Wednesday, May 27, 2015

It Is Okay To Be Different (The Story Of Our Kitchen)


 

Why don't I have a white kitchen?

Lots of people have white kitchens.

...That statement is my answer.

Don't get me wrong...some white kitchens are beautiful.

But we didn't want what everyone else has...

we wanted to be...

different.

That said, let me introduce you to our kitchen.


Handy Hubby and I put A LOT of time and energy into designing this kitchen.

I have to 'see' things, so he laid out the design with cardboard for me on the plywood floor before we made a final decision.
We ordered the cabinets through a little 'mom and pop' store and Handy Hubby installed them.

We chose a Rustic Birch cabinet in the color Saddle.
The cabinets have knots, dents, and dings that add such character.

The drawers pictured above are beside my double oven.
Pots, lids, and bake ware are so easy to access.

That's a lazy suzan cabinet in the corner.


My everyday dishes are displayed in the plate rack.
I love the contrast of the white and blue dishes against the dark cabinets.

To the right is a spice rack that pulls out.


We used a mixture of knobs and pulls with an old patina look.


The farmhouse sink was something I used to dream about.
It is functional and beautiful.


The faucet, soap dispenser and some other counter top accessories match the knobs and pulls.

The glass cabinet above the sink showcases family heirlooms.
(Sorry you can't tell because of the glare.  The kitchen gets flooded with natural light - a good thing, but bad for picture taking.)

To the right of the sink is the dishwasher...disguised as a cabinet.

Blue is a highlight color throughout.

See the sign under the plates?  It reads "I like hugs...I like kisses...but what I love is help with the dishes."


The island has the cook top and bar stools.
Notice the color of the bar stools match the knobs and accessories.

The girls eat breakfast there every morning.

The island is where I prep food.
We also installed an electrical outlet on the side of the island.

The layout is great for serving buffet style meals when we have friends and family over.

More often then not, it is a catch all...papers and bills seem to pile up there.


Above the island is a pot rack with lights.
See the rooster and wheat motifs...adds more farmhouse character.


We also chose black appliances, in contrast to many people choosing stainless.
Not just to be different, but because we like the look.
Yes, when the sun shines a certain way through the windows, it does show every dust particle, but...

We purchased most of our appliances at a scratch and dent store...name brands and new, but because of a little scratch or dent the price was discounted.  It's amazing what a magnet can hide on a refrigerator ;-).

We didn't think granite was an option for our kitchen because of price.
A friend told us about a place that had great prices.
When we went to look they were having a sale!

Still to do...
I would like to add a white bead board back splash and crown molding.
And I am thinking about adding bead board to the island and painting it a white or blue color...what do you think?

45 comments:

  1. Well, if anyone is going to understand your desire to have a different kitchen, it would be me, since my kitchen is definitely not like anyone else I know lol

    I really like yours. I think it has a timeless look and bead board would add to the character. As far as the island.... I'm not sure. Maybe white bead board to go with the backsplash? Whatever you do, it'll be lovely :)

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    1. I knew I could count on you Rue for understanding wanting to be a bit different ;-) Your kitchen is full of character and beauty! I like the idea of white bead board on the island.....

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  2. Hi Lori, your kitchen has a very classic and warm look to it, which makes it cozy. I also like birch, because the grain is not too busy, and I love your blue and white dishes. It's also great that it gets lots of light. Our kitchen is shades of gray, neutrals, bare wood, and blue, all because my last home had a white kitchen that was too white with my simpler french style painted furniture! xoxo Su

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    1. Thanks Su for your sweet comment! By the way, I love your kitchen.

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  3. Lori, I totally understand where you are coming from. In my community, white rock houses are very popular. They are lovely but I too, wanted something different and chose classic red brick for my home. Your kitchen is cozy. I love the built in plate rack and your hanging pot rack is wonderful! Blessings, Cecilia

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    1. Thanks Cecilia!
      I imagine your red brick home stands tall and beautifully proud surrounded by others that all look the same.

