Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The Kitchen...




Time for the Kitchen Semi-Redo...



Yes, I've been working on various points of this baby all winter and it changes everyday, so this is it for now, but as every other room in this old farmhouse, this is also "Under Construction." But, she's come a long, long way~!

Sneak Peak, but changes have been made...


It's really hard to understand how far this has come without pics...
So, hold onto your chairs cause this one is pretty amazing~!

Meet "Sally Julia Burkett"... This is the woman whose home I currently inhabit. This is what the kitchen looked like back in the oh, probably, 1950's, or 1960's... Nice blue-marbled, abitibi (sp?) walls... Old, white, steel cupboards and very, very tiny. But, even she was happy here ~ just look at her smile.
She's Beautiful~!

My better half spent some years after he inherited this home from the "Burketts" putting in a new, remodeled and BIGGER kitchen addition ~ Thank the Lord~!!!



This is what it looked like in 2010, when I took these pics and saved for later...
Yes, more PEACH~ ugh~!

Yep, it's a disaster...
A disaster used for makeshift family tenants when they were desperate between housing and again,
for the storage of a bunch of old, junk furniture...

Note the mismatched barstools ~ lol... There were 8 of them in this kitchen when I began this project and I was very happy to give them away, to a gal who wanted some just like this.
Can you imagine!

^^^And look  upper left ~ someone left free liquor~ Wow, I needed it!!!



What a project...!

First, the old, junk, furniture went into a shed. Then, she received a spanking new paint job~ And, yes, I made my better half do the paint job. I couldn't stand the peach color to paint it myself.
And, I was at my house, having my 40 year 'mid life crisis,'
so I couldn't be bothered with home decorating... lol

But yes, I CHOSE THE COLORS... He just CAN'T be trusted~!


Kitchen Before Cupboard Handles...
 

Kitchen After Cupboard Handles...
 

Oh Messy~!
What can I say...
I'm a "messy" chaotic redecorator~!
^^^And look^^^
New, used barstools I got off a yardsale website for $10 a piece ($30)...
The cupboard handles came in an 'if it ships, it fits' parcel from my best~bestie in WI ~ Thank You Pam~!
She changed her kitchen handles to brushed nickel to go "more modern" and since I'm going "back in time," the brass and porcelain suit this old girl well... And hey, free is always welcome + having a piece of my best friend in my kitchen, everytime I touch a cabinet handle, that's PRICELESS~!        (=


The Lonely Cupboard...
My nemesis for 8 months~!

Not only was this sweet thing 'lonely,' but someone (the Manchild of course) put the counter on crooked ~ she hangs too far right...! He said, "he just wanted more room to get into the table bench seat? Really? That shall be an obstacle we will deal with in the future!

What the 'lonely cupboard' needed is a hutch and I spent 7 months searching for the perfect one to keep her company...And, here she is ~ found in the city.

It was a 2 hours drive in a blazing snow storm to rescue her from a house in the avenues, but... 
SHE'S a PERFECT match for the Lonely Cupboard~!



Here she is installed...
Oh' meet 'Duke' ~ the wonder dog... I wonder how he sneaks into so many pics???



And, since she's a hutch with doors, I decided to fill her with all my dry goods to make her "Rustic"...

Oh, Noes... that "Bread" word on that "Bread Box" has got to go~!!!


And... Go, it did........




             I Luv Mod Podge ~
             It keeps me sane~!
A little recolor with some Folkart brand antiquing medium to darken up and make the 'Lonely Cupboard' match the new/old, vintage hutch and walla~!!!


And, by-the-way... did you notice I rebalanced the "not-so-lonely-anymore's" cupboard, with a vintage meat grinder with a floral in it??? 

Turned out pretty cute~!






And of course, I added a floral in the corner of the kitchen 'nook' table to match the one in the meat grinder... And yes - it was 're-purposed' from a used wreath I bought at the thrift store for $2...
^^^ Scroll back up a little... ^^^

I didn't have a vase to match at least not one I liked, so I used a nifty idea off pinterest ~
I painted a half gallon mason jar with Folkart brand, enamel paint in burnt umber and left some of the areas so you can see through the glass. It turned out "FABULOUS" for the cost~!

Then... the refridgerator area needed some attention - it was so "Plain Jane" and well, I have an old cellar here clear full of vintage stuff and multiple sheds on this old homestead, so I went rummaging and let my mind wander and came up with this... 2 old vintage apple boxes and this beautiful old scale...

I always wanted a potato and onion bin...

My better half used an old piece of barn wood across the front, to keep the veggies from falling on the floor and it was kind of plain in the begining, so I 'mod podged' some old, vintage apple labels onto the front to dress it up. 

This turned out Darling~ I am very pleased with my hunting/gathering talents...

But, I didn't stop with just two crates... I drug in a whole bunch and stacked them on the fridge too, to semi-hide all the Grandkids' treats... Dried fruit in 1/2 gallon mason jars makes an awesome "focal point" on top of the fridge...




One more last piece here...
I got these beautiful, vintage, ox blood, leather, barrel back chairs free, off our local facebook, yardsale website. I had to clean and shine and patch and repair, but they're gorgeous for being free and I luv em ~ I just couldn't part with them when I got them finished, so they are staying...
(1940's? because the nailheads are steel and brass was in short supply during WWII?)
I'll figure out what to do with 2 of them later ~ for now, they're just pretty to look at and pet!






New Acquisitions over the weekend for this lovely room...
An old, "Shredded Wheat" crate table...
           (I love old crates~!)




Old, rusty, hammered, handmade,
 brackets form one of the old sheds on the homestead...


These found a permanent home under the beam in the kitchen.

~PERFECT TOUCH~
 

1 comment:

  1. I love your kitchen and everything you've done with it.
    I must say... after reading several of your 'blue tub' bathroom posts, I was a bit surprised to see the blue on your kitchen re-do! But I love it!!!
    I like all the country farmhouse vintage bits and bobs around your kitchen...so homey!
    I like the meat grinder flower arrangement too.
    I'm pinning that one to my "meat grinder" board!
    Great kitchen...I bet it is a fun place to gather when your house is full. The leather barrel-backed chairs also look comfy.

    came here tonite (and read around a bit) from Cozy Little House...she has featured you and your blog! Welcome!
    Pat

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