My Kitchen Design Sketch

I took this photo of our demolished kitchen WEEKS ago,

. . . sadly, + it still looks just like this!

* * * * *

I’m not complaining, mind you (NEVER!),

but lately, all our efforts have gone toward our Dutch colonial’s exterior.

* * * *

Good things come to those who wait, am I right?

 While I’ve waited, I’ve researched, planned + sketched.

Here’s my first design:

Pardon the faintness of my drawing,

but I think you can see what I had in mind for the window wall.

Since it’s clearly not the longest of spans,

I’ve been fretting that our sink + stove were too close to each other.

* * * * * *

Solution?

Cue: layout #2, which I sketched just yesterday!

We’ve moved the stove to the island:

The cabinets will be off-white Adel from IKEA,

with Shaker-style doors in solid + glass:

IKEA has the same door profile in black, + it’s going on our island, like this:

Oops — didn’t get that source.
Sorry.

* * * *

Meanwhile, let’s have another look-see at our proposed kitchen

so you can follow along at home:

I want to include both solid + glass upper cabinet doors,

+ I want to stack those uppers of ours.

Nothing makes a new kitchen look more vintage!

detailseast.com

Sorry — I didn’t get the source.

That’s going to get spendy very fast, though,

so I’ve come up with an idea for faux stacked uppers —

using one tall (39″) upper cabinet,

onto which we’ll attach two separate doors, like this:

Will this work?

I DON’T KNOW! — but fingers crossed!

* * * * *

Now to the island.

What will we do for an exhaust fan, now that the stove’s moved there?

I s’poze we could do a ceiling-mounted version,

but they’re just too expensive

+ really not that “cool” when you’re wanting an open plan.

We’ll just have to spring for the downdraft, slide-in range.

Jenn-Aire
$ $ $ $ $ !

Yes, ’tis true — they cost a lot, too — but it’s all good —

I wanted to hang a pair of pendants over the island, anyway.

Here’s my choice!  The classic schoolhouse-style that I love!

Only $89.97!!

Seriously.  You MUST go to Home Depot,

as they have the swellest, most inexpensive + on-trend pendants, ever!

* * * * *

And, speaking of light fixtures, feast your eyes on these:

willowdecor.blogspot.com

junkgardengirl.blogspot.com

“Everybody who’s anybody” is using

wall-mounted lights for over their sinks.

I’m getting them, too! . . .

. . . just as soon as I manage to decide between these two finishes:

Gilded iron
I think these will “pop”
against all our white cabs!

Antique nickel
which will coordinate
with all my grays!

They’re actually outdoor lanterns from Home Depot!  Who knew?

* * * * *

And as for the backsplash in my sketch . . .

. . . “white crackled-glaze tiles w. gray grout”?

Here ’tis!

Winslow’s Home
St. Louis, MO

And, finally, perhaps you’re wondering what I meant by a “window sash handle”

for the cabinet drawers.

 Take a look:

eBay via Pinterest

Black, please, for more “popping” against my off-white cabinets.

* * * * *

Stay tuned for more kitchen details!

Isn’t it great that I have all this time to research, plan + sketch?  😉

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Is Our Project Too Modest For A Blog?

^^ Wow — that title’s quite the mouthful, isn’t it? ^^

Yikes!

* * * *

Let’s look at the latest progress at our Dutch Colonial re-do

+ then discuss my concerns:

It’s hard to see because I was in the car +

G.O. kept trying to drive away

(cue, me, shrieking: “STOP THE CAR!!!!”) . . .

. . .  we’re getting  a ‘Midnight Gray’ metal roof

on just that small section just below the front gable.

http://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/siding/steel-siding/premium-pro-rib-panel/p-2044953-c-13456.htm

Here’s a close up for your perusal:

That flat piece against the side of the house is flashing,
+ it will be covered by the siding.

Here’s my inspiration:

houzz.com

^^ So loving the accent of metal here ^^

arlingtonproperty.net

^^ SO pushing for this type of installation over our back door! ^^

Hubba hubba, don’tcha think?

Pinterest via D. Carey

This is a total ‘must-have’!  Fingers crossed!

Meanwhile, here’s more:

Flickr.com

^^ Okay, people.  Look at this! ^^

Vinyl siding!  (‘Tis just one of my insecurities; we’ll discuss later.)

* * * *

Back to the insecurity at hand.

  All these roofs are STANDING SEAM METAL,

while ours is similar but a LOT less expensive:

I’m freaking out a little, just in case it’s not ‘similar’ enough

+ looks totally hiddy!

What if people ‘judge’!!??

