My dream kitchen scrapbook
(Covertiles from Studio JSPR. These are ceramic tiles that reveal the working parts, encasing the pipes & make a visual statement while at it! Comes in either black or white.)
(Picture courtesy of Shaker Museum And Library. I would love the kitchen to be in the original Shaker style, surrounded by expertly crafted wood furniture & white wall. The counter with thick marble top looks amazing.)
(36″single bowl belfast sink. I want a really big sink like this that would fit my big pots!)
(Ceramic drainer to put on top of the counter, along side the belfast sink. It’s slightly slanted for better drainage. Loving the subtle criss-cross lines.)
(Antique Japanese kitchen cabinets from www.tansu.co.uk – Traditional & functional statement furniture.)
(Zettel’z 6, 1998. Designed by Ingo Maurer. Imagine having the recipes hanging from this pendant!)
(For the lighting, I’d also want to install this Jean Prouvé’s Potence lamp. Another design classic. The single metal rod extends almost 7 feet and pivots 180 degrees, so it can light various parts of the kitchen! Available from Vitra.)
(Uten.Silo designed by Dorothee Becker, 1969. With its different-sized & shaped containers, its metal hooks and clips, Uten.Silo is a great organizer! Another design classic again from Vitra.)
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x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…x…
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The last several months we’ve been looking ‘n looking ‘n looking for a house to either buy or to rent, as the sale of our family home is nearing it’s completion in coming September. Anyone who’d ever been house-hunting would agree that it’s a total ***** to go through – as you face the depressing reality of how little your money gets you, as you face the dissapointment of your offer not being accepted, & as you consider compromizing, ie, good location but small house VS bigger house in the sticks.
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BUT, I am very glad to announce, after many heartaches, we’ve found ‘the one’ just last week! And our offer’s been accepted! Huurrayy! Yay! Yippee! – I know I know, there ain’t no ink on the papers yet, & some of my girlfriends would say “Oh don’t jinx it”, but I don’t believe in this ‘jinx’ business anyway. Infact I hate it when friends don’t tell you things, but goes on to tell another friend anyway, calling it a ‘secret’ & wink “Don’t tell anyone yet” – pure school playground behaviour if you ask me. As for me, when I’ve got good news, I’m just too happy to keep it schtum!
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Anyway, one of the major deciding point for wanting to buy this particular house was because of the kitchen. It’s a pretty big size room with a slightly higher ceiling than normal, I fell in love with the space right away. And as you’ve probably guessed, I spend A LOT of time in the kitchen, so size matters big time.
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Everything’s in pristine condition, ready for me to start cooking straight away – only…, it’s not in a style I like! How can I explain it… the current one’s so bland, no identity. The colour is so not me, & the layout is odd with two round sinks (!) on the island in the middle of the room. And the oven is on the small side, under the hob, which means I’d be constantly crouching down to access it (my current one is at eye level).
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But I’m not too worried y’know, not only would it be a good thigh exercise to reach the oven (!), I know that it’s just a matter of changing it, getting a new kitchen installed. We won’t have the funds to do it for a looong while, but one day I’d like to. Oh heck, I’ll forfeit clothes shopping & going to the hairdressers, & skimp on giving tips at eateries n’ look bad to save money quicker to do it. For with passion for baking comes passionate ideas for the ultimate kitchen. It’s like hand-in-hand. And I can tell you, I’m a girl with serious backlog of dreams & ideas for ‘my’ kitchen!
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So for this week’s blog entry, here are some of the kitchen ideas I’ve been fantasizing (the collection of pictures above this text), although most of it is probably wishfully thinking – *sigh…* if only money was not an issue!
Congratulations on your new home! Now thats one housewarming I’d love to be at. My oven is under the hob, sadly it doesn’t seem to have had much impact on my thighs…
Comment by Laura - June 12, 2007 10:49 pm
Hi Laura! Thanks! Ah, yes, the house warming – hadn’t thought of that yet… it’ll be nice to get one of the items from the pictures above for a warming present…! Hint hint, wink wink, my lovely friends! Take note! ;-)
As for the thighs, I was clearing the attic for over 5 hours last Sunday, & I’ve got muscle pain all over my legs! I was probably using the muscles I don’t normally. Which made me have high hopes to exercise those muscles, slimming my legs during my baking marathon every Friday…
Comment by tamami - June 13, 2007 12:50 pm
Wow, is that the house you told me about or another?
