One-of-a-Kind IKEA Kitchen

As we continue narrowing down our kitchen cabinets, our options seem to be more and more pointing towards IKEA. I was reunited with IKEA's blog LIVET HEMMA yesterday (via SnOOp), and according to her, the blog name means "life at home" and as she explains, "IKEA's Livet Hemma wants to show us how their mass produced product can be one-of-a-kind. A pretty good example of this is the kitchen of their columnist Anna Pettersson. Just by changing up the hardware, adding some black and white tiles to the floor, some subway tiles for backsplash, along with more personal pieces like her grandmother's tapestry and a fun pot of spring bulbs planted in a springform pan, they've created a rather nice unique space.  Click here to see more.

Kitchen Oh Kitchen Where Art Thou?

Martha Stewart - Maidstone Purestyle (Fortune Cookie)

While I've been looking for kitchen ideas (we're still not there yet), I often think of the space looking in as a visitor.  You know how some people's homes have that feel where you really are comfortable and you don't feel like leaving?  I want that feeling for our kitchen; where friends will drop by for coffee and love coming back again and again.  I've been saving clippings of things I like for the past year now, and what I've been noticing is my tastes are starting to change from a more modern look to a more industrial/country feel.  Is it you dear internets having that effect on me?

Yesterday I dropped by Home Depot to pick up some paint and happened by the new Martha Stewart Kitchen collection. And as much as I thought I was more of a modern kitchen person I was really impressed with the quality and styles of some of her more country-themed cabinetry. I loved the chunkiness of the open shelving (did I just say I liked chunky)?  As well as the bases and the darker hardware (as seen in their Maidstone photo above). I'm thinking maybe mixed with a more industrial setting (like cement floors, darker walls and less of a matchy matchy look - by changing the colours - that is upper shelving vs bottom or island vs main cabinets), these styles could work with what I had in mind.  The price point ($192CAD - $215/linear ft ) is much higher than we were thinking , so maybe I'll only be able to buy the shelving and hardware for now, or even mix it with something lower, but her collection nonetheless really got me thinking.  What do you think?  Please feel free to leave some links to favourite kitchens you like.  I'd love to see or hear about what you like.  xo Jan

P.S. Speaking of kitchens,  and totally different:  I loved loved the darker (black tiles and black cabinetry) at the IKEA's booth at IDS11 last month.  Did you see?  Here's a link to their facebook page - and I'll leave an image at the very bottom of this post. Maybe I could mix the two? (That is, IKEA lower cabinets, Martha Stewart upper shelves and hardware)?  Would it work? 

Martha Stewart - Ox Hill Purestyle (Ocean Floor) - love the chunky open shelving

Martha Stewart Workroom - Home Depot - love the pegs for hanging things

IKEA at IDS11 (love the black tiles and black wood) - link to see more

Cute Kitchens

House Beautiful (Photo credit: Victoria Pearson)

Hus & Hem (via The Seventy Tree)

Bolig Magazine (via The Seventy Tree)



House&Home May 2007, Photo credit: Janis Nicolay




Samantha Pynn for Pure Design, Photo credit: Virginia MacDonald via Decor8




Style at Home, Photo credit: Stacey Brandford



Samantha Pynn for Pure Design, Photo credit: Virginia MacDonald via Decor8



Photo by Anette Åberg for Hus och Hem via Emma's Blogg

Enamoured by Cottage Kitchens

Quaint, cosy and charming cottage kitchens. With summer just around the corner, the thought of getting away to a cosy cottage lures. Above image from Cottage Life (May 2010 issue), cottage of Maggie Algie near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Original photo by Daniel Ehrenworth. Below image from Cottage Life (May 2010 issue), camp of Ken Mills at Michipicoten Bay, Lake Superior, Ontario, Canada. Original photo by Daniel Ehrenworth



Jill Bent's family summer home.

Floating summer house from Skonahem

Boat cabin of Jacques et Agnès Choï (France) from marieclairemaison.com. Photo credit: Mai Linh

Skonahem Photo Credit: Marie Eriksson


Skonahem Photo credit: Johan Carlson

Cabin in Portugal via marieclairemaison.com

Inspiration: French Kitchen

I like the feel of this kitchen which was previously an old boulangerie in Auvergne, France and then renovated in a home. From the kitchen where the cabinet under the sink was from a former office piece found in an outbuilding of the home to the 50's mini fridge and shelf under the window. Very quaint and so french. (Via marieclairemaison.com).

kitchens from the library of congress

I finally got a chance to look through a bit of the images on flickr from The Library of Congress this past weekend and came across the gem at the top (couldn't this image be almost in the pages of Domino or over at Apartment Therapy)? Taken between 1941-45, we would love this in our kitchen! Check out the color of those jars! And the two images below that are from their actual site online archives taken by Walker Evans - we did a search on kitchens - I just want to print these out as they are (with the color tabs and all) and frame (they actually have the high resolution to do so). Man, one could be there forever searching out images. A nice sunday afternoon thing.


Library of Congress flickr
Library of Congress

decorating with industrial items

Saw this kitchen over at Shine today contributed by Country Living Magazine. An Atlanta couple renovated their home using unexpected industrial items discovered on eBay, Home Depot and antique fairs. Click here to read more.

30 days of kitchens

From July 15 - 17th, House Beautiful will unveil it's Kitchen of the Year at Rockefeller Plaza in New York. For three days, it will be the centerpiece of a kitchen design and entertainment celebration. To accompany this, throughout July they will also be featuring 30 Days of Kitchens on their website with a month of articles (mostly pictures) on everything from kitchens in the House Beautiful archives from the 1950s to the present. Click here to see. (Images from House Beautiful archives).

things for the kitchen

since we are renovating our kitchen currently, i've been looking for fresh kitchen ideas and came across some beautiful designs for kitchen tools from europe. i'm loving the idea of natural mixed with bright (almost fluorescent accents) shown in some of these pieces.

weaving wicker and elastic cable, french designer godefroy de virieu has created a collection of spoons and spatulas (from bamboo) for the company, bambu home (not on their website). in front, a pan whose lid was mended with a piece of wood. (immediately below - more variations on his weaving colors and a knife sharpening stone reinvented also designed by godefroy de virieu for design pyrénées. (images from may/jun issue of marie claire maison, photos cedric martigny).



(above) vege grill pan by finnish designer, mikko laakkonen. this would look so great hung against a wall. made from cast iron with a birch handle. (image from le bon marché catalogue). (below) yves delorme tablecloth available through le bon marché.

easy ice tea

when it gets hot on the porch this summer, bring out this deco-influenced iced tea pitcher from beehouse out of japan. brew your tea hot, remove the diffuser and refrigerate. that simple! (i'm really wanting this!). great colours too! available at rare device.