Readers Kitchens–Part One

 

For the past few months, I’ve been collecting pictures of kitchens from readers.   Some are new kitchens and some are total redos.   I originally wanted to start the series with the Nantucket kitchen shown a few weeks ago, but that became more of a story on the architectural designer Nancy Fishelson HERE than on the reader’s kitchen.   So, we will start today with a kitchen renovation – in Paris France. 

 

 

 

Sally Wheat’s gray kitchen which started the kitchen craze.

 

Why show just kitchens, you may ask?  The truth is, readers have been sending me  pictures of their kitchens ever since I showed Sally Wheat’s now famous gray kitchen.   For some reason (maybe because it is so pretty,) her kitchen really spoke to a lot of people.  I can’t tell you how many emails I have gotten over the years with questions like “what color did Sally use?”  Benjamin Moore Fieldstone. “Where did Sally get her pendant lights from?”   BROWN in Houston.    I’ve even shown readers kitchens that were remodeled using Sally’s kitchen as their inspiration.  And then there was my own kitchen remodeling that I talked about for far too many times.  It just seems like readers love to talk about kitchens and see pictures of kitchens.  One day I’d like to do a series on living rooms and bedrooms too.   Maybe later this year!!    Finally, don’t worry if you have a kitchen you want to show but haven’t sent in your pictures just yet – you still have time.  I have a lot of kitchens to show, so the series will last for quite a while.    Sooooo, without any further ado, let’s start with the first kitchen!

 

Today’s kitchen is in Paris, France.  The apartment was recently purchased and redone by an American couple who had been looking for a few years for a second home in the City of Lights.   After a long search, this apartment, with a beautiful view of the Eiffel tower, was found.   There was only one major problem with the place – the kitchen.

 

The original kitchen, as it looked on closing day, was located in the back of the apartment – far from the dining room.  Though the kitchen was almost new, the style was far too modern for the owners.  There was a view of the courtyard from the kitchen window – but why have a view of the courtyard, when you can have a view of the Eiffel Tower instead?   The new owners decided to move the kitchen – into the dining room.

 

This is the courtyard view of the original kitchen.   While charming, it’s not the Eiffel Tower.

 

Here is the dining room, which the former owners used as a study.   

 

And, here is what the dining room looked like when the new owners took over the apartment.  The fireplace is the focal point – as is the view outside the Juliet balcony.  The herringbone wood floors are so gorgeous and were a major selling point for the owners. 

 

 

Here is a view through tall French doors from the living room into the dining room.

 

 

Since the modern kitchen had actually been recently installed, the contractor was able to give it another person so it wouldn’t be wasted.   The old kitchen space was then turned into an extra bathroom.    Here, is an early sketch of the new kitchen which was enlarged to start in the corner and continue through to the other side of the fireplace.

 

After many many months, the owner was told the kitchen was in.  She immediately flew to Paris to discover it was in, but not in-stalled.  Here’s the kitchen in boxes, just as it was left!

 

 

And then, after unpacking, it looked like this.

 

Today, the new kitchen installed in the dining room.   At first it is hard to really see the kitchen, it blends in so well and looks like bookshelves.  The chandelier and mirror further the illusion that this is just a dining room. Notice how the mirror reflects the living room’s mirror and chandelier.  Also remember when hanging mirrors to reflect something worth seeing.

 

The view towards the street and the Eiffel Tower.   The antique table, chairs, chandelier, sconces and mirror were all bought in France.   On the back of the French chairs is a pink and white checked taffeta.  So charming!    Isn’t this just beautiful?!!!   I would love a kitchen like this in my own second home in Paris!!!

 

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Here is a view towards the cooktop and hood. 

 

Looking from the dining room into the beautiful living room.

 

Looking from the living room into the dining room.

 

Here is a picture of the dining room table right before it was purchased in a Paris market.  She is testing out the apron, being sure there is enough leg room under the table – there was.

 

The new bathroom that was once the kitchen. 

