Vintage Modern Kitchen

A kitchen is an amazing undertaking....layer upon layer...First off plumbing, and then wiring...cabinetry and then more plumbing...a little more wiring then more cabinetry...then a pause as you wait for the countertops...then more plumbing and, you guessed it, a little more wiring...then backsplash...and finally the last of the cabintry. Whew!! But just like when the layers of a great cake come together and make something beautiful...the last few months of this kitchen "model" have come together and made a kitchen that is even better than I ever imagined!! I walk into my kitchen and can't hardly believe it is really mine!!






The design of this kitchen was very straight forward. I had been collecting pictures of kitchens that I liked for years!! And with a very rare exception, every single picture had white cabinetry. And a very simple door frame (more often than not "Shaker" style). So I was able to choose the cabinetry very quickly and confidently!! The other big ticket, style-defining item in a kitchen is the countertop choice...this was almost as easy...I have always loved white and gray marble...it is timeless and evokes a feeling of history...and we were given several slabs of just such marble by my generous father-in-law!! Knowing that marble is a little higher maintenance, we opted for a totally different look on the island. We were going for durable and slightly industrial...stainless steel fit the bill!! And given that Jeff could purchase the material at cost and his brother could oversee the fabrication...it was a very cost effective option for an island that ended up being right at 12 feet long!!

The backsplash is a gorgeous black slate...it has been on that wall for almost 100 years. It was the original green chalkboard that we took off the wall turned around to show the black side and had cut into 7 x 13 1/2 rectangular "tiles" and remounted as backsplash! I love the black and I love the fact that it was original to the building!!
The pendants over the island were a garage sale find...seriously!! My mother found them and brought them to us...and they are perfect!! Just the perfect finishing touch!!
So what began as a 12ft x 24ft open space...

has quickly become the heart of our (School)Home!!

Display What You Love

When I was a girl displaying what you collected meant having is splayed out all over a shelf, mantel, or a buffet. So, I revolted and opted not to display anything. After a few years I realized that my house was like everyone else's home, there was nothing that defined it as "mine". So, I slowly started to bringing out those once loved items stashed away in the attic.

Instead of spreading things out over an entire wall or shelf I decided to create groupings or collection. Grouping items together is more interesting visually and can tell a story all on it's own.

My grandfather during the Korean War and my great-grandmother's Bible and reading glasses.

My beloved collection of antique rolling pins.