I'm just in the beginning stages of accessorizing the kitchen. It's difficult for me to pick a day, shop for accessories, and call it finished. The places I shop require repeat visits over several months before the right thing lands in my hands. So the first thing I do is case every room in the house, basement and garage included, for things that could enjoy a new life in a new space. Those things become the placeholders for something that I find later and like better. That thing might pop up at a yard sale, a thrift shop, or even someone else's trash. The second thing I do is head for Arhaus. Yes, you read that right, the awesome furniture store with pretty expensive stuff. Surprised? Don't be. I go there for inspiration. I look at how they layer, the juxtaposition of unrelated items, the grouping of patterns and all those decorating nuances that make their displays so special. I especially take note of what is "not-for sale." A lot of what lines their bookcases, the way they paint the walls in each vignette, and their table displays have ideas that are free to be copied.
For example: This is one I saw this week and knew would make a nice little accessory for my kitchen.
I did not take a picture of their idea because I knew I had what I needed...light bulbs and hot glue.
They arranged their bulbs in a circle and layered them.
And, voila, you have a sparkly re-purposed industrial flower.
I'm checking out the best place to put my Arhaus copycat.
A while back I posted another Arhaus item that I didn't know existed until I saw it in their ad after I had finished mine. Guess if you hang out there enough you absorb more than you think. Interested in what it was? Check here.
I'm not super great on the computer but I am getting a lot better about finding things there vs chasing from store to store. One thing I need is a rug in front of the sink. I thought I had found the runner I wanted at One Kings Lane in a rosy pink and gray. It was PEFECT! Well, almost perfect. (I would show you a picture but it's no longer on their site.) Remember the whole scenario with finding a dishwasher with a door that did not take up more than 29" when open? Well, same issue came into play here. The space in front of the dishwasher is still 29" and this perfect runner was 30" wide.
So for now, I'm getting by with this shorty until I find something closer to the one that made my heart happy. (I want one about 7' long.)
One item I didn't feel like waiting for was a lamp for the sill over the sink. I saw this one at Home Goods and knew it would be fine.
I was not crazy about the color of the shade but that was fixable.
I did try a stencil on one side but ended up painting over it with the stainless steel spray. In this case simple was just better.
Another area that needed some work was the shelf that runs the full length of the wall over the two doorways and the refrigerator and pantry cabinet.
Not easy to see in this picture but the shelf molding rests on the door casings. There is about a 14" gap from the top of the shelf to the ceiling.
Something I had on had was a pile of Readers Digest books. I bought them here and there for another one of those copycat projects that never happened. I'm sure you have all seen individual letters of the alphabet cut from one of these books. I was prepared to do the entire alphabet but my enthusiasm faded after I discussed it with my brother and realized there was more involved than I was equipped to handle. Secondly, I really did not have any good reason to make them other than to say I did.
So why not paint them various shades of gray and use them in the kitchen.
Here is the panoramic view. The tray in the middle is one of those placeholders. I have had this for ages and liked the size of it for this display. However, when I took the back off I realized the dollies had been laid on the back of the glass and painted over. Yuck! I had plans to put an old piece of sheet music behind the glass. Not to worry as I can cut another piece of glass to fit and move forward with my plan....just not today.
I added a little stencil to some and glued some label type paper cutouts to others.
I had some folded book pages I had experimented with a few years ago so I added those to the mix. Hey, Arhaus is still doing it, so it's still good in my book. =)
A few things will change here, but this takes care of it for now.
This window cannot have much of a window treatment so...
I used the bulk of the fabric on this one.
The wire rack was a gift from my niece. I'm sure the contents will rotate periodically.
The canvas in the background was a Home Goods find back when the kitchen remodel was about to begin.
The mixer is old but works great. I saw it at a neighbor's yard sale and she told me I could have it. Part of what makes this a nice vignette is the interesting drywall work Dan did to create more space while working around the stairs that pass over this area.
Another detail that makes me happy is the back plate from my brother, John's, stash. I had the doorknob and added the numeral for fun.
I had completely forgotten about these dried minature rosebuds that were stuck in a jar in the garage.
This is why it's hard to get rid of certain things.
I reused the old knobs from the previous cabinets because I didn't find anything I like better.
I thought it would be nice to post a shot with the windows open.
My hydrangea bushes were a little stingy with the blooms this year, but when I needed them, they gave me just enough for a small bouquet.
As you can see, I still struggle with the lighting in my photographs.
This one show the true colors.
Reflections are another one of my issues as you can see here.
Everything in the overhead cabinets was pulled from places around the house. I expect much of this display to change.
When I find the right paper, I will line the back of the cabinets.
Another little detail is the graffiti on the island drawers.
And a not so little detail is the medallion over the stove.
I have to give Dan the credit for spotting this on Craig's list and installing it so perfectly that it becomes a part of the tile work.
This post touches on the obvious details, but there are thousands more that went into this remodel. This is my 26th post about this project and even with that, I have not noted every detail that I debated, agonized over, submitted to, or rejoiced over the past six months.
The final post on this topic will be published soon. The before and after pictures will be posted together and I will move on to...??..not another room remodel any time soon, but there is a project on the horizon.
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