In stores now -- white porcelain collection

I was in Target yesterday and ran across a new display of white porcelain serving pieces.  It's no secret that I love white--we have white stoneware, white china, white everyday porcelain, and white glassware in our kitchen cupboards.  By keeping all my dishes one color, it's easy to mix and match when setting a table.

What I liked about this new collection is that there are four styles of dishes (square/modern, scalloped, beaded, and ridged), all of which could be used individually or with another pattern.  Prices ranged from $2 - $25, and my local store had a nice variety of pieces left (serving bowls and platters, pitchers, salt and pepper, bread bowl, spoon rest, coffee mugs, etc.).

 I almost bought these ramekins, but the tag only says they are microwave and dishwasher safe, so I'm assuming they're not oven safe.  I wish they were--these would be so cute for creme brulee or mini cobblers.

I thought these scalloped edge coffee mugs were really pretty, and they meet my mug criterion (generous handles so knuckles will not be burned!).  They would make a great gift for a friend--a couple of these, along with a favorite tea or coffee blend.

 

 Here you can see a few more pieces.  The serving bowls on the bottom would be especially multifunctional, but I also liked the simple white tea pot and sugar and creamer set.

I ended up just buying one beaded bowl (for $4).  I can think of a lot of uses for this: serving candies or mixed nuts at a party, holding jewelry in my closet, or even filling it with water and floating a single large bloom inside.

I'll definitely keep an eye on these; if they get marked down in a few weeks (which many times seems like the case at Target), I might pick up a couple more pieces.

 

Beyond the kitchen

I am just wondering:

Does this kitchen...

 Celerie Kemble Black and White and a Bit in Between, scan via delight by design

...remind you of this kitchen...

Brooks & Falatico

The overall layout looks very similar.  I think I am drawn to them mostly because of the openings on either side of the range leading to a room(s) beyond, a pantry or laundry room of some kind.

The idea of a walk-in pantry is so appealing to me.  I could probably do a whole post on walk-in pantries!  I am immediately reminded of this room in a Southern Living idea house:

They called this room a "scullery," but it was a walk-in area off to the side of the kitchen and usable for actual cooking, mixing, etc. and not just for storage.

Previous two photos: Southern Living 2010 Georgia Idea House

From what I recall, the designer used IKEA cabinets here, which I think is a great reminder that 1) you can use a less expensive product that still looks terrific if you fit it into a cohesive design scheme and splurge on some other elements, and that 2) IKEA products do not have to be uber-modern in their application.

Kitchen accessories

Yesterday I gave you a little tour of our kitchen.  One thing I really like about it is the neutral black and white base, which allows for many different options if I want to add more color through accessories.  Through swapping out a few textiles or decor items, the look of the kitchen can change quickly.  Here are a few options for creating three different looks in your kitchen.

Classic & Neutral

Rustic Hurricane (William-Sonoma)

I think a couple of these would look dramatic down the center of a kitchen island.

Grey Wall Mounted Pot Rack (Crate & Barrel)

Yarn Dyed Organic Napkins (West Elm)

Small Glass Spice Jar (Crate & Barrel)

Imagine how good these would look lined up and storing all your spices!

Monogrammed mugs (Anthropologie)

Hammered aluminum serveware (West Elm)

Bright & Cheery

KitchenAid Design Series Stand Mixer (Williams-Sonoma)

Add some color with a KitchenAid mixer in a fun shade.  I like this special edition one with the glass bowl.

Lacquer Wood Trays (West Elm)

Perfect for carrying items to the table or rounding up some kitchen accessories on the countertop

Artist Palette Cheese Tray  (Fishs Eddy)

Ikat Dishtowel, in blue, red, or green (Crate & Barrel)

"Cheer Up" Storage Canister (Fishs Eddy)

Appetizer plates (Crate & Barrel)

These plates come in 10 different colors, and at $3 each, you can mix and match with whichever colors you like!

