Update to My Kitchen

Long time readers may remember a post about my rose themed kitchen. Well, this spring, I decided to change it all up and go with a completely different look. I started checking out kitchen photos online and decided I liked the white on white look for cabinets. Achieving this was simple enough but it took a bit of courage to cover up the stencils I had painstakingly done by hand. You can see the difference in this side by side comparison:


Fortunately, I like the end result a lot.



The stainless steel countertop remains the same. The cabinets are the same with new paint. The appliances are the same. I got new window treatments - white faux wood blinds to replace the hot pink blinds. I sewed new curtains for the door with material I bought at Joann Fabrics.



Using yellow as an accent color has kept the room cheerful. I bought a new table to replace the aging booth that was falling apart. The last item I purchased was a new floor. I got a patterned gray vinyl to replace the black and white checkerboard. I love it with the dogs because the dirt doesn't show. Funny story: The first time I swept the floor, I lost my dirt pile. I was so used to sweeping it onto a white tile that this time when I went to sweep it into the dustpan, I could not find where it was. This color is great!

More photos available on flickr.

Kym, Here's My Needlework

This stamped cross-stitch hangs in my kitchen and greets all my friends who come in through the back door. It took me more than 10 years to finish. Not because the design was difficult, but life events got in the way of my good intentions.

I think I bought this crewel project at the same time as I bought the welcome cross-stitch one above. If it looks familiar to you, I wrote about it once before on this blog post about my kitchen.

I bought this counted cross-stitch sampler to make as a gift for a college boyfriend's parents who were farmers. Alas, the relationship was finished before the project so I kept it. It also hangs in my kitchen where it coordinates with my black/white checkerboard tile floor.

This sampler was the second cross-stitch project I ever sewed. Afterwards, I vowed never to do counted cross-stitch again (where you work from a blank canvas and a pattern on a separate paper). I haven't stuck to that promise but that's definitely the most difficult project I've ever attempted.

I suggested this counted cross-stitch design I found on the internet as a Christmas gift my son could make for my parents. It was his first (and possibly last) time to cross-stitch but he did complete the project. I liked it so much that I decided to make one for myself. This pattern was originally for a bookmark but I think it looks great in the larger size. I keep it prominently displayed in the kitchen for those times I feel overwhelmed and discouraged.

As the post title indicates, I created this blog entry with Kym in mind. She had recently expressed surprise that I liked to do needlework. I wrote her back promising to post these photos. When I went to take the photos however, I realized that most all of my recent projects have been gifts that I have given away. Two of them are pictured on this post.

Currently I'm in the middle of making the stamped cross-stitch design above for a good friend of mine. I thought you might like to see a project in progress. To me it looks as though it could use a good ironing. This is a small project that is going very quickly. I hope to give it to her soon.

Does anyone else like to cross-stitch?

More Rosy Goodness

I can't believe I forgot to include a picture of my Laura Ashley Hathaway Rose dishes in my blog post yesterday. I got these from Kohl right around the time I decided to stencil my kitchen cabinets. I couldn't believe they came with blue trim around the plate edges, blue inside the bowls, and blue dessert plates. It's like they were made for my kitchen!


I also meant to show you a picture of a mug tree I stenciled to match the cupboards. I got this plain wooden mug tree from Kmart, painted it white, then stenciled roses on its base.


Last, but not least, here is an embroidery project I finished just in time for my 15th wedding anniversary. LOL, it only took me fourteen years to complete. We hung it up today over my sugar and spice cupboard. Click on the photo to see it larger.

Hope you enjoyed your virtual tour of my rose kitchen.

Everything's Coming Up Roses....in my kitchen!

I took this photo recently while on a walk in my neighborhood. I love roses but don't have any in my yard. Imagine that! But I'm not deprived as roses bloom all year round in my kitchen.

It's quite possible that I may have one of the only rose themed kitchens in the world. I've googled rose kitchen often to look for ideas but I guess I'm one of a kind in my decorating taste. The photos below illustrate how my rosy kitchen has developed over the years.

This is what our kitchen looked like when we moved in. Pretty bland with plain white cabinetry and gray and light pink trim.


I really liked the black and white floor tiles but wasn't crazy about that light fixture.

As newlyweds, our first decorating project was to put up the rose ceiling border you see in this photo. In the summer of 1995 I repainted the cabinets white and changed the trim color from gray to light blue.

In the late 90s, we replaced our black and white kitchen tiles which had become black and gray over time with brand new black and white tiles laid in exactly the same pattern. Before the new flooring was laid, I repainted the kitchen walls and cabinet doors a creamier white and changed the light blue trim color to a darker shade of blue.

Fast forward to the summer of 2006 when I stenciled roses onto the cabinets. This was an idea I had been mulling for some time. Finally I decided to just go for it. Since we had a variety of kitchen drawer/cabinet door styles, I used several rose patterns. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see this better. You'll also notice I used a darker pink paint color where the light pink had been an accent. [You can click on each photo to see it larger.]



This next photo shows a play cupboard my grandfather made for me and my sister when we were little girls. This corner in my kitchen is the perfect spot for it. I painted it to match our kitchen cupboards and added a stencil message "Sugar and Spice Everything Nice". I keep my decorative sugars and spices in the top and my flour, sugar, and baking pans in the bottom.



Here's a closeup of the rose calendar that sits on top of the cupboard. Isn't it sweet?


Here's how our eating area looks today. I just love our more contemporary light fixture and the large sized floral picture on the wall.


I have a few more rose touches to share with you. I inherited this rose sugar bowl from my grandmother. I bought the Home Sweet Home sign at Target.


While accompanying my neighbor who was shopping for kitchen curtains, I came across these lovely rose lace curtains. My neighbor who didn't find anything she liked insisted I get these. I'm glad she did!


Jelly often posts pictures of items she wishes for on her blog, so here's a teapot and an apron I think would be perfect for my rose kitchen.

[Rose shabby chic cupcake originally uploaded on flickr by kylie lambert.] This cupcake was just made for my kitchen. Wouldn't you agree?