Kitchen Design Inspiration… The ninth ring of hell.
This weekend, I commenced my favorite coping skill: avoidance.
I like to call it research.
Since I have absolutely no idea what to do about our kitchen layout. Or the crazy addition. Or the massive pile of brick crouching outside our back door… I started back up with the inspiration photos.
By Sunday afternoon, I had been flattened by the avalanche of irritation that comes from mindless hours at the computer.
My hair had turned white and I was sending death threats to Christopher Peacock.
That man is ruining my life and must be stopped.
HOWEVER. You’ll be surprised to hear that all that time banging my head against the wall really paid off… Because now I know exactly what I want.
I want something classic and Victorian and fancy.
But whimsical.
Something retro and vintage and bungalow-y.
But also like I live in a castle.
Something homey and comfortable.
But like it cost a million dollars.
ALSO THIS: A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF MY SOUL.
I want something dreamy and rustic.
And something French— in that obnoxious way that is not at all French, but really just an extension of spending an insane amount of money.
I want something elegant and sophisticated. Where I will be afraid to touch anything.
I want something authentic. Something that feels original to the age of our house.
I want Pilar Guzman to just turn her kitchen over to me and solve all my problems.
But also, I want something retro… a place Don will be comfortable coming home to.
I want open shelving and marble. And glass-front antique cabinets.
And a cleaning lady to keep them shiny.
But also something different. And totally unexpected.
Something huge and giant and fancy. And maybe a little terrifying.
What’s that? This seems like a lot of different ideas? Please, don’t worry! After this weekend I’ve narrowed it down to fewer than 27,000.
The only things I still need to consider are:
Something steampunk.
Something industrial.
Something entirely repurposed.
And a butler’s pantry.
In fact, I may need several butler’s pantries.
So, what I’m thinking is that I will put together some posts with pictures of the different styles I like most… and then you all can tell me what to do and I will not have to be involved at all.
don’t miss our repurposed-piano kitchen island!
Shenshen
August 28, 2013 @ 8:50 am
Hahahhahaha!!! I’m exactly in the same boat. We’re in the middle of a diy kitchen remodel. And because I cannot decide, I decided to put in everything I want. Now my husband calls it our dyslexic kitchen.
Patricia
August 28, 2013 @ 10:02 am
Now I REALLY want a trap door … and a dumbwaiter. Up till I read all your reader comments, I was perfectly happy with our kitchen. But ooooh, a trap door! And maybe a secret room (where I could hide all the chocolate).
Seriously, The Christopher Peacock kitchens look like nobody ever cooks in them. Maybe house elves do all the food prep and clean up?
Asia Evans Artistry
August 28, 2013 @ 12:59 pm
Oh my gosh girl… you crack me up! I sold cabinets for 4 years, and there are so many different kinds and ways to do it, it can drive anyone bonkers. “You” need my favorite door style. It had a beading detail all the way around and a recessed center panel or raised panel if you prefer. I only ever had a door sample in Natural Cherry until one day I saw it in an off-white paint. Then that beading detail looked like a string of pearls and I was like a giddy girl looking at that kitchen. It was beautiful!!! That’s the door style I picture for you. See the door here: http://www.kraftmaid.com/products/cabinet-doors/door-style/049/#/dwti:Maple/ds:Square/dwt:/do:FullOverlayDoorDesign/n:/p:5/bbt:DoorStyle/p2:1
Kim
August 28, 2013 @ 6:57 pm
One of my all time favorite kitchens is on a blog called For the Love of a House. She has exquisite taste just like you. Good luck!
Kim
Tammy
August 28, 2013 @ 10:13 pm
Hi Victoria. Love your site. Have been lurking for a while all the way from Australia.
Renovated our house a year ago including the kitchen. Also had the problem of liking lots of different styles. Best way forward with that is to put all your FAVOURITES (has to be TOTALLY ALL-TIME favourite) pictures side by side. Put the first two together, and choose one. Then the next two…. and again and again. I eventually found that although I really liked lots of looks and styles, it did actually come back to one ‘look’ coming through much more strongly. Of course, I also had restrictions like ceiling heights and room size which knocked out some contenders. And I also took into account the style of our house, which sadly is not a grand Victorian but more cottage-y, so it had to fit with that also. You will find that all of these considerations will narrow down your choices and then it’s not so overwhelming. There are lots of things I wanted to include but couldn’t due to cost or space, but I still totally love the kitchen, and I know I got as much as possible into it.
You will get a LOT of naysayers about marble. A LOT. I heard it all, ignored them all and got marble in the kitchen and bathrooms. I love it. Wouldn’t have anything else ever again. I have two kids, two dogs and a very undomesticated husband. Staining is not a problem at all if sealed properly. Get a honed finish. It will definitely still etch, but if it is bothering you, a quick rub with 0000 steel wool removes them. It is the most stunningly beautiful surface in the world, and nothing else compares. I have the reconstituted stone marble look-alike in the laundry. It’s pleasant. And looks nothing like the real thing. Reconstituted stone surfaces and corian will also chip and stain – in fact the only (small) stain I have anywhere is on the reconstituted stone – go figure. So may as well have what you want and deal with the day-to-day wear and tear, I say.
