Archive for the ‘kitchen’ Category

KITCHEN COUNTERS

Monday, January 28th, 2013

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(image via here)

Like a lot of folks right now, I got slapped down and made the flu’s bitch for the past couple weeks. It was unseemly and awfully rude, but now it seems like I’m slowly getting back to business. All that time spent in bed tossing and turning with fever dreams and paralyzing full body anxiety brought on by being completely useless in general when I HAD SHIT TO DO, gave me a great opportunity to feel still more awful since I started obsessing over the shameful progress of our kitchen renovation.

What has happened kitchen reno wise? I changed the light fixture. So, great progress since 2011.

Hey now, I did buy the Ikea Numerar Countertops about a year and a half ago. So I tried. I mean, they’ve been sitting in our garage gathering dust and disappointment, but whatever. No big deal. I’m not a loser.

*I’m kind of a loser.

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(images via here, here & here)

When I step into the kitchen I get so pissy looking at those forever unclean looking turquoise linoleum counters that I dream that my concentrated hatefulness would somehow make them get gone and wood appear. Then facts ruin it. I don’t have the time or budget or willpower to update the kitchen right now. Sad face.

For now, I’m bookmarking this great tutorial from a few years ago about installing and treating Ikea’s wood countertops as a way to bone up on what we need to do. But before anything gets demoed? I need a sink. And tile. And a faucet. And I need help. So much help.

Consider this a Shame Post to get my shit together and make our kitchen look just a little less funkytown, you know, before another year slips by.

OH, and if you guys have used these counters yourself and have any install tips or treatment advice, please feel free to share. Personally, I don’t mind if the wood gets worn and dinged and used looking. I like character and the imperfections don’t kill me. Plus, the price for these was right for my budget and this house in general.

FIBER

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

I know. I KNOW, DAMMIT.

This fiber thing has gotten fully out of control.

Whatever.

You heard that right. I’ll say it.

What – to the – ever.

At least I can admit to being powerless against fibers. Fully powerless. Power – to the – less.

I’m turning into such a cliche since we all know this story: girl goes on eBay, girl searches for textiles, girl stumbles on a listing for a “Southwest Tapestry Weaving”, girl bids a couple dollars and one day a box shows up full of fiber art. The end.

I wasn’t even trying to find this thing. I was being good! I was just looking for rugs or maybe blankets? It’s all such a blur.

That pusher eBay just waved it this in my face and I gave in to the temptation and now it looks like the kitchen has a shaggy addition. What was I supposed to do? What could any person do? Show restraint and NOT buy old weird woven wall hangings via internet auctions?

I’m not made of that kind of steely discipline. I’m a human being.

This is the last time. The. Last. Time.

It has to be. I’m running out of wall space.

On the plus side, this stringy minx looks uncannily like the one and only ultimate piece of fiber art. See that? My new little fiber could easily be mistaken for a younger and more naive version of that massive beauty. Like that one birthed a wee fiber baby? Oh, yeah. Total fiber baby.

During a recent visit to the Ace I created some indisputable Instagram evidence to drive the point home.

Try and dispute that.

You can’t. That incredible evidence is beyond dispute.

 

FIBERS.

 

I so need to find a new thing to hoard.

 

KITCHEN PLANS

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

The kitchen needs a bit of help.

After sixty odd years of use, some parts of the kitchen (*cough* countertops *cough*) aren’t faring so well. Worn out, busted up, whatever you want to call it, this not looking clean thing isn’t cool anymore.

Seen from afar? Not so bad.

In person? Kind of gross.

Here’s my idea mash-up board. Now get in my kitchen all you things.

Of course any updates need to be affordable and the plan is to reuse some stuff that’s already laying around the house.

NEED

Counters :  IKEA Numerar. Cheap easy lovely wood. Not the dream top, but sometimes budget wins.
Hardware : Brass pulls you said? Possibly.
Paint : BM Kendall Charcoal. Actually just for use inside the cabinets.
Faucet : Still working on that. Something simple. Something affordable.
Backsplash : Kismet Tile – C4BW S17

HAVE

Floors : Black VCT
Lighting : Danish copper cone
Chairs : Eames wire chairs
Sink : Our sink

Laure shot an incredible floor installation of Kismet tiles at Jon and Tyke’s new place. I’m in love with Tracey’s patterns and colorways and just the finish in general with these Moroccan-made cement tiles.

Hey now. This is the Kismet tile patten I’m currently digging.

Our black-splash area and the space behind the stove is pretty petite; we really only need about 60-ish sqft of tile to do the whole kitchen. I’m hoping that a nice dose of graphic black and white might just be thing to bring the wowser factor into what would be pretty basic overhaul and tweaking of the current kitchen…since the gut and rebuild strategy isn’t ever going to be an option.