Natural

Olive Wood Serving Utensils with Bone Handles (Overstock)

Poppy Dishtowels, set of 3 (Tag via Amazon)

Marble cheese board with "twig" handle (West Elm)

Ethnic Herringbone Napkins (West Elm)

12" Wood Salad Bowl (Fishs Eddy)

Lotus Bowl (Anthroppologie)

House tour -- kitchen

Since this week's posts have been all about kids so far -- how to make slime, cleaning up germs, and a reward chart -- I thought I should switch gears and post about something only adults get excited about: kitchens!  However, having said that, whenever we visit a house under construction, my son is most excited about the kitchen.  He stands in the empty space saying, "And the 'frigerator will go here," "And the sink will be here, yeah...."  But maybe he's abnormal.

I thought I would give you a little sneak peek into our kitchen today.  (See the bottom of the post for sources, in case you're interested.)

We built our house a couple years ago, so I got to design the kitchen and loved the entire process!  That also means that if there is something I don't like about our kitchen, it's my fault!!  For the most part, I really like our kitchen, but I wouldn't mind it being a little bigger or having more countertop space.  But really, I think that is a universal complaint regardless of how big one's kitchen is!

My goal when choosing the fixtures and finishes was to create a really simple, classic look for the kitchen so I can bring in different colors with accessories but keep a neutral base.

As soon as we decided to build a new house, I knew I wanted a white kitchen.  I am always drawn to kitchen designs with white cabinets; I just like how fresh and clean they look, and they keep the room feeling more airy (I definitely don't like to cook in a kitchen that seems dark and gloomy).  We had ivory-colored cabinets in our old house, but I decided I wanted a true, bright white finish this time around.  We chose a painted maple cabinet rather than laminate; I just like the feel and look of real wood cabinets, and so far they have held up well.  I also like the soft-close drawers, although if we ever move into a house without them, we will probably all be slamming our fingers for the first month or so!

The other two big design elements in a kitchen are the countertops and appliances.  I am really happy with the granite countertops -- they are actually a dark charcoal gray color, and I like that the natural texture of the stone is visible.  We went with a squared edge for the countertops, which I think probably won't look dated as quickly as a more fancy beveled edge of some kind.

We matched the stainless finish of the appliances to the faucet and drawer pulls (white porcelain with brushed nickel edges).  The sink is black, a little different from the standard white finish, but I like it as it seems to blend in with the countertops.

Instead of built-in cabinets for the island, we used a free-standing wooden island.  I think it adds some much-needed warmth and rusticity to all the sleek black, white, and gray.  It's also easily changeable if we want to update the look of the kitchen in the future.

On the other side of the kitchen is a small desk for our family computer.  This area gets a lot of use, and I want to spruce it up a bit this year to make it more functional (and more decorated!).

In case you were wondering where the microwave is, it's housed in a small pantry right next to the desk.  We also have a toaster, small appliances, and groceries stored here.

Each basket in the pantry has a different function -- ingredients for dinners, baking supplies, etc.  I also have a couple sets of steps that I use to sort spices.  I like to buy the glass containers at Target and refill them with loose spices from Penzey's.

So there you go...nothing fancy, but we like it!  Honestly, one of my favorite things about this kitchen is a little vent right below the sink.  My feet stay cool in the summer and toasty in the winter, which makes it much more pleasant to stand there and do dishes.  I also like that we have plenty of natural light due to the well-lit breakfast room adjoining the kitchen.  I rarely have the lights on during the day, which is great.

Sources:

Cabinets: white-painted maple (Mid-Continent)

Countertops: gray granite

Pendant lights: Pottery Barn

Black pendant light in back hallway: IKEA

Drawer pulls and knobs: Pottery Barn

Island: from a local furniture store that has since gone out of business, but a very similar one is available at Napa Style

Faucet: Delta

Cast-iron sink: Kohler

Appliances: Whirlpool Gold series (vent hood, gas stove, dishwasher, French door refrigerator, and microwave)

Small appliances: Cuisinart 12-cup coffee maker, Cuisinart burr grinder, KitchenAid Artisan mixer in "Caviar" finish

Storage containers and baskets: IKEA and Target

Desk chair: IKEA

Floors: hand-scraped oak

Paint color: Sherwin Williams "Misty"

Backsplash: white subway tile (Home Depot or Lowe's)