Also, I have a half-wall of open shelving which used to be a servery through to the dining room. Again, open shelving will divide the masses. I use it to store the china we use everyday so dust is not a problem. It looks beautiful. Go with your heart, I say.
Best of luck. Tammy
Kristin
August 29, 2013 @ 11:19 am
Hey! Pilar Guzman just left Martha Stewart for Conde Nast Traveler. Soooo, one can only guess that she’ll be traveling more. Maybe you could house sit for her, and pet her kitchen while you’re at it.
Jen B
August 29, 2013 @ 11:06 pm
I am so glad that one of your pictures includes a library ladder. I fully intend to have one in my kitchen, my house sadly does not have the space for a butler pantry BUT I do want my ladder anyway. If I were you I make a list of what you love from each picture, in that list will be your kitchen. 🙂
Emily
August 30, 2013 @ 9:18 am
Hey, I love your blog! We are also in the middle of a kitchen remodel, but I have plenty of time to decide since we are doing everything ourselves, including building mahogany cabinets. It is mostly a matter of reverse engineering, mathematics, power tools and overconfidence. So far, so good! My husband was the one to point out the range hoods I was drooling over at the Habersham website were essentially big rectangular boxes with fancy trim. I am tall so he stood on the counter & had me stand on tip toe by the stove and started the hood two inches higher than that. Finally, no concussions while cooking. Our house is a mid 1800’s old factory that looks like a house on 2+ acres in a small town, but the interior walls are mostly old wonky brick which I love. I found this book http://www.amazon.com/1001-Ideas-Kitchen-Organization-Materials/dp/1580113613 useful to make sure we max out storage potential since we don’t have upper cabinets (don’t want to cover the brick) My efficient engineer husband built an extra drawer into the toe kick area of the cabinets, along with full extension pull out drawers for pots & pans. I made a spice rack inside one drawer (for 50+ spices) and dividers for the others. I love how much easier cooking is now without sacrificing beauty. Anyway, for making decisions, Meghan Carter has a good suggestion in her book “The Meghan Method” (for decorating) that you ask someone else their opinion of the things you are trying to decide. Not because you really care, but because deep inside you will either think “Yes!” or feel somewhat disappointed. That lets you know what you really want.
Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
August 31, 2013 @ 11:15 am
I am SAD you do not have a blog… the world needs to see your kitchen.
Becky
August 30, 2013 @ 1:33 pm
A butler’s pantry? How divine! Oh the time I could spend singing musical numbers while I rolled back and forth on the rolling ladder. 🙂
Danielle @Storypiece
August 30, 2013 @ 7:44 pm
You’ve got amazing taste in kitchens, but when I hit “butler’s pantry”, I suddenly wondered… do you cook? That’s a fairly irrelevant requirement to the desire for an incredible kitchen… I mean I’d gladly take kitchen’s 1, 2 or 4 and never cook a day in any of them. 🙂
Heather
August 31, 2013 @ 11:11 am
Beautiful inspiration pictures! Looks like your research has been fruitful! Can’t wait to see how you go forward with your kitchen 🙂
Sarah Elizabeth
September 1, 2013 @ 6:18 pm
I scrolled through Pinterest, and here’s what I see:
-A lot of vertical lines. Some kitchens, especially really modern kitchens, are all about the horizontal — the counter that runs around the entire room uninterrupted, floating shelves that create horizontal lines, handles and hardware that are long, thin, simple, and horizontal. You like the opposite; the building upward, the molding and detail that accentuate the lines going up, cabinets that appear to be more-tall-than-wide pieces of furniture. When there is a cabinet, a detail, or a set of shelves, the vertical lines of that area need to be accentuated. Stack the cabinets on top of each other, do a very tall pantry unit, get the fan over the stove to go all the way up to the ceiling.
-Glass cabinet doors with dividers. The narrow, tall sets of glass panes are another element that can draw the line up to create vertical lines, explained above.
-Subway tile in glossy glossy glossy tile, with light grout.
-White + glossy + glass + marble + polished + wood.
-Two-tone. A lot of gray bottom cabinets and white top cabinets; I love this, it gives the look of piece of furniture instead of identical built-in cabinetry.
-omg please do that light blue ceiling in the addition.
-A lot of “island alternatives” that are kind of leggy and light and Victorian.
Pj
September 9, 2013 @ 12:32 pm
Here’s what I like (including the ladder, which I would want stored in a convenient place–otherwise I would trip over it)–the use of dark trim around the windows. I’ve stripped all the woodwork around 4 large windows & 3 doorways, so now I have to think before slapping on a coat of white paint to match the cabinets. Thanks to you & the peacock guy for adding to my never-ending dilemma. 😉
Alex @ northstory
September 9, 2013 @ 6:17 pm
That vintage kitchen. The cupboards alone I would marry. Seriously. I have like 500 of that kitchen pinned.
TenantProof
September 11, 2013 @ 1:57 pm
Most pantries were eliminated from home because it was found through time and motion studies that they caused more walking and were far less efficient then built in kitchens with food and dish storage in the same area.
heather
October 27, 2014 @ 3:45 am
I feel like you looked into my mind and wrote this! We are getting ready to remod the kitchen in our 1908 Victorian.
lizzy jones
January 10, 2017 @ 5:16 pm
My fav line: “I want something elegant and sophisticated. Where I will be afraid to touch anything.”