The Kitchen

Three words about my kitchen: 1.) Skinny, 2.) Boring, 3.) Wallpaper.

This scrawny galley kitchen was the room I least wanted to spend time in and most wanted to touch when I moved in. (Then, the idea of peeling wallpaper made me not want to touch it at all, but just wake up one morning to find it magically renovated.)

Once I started adding my own stuff to it and the new appliances arrived after the Fridge Ordeal... it's starting to grow on me.

I reminded myself it could be worse. It could be any of the other kitchens I visited while house-hunting. If there must be wallpaper, at least it's a neutral color. If there must be boring peel-and-stick tile, at least it's in the same matching neutral.

I don't know why I originally hated the stainless steel backsplash so much. (I have an unpopular theory that stainless steel will become the Harvest Gold of the 2020's and have been avoiding it in exchange for the ever-okay white.) But, now that my stuff is in there, I realize the wall plays well with the metallic features of my small appliances.

All in all, the kitchen is still not my favorite room. But, it ain't so bad.

My favorite thing about this room:

Crockpot by Crockpot, purchased at Target
Red outdoor rug, also from Target
Adorable breadbox, by Waverly. Purchased at amazon.com
Yellow tinted Bell jar from JoAnn Fabric. Spatulas from here and there.

(Here and There is not a store, by the way.)

This once boring room is all about the little things that give it some graphics and its pop of color. My favorite Crock Pot. The perfect red rug that happens to match my adorable breadbox. (Psst... it's an outdoor rug, purchased from Target's patio section clearance. 50% off and I can spill on it and much as I plan to!) Not to mention the new oven and fridge that actually work and are not in danger of imploding at any given moment.

Just don't ask about my dishwasher that, turns out, has not one inch of metal to it.

What this room will be used for: It's amazing how much I drift through this hidden corner. I planned on only spending about 1% of my time in the kitchen. But, it turns out, being hypoglycemic, I eat alot more than I'd like to admit. (Time to gain some of that weight back!) Not to mention the time spent chasing my nephews out of the cookie cupboard. Plus, it's where I stash the tools, scissors and batteries. My kitchen's work is never done!

One more use for the kitchen. Adoption news, coming soon!

What I'd still like to do with this space: Tear out that wallpaper! My original design plan involved white subway tile on both of the length-running walls, walnut floors and some paint. But, now that the stainless steel backsplash on the oven wall is growing on me, it may be more cost-effective to just add a matching backsplash on the opposite wall as well. (Half the work, half the price!)

I also want to paint a chalkboard wall on the narrow wall in the back. But, for now, this will have to do!

Notice last item on the shopping list. Check!

The First Two Days

Keys! Keys! I've FINALLY got keys!!!

The keys came on Thursday night. One hour later...

...and I'm already tearing up carpet! 

"I" obviously meaning my dad and brother. The real I "supervised". (Totally accurate use of quotation marks on both accounts.)

Three hours later...

...and, new carpet was ordered by midnight. Kimmy don't play.

The past two days have been devoted to shop vacs, tape measures, scrubbing bubbles and shopping trips. (Not the fun kind.)

Of course, that also means the fine cuisine of Home Depot.

And, way too much takeout pizza for a woman of my age and metabolism.

Some things I've learned so far:

• Always be born into a family of strapping men.
• Hoarding furniture piece by piece while paying for a storage unit paid off. It's so much better to spread those expenses out over time then to take one big stressful and bank-busting shopping trip at crunch time.
• Those dated dining room mirrors I once hated, I now realize I'll miss once the furniture is moved in and I'll have to discontinue the one woman dance-offs.
• Heavy lifting up several flights of stairs is about as much fun as I anticipated.

STAIRS!!!

MORE STAIRS!!!

Bonus: I fully expect calves of steel by the end of next week!

Extra tidbit for my regular readers: The drunk guy that fell into a bush and starred in one of my prior house hunting posts lives directly across the parking lot from my Florida room. This ought to warrant a binoculars purchase in the near future.

Top window, abode of the entertainingly drunk home owner.
You're welcome.