Kitchen inspiration- vintage industrial design.
For the record, I thought I was really going to enjoy doing kitchen-inspiration posts.
I thought they would be fun. And EASY.
But I take that back…
I take back my secret, smug belief that if I wrote a blog where I just curated beautiful images of houses and interior design it would be mindlessly simple.
I apologize to all design bloggers everywhere– I’m sorry for my self-righteousness… it has never once been validated, but I keep trying anyway.
EXCEPT you bloggers whose sites take SO long to load… that in the time I wait, I could drive to your house and tell you how annoying it is that I have 782 tabs open, and YOURS is the one that crashes it all.
Anyway. Kitchen.
Last week’s kitchen inspiration prompted a lot of you to point out that my overwhelming theme is white. And that IS true. I do really like that look… or some two-tone contrasting-island version of it.
But I equally like the total opposite.
In fact, it’s possible I like this more.
I guess I’d describe this as vintage industrial.
Or repurposed industrial.
Or out-of-my-price-range industrial.
Something unique and interesting that involves the opportunity to buy giant useless things and hoard copper pots.
Paul would point out that this is not actually a house. Or even a kitchen.
But that doesn’t matter, because it’s inspiration.
That means you can look at photos of anything you want.
I could show him photos of elephants and gesture at them and say—see? Elephants.
Clearly, I’m going to be hampered in my design since I don’t have exposed brick.
Or live in a loft or have a rooftop atrium or a rustic cafe in London…
But you get the idea: something NOT white.
Also, something you cannot just buy at the kitchen store.
Maybe even veering into Steampunk territory?
If you don’t know what steampunk is… it’s like an Edwardian version of Dungeons and Dragons. Crossed with a Renaissance Fair. Invented by boys who want to wear monocles while hanging out in internet chatrooms and talking about building purposely-antiquated futuristic gadgets. Like hi-tech hot air balloons.
Basically a comic-book parody of steam-powered Victorian style. With lots and lots of cogs.
Is that ridiculous? Maybe.
But so is golf.
I’m certain that toast from that toaster is way more tasty and delicious than regular toast.
And it will not surprise you that I really like the idea of a kitchen full of fantasy and shiny unnecessary things…
But Paul took one look at my steampunk inspiration and said— basically you want Morlock chic.
For 90,000 more kitchens: my Pinterest kitchen board.
I will love you EVEN MORE… if you share me with your friends.
September 4, 2013 @ 11:15 am
This is now officially my FAVORITE quote.
“Is that ridiculous? Maybe.
But so is golf.”
September 4, 2013 @ 11:16 am
I love your definition of steampunk. It’s perfect!
September 4, 2013 @ 11:23 am
Glad to see you are narrowing your choices. I’m with BadKitty. Buy one major component, or even a small one, and run with it. How hard can it be? Vintage seems likely to be challenging since it might take you ages to amass the “kingdom” worthy items on Craisglist. 😀
Keep searching, your readers wait with baited breath.
xo,
Karen
September 4, 2013 @ 11:26 am
Haha! I LOVE the copper whiskey still! I sooo want one of those. Unfortunately, I imagine they are pretty hard to find. But…..
Lucky for me (and you?) I am a Decorative Faux Finisher who specializes in…… drumroll please, Aged copper finishes and bricks! Both created using plaster. So, if you ever seriously decide you want exposed bricks in your new old kitchen, look me up. Seriously. Have trowel-will travel, lol!
September 4, 2013 @ 11:34 am
Tried to add one more comment to above post but I couldnt so, I just wanted to mention if you check out the webpage I listed in last post please note it is my old site. (I decided to live dangerously and list my current / new / under construction website this time. You never know, it could be finished by the time you read this! Ahahahaha! OMG I crack myself up sometimes. Oh, but I digress.) I bought a new computer in 2010 and never could figure out how to post to my site after that. And yes, the words computer challenged would be appropriate here!. Anyway, I am currently working on my new webpage. Hopefully it will be done before I die.
September 4, 2013 @ 11:40 am
I don’t have a house [yet], but I feel like I can live vicariously through you and all your awesomeness. I love all the inspiration photos, especially the dark cabinets with the concrete slab for a top. CONCRETE. I bet that would hold up so well and hide dirt like a charm! My ultimate goal is to buy a fixer upper with my husband and gut the whole darn thing. I’m aiming for a 1920s lady, though!
September 4, 2013 @ 11:46 am
I love the definition of SteamPunk as: “What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner.”
September 4, 2013 @ 12:02 pm
Everyone needs a whiskey still!!
Everyone! I need one in my back yard, and my son needs an Eagle Scout project. Hmmm… I don’t think it would qualify, but the boy has skills! Anyway…
No exposed brick in the ktichen unless you want to hire someone else to clean it. I have heard folks who have them swear by concrete countertops, but they seem so cold…nothing warm about them. I wonder if you can stain them?? The metal cabinets are fabulous, but I would not want all that crap hanging on the wall. I dust enough as it is thankyouverymuch! What would be really cool is a small copper sink in the island.