 

The owners of this beautiful French apartment are also partners in Huff Harrington Fine Art, Ltd, an art gallery in Atlanta, Georgia.    The name may sound familiar to long-time Cote de Texas readers.    Last year they photoshopped pictures of the art work they sell onto a picture of a family room I had recently designed.  You can read the story on their blog – The Artful Lifestyle HERE and the story on my blog HERE.

 

Here is one of Huff Harrington’s photoshopped pictures of one of the paintings on the mantel of my client’s house.  

 

I hope you have enjoyed the first installment of readers kitchen.   I think it’s a special one, being in France and owned by Americans!    To read more about this apartment – articles are sprinkled throughout Huff Harrington’s blog HERE. 

Remember, there is still time to send in your own kitchen.

 

 

This message is to those of you who subscribe to Cote de Texas by email.  I get a question about this several times a week and thought I would discuss it here so that everyone will understand.   I like to show big pictures on the blog.   I think it looks better and you can see much more detail.  Unfortunately, all that size does NOT fit on emails.   If you get the blog in an email, the only way to really read it is to click over to the actual blog site on the internet.   Do NOT attempt to read the blog on your email.  

The easiest way to get to the blog from the email is to double click on the title.  So, above, is a picture your email.  When you got this email, you should have double clicked on the title  “West University House Tour #2.  This would have taken you directly to the internet blog Cote de Texas, which is where you should read the blog!  Instead of reading it directly from the email, it will be much more enjoyable and much easier to read this way.   You know you are at the internet blog site when you see the header below: 

 

 

One other often asked question is about the pictures.  Since the images are so large, they do take long to download.   I realize this, but I would rather have the bigger, prettier images that take longer to load than the smaller pictures.  So, I ask your patience in this.  When you come to the blog, just give it 30 seconds to a minute to load – all the pictures should be up by then. 

 

 

 

Finally, a HUGE thank you to all who commented on my newly redecorated living room.  I got so many comments – mostly positive - that I was shocked.  Even all the negative comments are welcomed because they came with good suggestions.   Some suggested I should trade out the cow hide rug for a zebra one.  I love that idea and may do it one day soon.   Another repeated comment was to trade out the high tea table for a low ottoman.   Well – my ceiling is so high, that I think the high tea table connects the floor to the ceiling – while a low ottoman would accentuate the height disparity.   That’s my reasoning behind the table.   Others liked my masonware better than my books and shells (my mother is included in this one!)   I didn’t get rid of my masonware and it will probably be dragged out again in some other room.   Right now it’s on vacation with all my blue and white transferware.  More negative comments were from people who hate white slipcovers, especially white slipcovers with scallops.    Well, like they say, that’s what makes horse racing.  You either love the look or you positively hate it.   I can’t change that.   Still, the discussion is great because you learn something – from both the positive and the negative comments. 

This past May, I started my fifth year of blogging, which is so hard for me to believe.  What started out as a fun exercise for me and possibly, my best friend, has turned into something I never in a million years imagined or expected.  I can’t tell you how much your reading this blog means to me.   Without you, there would be no Cote de Texas.  While I try to answer comments, I never seem to be able to answer all of them and it makes me feel so guilty.   So, please, accept my sincere thank you here, for the time you take to read and to comment.  From the bottom of my heart, I can never thank you enough.

Another Kitchen ala Sally Wheat

Sally Wheat’s Famous Gray Kitchen

Today, we have another kitchen to show that was inspired by Sally Wheat’s  gray kitchen.  When I first posted about Sally’s house a few years ago HERE, I had NO idea how popular she and her house would become with readers.  I also had no clue how many people would actually be inspired into action by Sally!    I will say that most questions and comments about Sally are regarding her kitchen with it’s gray painted cabinets, Shaw’s sink, and marble countertops.  She certainly inspired my own kitchen redo.  After seeing Sally’s kitchen, I was spurned on to finally remodel my own outdated one HERE.   And, remember this:   a few months I showed a kitchen/house remodel HERE whose owner told me she was directly inspired by Sally Wheat’s kitchen. 

