skip to main content

Inside my summer kitchen.......(lots of pics)

13 years ago

The walls inside my summer kitchen are in good shape...structurally speaking. But...there are layers and layers of paint, peeling wallpaper, newspaper (from 1912!!) on the walls, differing layers and levels of peeling. At first I looked at it and thought.."omg what a mess", but now I look at it and think..."wow, people pay a LOT of money to get fake finishes like this, and here I have the real thing!"

So, what I'm thinking is to leave the top half of wall alone...above the chair rail, and paint the bottom half of wall and window moldings. Would that look stupid? I hate to destroy years and years of history (especially the areas where they wallpapered with "The Practical Farmer" from Feb 1912!) I want it to look clean though...clean, but interesting if that makes sense. Also, how would you treat the top half of the wall if it were yours and you were leaving the finish intact? Would you clear coat it with something? Would you treat it like decoupage? And any suggestions for color for the bottom half? I was thinking brownish red, or perhaps a dark taupe color...my mom is leaning towards white (I'm not a big white fan, I find it too stark...perhaps I'd agree to a creamy warm white though).

Here are some photos..... (but here are a few details first!)

The greenish ceiling will be removed to expose the beams and the bottom of the upstairs flooring. Those two metal support beams are coming out..they really aren't supporting anything, that beam does not connect into the walls. The beam will be replaced and proper supports put in. I wish the original fireplace was still there, but it was replaced at some point in time with a chimney for a wood stove. We are going to basically just clean it up and leave the chimney alone...I like the worn look of it.I'm hoping we are able to remove the concrete around the base of it though (without damaging the bricks that are under there) I haven't decided what to do about the cistern that is in there...I might leave it. There are quite a few cisterns on the property...the old-timers who lived there for 60 years caught every drop of rainwater coming off the roofs. (and they hand washed their laundry with the water..even into their 90's!)

Oh, and the ultimate plan for the 1st floor of the summer kitchen is going to be a family room (but really rustic and primitive)...in the meantime, after it is cleaned and painted, (but before I invest big money into it) it will be a "tween" hangout space.

Whew...now that I'm done with my mini novella..here are the pictures..............

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

antiquesilver
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks for sharing - I'll live vicariously through you since my kitchen was demolished in 1932. It's interesting how they hid the staircase.

If the wainscot is bare wood, real milk paint might be an appropriate option for the bottom half of the wall. It's more of a stain than a paint & will give a streaky, flat finish.
slateberry
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I think it's a cool idea and work well if you like patina. Don't expect everybody to 'get' it. I love the quote from the woman with the kitchen I linked to below:
'When people come to the house they often ask us when we are going to modernise the kitchen.'

I think her kitchen looks great, and so much more relaxed than some high end kitchen with bordeaux cherry cabinets with butterscotch glaze, yadayadayada. Go for it!

