Sunday, January 24, 2010

The rest of the kitchen

Ok folks, here's the whole kitchen, before and after.

We took out the wall and door that is behind the hutch in the first picture. The door led into the utility room which we weren't using. It had another door to get inside, from the outside, so we just kept this door closed. This was so cramped, two of us could barely get around each other in here. It was a dream for years and years to open this space up and now it is a reality. I love it. The area that the hutch and chopping block table next to it, is about 3' deep.


This next picture is looking into the kitchen from the doorway to the screened porch. This is our main entry. We're weird I know. But we rarely have company, and the front door is actually in my library/craft space but we decided to not use that door at all since we need the space for living.

The top cabinets are original to the house, 1950. There had been a bottom cabinet with sink, all in one piece, but it was horrible, so we took it out. Recently we picked up two filing cabinets that the neighbors across the street put out for the trash men to take, and we said hey wait a minute, we can use these under the kitchen counter for storage. We had already had this idea, so got our tape measure to see if the two would work and they did. You can see the one, and we put oak looking contact paper on the front of drawers to make them look better. The smaller filing cabinet is behind the curtain next to the stove.

I have other pictures of these further on down the post.

The little bottles on the left side of picture are essential oils, which I use for health remedies and well-being.


This is looking back into the scullery area, which by the way is according to definitions, the area off the kitchen, where storage and clean up are done. DH had worked in the scullery when he was first in the Navy many, many years ago, and I started calling this space 'the scullery' while we were building it. I love the quaint name. Dishes are drying on the counter.

The refrigerator is in a nitch, with a roll-out shelf above it. The nitch is into the pump-house area behind the house. The little long cabinet on the refrigerator wall was found across the street, when renters moved out. This was while we were working on this space. Then there is a wire shelf unit next to that for storage, then a side light. The little cabinet under the counter was found further on down our street another time when we were on our way somewhere, so we grabbed it. It is so much fun saving things from the landfill. The sink we bought from a salvage place. DH built a shelf up around the top to put 'stuff', ya know, my kitch.


Now, this is looking at the other side from the hallway.

The metal cabinet next to the counter back in the scullery, with a porcelain top was found many, many years ago. Next to that is a drawer the neighbors across the street threw out when they were remodeling, we just heat stripped it partially to go with the hutch, which is also another found piece, from a neighborhood that was old, and being torn down for the airport. We happened to have another porcelain top that we used on top of the drawer, which is where my bread machine sits.

The bookshelp next to the hutch was another found item. We put the top portion of the chopping block table next to it, on top, to hold more 'books'. You can see that I have a lot of them, over 300 cookbooks alone, then there is gardening, herbs and natural healing, and crafts.


Here is the bread machine shelf. DH made the spice cabinet for me in the Navy's hobby shop when we were living in Rota, Spain while was stationed there. The wood is African mahogony.




This is looking toward the door.
Another bookshelf crammed to the hilt. ;-)




Now, here is the top part of the hutch, since I couldn't get it all in one picture, the bottom half is the next picture. The top two knobs are resined black eye peas in one, and corn in the other, the bottom doors are sunflower seeds and some sort of leaves, like parsley, in the other. The alabaster grape cluster on top is from Italy. We got these while living in Spain. They are attached to a real grape vine. They have been stained and glazed though, as alabaster is white. We were going to heat strip this cabinet all the way to wood, but we saw all these colors on it and decided to partially stip it leaving the colors to show through. I love it.



Inside we have some ruby ware that was my great grandmother's, and other pieces we collected for next to nothing from the flea market and yard sales through the years. The bride and groom is the wedding cake topper from DH's parent's wedding.



This next picture is under the scullery sink. The two shelf deal on wheels is made from two 10" x 40" porcelained drop leaves from an old table we used to have. We can roll this out for taking care of plumbing if we have to. There is a shelf attached to the back wall that meets up with the top shelf of this piece.


This is a lazy suzan that DH made to fit the corner space.
A great thing to have.



This is the pull out shelf over the refrigerator. Another great thing.
Except I have to watch it if I leave it hanging out there that I don't smack my head, like I've done a couple of times. Ouch.



Here is the smaller filing cabinet.
The bottom holds supplies, and the top drawer has casserole dishes in it.



Here's the larger filing cabinet. The top drawer holds lids. DH took a dishwashing rack, cut it in half and put them in the two sections of the drawer to hold them all. It works great!




I will end this kitchen/scullery tale with the following two pictures. Pizza dough is making in the bread machine, and I've got to get up and cook some Italian sausage and make the sauce.











