My Kitchen

When it's clean, the kitchen is my favorite room in the house. I feel like it's the one room where I can really express my personality and get away with whimsical decor. Is this my dream kitchen? Um, no. Is it perfect? Not even close! Even though there are a million and one things I would do to improve the kitchen (new cabinets, new countertops, new appliances, new flooring, new sink, bigger) it's a rental house and I can't change those things. But, even though it's not perfect, I love it anyways.
I've been following a few design blogs this past year, and all of them talk about "shopping the house" when decorating. You know, moving things around periodically from room to room, using what you have instead of always buying new...using things in new ways, and maybe not in the ways they were intended.
I don't like things to be matchy-matchy. I like it in other people's homes, just not in my own. I like used things - things that have had a life before I owned them, and I think the kitchen reflects this. Thanks largely to my grandmother-in-law (James' grandma), who was kind enough to give me some of her awesome treasures, I didn't have to spend any money to decorate. (woot-woot!)

So without further ado, this is what I've been up to the last couple of days:

I especially love the picture of the red elephant hanging above the stove. It makes me happy every time I see it.

The breadbox and figurines came from James' grandma. I repainted and distressed it. My spices sit on a plate rack that I got as a wedding present. I love how uniform the spice jars are.

I put coarse salt in the big container with the bird on it for cooking. I think originally that container was meant to hold potpourri. Don't you love the tiny cut glass salt and pepper shakers? (all of these items also courtesy of James' grandma)

I love having my cooking utensils close at hand, and I love the jar (it's supposed to be a planter) that I found at Tai Pan. I bought it when we were selling our house a couple of years ago to "stage" the kitchen.

Ah, my crown jewel of the kitchen. This beauty has been on my wishlist for the last seven Christmases. James got it for me this year. Am I spoiled or what?

I bought the valence on clearance at Wal Mart last year for $1. I use a pretty glass container with a pour spout for dish soap (I bought the bottle at DI for $.75, also a couple of years ago when we were selling our house. The pour spout was $1 at a craft store).

Pretty window sill decorations also courtesy of James' grandma. The birds are so pretty and sparkly when the sun streams in through the window.

Aren't these canisters fun? Also from James' grandma. :)

I've seen pedastals like this all over the internet. You make them by adhering vases and candlesticks to pretty plates. I already had the vases and plates courtesy of, you guessed it, James' grandma :)

I bought this candle at WalMart a couple of years ago (again, when we were selling the house) on clearance for $1.

And I think soda bottles are fun, don't you?


I ordered this egg plate with some Christmas money. Isn't it pretty?

These are some things I found on etsy that I would love for my kitchen someday:

An owl trivet.

A retro kitchen scale.

Pretty lotus bowls.

A bird mirror that I would convert into a chalkboard.

And, while we're dreaming...these dishes from JCPenney (in ivory): Click HERE.

Thanks for touring my kitchen with me. What's your favorite room in the house?