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  4. Lori, your kitchen is beautiful! I love the color of the cabinets, the countertops, the floors the pot rack - i love it all. I've always wanted an apron front sink - always. I'm so excited you have one. Everything is gorgeous. Great job! Hugs, CoCo

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    1. Thank you so much CoCo!
      I longed for a farmhouse sink for a very long time...

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  5. I think that wood is absolutely beautiful! What a pretty kitchen. (I hate stainless steel appliances, Reminds me of a morgue I was in once.)
    Brenda

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    1. Thank you Brenda! Stainless and a morgue....hhmmm ;-)

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  6. I love your kitchen! I like dark kitchens too, and they're popular where we happen to live. It's great to be different. :)

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    1. It is great to be a little different ;-) Thanks Dee!

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  7. Personally, I love everything about your kitchen.. We chose black appliances and we have pecan cupboards.. Your sink is awesome.. I am showing my hubby your pics because with a new countertop and sink my kitchen would be done...It is nice to do what one likes without yielding to the pressure of style... eh?

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    1. Thank you so much Faye! Your kitchen sounds beautiful with pecan cabinets and black appliances. Good luck with your counter tops and sink.

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  8. what a great looking kitchen! i love the cabinet style and the warm color. we are in the midst of a minor kitchen reno, in which we add a backsplash and countertop that are not just laminate sheets from the 70s/80s and repainting. i feel like because my cabinets are dark that it isn't updated enough, yet i don't like the look of white. i'm glad to know we're not the only ones out there not repainting or redoing things in white,
    b

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    1. Your kitchen renovation sounds exciting! We had laminate in our last house...although they come in lots of colors, they just don't hold up over long periods of time. Thanks for visiting!

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  9. You have a timeless classic and absolutely gorgeous kitchen. I love it.

    My mother-in-law just did dark cherry with black appliances and it looks great, too.

    My whole house is pickled oak - light and timeless, too, at least to me. I love dark AND white kitchens, but I am staying with my pickled, it's the reason we bought 11 years ago and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

    Very well done, ma'am!

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    1. Thank you so much Michele! Picked oak sounds beautiful and the fact that YOU love it makes it even more beautiful!

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  10. Hi LL, I love everything about your kitchen. We almost have similar granite, and black appliances too! I'm with you, I'm not a fan of white kitchens, either. I like the look of wood, to me it feel more like home! Bead board on the side of your island would look really nice, I'd go with blue! I love, love, love your kitchen sink. Our new kitchen we have a deeper sink and I love it (except it's black). Looking forward to seeing your updated look!!
    ~CB

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    1. You should do a post showcasing your new kitchen CB...it sounds awesome!

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  11. Love your kitchen Lori...mine is not white either....Love what you designed. Have a great weekend!

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  12. At the end of the day, you've got to be yourself! Some of these decorating trends go out as quickly as they come in. As long as you like it, that's all the matters. Very lovely kitchen.

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    1. I completely agree Angela. Everyone should decorate with what they like, not what is in style at that moment. Thanks for visiting!

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  13. Love it Lori! I have an alder wood kitchen upstairs with knots and a white kitchen downstairs. I get a little bit of different love from each. lol! You'll love the outlet on your island. I use ours all the time. I felt like our kitchen had too much wood so I had the island and hood fan painted duck egg blue and glazed. I love it!! I had white bead board on my island in my previous home and loved it as well. One draw back was that the groove of the bead board would get dirty easily and I found myself touching it up 2 or 3 times a year. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. You are blessed to have the best of both in your two kitchens Jann! Thanks for the warning about the bead board getting dirty easily.

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  14. I love your kitchen. It is so warm and unique. I like that you tailored it for you, because you are the one who uses it everyday.

    Great job!