Here is a link that might be useful: another patina kitchen
Related Discussions
Need help with this weird corner in my kitchen.. PICS inside.
Q
Comments (9)
There's nothing wrong with it if you just leave it blank with the aprons. It would bug me visually cause the window doesn't make sense with the ceiling beams and the cabinets are crammed up against it. So I would do the big bucks if you got 'em and take it out. Replace it with a smaller, but slightly taller window centered between the two beams. If you have a view, replace with a really tall window. I would try to resist the temptation to fill it up with stuff. Maybe one of those iron cookware stands? Maybe a small table or chest. To me, the trash can and stools help your kitchen look junque-ie. On the other hand, I don't get what's going on beside the ref with the dimmer on the wall ?in a corner?
...See More
My new kitchen is a mess - Need some help Please - Lots of Pics
Q
Comments (14)
What a great kitchen! The main piece of advice I would offer is this: get rid of excess plastic containers. I had zillions of rubbermaid containers that didn't nest at all. I thought I needed every shape and size out there, so I bought far more than I could ever use. After we renovated our kitchen, I gave myself one drawer for plastic stuff. That's it. Now, it's a big drawer, but I have a family of nine people, so we still need quite a bit. First, I tossed or gave away that which would not nest. I standardized on 8" squares that fit into one another. I bought 6 of these and I've never needed more. All the lids are the same size. I have deep rectangular rubbermaid containers for holding flour and sugar in my baking cabinet. I have round containers for lunch boxes: my husband takes leftovers for lunch every day and reheats them in these lightweight containers that are as sturdy as regular rubbermaid. In this drawer I also store two rubbermaid butter dishes, three nesting funnels, 2 two-quart plastic pitchers, 2 small mixing bowls and 2 large mixing bowls, plus about 12 measuing cups from 4-cup to 1/4-cup in size. The key for my kitchen is that any plastic container we have is in this drawer. So I've gone from cupboards and drawers of plastic containers and measuring supplies to one single drawer. I will add that I have a plastic pasta scoop and larger colander that I store under the prep sink. I never save even the nicest of plastic containers that food might come in. If we ever need more, I can use a storage container from another part of the house, wash it out, then put it back when I'm done (like when I need to bring 60 cupcakes to school). I've also done the same sort of thing for lunch boxe supplies and ingredients. I have a baking center, which is to the right of the oven. My baking center is really just an upper cabinet with wire storage things inside that make it easy to cram a lot of stuff in a 30" wide cabinet. I do store extra baking mixes and flour/sugar in my lazy susan cabinet. I don't have a pantry. All of our health food is in another cabinet, near the blender where we make our protein shakes. I bought white plastic wirer coated shelves at the container store to stack dishes and baking goods in those cupboards. And also these tall, narrow two shelf units that fit under my sinks which sit next to the plumbing. They aren't really deep but just hold the basics in view (stuff tends to migrate to the back of the sink cabinet). I also got rid of excess pots and pans. I figured that if my pots and pans couldn't fit into one base cabinet, that I would have a hard time keeping tabs on those as well. My baking pans and cutting boards store vertically in a cabinet designed to hold tall thin items. You have so much wonderful space. If you can be judicious with how you plan your storage, you will find that you can even keep major seasonal items in your pantries as well, or gift wrap, etc. In fact, it looks like you could even put a desk in one of your pantries. Lucky you!
...See More
Backsplash ideas pls - Lots of pics inside
Q
Comments (2)
Thank you Nishka. What have you used / considering for countertop &/or island ?What colors ? I really like your glass mosaic with your cabinets but am afraid that it might be too busy with our costa smeralda counters .. Also still want the Calacatta to be the focal point ;) What is the other tile you have in the picture?
...See More
Thank you for my kitchen! (Long, lots of pics)
Q
Comments (86)
Very surprised to see this come back up, but so happy to be able to share and help! kathec, I'm so glad my kitchen could be of help to you! We have decided we love our 2nd island. It is a great buffet surface that allows for easy flow of traffic even with groups of people. roseofblue, thank you for all your kind words. The ceiling fan is not in the kitchen but in the living room which is open to the kitchen. Unfortunately, the air does not get to the kitchen at all. That is one thing I regret, not putting some means of circulating air into the kitchen. It gets pretty hot with that induction range going. (Since you asked, I think it was about $3200 before a rebate of 10% in the form of a cash card.) I still absolutely love the color on the walls, and still amazing to me that a blue can actually feel warm. The fun memories have already started with the weekly pizza-making and bread making and menu planning and school work (oh.. well, I guess that's not so much fun, memory making, but definitely the kitchen is a central part of our lives). firsthouse, I hate that you haven't been able to enjoy that gorgeous kitchen/house just after you've finished it! I guess it's better to have all that travel after it's finished rather than during the process. I have 3 monthly calendars, a weekly to-do, and a magnetic bulletin board, all from Storables.com. If I have two months in advance right in front of me, I'm more likely to write things down and not forget them. So I have Sept/Oct/Nov right now. They do get erased when the kids try to write things on them, but overall I think they work well. They are definitely not glamour items like the Pottery Barn ones but I just needed functional. The bulletin board is, though. I love it; it has a layer that takes pins, covered by a metal layer which consists of pin-sized holes all over. I also mounted some metal strips from Storables, under the shelf, on which I have hooks for keys and magnets for grocery lists, etc. On the weekly to-do chart, I transfer the week's events from the month calendar. That's really my brain. I also got a pocket for mail; if I remember to put it there instead of on the table, it works well. I don't know if ebse ever posted her finished kitchen to the FKB, but hers was my inspiration. I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much money until I saw that I was using such a system. I am still in training, so not using it consistently yet, but working on it! phoggie... thank you! The granite is Impala Black in a leathered finish. It is a fairly common stone, I believe; it looks darker leathered than polished.
...See More
jiggreen
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
antiquesilver~ I think maybe the bottom of the walls might have been stained at some point in time, or else it is bare wood that has just darkened to the point of looking stained! It's hard to tell!

slaterberry~ I love that blue aged patina kitchen! Makes me more convinced to save the finish on my own summer kitchen!
party_music50
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wow! I love it! and I don't think it's stupid to leave it as it is! I'd leave the wainscoting 'as is' too! From the photos it looks like unpainted (or stained?) wood, so I'd just try to clean it up. I wouldn't try to seal the walls above it in any way. Of course, I might feel differently if I could see it in person.

