October 21, 2009

Another "Find" For My Kitchen

I think about my kitchen plans a lot. Like, every time I'm in the kitchen. Now that I've had to bring my summer kitchen inside, I am more aware than ever of the work stations, work space, and storage I need. Still, we don't have all the details worked out yet, so I'll be living with it for awhile yet.

One thing for certain, is that the cabinets will need replacing. When I found this...

Green butcher block kitchen island on wheels... for a good price on Craigslist, I couldn't resist. It has a butcher board type top, a towel holder on the left, and a knife holder on the right. As you can see, it's on wheels, though it may end up becoming a cabinet base once we reno the kitchen. An added bonus is that the green matches the artwork on my Amish cabinets. (Photos and details about those in this post.)

It matches my Amish cabinets!Of course, this means I need to think this piece into the overall design. It's more of a challenge to do this with odd pieces, but on the other hand it's more economical to buy needed items when they can be found for a good price.

The biggest holdup in finalizing an overall plan is the stove. I passed up a vintage stove for a good deal, which I'm now kicking myself for. In my mind, I'm holding out for a wood cookstove (even more so now that the weather is turning colder and the back of the house is chilly).

Dan assures me when the time is right we'll find what we're looking for. Before we can get to the kitchen we need to add support to some of the floor joists and then clean out and winterize the crawl space. After that comes putting down the hardwood floor in the dining room and hallway. After that we plan to re-do the back bathroom, which has many problems. As you can see, we won't get to the kitchen immediately, so I have plenty of time to think, and plan, and dream, and look.

Another "Find" For My Kitchen copyright October 2009 


13 comments:

Michelle said...

Lovely find! Looks like you have your color theme for the room already. :-)

Renee Nefe said...

How very cool! I think your DH is right, the right thing will come along at just the perfect time. funny how it works that way.

seems that you're always busy there, which is better than playing games on the computer. ;o)

Theresa said...

Pretty cabinet! I have a kitchen with green painted cabinets and have found it quite easy to live with. No worries, it's not the kiwi green of the bathroom!
As you work and modify your kitchen plan, see if you can keep that a rolling cabinet. They can be awfully handy to have. Oh gosh, you have to beef up floor joists in a crawl space. Now that doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Will it mean you can remove that post in the kitchen or help with moving the fridge into a different spot?
I certainly do not envy you bathroom renovations, but am looking forward to seeing the living room and dining room full views soon. Exciting on the new dining room floors!

Leigh said...

Michelle, I usually do my kitchens in blue because of my Blue Willow. But when we found those Amish cabinets I knew I was ready for a change. When we got this piece, I fully expected I'd have to strip it or paint it, but what a delightful surprise to see how well it matched!

Renee, I confess, I take a "break" with computer games! *LOL. When the right stove finally comes along, I will be very excited and you all will be the first to know!

Theresa, I like green too. Actually it's one of my favorite colors, though I seem to have more blue around than green. At the moment my brain is working overtime on the kitchen, but actually I think the design process is a lot of fun. Dan says he'll beef up the floor joists in the dining room first, and then we'll do the floor. He'll work on the rest of it as we go along. (I definitely prefer projects where I can see the results!)

Julie said...

Its good to take your time then you'll know just what you like and how it will feel in the space. I love the green!

DEEP END OF THE LOOM said...

That cabinet is great, and a butcher block top what a find.

bspinner said...

You sure did find a great buy! The color is perfect.

You'll the find the stove you want when you least expect it.

charlotte said...

This looks perfect! Old-fashioned, good quality, and very practical.

Anonymous said...

leigh, check out antiquestoveheaven.com they may have what you're looking for. nice little island by the way, pretty color.

Heather said...

What a great cabinet. It looks very practical and it is gorgeous to boot. ;-) I think it is lovely to be able to take your time figuring out what works for you in your space. I am in my kitchen a lot and it is very important to me to have a good, roomy, workable kitchen as well as one that is easy to clean and keep organized. (Pantry a must!!) In our old home I had finally put in a farmhouse type huge white 2 basin sink and now I really miss it, especially at canning time.

Life Looms Large said...

Great find on Craigslist!! That green is a really pretty color!

You guys are so impressive with your new-to-this-house homeowner energy! Big projects coming up. We'd have to rest for a long time after something like your chimney project!! (We're lazy like that!)

Good luck with the next projects!!

Sue

Leigh said...

Theresa, duh, I just realized that I got distracted and didn't answer your question.

That post in the kitchen is there because of problems in the attic; I'm not sure if it's the joists or rafters (DH explained it but I'm not quick to comprehend building stuff). Anyway it's there to support the kitchen ceiling rather than having anything to do with the floors. When we get to the kitchen, I'll have him get photos.

Julie, I have to admit that I'm pretty slow at decision making anyway, so actually this suits my personality. Patience on the other hand, is sometimes a struggle!

DeepEnd, Barb, and Charlotte, thanks! I have to confess though, that I look at Craigslist almost every day for that stove.

Anonymous, thanks for the link! What a neat site. I wish they'd post some prices though. And I wonder about shipping from California. Still, I've got it bookmarked and appreciate the info.

Heather, those of us who love to preserve and cook can appreciate what you say. The kitchen truly is the heart of the home. Currently I have a single sink and I do not like it at all. My challenge is that the kitchen isn't terribly large, nor is it laid out very well. Good thing I like challenges. :)

Sue, I would love to take some breaks! *LOL. That pile of flooring in the living room and a bare dining room are pretty motivating however. I admit that I do love this though. Sometimes I think I should have majoried in interior design in college, rather than music and nursing.

Sharon said...

That cabinet is a great find you'd never know that it wasn't planned along with the cabinets. I like rolling work spaces and have a small one I use when I weave.