Task light

Once upon a time I had an idea for the kitchen lighting. That failed. I re-thought the lighting and was inspired by these beautiful industrial lights from long ago (the white socket tulip bulb one is so pretty, I still fancy it). But I didn't want to spend a fortune, you know, in case I changed my mind or it didn't look as beautiful in my house. OR it did look beautiful but I had to sell the house and the new people didn't have the same appreciation. A little bit of brain storming, practicality and research landed me on ebay and I found something similar. I really liked the black twisty cord, the machine aged cage and the dull matte finished brass socket.  I ordered, it arrived and sat in a box on a shelf for a long, long while.

I debated between one task light versus two. The cord was long enough to create a second light and eventually I hunted down another matte finished brass socket (there are lots of shiny ones available, but no room in my house for shiny.) and a cage. When this package arrived, the cage was TOO new looking and I don't own a machine that ages metal.  Luckily I had also decided I may like to swap out the cages for some colour and had ordered two yellow cages.

My handy contractor put the second one together and installed the lights. I tested the switch and there you have it, cool industrial like task lights with some sunny yellow colour. And wallet still in the black.  The two brass sockets are a bit different, one having a pull chain, the other a turn key. Some edison bulbs to enhance the industrial look and set soothing atmosphere. The two other cages I have will be spray painted, black perhaps.

Check out 1000bulbs for all your electrical needs and industrial light building.

See here (post and link to come) for links and research and other ideas.

Kitchen accessories

Very soon I will be at the fun stage of this kitchen renovation. Decorating and Accessories.

There is a counter installation date set early next week. Then I have to shove the oven into its hole, stick the cooktop on and hopefully be able to bake a cake for my kids' 10th birthday party and host a sleepover that weekend. Its gonna be tight, but Im still hopeful. Oh and the kitchen sink, that has to be plumbed in too.

Im debating between a fun yellow task light or cool antique industrial light.

From left top, clockwise:
Schmidt Brothers @ West Elm Knives
Ceramic bowls via this Etsy Shop
Fun yellow task light
or
Industrial rustic antique task light
Salvaged exotic wood spice shelf via Etsy Shop
Morris Stool via Anthropologie
Overdyed rug via UrbanOutfitters
West Elm prep table

Two cage light options

One is found at Home Depot cage light  for 69.97.   The other at Restoration Hardware cage light for $119.00. 

I found the RH one first. Perfect for above the sink. And ties in with the beehive light I have for the main lighting. Put two in the basket, add in shipping, handling and taxes and we are well over 300 dollars. Search for other options and find the HD cage light. Suits me fine. No shipping fees and it does what I want it to do (dangle and protect the bulb and ties in with the other light).  But there is one small difference that is making me lean towards the other... the cord colour. Hmmmmmm.

Which one do you like better? Any more out there?

 Ohhh lala, I found another beauty, for admiring purposes only ... here & here. If I didnt have electrical holes for two, already in place, this would be a strong contender.

And another here.

Plate storage-display

I have been deliberating with the idea of using either floating shelves above the sink or a vintage dish rack.  What do I want to look at, what do I want to see up there? What would be most practical? What would suit my personality the most?

Occasionally a beautiful vintage plate rack appears on Etsy (and since I was not committed at the one time I found an authentic french shabby chic rack, I missed out on it).   More so, many plate racks appear on UK websites (maybe they will ship, maybe I wont want to pay the shipping cost).

via UK website

via Etsy, this one sold out.

 

Here we have the cute canister shelf, oh so Parisian (although, if I recall correctly, the kitchen is in Australia).

Source: keenandfitting.blogspot.com via Sara on Pinterest

And the very cool double plate rack wall. I prefer this kind of plate rack; not really a rack, just some open shelving. I would surely tire of putting each individual plate in a slot. One at a time. EVERY SINGLE DAY. Although I do really like the way they look (the slotted plate racks).

Source: desiretoinspire.net via Sara on Pinterest

I have posted some of these inspiration photos before, but today the concentration is on shelving and plate racks. Sorry if its repetitive, but how could it be, they are beautiful photos.

Now, on to open, salvaged wood plank shelving options. Notice the different kind of brackets used. And the numbers. People like to display numbers. I like it too. I would choose the number three. What I have discovered is it is really hard to find deep salvaged would planks. I probably need at least 10", probably 12". I keep forgetting to measure my plates. But these pictures make it look really easy.

Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: themarionhousebook.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: vintageglamorous.blogspot.com via Sara on Pinterest

And today, while eyeing some of my pinned kitchen ideas, I noticed in this photo they used soapstone for the counter AND the shelf. Kinda cool. Although, I wonder if I would ruin all my dishes, not lifting them high enough, nicking the the edge of the stone, breaking plates.

Source: remodelista.com via Sara on Pinterest

Lighting

In the spirit and in celebration of having reached the electrical and lighting stage in my kitchen renovation, here are some beautiful and considered pendants but passed on. The lighting I have ordered is on backorder and limited, so that will remain on the down low.

 

 via West Elm

via Solo Pendants

And some lovely kitchen lighting inspirational photos:

via

via (looks like west elm pendants)

 

via

 

via

via

Flooring

A long, long time ago I fell in love with this floor

Imagine walking across this luxuriousness. I wondered if I could do this in my kitchen ... after all, that is a restaurant floor, it must be durable. Without making a trip to the Toronto restaurant and testing it out myself (one day I will), my practical side told me marble is too soft for a high traffic floor and too high maintenance for a person like me (mopping / scrubbing every day anyone?) And then I found this:

Silver travertine hex mosaic

vs Carrara marble hex mosaic

Ah, the flooring choices are my oyster.