WHY am I even blogging about our re-do,

if our project’s so modest because of our super small budget?

* * * *

BUT WAIT!

What’s this I see?

sweethomestyle.tumbler.com

Omigosh!

It’s OUR EXACT METAL ROOF!!!!

(look closely) . . .

. . . and yet, it really, really looks GREAT!!!!

* * * *

Um, what was it I was whining about, earlier?

N E V E R M I N D !

All it takes is one photo, + my confidence soars!

YAY!

* * * *

Meanwhile, now that I’m feeling so VALIDATED,

 I’ll dash over later + try to take better snapshots!

Stay tuned!

.

Old Stuff For Our Old House

So today is the Third Sunday Market in Bloomington, Illinois

(fantastic + held once a month).

We can’t go today because G.O. needs to be here,

 at our house re-do . . .

. . . where he’s supervising the completion of our roofing project:

That ‘thing’ is a solar tube
to brighten our kitchen!

Yay for the roofing progress,

but slight buzz kill for not being able to go to the flea market today!

I really love the Third Sunday Market . . .

http://www.thirdsundaymarket.com/

         

. . . + we really need to get some OLD stuff for our OLD house!

Like some OLD doors!  Love them!

Love the color of their OLD, chippy paint!

I’ll take this pair for our garden shed, please:

google.co.nz

That bright green would really “pop” against our shed’s dark, gray/blue paint!

Benjamin Moore’s Blue Spruce

* * * * *

How about something like this charmer for the door

between our divided downstairs bathroom?

benchmarkemail.com

Is that window frosted?  Hope so!

I’ll need to shop for some suitable window cling letters

+ spell out “LADIES” or “BATH” or something.

* * * * *

I am a huge fan of both antique stained glass window sashes

+ transom windows!

Here they are, together:

hookedonhouses.net

* * * *

And, speaking of old stuff for old houses,

 what do I spy online, just this morning,

 but this incredibly unique vanity:

I’d repeat that yummy red color
in a print shower curtain + some fun window tiers!
Oh, + let’s add a pale grey to the walls, too!
chadrogers.tv

 But OMG — I digress a little bit!

LOOK what they’ve done to a plain Jane drop leaf table!

Genius!

Surely we’d find dozens at today’s Third Sunday Market!

Do you approve?

That chunky, white ironstone vessel sink is perfect here.

I, personally, love it + have already found one like it:

Home Depot

I’d style it just a “tad”differently,

with a wall-mounted faucet, attached through the table’s upper leaf:

Antique brass + wall-mount:
the new “it” faucet
for vintage style!
amazon.com

Excuse me while I add an old, drop-leaf table

to my list of “must-finds”

for our upcoming trip to next month’s Third Sunday Market!

See you there on Sunday, September 15th!

Siding Choices, Plans 2 + 2.5!

I recently blogged about my exterior siding choices:

https://redbirdv.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/siding-choices-done/

* * * * *

N E V E R M I N D !

I shan’t use the word “DONE” in a blog post title again, ever,

because I change my mind too much!

Here’s what I mean:

Plan 1 for our Dutch colonial’s 2nd story involved shingle siding . . .

Certainteed.com

. . . with this charmer as my inspiration:

Houzz.com

Sadly, it turns out the shingle siding is 5 X’s more spendy

than the regular horizontal clapboard siding.

The humanity!

* * * * *

No problem! . . .

. . . if our modest budget only allows for the clapboard siding,

I’ll select another inspiration house!

Here’s Plan 2:

houzz.com

In my world, this is just as charming as Plan 1 . . .

. . . + yes, the board + batten is also available from CertainTeed:

CertainTeed

Of course, it is also 5 X’s more expensive than the plain Jane clapboard stuff.

But check it out!

Plan 2 involves the accent on the tip top of the gables only

+ not the entire 2nd story:

Exterior siding Plan 2, again.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, I’ve already changed my mind again + have chosen Plan 2.5!

Here ’tis:

houzz.com

Plan 2.5 is nearly identical to Plan 2, but wait!

What’s that at the very top?

A DOVECOTE

(a.k.a. “faux birdhouse”), + I think it’s crazy charming!

* * * *

houzz.com

houzz.com

You’re totally on board, right?

Well, here’s a DOVECOTE on a Dutch colonial, kind of like ours!

houzz.com

W I N N I N G !

* * * *

Anyway, this past week I’ve been trying to persuade G.O.:

HA!  No, he’s NOT amused . . .

but fingers crossed!

Stay tuned!

Plan B For My Bathroom Vanity

Yesterday I giddily posted of my love for this chunky vessel sink:

Home Depot!
Who knew?