The latest Sally Wheat inspired kitchen comes from Sara of the August Fields blog.    Sara’s blog is all about building her new house and when she recently featured her kitchen, she gave credit to Sally Wheat.  To read Sara’s kitchen story go HERE.   I must say that nothing gives me greater pleasure as a blogger than to read about these inspiring kitchen designs.  That these design inspirations would ever even occur certainly never crossed my mind when I started this endeavor over three years ago.  But, it has been a very rewarding aspect of this solitary sport.   So, a huge thank you to all of the readers who have sent in pictures of your kitchens and homes.  Keep them coming!

 

Sally Wheat’s gray kitchen.  The color, Benjamin Moore Fieldstone seems to be a favorite with so many readers.  I get asked over and over again – what color did Sally use on her cabinets?  Also – many people love her open upper cabinets with their carved brackets.   In both kitchens directly inspired by Sally, they each copied these cabinets.  Also, many people love her pendant lighting which she purchased at BROWN. 

 

 

When it came to remodeling my own kitchen, I used gray on the cabinets – but a much lighter gray which was custom mixed so I don’t know the name of it!!!   Also, I used Calacutta Ora marble instead of Carrara.   I copied Sally’s Shaw’s sink and I used a polished nickel bridge faucet.   I was also inspired by Sally’s window and so I replaced mine with this beautiful casement window, which much made a huge difference.

 

The First Sally Wheat Inspired Kitchen:

BEFORE:  This is a before picture of a kitchen in Houston that was inspired by Sally Wheat’s. 

 

 

AFTER:  This homeowner chose black granite instead of white marble, but she modeled her upper cabinets after Sally’s.  Also, she used a farm sink and the same type of bin hardware as Sally.  Notice the brackets on the bar mimic Sally’s own overhead cabinets.   The subway tile backsplash is also like Sally’s as is the style of cabinetry.     The pendant lighting was another Wheat inspiration.   I’ve heard through the grapevine that this house is going to be featured in a magazine!!!!  To read all about this redo, go HERE.

 

 

The Second Sally Wheat Inspired Kitchen:

The August Fields Kitchen, inspired by Sally Wheat

Here is Sara’s new kitchen.  As you can see, she chose white marble – not Carrara, which Sara explains is now really a gray marble.  I agree!  That’s why I used Calacutta Ora.   Sara used  White Italian marble with walnut on her island.  In this picture – one of the pendant lights is missing as you can tell.  These pictures were taken right after they moved in.   On her blog, Sara says that originally she wanted black soapstone countertops with white cabinets.  That was until she read the blog about Sally Wheat’s kitchen – that’s when she totally changed her design plans for her kitchen.  

 

 

Sara used a beveled white subway tile for her backsplash, which I just love.   And she used the exact same gray on her countertops that Sally Wheat did:  Benjamin Moore Fieldstone.   The gray on the walls is Benjamin Moore Vapor Trails.    Be sure to notice the ceiling!!  I love the beams.  NOTE:  Under the microwave is a little pass-through door to Sara’s schoolroom.   As the mother of 5 young children – she home schools them.  The schoolroom is adorable – with black and white vinyl tile floor.  

 

 

  Here is a picture of her upper cabinets – with the extra thick shelves.  These really look exactly like Sally’s cabinets because Sara took a picture of them to her carpenter so he could copy them.

 

 

 

 

Another view of her upper cabinets.  I love her cabinets and I love the pendant lighting.

 

 

 I really like her island with the columns on the corners.   And, there is another sink here too. 

 

 

A close up of Sara’s farm sink – it has such a pretty apron.  I love her bridge faucet too.  I think the bridge faucets are my favorites.

 

 

Sara added a cute wood hood for her cooktop.  The hardware is from Restoration Hardware.  I wish I had used this hardware myself. 

 

 

Sara used the Kenmore pro refrigerator and freezer pair and then pushed them next to each other.  By using a stock trim kit, it looks like it is all one unit!   

 

 

Looking from the family room and breakfast room into the kitchen.   There is a brick veneer on this side of the countertop.  This large table was custom made and it seats 12 – new chairs are coming. 

