Working on the Kitchen

You know, I like my kitchen for the most part but it needs a bit of a facelift … particularly on one side. I don’t have a lot of regular kitchen cabinets like most people. Instead, I have a large built-in cabinet and a few free-standing pieces.

The built-in on the left is original to the house and can hold a lot of stuff.
The other opposite corner of the kitchen houses the fridge, stove, sink, and a few “regular” cabinets.
It’s the part of the kitchen that needs the most work and doesn’t look so good right now.
But let’s get back to the better half of the kitchen.
This cabinet is from Ikea … I bought it from someone at work who was moving.
The knobs need to be swapped out for ones that match the existing cabinetry.
I’d also like to find matching baskets for this piece, which shouldn’t be hard to do.
Or do you think I should keep the mismatched pair?
I’ve been looking for a cow painting to put on this shelf in place of the twig hat.
Or maybe an old store sign would look good there. What do you think?
There are no upper cabinets in my kitchen, but I love the look of open shelves, so no big deal.
I have more shelves waiting to be installed on other walls, but I have to paint them first.
The little mirror was a recent find for just $13 at the local antique store.
They were having a sale … I passed up another mirror but I think I’m going back to get it.
My daughter bought me the matching mugs a couple Christmases ago.
They’re big – great for soup, ice cream, lattes, hot chocolate, etc.
We added the beadboard to the walls several years ago.
It’s staying white but the kitchen walls are getting just a slight color change.
The two largest squash are from my veggie garden.
Stella! You know you’re not supposed to be up on the counters.
She’s young and still has a lot to learn. Someone always wants to get in on the photo shoot!
I plan to repaint the built-in cabinet, too. Haven’t decided what color yet but it will be similar.
Should I paint it white like the beadboard, or keep it a slightly different color like it is now?
The little cafe clock in the upper right is a new find from Decor Steals.
The metal pitcher used to be black and I used ASCP in Old White on it.
Last week I painted the ceiling and it wasn’t fun. I had to cut around all the beams.
Now I have to paint the beams (ugh!) and then it’s on to the walls and trim.
The biggest job will be installing a new counter and sink if we decide to go that route.

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105 Comments

  2. Your country kitchen is so beautiful. The built in cabinet is amazing and I love the bead board walls and the shelves. A cow picture or a farm sign would be a nice touch. What colour are you painting the walls?

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  3. I love your kitchen “as is”, Jennifer! Love that built in cabinet. I really love the open shelf look and the Ikea piece really fits that spot good. I’d match the baskets if it drives you nuts, but otherwise I think it’s fine. When I want matching baskets, I find Michael’s has a larger selection where you can always find more of the same style.

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  4. I really like your kitchen just the way it is. I do agree an old sign would look great on the shelf or wall. Can’t wait to see the wall color you choose.

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  7. Jennifer your kitchen is beautiful! LOVE the white! I don’t think you have to match the whites in your kitchen.I have pure white on my cabinets and a creamy yellow white on my walls.I love the different whites together.LOVE your open shelves too!Your kitty is so pretty! Oh yes our Tabitha knows better not to jump on the counters.But sometimes she has temporary memory loss and does it anyway!
    xx
    Anne
    xx
    Anne

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  10. Wow, Jennifer! I love your kitchen, and the open shelves. Also love that built-in piece. It looks like it would hold a TON! I think cow painting OR a store sign would look great on your shelf. Love the white – it’s so bright and cheerful!

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  11. What a fun peak at your kitchen. Can’t wait to see the rest of it. I’m sure it’s just as charming. I vote for varying shades of white/cream. Light and bright like the rest of your home, but with lots of interest. Thanks for sharing, liz

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  12. I love your kitchen–and if it were mine I would keep the built in white and if you really want some color, paint the Ikea piece a pale shade accent color to what you are painting the walls. I do love an all white kitchen in various shades of white though! I would have to match the baskets–that is just the way I am. If you did nothing to this kitchen I think it would be stunning!Love the cow picture idea…

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  14. Your built in cupboard is wonderful!!! I like what you’ve done with the IKEA cabinet and shelving. I actually like the mismatched baskets and agree that a cow painting would be perfect for that wall. Great find on the mirror, too. You have so many great original features in your farmhouse kitchen!

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  15. I just absolutely adore the built in cabinet, and even thought the other cabinet is newer, they go well together. I love the two baskets. Your shelf with cups is perfect, and as far as my eye cab see – this whole side of your kitchen is just darling.