Congrats of finding it…and I loved your desirable design stuff, very inspiring.
Where did you find the company that makes the wall tiles showing the pipe work etc?
Comment by Layla - June 14, 2007 9:29 am
Hey L, yup indeed! it’s the house I’ve been yabbering about! And the tiles: I found them through a magazine called The World Of Interiors. Ever since house-hunting, I’ve been buying this superb magazine! It’s cool, because it’s not ‘high-street’ esque like most of the interior mags out there!
Comment by tamami - June 14, 2007 12:38 pm
Wow! That was quick or have you been looking for a house for ages? You’re all grown up now, what with family of your own and a house with the perfect kitchen(what else can you ask for?!)…leaving me way behind!! I hope I can visit you in August! You have to tell me the address and everything by email.
Comment by Akiko - June 14, 2007 1:09 pm
Hi! Congrats on finding somewhere – is it in *the* catchment area?!?!
We must get together at some point. Perhaps come here one morning before taking I to nursery and sample my cooking!
We are completely redoing our downstairs inc. kitchen so need to be inspired too!!
C x
Comment by Claire - June 14, 2007 1:32 pm
Hello Akiko! Yeah, actually we’ve been looking for not so long, but it felt like a very very long time coz we went to see so many houses in that short space of time with many dissapointments along the way…! Now I’m so knowledgable about streets, if you asked me where’s so and so, and which school is good, I’d be able to tell you in nano second! When you come in August, we’d still be at my parents, so I’d love to organise a BBQ when you come. And would you like to stay over for a couple of days like last time?? I’ll email you soon!
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Hey Claire! Nice of you to drop by on my blog! Been wanting to contact you about my news – because sadly we’re not gonna be in ‘that’ catchment area but another one, so unfortunately our sons will not be in the same school… I know, sorry… – BUT I will still be close infact, so I’m sure we’ll see each other a lot still anyways! ;-) And yes, we’d love to come around before nursery! Yum, lookin’ forward to the lunch already!
Comment by tamami - June 14, 2007 6:39 pm
that’s a shame re the school. Lunch it is then! Mons, Weds and Thurs are best for me – could do this Monday or either of the days the week after. C x
Comment by Claire - June 15, 2007 12:18 pm
Coolio-! lets do next monday 18th! I’ll call you before that to arrange time! Cheers!
Comment by tamami - June 15, 2007 1:12 pm
Wow!! Congratulations! I’m so glad you found another house you love!!! I agree, the World of Interiors is a lot more inspiring than many of the other interior mags out there. And I’ve always had my eye on the Jean Prouvé Lamp too! It’s so simple and beautiful!! :-)
Comment by keiko - June 15, 2007 5:36 pm
Hey Keiko!! ta! And that lamp… you’re right, it really is beautiful…, I fell in love with it when I saw it. I know its around 700 pounds or something for that one lamp, but I really would want to get it ”one day”. Now that we’re gonna be house owners, I want to be surrounded by things I like!!
Comment by tamami - June 15, 2007 10:30 pm
OK – so this coming monday then! I’d better get some food in tmw!!!
C x
Comment by Claire - June 16, 2007 4:12 pm
Congratulations on the house acquisition! Like many, I understand the heartache of looking for one. In the end, we decided to build our own house–which presents other headaches, but still worth it. Now if only I can get the kitchen of my dreams as well! Congrats again–I enjoy your blog a lot!
Comment by poppy - June 18, 2007 7:22 am
thanks poppy!! O.M.G, you’re building your own house?? how amazing. You’re so lucky to have that option – starting it from scratch like that!
Comment by tamami - June 18, 2007 1:20 pm
Interesting…
Comment by Ioannes - September 2, 2007 10:03 am