kitchen update.

nothing much to say, but here's a preview of what the kitchen might look like when it is done. (and please ignore the command strips holding the bin pull in place - i was still figuring out where i wanted it! classy as always...)

so... good news and bad news on the kitchen update.

i've made a TEENY bit of progress (i'm attacking the work a section at a time so i don't get overwhelmed) and it's clear that this is a great product.

however, it's also clear that it's going to take 4-5 coats of paint (not including top coat) to cover the dark cabinets.

so it's going to be a little while before i can show you how this turns out. but in the meantime i will try to post some photos of the updates to the dining room, family room and office.

keeping busy!

oh, cr*p.

so, while there are many, many, MANY projects still on my list for this here ol' house, for the most part i do like it in it's current state.

the only real exception is the kitchen. while we are extremely lucky that it had been upgraded for modern-day life, it is clear that it was done without any thought about how it would integrate with the rest of the house.

remember, our house was built sometime around 1865-1880, so THIS (seen here on one of our walk-throughs in 2009) is not what i would have chosen to do with the kitchen.



so, now, i'm finally going to go for it. cabinet transformations in "pure white" and vintage hardware are at the ready - and i am steeling myself for several weeks of painting and frustration. i'll tell you later if it was actually worth the effort!

wish me luck!

you are the apple of my eye...

"forever you'll stay in my heart..."

isn't stevie wonder just the awesome-ist? if you say no, i just don't think we can be friends anymore. (unless you bring me booze. it's true, i am easily bribed.)

anywhoooo... huzzah for holiday weekends! right? are you with me? it was absolutely GORGEOUS here in san francisco and the weather inspired me to work on a quick art project.

i was tired of looking at the big, blank wall in the kitchen and was inspired by this photo of sarah jessica parker's hamptons kitchen (which is very similar to the plan i have for mine, you'll note!):

i love the big pop art apple, so i decided to make one of my own.

first i bought a sheet of oak plywood and had them cut it to 36"x36" (and other various sizes for future projects). i took it home and whitewashed it with CHEAP white acrylic paint.


then i free-handed (is that even a word? and who else out there is thinking "FREEBIRD!!!"?) the apple shape in red paint.


filled it in and fixed the shape a bit.


the stem was the hard part. i couldn't decide on the shape i wanted, so i played around with a pair of scissors and some paper towels (i'm high-tech, i tell ya). when i got what i wanted, i painted the edges of the back side and stamped it on to the plywood.


then filled it in, et *voilà* - a giant pop art apple of my very own!


total cost was $24 for the sheet of plywood and $7 for the craft paint. and maybe 1 hour total of painting time. not bad, eh?

when the kitchen is complete next month, i'll show you what it looks like on the wall.

hope this inspires you to pick up a paintbrush!

hey, good lookin'!

what 'cha got cookin'?



i have been extremely derelict in my blogging duties over the last two weeks - especially when i consider how many LOVELY (really, you are. *wink wink*) i have picked up since the fabulous mrs. limestone featured me on hers.

well, the sun is shining and i'm thinking of lots of fun, summery feasts that i should be cooking up - which means that it's time to re-do the kitchen!

i've been talking with the contractor and it looks like we're going to get to work in a couple of weeks - which means i have just enough time to solicit your opinions on my plans.

here's what we are starting with (not bad at all, but it just doesn't flow with the rest of the house). and sorry, the photo quality isn't the best - i took these with my phone at the open house last year.


the cabinets are new and in good shape - i plan just to remove the crown moulding and paint them all white. we'll also remove the hardware and replace with these from house of antique hardware:

what do you think? milk blue or milk green?

and how about these, in polished nickel, (also from house of antique hardware) for the drawers?
i'll also replace the current pendant lights, which are faux alabaster like the rest of the house was when we started (someone clearly had a weird fetish for the stuff! t.m.i.?).

i'm vacillating between these two, both from schoolhouse electric:

which one do you like? i'm leaning toward the first because i LOVE color - but the shape of the second is pretty awesome.

the granite that we have will stay put - it's black and SPARKLY and i love it.

and the walls have been repainted a pale, pale blue-grey, with the door to the backyard a nice bright red (you can see it in my last "project doorway" post).

the floors, however, don't match the rest of the house, so i am thinking of covering them with black and white checkered industrial tile from armstrong, like in this photo:

doesn't this kitchen just look so clean and dreamy? and i love that it is both modern and retro at once.

so what do you think? am i on to somethin'?