Soapstone

I stumbled across Soapstone. Ordered a sample and fell in love. IT's rustic and heavy duty, with precisely chiseled edges. And beautiful.

IT arrives in the colour gray (right side) and then one applies mineral oil to it to enhance the colour (left side). Eventually, after a year, the dark deep black gray colour remains. Soapstone is dense and doesn't stain. Soapstone will be appear black with out actually being black.  Cool and warm at the same time. Soft looking, but not so soft that it will dent, we're talking rock here. Soapstone is my current #1 counter top choice. I may even throw in a soapstone sink.

Soapstone sample along side granite, silestone and corian samples

See Vermont Soapstone for standard and custom sinks and quarry'ing details.

Kitchen floor tile, continues

This one is too stony

Montauk black slate

This one, too black

Absolute black 4x4 granite

And this was is just too darn pretty

Patterened terra cotta

Actually the first one is OK, but it only comes in 12x12 and I want 6x6.  It will probably also be too stony in real, similar to the 2x2 sample I received last week - too gray, too rocky. The 2nd one. Nice. But maybe too black. The third one, patterned terra cotta. Terra cotta was my original want, but then I switched. And then I found this. Kind of beautiful. I wonder if it will be neutral enough. I wonder if it will look ok with stainless steel? White cabinets? Black granite counter? 

Too bad the old floor wasnt wide plank pine.

Two kitchen ideas

Collecting samples, organizing my likes and likes and likes. Picking appliances. Meeting with kitchen designer with corrected measurements and honed ideas. Expecting contractor this week for electrical and wall prep. And a chest full of butterflies. Well, not quite the chest, thats too high, but stomach is too low. Butterflies in my diaphragm? A little too much excitement for me as I attempt to put this on "paper".  That is the step before making it real. Committed. Organizing all the likes and putting it together is tricky,exciting and a bit overwhelming but oh so close.

The main decisions are counter tops (black or white), and then cupboards (white by default) and floor. Had wanted black slate, but am unsure about the black white black look.

Idea 1
Black counter, white cupboards.
Black slate floor, dark gray grout - (red turkish carpet to warm things up) (approx. 160 square ft)

Not sure about the black white black combo, thinking of other floor options - right now my kitchen is down to the oak that had a layer of plywood and vinyl pasted to it. The oak was sanded but definitely damaged. Maybe I can just sand it more, stain it and and see if I like that. BUT there is an added section of the kitchen that is ply wood, and then the connected bathroom ... not sure how to work that in. I do like the look of this stained wood.

Cook area - Oven, single, True convection. Undecided between paying the extra for stainless steel or going with black. But I do like the square windows. Ordering the appliances after the meeting this friday, (encouraging myself to move along, bite the bullet...)

Frigidaire Gallery

Whirlpool

Smoothtop Cooktop - not going to switch to gas, as much as I love gas top cooking. Some other time. Doubt I will pay the extra 100 for a bit of stainless steel trim. And deciding on 5 rings versus 4. I do like the simmer option and the extra warming ring.

Frigidaire Gallery

Whirlpool Gold

White floating shelves around cook area. Perhaps a "chimney" vent.  Some kind of stainless steel backsplash behind cooktop.

Washing, cleaning area - White sink - a la homedepot - saw a pretty white sink, kind of farmhouse / apron , but more modern. I also like the stainless steel apron sink. Vintage dish rack above sink (etsy), Slim dishwasher (18"), track lighting,

Fridge and prep area - stainless steel (softens black white black look), microwave beside fridge, above counter. Prep counter and some floating shelves above

Pantry, storage - slim (14" depth), aligned with wall

Inspiration:

Source: sara-another100yearoldhousereno.blogspot.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: themarionhousebook.com via Sara on Pinterest

but not sure about black white black, hmmmm

Source: georgicapond.blogspot.com via Sara on Pinterest

Idea 2
White cupboards, concrete looking whitish counters

Thinking about 2x2 hex hone marble ... perhaps too luxurious. But mostly I couldn't find any kitchen inspiration photos. Not one kitchen with hex marble floors, which makes me think its not the right kind of flooring for a kitchen... But look at this. Absolutely GORGEOUS. The floor of a restaurant. SO why not a kitchen.

Source: desiretoinspire.net via Sara on Pinterest

Cook area: Frigidaire Gallery cooktop and stove or Whirlpool, same as above

Washing, cleaning area - white sink - a la homedepot, vintage dish rack above sink, slim dishwasher (same as idea 1, guess that is settled). Possibly hang chandelier w/ recessed lighting

via Etsy

Fridge and prep area - stainless steel, micro above counter, beside fridge. shelving over fridge and micro, prep counter and floating shelves (same as idea 1; one small, minute issue, that huge window has to go  and become a door that would lead to mid air. would have to build a balcony. hmmm)

Maytag EcoConserve 17 cu ft.

Summit, 13 cubic feet

Samsung 17.8 cu ft

LG 20.7 cu ft.

Right now, I am leaning towards the Maytag EcoConserve. The Summit is out because I do not want a swinging freezer door. Other then that I think its sweet. The two french door possibilities are counter depth. If I put the fridge beside the window as currently planned, I don't need counter depth, I'll make the counter "fridge-depth" instead, for that extra counter space. I need to see these babies live.

Pantry, storage - some kind of vintage piece. (perhaps in teal :))

Inspiration:

Source: ruevintage74.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: desiretoinspire.net via Sara on Pinterest