Kitchen Centerpiece

I just wanted to share one more photo from a tour of my Aunt's home.  This is the centerpiece of her kitchen...an old coffee grinder.  As you can see from the old stove in the background and the crock under her butcher's block...my aunt absolutely loves antiques.  I happen to appreciate what they add to a room too.  This grinder is a fun addition to the space.

Matching Marble



When you look for a fabulous new countertop...get some extra material to make matching shelves.  When I saw my relative's decorative marble shelves in her kitchen...I immediately fell in love with the look.  She made a three-tiered unit to add to the end of her counter...which brings the design up onto the walls.  She also made two more single shelves to put on the opposite wall, tying the room together.  If you can't make them on your own, it may cost you a bit to have someone make custom shelves for you...but they are so much more fun than traditional wood or metal racks...and they look gorgeous!!  It may be worth the investment to add that extra punch to your place.

Removing Clutter/ Dresser Rehab

Take a look to the left. This is what I have looked at everyday in my kitchen for-- oh, 2 years! When I first purchased this wire rack I thought it would be great to display all of our cookbooks and have them at our fingertips. With in 2 days- I was sick of it. The rack became a drop off for all things that didn't have a home. I just wanted to get rid of the clutter and see a clean space. I feel like no clutter = a better mind! So, 2 years of searching and not wanting to pay top dollar kept me from finding my perfect solution.

Then I found the dresser below! It was a perfectly good dresser being thrown out! Yes- this dresser was F-R-E-E! It had me at hello! I knew even if I spent some money fixing it up- it would be worth it and a fraction of the cost of what I would have paid for a pricy substitute that I would likely have to put together!

So, I set out to Home Depot for a solution! I'm not going to lie- this was a big project that ended up costing me much more than I had intended. Although it's probably still cheaper than what I would have paid for a new one, I'm still upset at how much I spent- well over $100! I first purchased all the supplies to strip the wood of it's color and had the goal of staining it a light honey color to match my kitchen. I had a little bit of anxiety about it because I watch the Antique Road Show and I had visions of someone telling me that I completely ruined a million dollar piece of furniture- but I forged ahead.

I woke up the next morning to see my husband had sanded the front right corner of the dresser and knew right then and there that no matter what- a rehab was now imminent! They say to test strip the wood in a place that's not noticeable- but with the sanded piece of wood now in clear sight I said "what the heck!" and put stripper on the top drawer face! I waited and waited, then tried to strip the color. It wouldn't budge! NOT ONE BIT! So, then I sanded the face of the drawer and was left with clouded stripper residue on the crevices- even after I tried to wash it off! Oh boy! What was I going to do?

I really didn't want to paint it, so, I thought how bout spray-paint some crackle on it! I went to the craft store to gather more supplies and when I got there I saw that they were discontinuing it so it was on sale for  .49 cents a can! The problem- they only had white and gold. Neither of those two colors are in my kitchen. I was blinded by the price- and bought it anyway- determined to make it fit!

I sprayed the gold base coat on that top drawer and my husband came out and asked what I was doing. I told him and he even said "But, we don't have those colors in our kitchen!" He was right! What was I going to do????

Off to The Home Depot again- this time for Stone Spray-paint! It's a paint that has little pebbles in it and I had remembered we did a coffee table once with it and it looked awesome. Problem- it cost $8 a can!!! I bought 4- determined to make it work!

It says don't spray in windy conditions- heed the advice! Yes, I tried it and yes it got everywhere! It also didn't cover as evenly as normal spray-paint does. 4 cans were empty and the dresser still had some brown! Off to the store again- 4 cans more and oh, yeah- it advises you put a clear top coat- so I bought 3 cans of clear gloss. I sprayed and sprayed and sprayed-- and out in the bright sun I could tell I wasn't getting the most even coat but I was very stressed out over this dresser! So, when the 8th can was done- so was I!

The old hardware clearly didn't work now- so about $65 dollars more later it had new hardware!

This dresser rehab- KICKED MY BUTT! LOL! It really did! But now- every time I look at it- I simply love it. It's not perfect and that's ok. It's a symbol of my "Git-R-Done" mentality and determination to simplify my surroundings.

The make over was not done there! Tune in Saturday to see the final step of the makeover! It really put the cherry on top for me!

Silverware Showcase

This display caught my eye in the kitchen of a relative who loves antiques.  If you appreciate things of the past, your instinct tells you to find a way to preserve them.  It is fun to buy odd trinkets in an antique store.  But, it is hard to figure out what to do with them in your house.  Normally, I would have passed over these pieces of silverware.  Putting them on a kitchen counter just seems to be a waste.  But, framing them is a unique way to decorate your diner.  We put china in cabinets and pass those pieces down as heirlooms.  Why not display your grandmother's authentic silverware with the same love?  Don't store it for the next generation.  Don't pull it out once a year for special dinners.  Showcase that silver and think of grandma everytime you sit down next to this picture to snack on that pie recipe she taught you.