An Ever Changing Kitchen

We moved in to this house a little over 11 years ago.  The big selling point of this house was the back porch and the big kitchen.  It had at least 3 times the cabinets and counter space as our old kitchen and I was giddy about all the storage and the huge island.  But the wallpaper had to go.  Before we even walked out of the kitchen during our first view with the realtor, I turned to Chuck and said he had to give me wallpaper money.  And paint.  Please take note of the mauve ceiling.  The WHOLE house was mauve....every wall, ceiling, inside of closets and pantry.  If it wasn't wallpapered, it was mauve.

He agreed.  Score.  It was 1999 and the 80's wanted their calico back.  But I had to find something that worked with the 2 x 2 burgandy tile because there wouldn't be any money to change that out for awhile. 

Looking through a Southern Living magazine, I found a botanical print wallpaper and was able to locate it.  This was the first change we made to this kitchen.

I loved this paper but grew tired of it quickly because it was too busy.....even for me.  Perhaps it was a rash decision...perhaps.  It actually was a lot prettier than it looks in this picture. It worked with the burgandy and was an improvement over the calico wallpaper.

In 2002, we got new tile floors, a granite countertop for the island and then a brick backsplash so I started looking for new wallpaper.

This picture blurred when I enlarged it but you get the gist of the room. Like a bajillion other people, I fell in love with the Waverly yellow and red toile.  My wonderful seamstress neighbor and friend, Peggy, sewed the window treatments for me a few months later.  I was her assistant and she taught me a lot about measuring and pressing when sewing. 

To this day, when I am sewing something, I channel Peggy.  WWPD?  Because most sewing projects I take on are way over my head and ability.

I  painted the island red and the desk and fireplace black a year or so later. 

The kitchen stayed this way for a long time, until this summer.  When I decided to paint the bottom cabinets gray.  I should have just taken a nap until the urge passed.

Ricky Ricardo: LUCYYYYYYYYY!!!  What have you done?

So I decided to paint the island black.  That would calm things down.

The gray looks really blue here, but it's not.  It actually matches the floor really well.  But the black island didn't do the trick so less than a week before I had to go back to school, I decided to paint over the wallpaper and make new window treatments.  It's September 25...about 7 weeks later...and I'm done.  And so is this kitchen for a long while. 

The window treatments are finished.....

And took way longer and way more fabric than I estimated.....

But it's done.

Until I get a new countertops and a sink....when a kid or two graduates from college.