Pull Up a Stool & Stay a While

We picked up these industrial chic stools from Joss & Main for our kitchen peninsula before the peninsula even existed! I just know that on these stools there will be plenty of sleepy morning cups of coffee, late night chats, and cousin game nights!

If you’re interested in some unique pieces and great deals, check out Joss & Main. It’s an online auction site with exclusive sales every day. Their themed collections are from highly coveted brands and niche designers. New sales launch daily at 11 a.m. EST and run for a limited time. So catch them while you can!

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Yes, Another Kitchen Post

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Are you getting sick of our kitchen remodel yet? I’m not! It’s getting better and better every day! After tiling the entire bathroom, Jared brought his mad tiling skills to the kitchen. We purchased these 2″ x 3″ beautiful marble tiles from the Tile Shop. They have subtle blue, green, and grey tones that look gorgeous next to our white IKEA cabinets.

9592628611_fa6cb815dd_o9592628913_330197f034_o 9592629447_57fb2508d5_oWe carried the tile all the way up the wall around the kitchen window for a big impact. The window will be trimmed with the same rosettes and belly casing as the rest of the house but have a large sill made with the same butcher block as our countertops.

DSC_0032And did you catch the cabinet hardware? I’ll forever be receiving marine catalogs thanks to my order of 38 four inch galvanized steel boat cleats. But they’re super cute and really functional. Again, it’s all about textures. I love the rigid steel next to our sleek white cabinets. Plus, if anyone needs to dock a boat by our house, we have a couple tie ups available!

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Kitchen Update

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We’re getting there! Let’s go through the checklist…

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  1. Demo entire kitchen including wall to back hall and wall to dining room
  2. Frame new walls, insulate, plaster
  3. Prime and paint walls
  4. Build cabinet boxes level on floor
  5. Install hardwood floor
  6. Build IKEA cabinets and put in place
  7. Tile marble back splashphoto (2)
  8. Frame window
  9. Hook up sinkphoto (4)
  10. Hook up new stainless steel appliances
  11. Install cabinet hardwarephoto (3)
  12. Add fascia and crown molding above cabinets
  13. Sand and stain floorsphoto
  14. Move in and unpack
  15. Open bottle of champagne
  16. Drink champagne

Picture1That should do it! Won’t be long now!

Kitchen Decor

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When it comes to kitchen decor I have very strong opinions (like when do I not, right?) This is a highly functional room and I believe there should be nothing taking up valuable counter or wall space that doesn’t serve a purpose. That’s not to say your kitchen has to be void of personality or color! Here’s some of my favorite (and useful!) kitchen accessories.

BRIGHT BOWLS OF PRODUCE

Fruit 3Encourage healthy eating and add a pop of color with bowls or platters of fruits and veggies.

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CANISTERS

Canisters

Whether displayed on the counter for easy access or in the pantry, playful canisters liven up a kitchen and keep your dry goods… well, dry.

French CanistersDISH TOWELS

Dish Towel

A solid color works fine but there are so many fun designs out there. Educate yourself on knot tying while you cook, show off your city pride, or my favorite- turn a handwritten note or recipe into a towel by following Emma’s instructions here.

Boston Dish TowelDish TowelHERBS OR SUCCULENTS

Windowsill Garden in Tea Tins

Planting an herb garden or succulents on a kitchen windowsill brings life to a kitchen- plus the herbs are quite handy when cooking! I love these little tea tins or tea cups as planters. Though most herbs are pretty hardy, just remember that modern windows are so energy efficient that they block UV rays making it difficult to grow plants in a windowsill. Succulents on the other hand, can grow in the harshest of conditions.

Succulents in Tea CupsWindowsill Garden

Here’s My Numerar, So Call Me Maybe

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After much debate, we decided on IKEA’s NUMERÄR oak countertops for our new kitchen. I think it’s the best budget and design choice and honestly, I’m not worried about performance because I’m the biggest neat freak I know and go out of my way to maintain my things.

The warm wood tone will really warm up the high gloss white IKEA cabinets. Remember, this house is over 100 years old. The last thing I want is an obviously modern kitchen. But rather, an efficient kitchen with nods to the house’s history and character.

With our decision made and the countertops cut, we’ve done a TON of research on treating the wood. I was nervous about leaving the oak it’s natural color. It’s pretty light and I wanted a nice contrast with our white cabinets and a compliment to our darker wood floors. Thanks to the plethora of DIY bloggers, I was able to compile three viable options:

Number 1, we could do absolutely nothing but a mineral oil treatment. Mineral oil is a colorless, odorless mixture. Essentially it’s baby oil without the perfumes. Bloggers recommend the treatment nightly for the first week, then 2-3 times per week for the first month after instillation to get a good moisture/stain barrier in place. And finally, re-oil as needed but typically every 1-3 months depending on usage and humidity. The benefit to this is it’s food safe and water resistant and seems relatively easy to maintain. And the best part is if there is a mark on your counters from a scratch or a pen mark, you just sand the spot down and re-oil. Simple as that.

The second option was for those worried about water damage. A product called Waterlox could be applied to the counters for a permanent water tight seal. However, bloggers did warn of a yellowy hue.

The third option would definitely give us the color we were looking for and seal the counters water tight. If we applied a stain to the wood and sealed with Waterlox, the counters would look more like a piece of furniture though they would definitely be waterproof. This one is tempting since I am nervous about the color. However, I’m more nervous about the finish. I don’t want our countertops to look like a piece of shiny furniture. I want them usable and durable and natural.

Soooooo… option one it is! Dana from the blog House Tweaking gives a fantastic step by step process of her oiling routine. I especially love her kit that she’s assembled. When I know I have the right tools and tested instructions, I know I can handle this!

butcher-block-maintenance-suppliesDana uses…

A: Clean Damp Rag

B: Sanding Block

C: Mineral Oil

D: Re-Usable Oiling Rags

After making sure the countertops are void of all dirt, dust, or crumbs, she wipes it down with the clean damp rag. Once dry, a drizzle of mineral oil gets rubbed in with the oiling rags in the direction of the wood grain. After the oil penetrates the wood, there may be some excess to wipe away but especially during the first month, the wood will really soak up the oil.

There have also been a lot of reports of the oil darkening the wood slightly so all in all, I’m secure in our decision. Stay tuned for the countertop reveal!