There is my stream of consciousness for today!
September 5, 2013 @ 7:37 am
You can add a tinting compound when you mix the concrete.
September 4, 2013 @ 12:04 pm
Can I just say I love you? “see? Elephants.” Cracked me up! Sorry for sounding stalkerish, but hey, it’s a big compliment to have stalkers, right?
September 4, 2013 @ 12:06 pm
Steam Punk!
September 4, 2013 @ 12:16 pm
It’s always the 783rd link that crashes me too! How odd. It must be a microsoft thing. Or it’s apple’s way of sabotaging microsoft. Either way it’s frustating. Unicorns would be a great inspiration too. I love the pointy horn on their heads. Would be great for picking up donuts. But I digress. Can’t wait to see your next kitchen post.
P.S. Yes, golf is completely ridiculous. Now, if they did it at 200 miles an hour like Nascar, that would be fun.
September 7, 2013 @ 6:03 pm
Golf at 200 MPH… I had to laugh.. my son is a hockey nut… & says the ONLY way to make it interest would be to let the guys beat each other with the clubs if they missed a shot! Love your posts… especially since I’m living with my un-holy kitchen for 9 Years!! Hubby & I still can’t see eye-to-eye.. so it remains..undone… like the bathrooms… arrrg!
September 4, 2013 @ 12:17 pm
Step away from the steampunk. Back up slowly, turn around and face your husband who looks stricken by the thought of another kitchen remodel in a few years. As someone who loves to cook and who lusts after gorgeous kitchens, I was delighted to go through every one of your pins. Yes I did. I gleaned from this, that as others noted, you love white. A classic kitchen, with touches of black, metal-maybe brass, and perhaps just one, quirky steampunky feature like the toaster. Steam punk is too trendy and I fear you will tire of it in a couple years. I follow very few blogs, but yours I love. Thank you.
September 5, 2013 @ 11:48 am
Steampunk may be trendy but morlock chic? Now that has legs.
September 4, 2013 @ 12:48 pm
You could find the copper still on Craigslist. And then you could sell the still and because of the commodities price of copper, you could use the proceeds to buy the rest of the kitchen.
September 4, 2013 @ 1:04 pm
Your personalities always shine through in your posts. Love it. And Morlock chic? Awesome. He needs to trademark that now.
September 4, 2013 @ 1:05 pm
I love steampunk. Have you seen the steampunk thumb drives? Very cool. So is that toaster. As for the whisky (I’m Scottish. We spell it ‘whisky’:) still, am I the only one that sees the face? Either way, that thing is very-very cool!
Uhm, that first kitchen pic? Seriously, my first thought when I saw that pic was Red Dwarf. Have you seen that piece of British late night sci-fi television? It’s possibly an acquired taste. But that kitchen is definitely very-very-very Red Dwarf, the episode where Cryton’s circuits are crossed and he tries to make the Red Dwarf (a space ship) more homey.
September 4, 2013 @ 1:28 pm
I, too, like this better. As I commented at unforgivable length on your last post (but it was eaten? Probably deserved to be. I need to work on succinctness), I think the kitchen planning is rendered comparatively simple when you start with a gigantic piece of antique wooden something. Mine wasn’t as crazy fancy as Pilar’s, of course, but it dictated all that followed in my much tinier and more modest kitchen, and yielded a result with which I am very happy.
In short: rashly driving by yourself into a very dangerous neighborhood in pursuit of a craigslist find that weighs more than you do and you will never wrangle onto the top of your car without assistance just because you cannot continue breathing without that millwork in your clutches is the exactly correct way to start off a kitchen remodel (or, really, any project) in a historic home.
But, you already knew that :).
September 4, 2013 @ 1:39 pm
I have to go make some toast. -DB
September 4, 2013 @ 2:02 pm
That Georgian pub is amazing. I was crushed when I discovered it was in London, and not NYC. Looks like those five seconds of dinner plans are now ruined.
September 4, 2013 @ 2:46 pm
Oh lord, your definition of steampunk made me laugh and picture A Series of Unfortunate Events goes to IKEA.
September 4, 2013 @ 2:56 pm
Love the still and the toaster. Photo#3, The black woodwork is nice, The marble warms it up. I wouldn’t worry about the brick getting clean, just wouldn’t.
But then again I’m not too practical…
The first kitchen is just way too sterile. looks like a lab to create space food in little packets… just cold. Or perhaps that island was used in an early coroner office. The stainless chairs are not the least inviting. But who would want to spend much time at the coroners?
I do like the subway tile and LARGE base board though. The windowed doors are attractive in a different space. Maybe with red walls. to balance the chill. Brrrr
The second is way too chaotic, is that slabs of meat with garlic… definitely not “The Counts kitchen”. I do agree with that tin ceiling though…
This is what happens when one ask for feed back. Although I am usually part of the love fest of all things V.E.B.
BTW check out kitchen in the Biltmore, or John and Mable Ringling’s Kitchen…