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  17. I love what you have shown of your kitchen today, it’s very pretty. The built in and the shelves are wonderful. Your built in does not necessarily have to be the same paint as your breadboard. My bead-board butts up against my built-ins and they’re not the same. The built-ins are just a tiny bit greyer, not something anyone would immediately notice. that is a very nice Ikea piece that you have. I didn’t immediately notice that the baskets weren’t the same, so that’s up to what pleases your eye, I think.
    Well, you asked, so I gave my opinion, hope you like them, or at least don’t hate them. 🙂
    Hugs, Cindy

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  18. I love your kitchen, Jennifer and how the Ikea piece works with the original built in. Have you looked at Linsey’s paintings over at The Farmhouse Porch? She does beautiful work and I know she’s done a cow painting before. Just a thought.

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  20. Your kitchen is gorgeous as is Jennifer! I love it. I like the twig hat but either the store sign or cow pic would look equally as good. I love the built in. I can’t really tell that it is a different color. Call me color blind, I guess. So either way you go with that will look great.

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  24. I love your kitchen and love the slightly different whites together. I’m in the matching baskets camp. I just like the cohesive look them, although your baskets are nice.

    I think a sign would be great. If you find the perfect cow in the future, you can always hang the sign elsewhere. I’m visiting from Under the Table and Dreaming.

    Deborah

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  25. Wow….you are lucky to have the original cabinet!! And I love it in white, the same as the beadboard. My gradma had a built in cupboard similar to yours made out of beadboard and with beadboard on the walls too half way up like yours, and where it ended there was a narrow shelf that went all around the room. Must be from the same era, the house was built about 1880. As a child I loved that little shelf!!!

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  30. Hi Jennifer, I love your kitchen just the way that it is – beautiful! I would paint the built in cabinet with the same color it is now and use matching baskets in your Ikea piece. Either a cow picture or a sign would be fabulous. You have a great eye for design so whatever you do will be fantastic.

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  35. What a neat space! I’m looking forward to checking out the “other side” too!

    I like the mismatched baskets and the off color of the big cabinet – which looks like it would hold a TON!

    thanks for sharing,
    gena

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  40. Love your kitchen. That IKEA piece fits perfectly. I personally think the different baskets add nice character 🙂 A great old sign (or one made to look old) would be great on the shelf. Can’t wait to see what color you paint the cabinet. Your cat makes a nice accessory 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

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  41. I love all the beadboard in your pretty kitchen. The Ikea cabinet is also great. I love the shelf hanging above it with the cups hanging. Wonderful kitchen!

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  43. I am laughing because I think your kitchen is absolutely wonderful as it is now! 🙂 Would never have noticed that the baskets were not matching unless you mentioned it, either! : )

    By the way thanks for coming to visit my blog the other day and for your very kind comments 🙂

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  45. Love the look of your kitchen…Have you thought of putting flat moulding on the top and bottom of your existing cupboards to coordinate with your IKEA doors? Ellen

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  47. Absolutely gorgeous Jennifer! What a lovely space! The white is perfect, and I love all of the details you added! I know it makes you smile!! Thanks so much for sharing on Blissful Whites Wednesday!!

    xoxo
    Becky

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  49. I love this side of your kitchen, especially those fabulous builtins! I also think you’ve styled the shelves perfectly including the texture of the brown hat.
    Mary Alice

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  51. What a gorgeous kitchen! I love the fact that you have free standing cabinets, and the bead board is beautiful! Love your shelves, too! I think a sign would be the perfect addition !

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  55. IKEA? Really? I would have never known. I haven’t been in that store in quite a few years, but I honestly didn’t know they made furniture I could truly love.

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  57. How I envy you your kitchen, love that built in and Ikea cabinet and shelf above it. Isn’t it funny how another person loves something that might not necessarily make you happy? I’ve always been partial to bead board.
    We have a rather unusual kitchen, it’s in the shape of a stupid horse shoe. The counters are rounded like a horse shoe and of course I really don’t like it.
    We have lots of cupboards but they’re the cheapy ones with the vinyl stuff on them. So hard to keep clean.
    I’d so love to take some of upper cabinet doors off but it’s so dusty where we live I wouldn’t dare. Dusting is something I could make a lifetime pastime out of here. If I could take doors off I’d paint inside of cupboards. Even if I kept the kitchen window closed it would still be too dusty.
    Or — I’d also like to take center section out of cupboards and put the ribbed glass in, really love that best but that glass is rather cost prohibitive for us. Sigh.
    Most of all I want to paint the walls and the cupboards in the kitchen among other areas. Guess if it’s gonna get done guess who’ll have to do it?
    I love your built in cabinet. Love the old fashioned style of it with the hardware. We don’t even have an eating area. Whomever ordered this mfg. house they weren’t thinking of anybody in the future that might live here. Well guess I’ve grumbled long enuf. Happy week.

