Continuing on with my Kitchen ramblings... yesterday while browsing through some of my idea folders I was blown away by sheer number of colored kitchens I have listed as "LOVED". Hmmm, do we need to rethink this whole white thing???

There are a few things consistant in all the photos that I know MUST be incorporated into our design:

1. recessed upper cabinets. I love that little peek of counter-top instead of doing floor to ceiling cabinets.


2. You should always have a good view when doing dirty work! We plan on installing another large window and moving the sink directly in front of a row of 3 windows.


again with the little counter ledge.... but those tiny drawers are awfully cute too!



3. I NEED AN ISLAND.

But should it be fixed, or on cute legs like this to feel a little more breezy?

4. I love the little arches at the bottom of cabinets like this.

5. Cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling.

6. Carrera marble counters are non-negotiable! And I am soooo drawn to this blue, maybe it will be incorporated into the island in a subtle way.

Again with the arched plinths, and marble...

7. A farmhouse sink is another must have. (oh yeah, and if this is your kitchen, can you adopt me???)

And am just generally loving this kitchen too! The cabinet style is exact what I am after.

And now Wren and I are off to do some painting and playing with the lovely Frugal Contessa~

Hope you have a fabulous Friday!

I am sure you guys are dead tired of hearing about our looooong overdue kitchen reno. After all, I've been chatting about it for over a year now, but we are just starting to make some real decisions and setting up a plan of attack that is set to begin as soon as the snow is all melted and sunny days arrive. So it is on my brain pretty much all. the. time.

One thing we decided on yesterday was how to tackle the massive amount of damage the ceiling will be taking with the removal of several walls and the new lighting layout. It was daunting to think of tearing down all the dry wall and starting from scratch, when it hit us yesterday that we should just cover it up!

How, you ask? With beadboard! It is a staple in historic homes across the country, but it never occurred to us to add a beadboard ceiling until recently.

So here some lovely images that have my heart floating with excitement!
(and yes, I am one of those negligent bloggers who randomly fling other people's photos into a folder on my desktop and forget to cite the source... so if you know who any of the images belong to, or if they are yours I truly apologize!!!)

I am fairly certain this image is from the lovely Urban Grace Interiors~

WOW! I have been totally blown away (not to mention completely smitten) with all the amazing new bloggers this month! Has Dreamy Whites stolen your heart too? I am dying to see more of her gorgeous home and family, and am trying to convince Sean we need to steal her idea of light grey walls in the living room. She has an amazing amount of talent! And Home & Harmony is another blog that has my mind dancing with images of gorgeous mint-y kitchen islands and panelled ceilings... A huge thank you goes out to Lori at Frugal Farmhouse Design for introducing me to these ladies~

I was hoping today would be a sunny winter's day... no such luck. It is still grey and hazy, but I couldn't wait any longer to take a picture of my new favorite piece of furniture.

Here it is before, sitting a top my pile.

Like all my favorite finds it was only $15 (now that I think about it, that is kind of weird, right?). And while I kind of liked the original patina of the wood, there was some drawings on the top done by a little person not that long ago with a permanent marker, so it was destined to be painted.

I went with a light grey paint, distressed to show both the original wood as well as some white paint underneath for just the right amount of character.

Unfortunately during a recent furniture shuffle my beloved little birdie suffered an injury. But I will love him still, no matter how many pieces he is in.

This mirror replaces the black one that previous sat atop this dresser , it was from a very grainy 70's dresser. It looks and feels much fresher now!

I'm still not 100% sold on the wall color for us, so I am currently browsing through some very drool-worthy wallpapers for a fresh look this Spring.