I also wouldn't try to remove the concrete at the base of the chimney. I'd worry about why it was there in the first place. lol! And I don't even see where the cistern is -- so it must look different from the only one I've ever seen. :O)

It's a VERY cool space. I'd appreciate it as much as you do!
slateberry
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I didn't want to hijack on the other thread where you mentioned this, but I just put textured wallpaper over ceramic tile. First I just tried wetting and booking the wallpaper, like standard instructions, but it did not adhere well to the tile. Then I tried painting the tile and grout with elmer's glue, then applying the wetted/booked wallpaper to the glue-coated tile. Success! It took a bit longer to dry, but boy, it's holding on really well now, no loose/peeling edges, so that might work for your fridge. Please post pics when you're done.

Best-
Alex
powermuffin
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
If you like it, go for it. It is very cool I think.

For me the upper walls might be a bit too busy though and so I would probably save one wall as is and strip the others. As far as the bottom half - hmmm, not white. I might first try cleaning a spot with denatured alcohol to see if it is a shellac finish. If it is, I would at least try to put on another coat of shellac. When I am working on stuff like this, I take one area and try my plan out on it to see if I like it, before I do the whole room. It is hard to tell how the room is going to look since you are taking down the ceiling too. I'd wait until everything that is going to be removed is gone, then step back as see what you think.

I had many, many layers on my walls (no newspapers though) and saved pieces of each of the wallpapers. In one spot in the dining room, I saved the oldest wallpaper on the wall. It is faded and very fragile, but a pretty A&C pattern. I haven't sealed it because I am afraid of what that might do to it - but I probably should.

It sounds like such a fun project for you. I would love to see the end result.
Diane
fanner
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What an amazing and fun space! I am not very good with interior decoration but you are still going to get my 2 cents. I love the look of the old paper on the walls. I agree that you could get away with leaving at least one whole wall as is if you didn't want that look all throughout. As for the wood along the bottom, if you are saving the paper on the walls I would keep that as close to "as is" as you can. With the areas of red in the paper on the upper half, the darker wood looks good to me. And as a previous poster said, it may look different in person; if it is just too much leaving all or one whole wall as is maybe you could pick one large area on one wall to "frame in" and save. Just keep the paper on, say a 5 x 10 foot section, and frame it in with some salvaged chair rail. Basically like a large piece of art where you can have a healthy sampling of the history of the room. Just a thought I had while I was looking through the pictures. Also, I agree that you will have to share the end result with us! Best of luck and enjoy!
Debbie Downer
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What a sweet space - to die for! (And that's not a phrase I often use!)

Yes, your idea of "decoupage" and preserving the historical element is right on target - sounds like a plan! Im tickled that you recognize the beauty in this approach - the modern distressed paint techniques are trying to replicate what you've already got!

What is the ceiling - is that original board & batten kind of thing?

Related Stories

MOST POPULAR 40 Dogs Who Are Having a Way Better Summer Than You

By Mitchell Parker

Houzzers share pics of their canine companions living it up — or getting down with relaxing — on warm days

DECORATING GUIDES 5 Easy Ways to Summer-ize Your Home

By Vanessa Brunner

Tips to Brighten and Lighten Your Home for Summer

KITCHEN OF THE WEEK Kitchen of the Week: Modern Summer Camp Style in Maine

By Vanessa Brunner

Two window walls let in gorgeous lake views, while barn wood and other reclaimed materials create a relaxed vacation vibe

MOST POPULAR How to Get Rid of Those Pesky Summer Fruit Flies

By Mitchell Parker

Learn what fruit flies are, how to prevent them and how to get rid of them in your home

PATIOS Would You Like That Mai Tai Inside or Out?

By Jess McBride

Belly up to the bar for a look at 10 indoor-outdoor counters for summer

SUMMER GARDENING Houzz Call: Please Show Us Your Summer Garden!

By Annie Thornton

Share pictures of your home and yard this summer — we’d love to feature them in an upcoming story

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow Your Own Sweet Summer Crops

By Marianne Lipanovich

This guide will help any gardener get started on growing the freshest warm-season veggies and berries for summer

DECORATING GUIDES 15 Ways to Get Your Home in a Summer Mood

By Laura Gaskill

Bask in the easygoing spirit of summer with breezy touches indoors and out

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard

MOST POPULAR Budget Beach House: A Trailer Gets Ready for Summer Fun

By Becky Harris

Punchy prints and colors star in a creative approach to Jersey Shore living

Sponsored

Jc's and Sons Affordable Home Improvements

Zanesville's Most Skilled & Knowledgeable Home Improvement Specialists

More Discussions

Bathroom beadboard base moulding

9

What bracing is required for screen porch posts with a knee wall

1

what is estimated cost to build a commertial building in florida?

0

How can I mix three kinds of tile in my partial bathroom update?

18

Please help to economically remodeling the front elevation

17