THE BIG REVEAL!  I’d like to introduce you to THE MOST BEAUTIFUL kitchen we have ever had.  Yep, of our 12 homes this is BY FAR the most breath taking “heart of the home” we have been blessed to enjoy.  Check out how I have taken an already stunning space and added timeless accents to make it gorgeous.  Another room complete and this is one is a must see friends!

Photo capture: Amy Greene (IG: contactAmyGphotography) -Seriously, so see her stuff!  She is uber talented!

Creative edits: Jewel Marlowe

The Inspo

As hard is it for me to write this, I have to admit that sometimes in kitchens less is more.  You may have noticed that I have maximalist tendencies and find the urge to to embrace the “more it more” theory in my design.  In this room, however, I used restraint and mostly items I already owned to create a clean, classic, and eclectic room. If you missed the post describing the plan for the room CLICK HERE to get all caught up.

Not bad eh?  The kitchen in this 10 month rental includes a gargantuan island, a sitting area, an office space, a fireplace, and high end appliances.  So, um, it’s pretty amazing.  It wasn’t always this way though.  Last year the owner finished MAJOR renovations.  He’s my hero because this is what the home looked like before he gutted, restructured, and doubled what was previously a 70’s split level.  PREPARE TO BE AMAZED.  Source: Zillow

 

That’s pretty nasty,  right?  Now, check it out?.

What do you think?  Better, eh?

Island Area

This over-sized island has been a dream.  We can fit all six members of my family (though it’s a tad tight) and this is where we eat 99 percent of our meals.

I picked up these modern adjustable stools for a $100 off of craigslist before leaving Idaho last summer.  They use to be a predictable black faux leather, but I wanted something with a bit more personality.  I chalk painted these bad boys with Hale Navy (150% intensity) paint left over from my DIY Painted Sofa Project. That was an improvement, but it was still missing something. To ping off of the DIY velvet curtains I added a “pinstripe” of subtle pink paint along the outer edge of each seat.  To finish the look, I painted each handle a subtle shade of red.  I do a happy dance every time I walk past these stools.

Sofa Area

Surprisingly, a sofa in the kitchen has been one of my favorite parts of this spacious room.  Despite the fact that we have two couches and a generous entertaining space one room over, we spend most of our time on this comfortable sofa.  Not only is this the space where I do most of my blogging, it is also where we snuggle and read scriptures in the morning and bedtime stories at night.  This 10×6 foot area is hands-down where we spend most of our awake time in this rental home.

Yeah, about that zebra rug.  I know some of you may be turned off by this addition to the room.  I understand. My kids are too.  It’s just that is was $100 on craigslist and, based on it’s condition (before taking it to the cleaners), it died long before I was born.  Would I go on a safari and shoot a zebra?  Absolutely not!  If one was practically given to me would I take it? Apparently so. No PETA comments necessary.  I get it.  It’s just that I think it adds personality, texture, and pattern to the room.

This glass coffee table was a recent birthday gift that I purchased off of craigslist (thanks for the cash mom!).  A piece of glass chipped off underneath as the man loaded it into my car so he gave it to me for $60.  I love how it perfectly matches my sexy 80’s dining table in the great room next door.

The red pillow was a recent Rit Dye experiment.  The silk and cotton absorbed the dye beautifully.  The floral pillow was sewn with left over fabric from my DIY bench.

That little blue bowl has sentimental value.  My oldest made it for me in art class (yeah, these New England schools are pretty amazing). and gave it to me for Christmas.

This art is a recent $5 thrift store purchase.  Not only do I really like the print, the frame is actually very high quality!

Office Space

This high desk area has been fabulous!  It’s the perfect place for my laptop and office supplies.  My sweet husband gets the built in desk area downstairs (which is great for his massive book collection).  All I need is a place to stand and respond to emails.  It’s fab and I’m considering building one in our next home.

These little birdies were also a recent birthday purchase.  My two DEAR and WONDERFUL friends took me thrifting for my special day.  It was a BLAST!!! and I am thrilled to have these two beautiful birds to remind me of my two beautiful friends after our move this summer.

Love this rug?  It’s a vintage Persian silk Soumak.  I love the pop of color it adds to the space.

Fireplace

I’ve never had a fireplace in a kitchen, but it is a welcome addition.  Unlike the fireplace in the room next door, this is the old-school wood burning variety.  I am a little embarrased to admit that I have only used it a total of two times.  Apparently no Boy Scout when it comes to lighting fires.

 

The mirror was picked up off of craigslist in a sketchy neighborhood in DC. The house that I purchased it from. however, was DARLING! The previous owner had fabulous taste and purchased this from a historic home on the famous King Street in Northern Virginia. Though it doesn’t move well, I certainly love the character it brings to each of our many homes. The aged glass is hard to beat.

 

This recent picture of my husband and I was taken in front of a spectacular fireplace at Rosecliff Mansion during an incredible Christmas Ball.  I mention this only because Amy Greene (IG: Contactamygphotography) and I have teamed up with The Preservation Society of Newport County.  We will be giving you inside access to some INCREDIBLE Newport Mansions over the next couple of months. If you are looking for design Inspo you HAVE to see these treasures.

Open Shelving

Open shelving is also a new feature for me and is found in various locations throughout the house.  I am accustomed to being able to shut doors and drawers to hide my stuff, so this has taken a bit of getting use to for me.  Having said that, this particular area of open shelving is my favorite.  It is the perfect perch to display some of my vintage art picked up from our time living overseas in England.

Bonus Features

Updated lighting and high-end appliances have been a dream.

I’d like to leave you with a shot that has a special meaning for us.  We are a military family and, as such, have dealt with frequent (oh, so frequent) moves and 5 deployments.  Despite challenges that may seem a little bizarre to “civilians,” our family has made a pact to “choose to be happy”.  Rather allowing ourselves to feel like victims (because we are not, we are very blessed), we are trying to raise our children to feel empowered.  No matter the circumstances, we hope to be able to remember that “We CAN Do Hard Things.”  This cheesey little sign is a reminder of this, our family motto (one that we repeat to ourselves and each other often).  So while this “art” is not my “style” per say, it transcends style and embraces our family culture.

Huge shout outs to Amy Greene (IG: Contactamygphotography) and Kirk and Cynthia Davies for there help with this post.  Couldn’t have done it without you guys!

Thank you so very much for joining me this Kitchen make-over. If you like what you see then you are going to love all of the changes coming up.  Tomorrow I team up with a dozen talented bloggers for The Bathroom Primp and Pamper blog hop (each Tuesday in March).  That’s not all! Thursday I  will be touring you around our home and highlighting all of the updates on the Spring Home Tour Blog Hop. Plus, before we move I am also going to tackle the downstairs and the patio area. So, the point is, I’d love for you to come back soon and often.

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