 

 

Looking past the breakfast room into the family room. 

 

 

Sara has five little ones and she  home schools them all (except the baby!)    Look what she put into her house – a drinking fountain!!! Isn’t this the best idea?  She said she has already saved a bundle on paper cups.    The schoolroom is right behind the kitchen – across from where the fountain is. 

 

Thank you Sara so much for sharing your beautiful new house with us.  To read all about her kitchen, go HERE.   Remember, Cote de Texas welcomes pictures of all redos, renos, remodels, and even new houses!!

A New Kitchen Redo on a Budget

 

I love hearing from readers who have gotten inspiration from stories on Cote de Texas.  Reading about your personal decorating stories make it all worthwhile.   It’s so much fun to see how one person is influenced from a redo, which in turn inspires another person’s redo.    And, that’s exactly what happened with this story.  Enjoy!

 

Below are the two kitchen renovations that inspired a reader’s own redo:

Inspiration Kitchen #1

BEFORE:   what this kitchen looked liked with white Corian,  white appliances, yellow walls, and an inset sink.

 

AFTER:    For this client, I kept the changes simple.   The white Corian was changed out for honed black granite and a creamy white subway tile backsplash.  White appliances became stainless and a farm sink was added, along with a new faucet and knobs.  

 

I wrote about this kitchen redo last summer HERE and HERE.   It was part of a complete remodeling of the family room, dining room and study.   The house is almost 15 years old now and the kitchen was becoming dated.  We could have ripped the whole room out and started over, but the cabinets were still in good shape.  Instead of a total renovation, the client opted for a more economical facelift.   In the end, we changed out the counters and appliances and sink.   We also painted the cabinets and the walls.  

 

AFTER:  The kitchen has a large, curved bar that leads into the family room and breakfast area.   We painted the yellow walls a soft aqua so that the kitchen flowed into the family room.

 

 

INSPIRATION KITCHEN #2

 

BEFORE:   This homeowner wrote me that she was inspired to redo her kitchen after seeing Sally Wheat’s kitchen on my blog.   This kitchen was a total gut job, along with the living room, dining room, and family room.  To read this homeowner’s story, go HERE.

 

 

AFTER:   What a transformation!   This kitchen, inspired by Sally Wheat’s kitchen, in turn inspired reader Corey, another blogger, to redo her own kitchen.   What’s interesting is that Corey wasn’t inspired by Sally Wheat’s kitchen, even though Sally’s kitchen inspired this homeowner.  Such a tangled web of kitchen redos!

 

Corey, who writes the blog, And Emma Makes 5, lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons and her adopted “Russian princess.”   She is a part time pharmacist and her husband is a dentist who is currently building his practice.   Corey says that while money is not “extremely tight” – she doesn’t like to spend extravagantly.   When it came time to change her kitchen after unhappily living with it for seven years, they decided on a small redo, rather than a large one.   The major problem was aesthetic – Corey disliked  the countertops – which were made out of 4” square tiles.  In fact, not only did she dislike the countertops, she hated them!    Originally, all Corey was going to do was replace the countertops,  but as we all know – one thing leads to another – and she ended up spending around $5,000. to get the kitchen of her dreams.    To keep costs down, she did much of the work herself.  

 

BEFORE:   Here is Corey’s kitchen with the dreaded 4” square tiled countertop and backsplash.  The dark walls and tiles made it all seem so much duller, too.

 

 

AFTER:   What an amazing redo!!!!!   Corey bought her Uba Tuba granite from Costco, which was a huge savings.   Uba Tuba looks dark enough to appear black and provides a great contrast with white subway tiles.   Since the product is economical – they saved a lot of money on the countertops.   Corey removed the backsplash herself – another big savings.   She also painted the kitchen.   The subway tiles came from Lowes Hardware.   These 3 x 6 tiles cost only 25 cents each!!!  She got the pendant lights at a discount, but truthfully – they look just as nice to me as the more expensive ones.   The remodeling was finished just in time for Christmas – so all her decorations are out, including her collection of Santas on top of the cabinets.   As far as the appliances – she only had to replace the range and microwave to stainless, which was another cost savings.  The dark walls were painted a light blue/gray which make the black and white pop.   The paint color is Benjamin Moore Iceberg.   The new kitchen is so fresh looking compared to how it looked before.   Also notice in the foyer on the left –  Corey and her mom recently added the board and batten.  It really looks great!