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  58. Your kitchen is looking so pretty already. I love the built-ins and the IKEA cabinet. I would change out the knobs on the IKEA piece. The baskets are pretty. A cow print would be beautiful.

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  60. Oh I love love love your kitchen. We live in a farmhouse too and just redid our kitchen. Love your cupboards and the layout of the kitchen. Beautiful decorating too. I’m your newest follower.
    blessings,
    Debbie

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  61. Love your kitchen, it is beautiful.
    love all the beadboard, I would keep it the same color it is, and I think your knobs are perfect because they
    match the baskets. I wouldn’t change a thing………it looks great!
    Blessings, Nellie

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  64. I love the built over time feel of your kitchen! I personally have one long line of cabinets and other pieces added in…It is finally starting to come together for me– funny, I had to come to the recollection that I actually liked the “UNFIT KITCHEN” …before that, I longed for built ins.
    I think the white on white is a good look for your kitchen.

    Pat

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  66. Your kitchen is lovely! So bright and fresh looking. I recently finished a kitchen makeover myself and painted my golden oak cabinets a lovely off white. I looked at all kinds of white kitchen as inspiration and would definitely have put yours in the “inspirational” category!

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  67. I love all the white! I would leave that large cabinet white,though I think I would look for matching baskets for the other cabinet. I did see a canvas picture of a cow today in the new West Elm gift catalog. Check their website!

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  70. Hi Jennifer… Oh my goodness, I love your farmhouse kitchen!… everything is so beautiful… Stella!… hellooo kitty!… you are adorable, kitty kisses to you!… signing on as your newest follower, xoxo Julie Marie (Found your pretty blog at Debra’s party)…

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  72. Jennifer, your beautiful home is inspiring. So many good ideas here just on this side of the kitchen! The built in is gorgeous and I love it as is, but I bet you will wow with your changes too. I look forward to seeing how it turns out!
    Liz

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  73. Oh Jenn…you’re killing me here with your gorgeousness week after week…how am I supposed to justify featuring you every week? sooo beautiful…thank you for sharing with us my friend…xo

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  74. Love your kitchen! It looks so clean and bright. Love that kitty–what pretty colors she is. We have a naughty bottle that we spray our kittens with when they get on the counter. I am afraid they think it is a fun game!

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  84. Wow! I really love your kitchen. It’s fabulous. I have a country kitchen, but I love your all white look. Your Breadbox is fabulous ! I refinish vintage Breadboxes when I can find them, and I love this one! Thanks for sharing!

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  87. Jennifer
    Hi, just came across your blog on a chilly Saturday afternoon in No. IN! Hello neighbor! We’re not to far apart, think the university of Notre Dame, thats my town. Anywho, adorable blog! I spent a few hours, yep hours, looking at your adorable home,your historic area I have yet to visit and copying recipes too. Love your home ideas and beadboard love (yes I am addicted). I too have a blog but have not kept very current in the last year and a half, sadly (deeply) I lost my eldest son in March 2011 and just can’t get back to blogging as before. But today, yep today coming across your blog made me realize its time to get that kitchen painting done-white cabinets and trim and wallpaper and beadboard up. Now that is a miracle to me, so Jennifer thank you on this chilly Autumn afternoon for sparking inspiration in me, for meeting you and just feeling a bit of who I used to be. If you should happen upon my blog you can read about how life has been and how life was before, you know it truly is the worst loss anyone can face, no words. One last thing, my house was built in 1924 and boy do I understand crooked floors and door frames..UGH! But couldn’t live in a new home ever! Thanks again! Lori

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  91. I am totally lovin’ this side of your kitchen. Looking forward to seeing the other side. 🙂
    I am following now…come by when you can.
    xo bj
    over from BoogieBoard.

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  94. Absolutely gorgeous! I didn’t notice the baskets didn’t match til you mentioned it, the overall picture is just so lovely. Thanks again for sharing with us. Mary

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  101. I LOVE your kitchen, Jennifer! I adore that original built-in cabinet! I would keep it the same color as the beadboard so that the beadboard texture can be showcased. [I would almost be tempted to have a carpenter continue those built-ins all the way to the window so you could have an entire wall of storage!Plus it would look so cool!] Me being me, I’d want the same type of baskets in the cubbies. Yes! to the old grocery sign, too!

    xoxo laurie

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  104. Everything you’ve done in the kitchen just works together. It looks great! It’s comfy, warm, and inviting. Who can ask for more than that? I like the idea of the cow picture or sign but the baskets don’t bother me either way. I’ve found great basket choices at Marshall’s. But I wouldn’t rush to change either. It looks wonderful the way it is. Obviously, you’ve got a flair for making an “ok” room look terrific. Great job!

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