I was/am totally smitten with its vintage, white ironstone bowl-ness.

My plans were to make a bathroom vanity, using my AWESOME sink

 + my AWESOME, vintage pine cupboard:

(Today’s word-of-the-day: AWESOME.)

Oh, how I “love” it when I make plans without measuring stuff.

The BAD news is that that sink is way too huge for my cupboard.

Whoops!  “Silly me!”

The good news is that I did measure + discover said-same

BEFORE I placed my online order from Home Depot.

* * * *

Meanwhile, here’s Plan B:

houzz.com

Look what I found on Amazon, for less than $100!

I am totally obsessed with antique brass + cross handles, like this:

brookegiannetti.typepad.com

Pretty AWESOME, no?

So AWESOME that I’ve already shared this AWESOME-ness with G.O.

. . . who, as you see him here, was not totally amused.

“Poor G.O.”

But it’s all good.

I’m giving him space today, + he’ll think about it,

+, hopefully, be on board, soon.

Fingers crossed + stay tuned!

Vintage Bathroom Hope Chest

ANNOUNCEMENT, people!

I now have a hope chest for our Dutch colonial re-do!

I began filling it just this past week,

starting with this milk glass towel bar from etsy:

Iprefervintage

Speaking of milk glass . . .

. . . it may be the operative word in my bathroom re-do.

Look at the milk glass on this Restoration Hardware sconce:

I’m a geeky fan of all the bathroom stuff at Restoration Hardware

+ previously posted about said-same, here:

https://redbirdv.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/my-restoration-hardware-bathroom-dreams/

* * * *

Back to my hope chest.

Check this out:

Imagine That!
Home Décor + Gifts
Tinley Park, IL
708.708.8921

I spied this wonderful pine cupboard

at our town’s monthly French Market

http://3frenchhensmarket.blogspot.com/

just this past Saturday:

The shopkeeper from Imagine That!

told me that it came from southern California.

(Perfect!  I love California!)

* * * *

What a coincidence!

Here’s something similar that I pinned, weeks ago:

houzz.com

Delicious, no?

We could install our faucets on OUR wooden arch, no?

Here’s another look-see:

More about faucets in a bit.

Don’t you agree this top is CALLING for a vessel sink?

That’s why I bought it, everybody!

So, natch, I’ve been online, searching for said-same all weekend.

anurbancottage.blogspot.com

These chunky rectangular sinks would be perfect

for my modern farmhouse décor.

Southernliving.com

But whom do I think I’m kidding?

Modern, schmodern!

Because of my love of white ironstone bowls,

something along those lines would make me happier.

Seriously.  Like this one:

rrantiques.tumbler.com

Somebody pass me my credit card.

It’s time to order this discontinued beauty,

before they’re gone!

$138.99
Home Depot

There.  That’s done.

* * * *

Now for the faucet decision!

If G.O. sez NO to installing them in our cupboard’s arch,

I’m totally on board with putting them in the wall, like here:

http://www.winslowshome.com/
Next time you’re in St. Louis,
go here for a meal + shopping fun!

And here:

bhg.com

But let’s get real.

I think G.O.’s head would pop off if I even suggested these.

Trust me, just getting the cupboard was drama enough.

* * * *

Never fear, though.

Our top is extra deep @ 21″.

There’s plenty of room for my chunky ironstone vessel sink

AND a cool faucet!

Here’s another look-see:

As much as I love white ironstone bowls . . .

I am super crazy for bridge faucets, like this:

Spied this on Pinterest.
Sorry, don’t recall the source.

I’m also smitten with the metal cross handles

with their porcelain “HOT” + “COLD” . . .

Shower curtain roller rings
from — where else? — Restoration Hardware

. . . so it’s imperative I find a faucet with those.

* * * *

However, it’s going to take a while to decide on the metal.

 I am obsessing about antique brass, like this:

brookegiannetti.typepad.com

They’re not that easy to find + tend to be a bit spendy.

Fingers crossed, though.

Stay tuned!

Let’s Look At Magazines Together!

Years ago, my BFF + I loved to peruse decorating mags together.

Oh, how I miss those days . . .

. . . especially when something like this lands inside my mailbox:

Whoops!

Sorry this image is so tiny — sometimes I’m just so un-savvy!  😦

* * * *

Anyway.

There’s plenty of coolness in the current CL issue to share with the class . . .

. . . just this a.m. I wanted to order this awesome pin magnet

that was featured on page 24.

Check it out, people:

purlsoho.com

I KNOW!!!

YOU want one, too, right?