 

BEFORE:  The range and microwave were replaced with stainless.

 

AFTER:  Everything just gleams in the redone kitchen!    Notice the attractive handles on the range.  When choosing appliances, I always try to opt for ones with attractive handles.  The Uba Tuba looks wonderful – though it actually is greenish, it comes off looking black.  The under cabinet lighting helps to make the kitchen sparkle.

 

 

Another view – looking into the family room with this year’s Christmas tree. 

 

 

 

 

The sink is now a inset stainless one.  I love the wall color – Benjamin Moore Iceberg – its perfect against the white and  black. 

 

 

 

 

BEFORE:  dark walls, fluorescent lighting. 

 

 

AFTER:  Close up of the ceiling without the fluorescent lighting and with the new pendant light fixtures.  Corey bought them HERE.

 

 

Close up of the Uba Tuba granite. 

 

 

 

Corey and her family were lucky to have a White Christmas.  Her house is sooo cute!!!!   To read Corey’s own account of the kitchen remodeling on her blog, go HERE.  Also, if you are interested in international adoption, her blog is a great place to read about her family’s journey  and to link with other families who have wonderful stories to share of their own adoptions overseas. 

Thank you Corey so much for sharing your story!!!!!

 

 

Refrigerator Question:

One question I frequently get asked about is – what to do with refrigerators that aren’t built in.   In fact, Corey herself asked me for advice on her refrigerator.   I faced this problem in my own kitchen – a lot of people do.  One day, Corey could easily make her refrigerator appear built in by replacing the upper cabinet and adding wood around its sides.  

 

 

 

This homeowner faced the same problem – the refrigerator looks like it sticks out.   Again, the upper cabinet is the culprit. 

 

 

 

In my own kitchen, my very inexpensive refrigerator looks sort of built in because the cabinetry above it was built out to cover the top.

 

 

A side view of my built in cabinet. 

 

 

 

In Inspiration Kitchen #2 – the homeowner did exactly what I did – she built the cabinets out  to make it appear built in. 

 

 

And, in another kitchen renovation that was featured on Cote de Texas, this homeowner used the same trick to make her refrigerator look built in.   Read her story HERE.

 

Eagle Eyed Reader – the best kind:

 

I’ve written many times of my love of gray painted or Kooboo wicker.   I especially love this chair shape.   While some stores claim these chairs come from Belgian, I’m not so sure about that.   Maybe they do, but copies from Indonesia are available.    I can buy chairs like these wholesale, so they are cheaper than finding them at places like Mecox.  But still, what if you can’t buy wholesale and spending $500 to $800 on a wicker chair is out of your budget?

 

 

Eagle-eyed reader Karen emailed me this ad for these chairs at World Market!  WOW  $129!!!!   Now, granted, these chairs may not be as substantial as the “Belgian” chairs, but still, what a great look for so much less!!!   And the two chairs DO look remarkably alike.  I wonder.  Hmmm.  I don’t think you can buy these online though – so count yourself lucky if there is a World Market near you. 

OK.  I had to laugh at this ad – it says “This ain’t your grandma’s wicker!”   Should I scream plagiarism?   Back in May when I wrote about the new gray wicker HERE, I called the story – “No More Granny Wicker” – Think World Market read it?   hehe.   Just send me four chairs and we’ll call it even.   I WISH!!!!!

 

Thanks Karen for sending in the ad!

 

A huge thank you to all the homeowners and readers, especially Corey, whose kitchens were shown today.  If you have a special remodeling story to share, be sure to email me and let me know!! 

AND, finally, if you are Lisa Proper, will you please email me??????  Thanks!