Kitchen Confidential
by habituallychic
07 . 14 . 11
Everyone has been clamoring for photos of my new apartment but the only space that is finished is my kitchen. I keep joking that it’s really a wet bar with a full size fridge and stove. Apparently, I didn’t look too closely at it when I toured the apartment because I didn’t realize that it doesn’t contain one single drawer. My old apartment had tons of cabinets, so many that I would store papers and books in them. This one barely has enough to hold all my essentials. It’s also the first space you see when you enter my apartment so I thought some TLC was in order ASAP.
I forgot to take a full “before” photo so imagine the entire space and lower cabinets were painted white with white porcelain knobs. There was someone living in my apartment before I moved in so there was no time to test paint colors before giving them to the painter. I just told them to paint the living room Benjamin Moore Cedar Key OC-16 and the kitchen and bathroom in White Dove OC-17. Unfortunately, the kitchen looked kind of sad all white so I decided to paint the lower cabinet in Midnight Dream 2129-10. I also changed out the knobs to some that I had from Anthropologie.
The counter and stove are a warm bisque color which made the walls look too white and stark so I had the kitchen repainted in the same color as the living room. I had thought about painting the entire kitchen dark and my friend suggested chalk board paint for the larger wall but I thought might be too much. I also thought about leaving the upper cabinets white or painting them in Midnight Dream but in the end, I decided to paint the cabinets in the same color as the walls so they would disappear. The invitation board with Alana Floral Vine fabric from Schumacher was my inspiration for the window treatment.
I had extra Farrow & Ball paint in Dix Blue so I decided to paint the insides of the cabinets and take off the door. It also makes the kitchen less claustrophobic. I may think about finding a glass front door to replace it but for now it works. It also coordinated with all of the vases that I collect in pale aqua. I also made a Roman shade in the Alana Floral Vine fabric from Schumacher and hung my art.
I actually made the Roman shade myself and it’s not perfect but I wanted it up right away. The candle is from the garden shop on the ground floor of Deyrolle in Paris and has seeds in the bottom to plant in it after the candle burns down. It also weighs a ton and was probably why my suitcase was over the limit when I was returning. The egg print is from the book A Natural History of Nests and Eggs of British Birds and matches those on the larger side wall. The sugar and creamer are from Sophie Conran. And that lovely cord coming out of the wall is the television cable. Gotta love quirky New York apartment issues.
Since there are no drawers in the kitchen, I was forced to get creative. I was going to look for a wooden silverware caddy but when I was unpacking, I thought these metal lined leather pots from Sol & Luna that I bought on sale at Barneys could work and sat them out of the way on top of the stove. It was supposed to be a stop gap measure but they look so good that I think I will keep them. I also hung artwork that my friend made for my birthday many years ago and displayed Swedish painted roosters that I bought in a Stockholm.
So in the end, my least favorite room has become my favorite. That’s probably because it’s the only space that’s actually finished. If anyone needs me today, I’ll be unpacking all of my books and ordering takeout!
34 Comments
Oh, this is so cute! Adorable, really!
You’ve done a great job! Enjoy your space!
Have a super fun day!
xo
Luciane at HomeBunch.com
Yes, yes… adorable! Can’t wait to see more!!
awww… isn’t it funny the things we don’t notice when we look at new property… I LOVE that you had the lower cabinets painted dark, very CHIC 🙂
Great job! I love the open shelving! I wish I could do that with mine.
Omg, ii guess you will be eating out….. A LOT
You weren’t kidding about the wet bar analogy. You did a fantastic job making a microscopic space look cute and chic. I guess kitchens this size are why New Yorkers are always making reservations for dinner instead of meals!
It looks very lovely. You did the best you could with such a small space! Is it possible to hang a window box outside the window so that you can look out to pretty flowers and plants rather than just the brick wall? (shade loving ones, I would assume)
Congrats on the new place. I cannot wait to see the rest!
You have done such a terrific job! I am always looking for solutions to these little New York issues, like the cord. Why don’t you get a tall thin plant, maybe an Ivy (which wouldn’t really need much light) or a topiary and put it in a cute pot so that the top covers that wire? A green plant always brings some life to a room too. Congratulations, this is such an exciting start.
Stefanie
That is the most charming “wet bar” I’ve ever seen!
Very cute! This new apartment could provide riveting posts for weeks and weeks!!!!
Great job Heather! I like the wet bar / kitchen area…..looks like you are maximizing the best features of the space.I am so impressed at the roman shade you crafted!Chic view.
I thought of you when I viewed the British film, Easy Virtue,with Colin Firth,Jessica Biel,Kristin Scott Thomas & Ben Barnes.
Happy Unpacking,
L.
It’s an adorable little kitchen. I have a fab giveaway from Dana Gibson today…check it out when you finish unpacking your books. http://www.brilliantchic.com
Thanks everyone!
Playhouse – love the topiary idea and will see if I can find one in the right size. I have a boxwood topiary in each of my front windows so it would coordinate to the rest of the apartment too.
La Maison Fou – I LOVED Easy Virtue. I always wish I lived in a fabulous British manor house but then I remember that I like instant heat and hot water!
A million kudos! I’ve never attempted a Roman shade, but I’ve been tempted!
That was fast, looking great!!!
Love what you’ve done.
Sooo happy for you!!
Charming. My first studio kitchen had one drawer, whcih I used for the cooking utensils. I used vintage lab jars & combined with the stainless & bakelite, loved the look.
Good luck unpacking!!!
Looks great! There’s a lot to be said for a small kitchen — easy to keep tidy! Looking forward to more. Happy new house!
It looks fantastic! I love how you took off the door of the upper cabinet and painted aqua inside – it really does open up the space! cant wait to see more!
xo Allison
http://www.spicerandbank.blogspot.com
Dang, it might be small but it is singing a great tune now!!! Great job!
Nice job; I would only add a window sill garden. Very clever to go with the two-toned cabinetry.
You couldn’t possibly have done a better job, good on you. I love all the art. Nicolex
Love it!! It is an adorable little space and with a full size fridge! Please show more personal stuff for those of us with no talent.
Best Wishes on your new apartment!
You really did a lovely job and made the most of your postage stamp sized kitchen…I too have a tiny space and you have inspired me to re-vamp!
Can’t wait to see the rest of your new place!
The flower shop downstairs at Deyrolle in Paris is called Le Prince Jardinier. I love it, too.
Félicitations for the beautiful kitchen up-glammation.
Love the roman shade and the colors you’ve selected for your kitchen!
I am guessing you NYC folk don’t have to have a kitchen with all your fabulous delis and restaurants right? So lucky you are!
Heather — fab ideas. But why not paint the entire kitchen Dix blue?
By further explanation, I think you should paint the ceiling and walls a high gloss dix blue but leave the bottom cabinet the gorgeous navy that you have used. Love all of your stuff — prints and fabric!!!
Hi Heather–Looking good!! Let me know when you want me to send the drawings….I need your address. Also, do want really big or the smaller size. Can’t wait for the photos of the rest of the apt. (Don’t you just love the NYC interior windows that are just about a foot from someone else’s brick wall?) Be well. Mary
So cute! We are always looking for ideas for our apartment
Your kitchen is adorable. No one talks about how much of a burden large gleaming exspensive granite super kitchens are–to clean, to keep tidy etc. What a relief your little special room is. Thank you!
That is such a cute little space! I love what you did with it!
I think this could end up being the jewelbox of your apartment! You really are brave and clever. I saw earlier posts by you that included an idea for a mirrored backsplash. I loved the idea, but wondering if you still think it would work.