Options for a kitchen design with no window over the sink.
SEE OUR FINISHED KITCHEN, HERE
Our kitchen design process has been like a presidential campaign: full of passionate idealism that evaporated in the face of reality.
Paul has been cast as John McCain… a man who was doing just fine until he saddled himself with a woman who could see Russia from her house.
And for the record, I CAN see Russia. It is giant. And suitably fancy. And populated by people who have a historical flair for hats and dictators.
огромные причудливые украшения!!
Not everyone is keen on the dictatorship part.
Especially when the dictator swans in and waves her hands and says—no, no, this is ALL wrong… Stop until further notice. I need to go lie down in total silence with the cat.
Please don’t bother me until the hats are delivered.
But if YOU are the dictator, congratulations!
If you have planned your dictatorship correctly, your subjects will be unable to rally support from outside sources/are powerless to overthrow you anytime soon/you can put whatever you want over your sink and no one can stop you.
HIGH FIVE!
If you look at the preliminary mockups for our kitchen remodel… you’ll see that originally, I thought I would come around to upper-cabinets on the sink wall.
They are practical and offer things like storage; which I hear people value in a kitchen.
But ultimately, I’ve decided I don’t like the idea of boxing out/bulking up that wall… I want to keep the sink wall as OPEN as possible.
At first, the solution seemed to be open shelving, possibly glass; to make them as unobtrusive as possible… and also because I fell MADLY IN LOVE with these shelving brackets.
However, my love will remain unrequited, because at nearly $1,000 PER UNIT, that is not happening.
Despite Self’s immediate and wholehearted embrace of bankruptcy-in-exchange-for-giant-fancy-things… those things must be OLD.
If I tried to convince Paul to spend that kind of money, it would be on something antique/complete crap. Not on something new and clean that functions well and serves a purpose.
I spent some time trying to find a substitute more inline with our budget… but ultimately decided that the LAST thing I need is to be cleaning a bunch of superlong glass shelves. No matter HOW MUCH I might love that hardware.
But how great is that mirror BEHIND the shelving? It brightens up the space SO MUCH, and totally guarantees that cleaning is even more of an utter nightmare!
So then I moved on to Carrera marble shelves… Because I’m practical like that.
Ok… I think I’ve lost control of this post.
You are probably not still reading.
Just look at the photos.
index of all kitchen remodel posts
9 million more kitchens on my pinterest board
November 4, 2015 @ 8:52 pm
I have no window above my kitchen sink. We chose to have the design that way so that we could keep the original floor to ceiling windows on the back wall of our kitchen. Lots of people told me I would absolutely hate not having a window, but I didn’t listen to them (naturally) and I’m happy (but unsurprised) to report that they were wrong. As often as I manage to splash soap or water or something more noxious on the wall behind my sink, I’m quite pleased it’s not a window I’m having to wipe clean. Whatever you decide on, make it easy to wipe clean!
November 4, 2015 @ 9:37 pm
Oh Victoria! You find the best porn. I’m having a crisis over the third up from the bottom.
November 4, 2015 @ 11:17 pm
I love reading your blog! I share so many of your sentiments. As for your kitchen pics – I find all of them very appealing. I was thinking the same thing about the glass shelves – the apparatus is very intriguing, but without a live-in made – I don’t think I’d be in favor. Country Living, Domestic Bliss, and Betty Lou Phillips were my faves – not that order, however. We will be doing the same in a couple years. Thank you for doing so much of the research! These are exactly the looks we want. It’s always so surprising to see beautiful old homes with kitchens that are in such a juxtaposition with the rest of the home. I’m looking forward to seeing the direction you go. I’m also a lover of Big Fancy Things.
Also, I thought of you the other day when I ran across the perfect solution for your double bed and queen size mattress. We’ve been trying to figure out the same for ours.
November 5, 2015 @ 12:02 pm
You said yourself that the first photo is your favorite. Why not do your glass paned uppers with ornate crown moulding flanking the sink, and above the sink have narrow marble shelves held up with brass brackets like this: https://www.google.com/search?q=brass+shelf+brackets&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=939&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIlMf089_5yAIVBGQmCh2gFAXD#imgrc=HbJ1KXrgHHEPCM%3A
If the sink will be wide enough, you could even put vintage brass sconces on the sides of the cabinets to increase light so you aren’t constantly casting a shadow on the sink, if the light is behind you.
June 23, 2018 @ 1:13 am
Thanks for that link! Some gorgeous ideas!
November 5, 2015 @ 3:44 pm
Re dust on open shelving: it depends entirely on geography, the heating system, open windows and A/C or not in the summer.
November 5, 2015 @ 10:27 pm
Thank you for giving credit where due and including links. So many bloggers post the work of others (designers, photographers, artists, etc) and don’t attribute it. Some even remain silent when complimented! So thank you for your integrity. And you have a beautiful eye!
@Kim: I like how you roll….
November 5, 2015 @ 10:46 pm
I LOVE your blog. You make me laugh at loud. I also think that we share the same type of awesome mate. Poor guy. Right?
Melissa
November 6, 2015 @ 9:11 am
I WANT ALL OF THEM!!! The end.
November 6, 2015 @ 11:00 pm
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10102287007361268&set=a.693164740698.2285198.55716381&type=3
Funny? or not?
November 7, 2015 @ 7:20 am
No offense but I feel like small cities are built in the time it has taken you to make decision on your kitchen. Just saying
November 7, 2015 @ 4:52 pm
I can’t wait to see your kitchen come together, whenever that day may be. If you have a need for a humongous butler’s pantry… I just saw a beautiful one waiting in Upstate NY for the right owner to come along.
November 8, 2015 @ 3:46 pm
Not that I’m a design expert, but I decided against the sink under the window for my kitchen since the window was low, I nearly had to kill the kitchen making guy to get him to do what I wanted, though…
November 10, 2015 @ 10:23 am
Check out this kitchen that incorporates a fabulous GFT: http://www.desiretoinspire.net/blog/2015/11/9/kitchen-details.html
November 13, 2015 @ 8:41 am
How about an old painting in a fancy frame over the sink? I’m sure you could find one on CL or in a thrift shop for a reasonable price.
November 13, 2015 @ 11:36 pm
Art in the kitchen is an excellent idea!
November 13, 2015 @ 11:35 pm
For whatever reason, probably an inability to be completely practical, I hate upper cabinets so am totally on board with the open shelving, if only it weren’t impossible to keep clean. Such a drag, this whole clean kitchen business. If only we didn’t have to cook in the kitchen, but could instead gaze upon it adoringly because it’s so clean and beautiful, life would be better, I think.
July 13, 2016 @ 6:31 am
I must say, positively, Thanks for tormenting me with these amazing glass shelves and the BRACKETS that are now haunting me and making my “great shiny things” envy go in to tilt mode. My budget, by the way, is vastly amused by your amazon link post of the affordable version. Our husbands would have much to commiserate over. I LOVE your posts. Keep the faith sister <3 your house is glorious!
May 15, 2019 @ 4:17 pm
oldeI absolutely love your design sense and your commentary even more:)
May 21, 2019 @ 3:58 pm
OMG I love those old brass brackets! Exactly what I am looking for the area above our bar! So WHERE did you find the brass ones you used not$1000 !?!!! Thanks so much!
October 4, 2020 @ 9:03 pm
Can you tell me where I can order those amazing antique brass gallery railings?