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  15. What a beautiful kitchen! Our kitchen is also 'different'. Partly because it is small, but because we also like wooden cabinets rather than really modern ones. Thank you for sharing all your photos :-)

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    1. Thank you Gwen! I bet your kitchen is beautiful and cozy too.

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  16. Loved this post! :) I do like white kitchens but I like ones like yours as well. One thing that I noticed early on in Blog Land is that after awhile seeing people do the same thing, like sheep...gets a bit boring. So it's nice to see a person saying this is me, and I'm sticking with it :)

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    1. Thank you for your encouraging words Deb! I agree...there are some beautiful white kitchens, but like we teach our children...be yourself!

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  17. I love nice wood cabinets...and yours are nice! I had solid cherry custom cabinets in our previous house. I miss them so much. I moved into a kitchen with white cabinets, and while they are nice and fresh looking, I still love the look and texture of wood. Sheila

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    1. That's great that you have experienced both Sheila! Thanks for visiting.

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  18. You have a lovely kitchen..and I wish I had an electrical plugin on our island...a great idea

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    1. Thank you BJ! That plug in gets used a lot...from the mixer to crock pots.

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  19. Your kitchen is beautiful!! The cabinets are definitely above average...don't you feel that way? I like the way you mixed the knobs and pulls. Painting the island would be fun. Our cabinets are white with glaze and the island is dark stain. I'd like to paint it a different color.

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    1. Thank you Stacey! I love how your mixed your cabinet colors...gives me inspiration...I am still nervous to do it.

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  20. Your kitchen is beautiful!!! Love all the little details! Thank you for sharing on the Art of Home-Making Mondays :)

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  21. love your kitchen. I like white kitchens but my home is 53 yrs old. So 2 years ago we remodeled. We went with wood cabinets with a hint of redish in the wood and the granite is beautiful with a few sparkles in it . We did a stainless steel sink, brushed nickel hands. I did vinyl flooring that looks like tile. I have my business license so I was able to go through a local business and get top quality vinyl that you do not get in other stores. My brother -in-law walked in (his first view of remodel 2 yrs. ago) and said we need new kitchen flooring but not tile :) like you have. the washer and dryer is in the kitchen and because our home is 1100 sq. ft with one bathrm. remodeled 3 yrs ago. there is no place to add to put them. I am not a stainless steel gal so I went with cream colored appliances in the kitchen remodel.

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  22. When we were looking for a new house, we spent a lot of time taking out the houses that had white kitchen. We wanted to have wood cabinets with black appliances :) We ended up with a house that needed to be remodeled and I got my cherry cabinets and quartz counters. I love the kitchen but I never thought about it being different from others. I just knew that we loved to see the wood and the wood grain because it is warmer and more welcoming to us. We put in hardwood floors to match the rest of the house and we are super happy with ours too!! Hope you enjoy yours for many years to come.

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  23. I came to your blog by way of Community Chickens (the post about your homegrown Christmas turkey). Then I did some further reading (about cow and turkey, alpaca and kitten) and finally came to this post about your new kitchen. I agree with you 100%! I am not a fan of the white kitchen, and took some funny comments from folks about my kitchen being too dark when I was designing it for our new house. I just love what you did with your cabinets, and everything else for that matter. I am sure you will be very happy in this beautiful space. Below are 2 links to my blog posts about my kitchen. I had a few disastrous episodes during the building of it, but am extremely happy with the results. I might also have to steal a few of your farm-to-table recipes and get back to work in that pretty kitchen of mine. For the record: soapstone counter and farm sink, cherry cabinets (not solid cherry), black appliances (although I think the old white fridge is in some of the photos), and bamboo floors. I would not change a thing (except for the cheap appliances that keep dying on me...) Hope you have better luck with your appliances! Thanks for your helpful posts about chickens, turkeys, and everything else.

    http://lestersflat.blogspot.com/2010/02/everything-and-kitchen-sink.html

    http://lestersflat.blogspot.com/2010/05/big-story-big-fridge-fits.html

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