This is so far + above hipper than my plain Jane red one from Wal-Mart!

It would make me happy just to look at it!

  Get this:  it’s $10.

That’s gotta be the best $10 I’d ever spend, no?

* * * *

Tragically, it’s currently out of stock.

No wonder.

I’m guessing everybody else who reads CL had to have one, too.

Unlike me, they didn’t wait 4 or 5 days to try + order theirs.

* * * *

But let’s move on, shall we?

Look at the store — Purlsoho — where it’s sold.

My steel-trap-like mind told me the “soho” meant that it’s in NYC,

+ I was correct:

459 Broome St.
NYC 10013

Sigh.

This ramps up my chronic NYC jonesing.

And while I’ve only been to SOHO one time, PLEASE.

“Everybody knows” it’s the hippest place, ever!

Yum!

Now, my retail fever’s way, way UP, too.

Look how cool their store is!

Sweet!

Take a few moments + look at their blog . . .

http://www.purlbee.com/

. . . where you’ll find adorable + oh-so inspirational photos like these:

In my plain Jane world,
this is SO much better
than something pink, sparkly + princess!

Once again
with the alternative
to you-know-what.

Now wasn’t that fun?

Thanks for being my online BFF this morning!

Front Porch Progress

Good things come to those who wait, no?

Well, that’s always a plus when you’re me,

because it seems like I’ve been waiting FOREVER

for this bad enclosed front porch to go away:

So close! It’s almost gone here!

I have a vision, of course, thanks to our beloved internet.

(What DID we do, back in the olden days

before the bozoputer, one wonders?)

Anyway, this is what I have in my head, Dutch-colonial-front-porch-wise:

Houzz.com

Don’t you love it?  So charming + inviting!

Anyway, last week, the guys finally removed our naughty porch enclosure.

Drum roll!

Here ’tis now!

Much bettah, am I right?

But check out that light fixture!

It’s a nice enough Craftsman-style charmer, I guess,

+ I s’poze it would look pretty cool, hanging above someone’s dining table.

Just not my front porch!

Never fear.

Here is our cottage-y replacement, waiting in the wings:

Pottery Barn

Of course, I’ve already pleaded with G.O. to take down that dining room light mishap.

Having ‘a blast’ at the Steely Dan concert.

But get this!

He insists that he has other, more pressing tasks, than taking down a bad light fixture!

How’s that possible!!??

Obviously, unlike me, HE is not mortified by the idea that passersby

might think we WANT that dining room light hanging on our front porch!

HA!  Imagine that!

* * * * *

  On a related (sort of) topic, of course I’m already shopping for house numbers.

You see, they’ll go ON that front porch, eventually.

What I really want is a European-style enamel sign like this:

http://www.ramsign.com/

Something in Frenchie blue, perchance?

Love it!  Done!

Pass me my credit card + get out of my way!

* * * *

But wait.

Just in case there’s something even cooler out there,

I’ve been shopping on etsy again.

Look what I found, from a cool shop called Claysquared:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/158604427/modern-flat-house-numbers-frenchy-blue

HA!  How awesome is it, that they refer to the color as “frenchy” blue?

Is it just me, but aren’t these a modern version of the more vintage enamel signs?

What say ye?

This choice — between vintage + modern —

describes my design plan for our entire re-do.

Vintage

Vintage-inspired modern

Now that I think about it, it seems all my choices, so far, are of the vintage persuasion.

Would modern stuff be cool or hopelessly out of place?

One wonders?

Etsy Shopping

The HVAC (heating + air conditioning) guys are at our Dutch colonial today,

so that’s pretty exciting, I’d say.

Our errant enclosed front porch was finally demolished

just the other day . . .

. . . which is even more exciting (to me!)

I’ve snapped plenty of “after” photos

but need G.O.’s assistance with downloading

in order to share with the class.

Soon!

Meanwhile, just this a.m., I had a bright idea

to do a little vintage shopping on etsy, for our house.

Iprefervintage shop on etsy

I love this milk glass towel bar!

I’m thinking one of the bathrooms or our kitchen island.

Our kitchen island
will end up in the approximate location
of this 2×4.

Speaking of our kitchen island,

I want to hang some sort of rack on the side of it,

for cookbooks + platters + such.

No luck finding anything on etsy today,

but I did see some cool hymnal racks on Pinterest:

Pinterest

While not house-related, here’s another etsy purchase I made this a.m.:

thependantemporium shop on etsy

My sister is an accounting professor at the University of Texas at Austin,

+ her birthday’s August 13th.

Fingers crossed she’ll like it + wear it!

Stay tuned!