Zone 10 ~ s.e. FL


19 comments:

Gayle said...

I LOVE your kitchen tour! I also love kitchens. I'm especially drawn to that Moravian Star hanging in the first picture. Thanks for sharing.

GlorV1 said...

I enjoyed your kitchen tour. I love your kitchen. I come via yaya's blog. Just visiting. Take care.

sweetbay said...

Thank you for the tour of your kitchen. I love it!

LeSan said...

What a charming tour that was! You have so many spots of creativity and cleverness. I don't think I would have imagined repurposing file cabinets as you have. That gives me hope for that big old heavy one in my office. hehe. I do love that everything you have seems to have a history, a story of being and purpose. It is a very romantic vision we often forget in our Western world.

Victoria said...

Wow..fabulous! Such beauty and charm! I love it! I love the cabinet shot wiht all the glassware too..gorgeous!! Thanks for sharing your beautiful kitchen space! lovely!

Homemaker's Heart said...

You did a great job at photographing your kitchen area. How exciting to be able to open it up. I love the lace on the shelves!

Balisha said...

What a wonderful place to spend your time. Everything is so close at hand. What a clever husband you have. I have to go back now and check it out again.
Balisha

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Oh, Flowerlady,
You have been blessed to be able to find such fun and useful treasures for your home. I love your kitchen! It is so homey and eclectic.

I stayed home from work today, because I have been feeling run down. I am finishing a book I bought that is educating me about different kinds of materials used for remodeling. I called the man who is coming today to show us his plan and the materials he has for us to choose from. I asked him if he ever has husbands and wives disagree about things, and he said he does all the time. He is coming over an hour earlier so I can look at things and see what I like without having my husband jumping in to say what he likes before I can make up my mind. He loves to shop and pick things out, but his likes are different from mine. Also, he's faster at making up his mind. It's my turn to have something the way I want it. I will consider his likes, but I've already told him I get the last word.

I am hoping we can do this without everything being "matchy matchy". I don't just want a bunch of cupboards and counters. I'll keep you posted on my blog, but don't know if I will mention the conflict with Larry over there, as he reads my blog. After it's over, I may mention it in a humorous way, we'll see. I am not feeling humorous about it now. He keeps telling me what he wants and doesn't want, and it's driving me nuts. He doesn't even cook. He does load the dishwasher, but I try to beat him to the unloading, because he doesn't put things away where they go.

I hope you don't mind my venting a bit. I am finished with my lunch, so I better do some more straightening up.

Have a great day!

gld said...

I love your kitchen! I don't know any better way to say it than that.

I will say this, you have utilized every single inch in that kitchen! and I bet you know where to find every single thing.

I am glad you didn't refinish that cabinet. Decorators would charge lots of money for that piece and that finish.

You are a very talented lady. I would feel very comfortable in your home.

L. D. said...

I almost missed this blog. That is all so very impressive. You use your space wisely and you recycle things that work so well for you. It really gave you more room to get rid of the door and the kitchen looks so inviting to work in. I am glad I kept going back in my dashboard.

tina said...

It sure is cozy and homey-lots of character. I like the plate collection. That spice rack is simply beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Your kitchen is wonderful! I love that some many things have been repurposed. I have a little curtain under my sink too. See yours makes me want to make a new one. Your entire home looks so cozy and well-loved!

Jane

Skeeter said...

Your kitchen is awesome! Reminds me so much of my family kitchen when a child. Such character and charm in every corner. We had the curtain type covers under our counter tops as well as the bathroom sinks. This post has brought back many memories so thanks for sharing...

Commonweeder said...

What a great tour. If there is anything I like as much as a garden, it is a well equipped and organized kitchen. I've got equipment, but not nearly enough neat organization.

Sandra said...

Oh I LOVE your kitchen, it's beautiful, thank you for sharing it with us :)

LeSan said...

I had a kind of lousy day and came over here to visit in your kitchen. Have a cup of coffee with a dear friend and shoot the breeze about everything and nothing.
Thank you for inviting me in and making me feel at home. :-)

Commonweeder said...

What a great tour. You can give us all lessons in reusing and recycling and show us how to end up with useful and organized space. I'm not much of a collector - but we are in the same class of cookbook collections. We really need them!

Linda said...

Lots of work in the kitchen, looks great.

Unknown said...

Flowerlady, I love your kitchen. You and your husband are very clever. Thank you very much for the "tour" with the explanations. You've given me some great ideas.