Kitchen & Dining

New Abode, Part 2: Kitchen & Dining

Do you mind if I ramble on about my fabulous kitchen today?  I certainly don’t mean to brag, but I do feel quite spoiled in here.

The kitchen just might be the reason I fell in love with our new house.  The beautiful new cabinets, the easy-to-clean granite countertops, and the recessed pantry and fridge just had me at hello.

Almost every night after work you can find me whipping up a not-so-quick dinner, as I love to cook.  Quick-n-easy premade meals have never been my thing;  on any given night I may whip up a batch of Panang Curry, Seared Sesame Tuna, Ceviche, or a tofu stir-fry.  And having my spice drawer next to the stove just makes that cooking a little bit more convenient.

Regardless of the night’s menu, my cat Doctor supervises me from his perch on the window sill by the stove.  It’s the perfect compromise for a nosy cat, allowing him to supervise from counter-height without breaking the “no-cats-on-the-counter” rule.  And yes, I totally talk to him as I cook.

That vintage floral dish towel hanging on the oven shows the citrus-y color palette for the space.   The stone tiles are gorgeous but hard on the feet, so I plan to bring in a large spring green rug to provide some cheerful and  functional cushioning.

The small scale of the dining space (the tiled area between the kitchen and living room) presents a bit of a challenge.  I’d like to paint the ceiling to better define the space and also accentuate the crown molding.  And then there’s the matter of finding a table and chairs that work with the space.  But I’ve lived in enough small and tricky spaces to know that there’s a good solution out there; I just have to find it.

See that little vintage pyrex dish on the floor?  That’s currently the pups’ water bowl, but I’d love to build a wooden tray table to hold a water bowl under the counter in a more stylish and streamlined way.   A skinny but deep rectangular trough would be awesome . . .

Well, that’s it for now.  I hope you enjoyed the second part of my new house tour! And if you didn’t see it yesterday, you can check out part 1 right here.

I feel so incredibly blessed to have this beautiful rented space to call my own, even it if only for the next few years.   Have a great weekend!

Click here for Part 3:  Master Bath

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12 Comments

  • Reply Whitney at 7:57 pm

    What a beautiful kitchen. The counter tops are gorgeous!

  • Reply Jeannine @ Small and Chic at 10:11 pm

    I’m drooling over all that space. The landlord did a fantastic update on that kitchen…I love the recessed fridge. What a treat.

    Kitteh is not amused at the intrusion in that one picture. 🙂

  • Reply noloveforyou at 4:09 am

    Love the house! I have the same granite countertops – they are easy to clean, but I don’t always notice when they need cleaning because they’re dark. 🙂

  • Reply Jane at 5:22 am

    @NoLoveForYou – I totally have that same problem! But maybe it’s not a problem if kitchen counters hide their dirt well. 🙂

  • Reply leproust at 6:04 am

    Gah!!!! Your house is SO gorgeous! Your spice drawer is incredibly organized….it is all in the details! (seriously, I am an organizational freak, so that is fabulous!)

  • Reply Kelly at 11:21 pm

    I spy some Penzey’s Jerk Seasoning in there, I’ll bet it belongs to my “Jerk” of a brother. 😉 Every update of photos makes me love the layout of the house even more! It’s beautiful!

  • Reply Emerald at 10:23 pm

    Wow, girl, I’ve got some serious kitchen-envy now! That is one heck of a cucina! Looks like the kitties like it, too!

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