Kichen Fantasizing

Okay, so Monday we snooped through my best friend Michael's kitchen makeover.

I've been sopping up his long distance tears with my shoulder for weeks while this went on.

 By the time it was all over, we'd texted and emailed many dozen times.

How many dozen?

Enough to make me seethe with granite envy. 

I covet his backsplash.

I could have an affair with it and never feel guilty.

It was clearly time to see what else was out there.

I'd been eying IKEA's choices over the past couple of years. In fact, it was on the drawing board

when the house caught on fire two and a half years ago.

(Can a kitchen project go on the back burner?)

At any rate, I figure taking it easy can encompass shopping and planning.

And plotting.

Even if IKEA isn't your cup of tea, the sheer number of rooms set up and arranged are great inspiration for creating the perfect space.
Decide what you use your kitchen for.
Entertaining?
Storage?
Cooking?
Office space?
This is a room with multiple functions, and the last thing you want is to have your laptop set up on the island while you write a piece on a new recipe, leaving the power cord draped
like a banner, causing your autistic OCD techie son to have a hissie fit.
Not that this has ever happened.
Right?

My plot will definitely involve these cabinets.
I can picture my antique crystal shining out from behind the panes.

I'm leaning toward open shelving for frequently used items, like everyday dishes
and pottery mixing bowls. The plastic stuff I'll hide.

The rail system on the backsplash is a brilliant method of keeping tools handy but off of the counter.
Easy clean up is good clean up.

Anyone can stay organized with this kind of cabinet space.

The apron sink of my dreams...I may or may not have been asked to vacate the department due to my affectionate reaction.
I loooooove the combination of classic farmhouse styling paired with an ultra modern faucet too.

Hello, Lover. Now we're talkin'.

As I feverishly jotted down details, I visualized this in the back of the Soul.

We joke that our kitchen is the biggest small kitchen in existence.
There's never enough room for dinner prep, baking, and garden work at once.
I think this island would solve that in one fell swoop.

Cabinets for shameless displays...

...and cabinets to hide...ANYTHING.

Is it wrong that I'm mentally putting things away with glee?

Canned goods and Ball jars, stowed alphabetically...
man, have my fantasies changed over the years.

I do like the counters in here, but this would add a slice of heft to the budget...

...whereas the butcher block is equally as attractive to me and would trim expenses.
I've had a very good experience with the top on my existing island.

I have to get home to my husband before he starts to suspect us, but I'll be back.
*KISS*

I did detour through the bath area on the way out.
Do you have any idea the amount of damage a fire hose can wreak on
a home store vanity?
Two vanities, actually.

I like the lip that contains the vanity supplies, but with my crew, I'm envisioning
water running down the wall.

Where do you put the soap dispenser???

Uh oh.
BINGO.
Two of the bases went in the cart minutes later.
Why?
Those yellow tags mean "LAST CHANCE."
In other words, "HUGE DISCOUNT."
Like $9.95 each.
I have some salvaged marble and thrift store bowls already squirreled away,
so yes, I veered off topic.
Or maybe I was just trying to avoid my promise.
What promise?
MY kitchen, warts and all.

Prepare yourselves-
hey, would anyone prefer to discuss the bamboo mats I scored for 99 cents at
Bed, Bath and Beyond outlet?
No?
Are you sure?
Fine. Come on in.
But don't say I didn't warn you.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

It's about 25 years old, and the cheapest possible materials.
All of the doors have fallen off.
Charming, huh?
Now you understand all of my tight camera shots.

The blue cabinets were a roadside find that I sanded, painted, and installed, and they might stay.
New hardware would help.

Some hidden storage would be dreamy.

A repainted Martha Stewart island has done the job for years, but we could part ways.

I'm ready to sledge and destroy the whole thing...

...except for him.
He has faithfully held my sponges, and I love him.
He's staying.

I'll be downloading the kitchen planner yet again and we'll report back with the
particulars, details, and the budget break down.
I'll also be making a plan that will NOT include doing everything at once.
In true Rehab fashion, we'll also need a trip to the Habitat for Humanity Restore
to see if anything can be saved from the landfill.
Like my budget, for instance.

Leftovers Again?

When I was cleaning out my closet, I basically found a time capsule.
Jewelry. From the 80's.

Did you own any of this?

The pink rectangular stones are about an inch and a half long,
and one is missing the post.
So what do you do with 30 year old relics?

Oh...I have an idea.

Grab a little waterproof Goop while you're at it.

Remove the spring part under your french clip and break off the remaining post on the other earring.

Glue the gem to the center of the clip.

  Add more gems or beads to fill in the top of the clip.
Allow this to dry, then replace the spring portion.

Find yourself a hair model.
Yeah, this isn't going to work.

I found some silky, flowing blonde hair to demonstrate the product on...

...but he wasn't overly pleased with being used.

 

Aha! I have spotted my victim, and she is helpless to refuse!
Why helpless, you ask?

We don't own a gun, and her bow is nowhere nearby!

Sit still, little one.

Glitzy but not overtly so, the glue makes this beach worthy.

I like that my favorite earrings from my young and crazy days now have new life.
Let's pack a bag and look recycled fabulous on the sand, shall we?

My Kitchen Inspiration

My best friend Michael, an avid DIYer and stay-at-home dad, lives 1300 miles away in New York

With the internet, this is not exactly a challenge. 

We confer on projects all the time through phone calls, Yahoo photo sharing, cam time and texting.

He was right there when I built The Wall.

So naturally, when he decided his 80's kitchen needed an update, I got to follow along with the bouncing trowel!

Here's the before: still in great shape, because he takes care of things, 

But the floor, counters, and backsplash...

definitely holding the whole room back.

And as Michael's culinary skills went from toddler's fare to more gourmet offerings,

storage was glaringly inadequate.

Wrecking ball, please!

 Come along and watch the carnage.

 He moved out everything that wasn't nailed down, and several things that were, checking and reassessing his work flow and needs.

 This will replace the red formica adequately, yes?

Dear God, yes.

Custom built addition to the peninsula.

Sandy tile with a little accent of green went down, which had the effect of updating the cabinets.

It's amazing how different they look in the right surroundings.

 See that lip on the peninsula?

Now he's got room for company while he cooks.

 And the backsplash....oh.

If I'm ever widowed, I'm running away with the backsplash.

 There are some sacrifices you have to prepare for during this process...

 ...cooking dinner could be a minor challenge.

 Your decorating might be a tad unorthodox as well.

 But in the end, it's all worth it.

This has me itching to dive in and fix the train wreck I cook in.

How bad is it?

Join me tomorrow for the ugly, naked truth and the Rehab Kitchen Plan.

At the very least, you'll feel better about your space.

Thanks again to Michael and his lovely wife Carloyn for allowing us to barge into their home.