I’m probably never going to learn that if a ton of real life people aren’t using material X, there’s probably a good reason why.
I’m all rebellious like that, too…thinking I can pull off using materials other people say are too high maintenance. I used a wooden countertop in a bathroom, ignoring all the people who said it wasn’t a good idea. My husband replaced it for me (last year for my birthday) with granite b/c it was water logged and bubbling. I probably should have listened…