Wow! That is one great theme kitchen. What a great baking center. She put a lot of work into that.

That is SOMEthing! Thanks for sharing it. When I was designing my kitchen, I so wanted it to be a place that looked like you'd expect bread to be baking and pies to be cooling on the counter. She really went to much greater lengths on the pie subject! I love it. (Although the clutter makes me nervous...)

Oh I love it! I wish we could see more of her kitchen. I love how she did her range with the backsplash and what I am going to assume is the hood enclosure.

My home is contemporary, so that style would never work for me. But I really like the creativity she put into the "General Store" look.

I really like how the baking center has a pass-thru to her walk in pantry. Brilliant! Actually, I had this same idea for a client a couple of years ago...but I don't believe she ever did her addition.

rhome, yeah there's a lot going on....at least her clutter is nicely organized and warm and cozy looking. I would never be able to pull that off.

Visiting that site reminds me of the computer game "Oregon Trail".

flyleft,
Oregon trail? Someone mentioned that game to me a year or so ago. Was it a school or educational game? It must have come out after my time. You must be in your thirties?

I really admire the fun, confident, and very independent personality of that kitchen. Thanks, Kompy. It's fun just to visit on screen.

I want to know where she got that cherry apron...adorable!

I am sorry (don't flame me please), but it's just too Hansel-and-Gretl for me (I am imagining it to be the kitchen in the witch's cottage that so entranced Hansel and Gretl). The clutter and tchotchkes everywhere give me the willies; although the clutter wouldn't bother me so much if it were Serious-Kitchen-Tools clutter rather than such cutesy clutter on every wall and counter, with the fake signs, the fake pottery, etc. Just think of the hours of shopping for that stuff. Sorry, it's just MHO!

Although I do like the rangetop.

I'm never sure where to cross the line of "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything", and people wanting actual critiques.

Her kitchen looks like Cracker Barrel. Blech.

Since we are being open on this forum, although the kitchen is extremely detailed, intentional and desgined, all it says to me is 'unnecessary clutter'.

It looks nice as a display in a store window, but not in a home...something about it is ADHD.

I am also in the honest because hate it group. A kitchen to me should be form follows function, this one totally breaks that rule. I do want to have some details in my kitchen that are just for the look, but not enough to make my kitchen look like a set for a play.

Reminds me of a Bed and Breakfast we went to once that had an antique nightgown on a chair and antique glasses on the table etc. It made me feel like I was trespassing.

-Robin

I think it's super cute, just not in my house. That much clutter would be a deal breaker in my kitchen, but her kitchen is one I would never work in, so again, super cute. I tend to go overboard on themes in the kids rooms, because they're not rooms for work(all homework is done in the kitchen or dining room.) 12yo's room is Jets football themed with lockerroom closet doors and scoreboard headboard. 3yo's is doodlebugs. The boys' bathroom is under the sea. Nobody works in any of those rooms so the cutesy themed tchotchkes are fine.

It does make me wonder though if the pies in her kitchen aren't slipped out of their throwaway aluminum dishes and placed in her pans, because I couldn't imagine rolling out dough w/ so much stuff everywhere.

I wouldn't ever say her style is for me either. What I love is that someone followed their passion (and I do share her passion for pie. I just prefer more of a clean, bakery look than the general store thing)...and the pantry is great. I also think the baking center would be wonderful if you could find the counter! Like I said before, the clutter actually makes me feel anxious and claustrophobic. I'd HAVE to clean off the hood vent. I'm not into 'cutesy' either, but some are and I can appreciate the quality and care with which it was done. The whole design is cohesive and works for what she wanted, even if I would only want to visit, and not live in it.

Thanks for the link. That is a VERY creative kitchen! I have a house that could pull off a kitchen like that (1885 farmhouse), but it's too much stuff for my tastes. I LOVE the screen door idea to the pantry and might even copy that! I have an antique screen door (needs a little work) that I've been trying to figure out what to do with. It's not the right size for any of my external doors, so I think I'll make it my pantry door :) Thanks!
And that pass through in the baking center to pantry is a great idea, very functional.

Can you imagine having to dust that?!

Wow, that's one crazy space, and I'm sure it makes its owner very happy. You can tell someone really put their heart and soul into all those details. While not my personal style, I enjoyed seeing it.

I like it on a philosophical level, but the execution is a little too cute for me.

OP here:

Must be the designer in me. I look beyond everyone's personal belongings. I'm sure that realtors can say the same thing. You gotta look past people's stuff. I was impressed with her ideas....the pantry, the pass through, the pantry door was clever and felt very open and welcoming...the range hood was a neat mix of materials. Just creative. As to her stuff, yeah, Cracker Barrel was what came to my mind....and I myself, have very little "clutter" in my home. But I can appreciate what she has done...thinking outside the cookie cutter box (no pun intended).

And I hope the blogger's feelings aren't hurt if she comes here to check us out. I noticed that her site logs where everyone comes from to view her site.

Wow. That's just too "cute" for my taste. I've learned over the years to stay away from themes, they become tiresome pretty quickly. Having a few accessories that speak to things I like is generally enough.

I agree Kompy, I'm not a designer nor a real estate agent, but for some reason I've always been able to look past stuff, sometimes even walls, etc. This "skill" has gotten me into projects that are bigger than what I have time for too, LOL. But the thing about her things is they are all decorative stuff. All the permanent stuff is like the pantry, cabinets, woodwork are very creative but versitile. So if she does get tired of the "pie" theme she could change it out without too much trouble. (There I go again underestimating the work involved, LOL.)

I, too, think it looks a little like cracker barrel. Very nice to look at, but I wouldn't want to live there! Too much to dust and clean.

I don't know if I could keep a pantry that neat, but the pass-through might be great. I think it would look nice with some sort of cabinet door that you could close from the pantry side, perhaps with a nice picture or some other decorations on the baking center side. JMHO, Carol

LOL, mom...me too The last two homes I bought were on the real estate market for over a year, before I came along...and both were amazing homes that had lots of potential. The last one just needed some fresh paint and flooring...pretty cheap fixes. It ended up selling for a lot more than neighboring houses (6 yrs later) and sold in 3 days.

Our current house also had good bones, just needed some cosmetics. The previous family had lived there for 65 years so it was all pretty dated.

Anyway, I agree...a nice to skill to have. :-)

I think it's wonderful that someone has taken her vision and created a space that brings her so much enjoyment.

Two thoughts kept coming to mind, though -
To me, it looks more like a gift shop than a working kitchen -
And
How is the rest of her house decorated - Is it all done in a similar theme? In which case I can't imagine cleaning...

Thanks for posting. I love seeing all types of kitchens. My MIL would die for this one!

Thanks for the link, Kompy! I love her "warm pie, happy home" baking center. Great use of space! And her personal touches are what make it hers - isn't that what we all strive for. : )

I bet it functions just fine for her. We often get caught up in the tried and true layouts and forget that not everyone needs or wants one. Not everyone needs their "stuff" within a few feet walking distance or what many would describe as more convenient. Sometimes thinking outside the box actually leads to the creation of a space that gives the user a sense of pleasure and fulfillment (perhaps drawn from happy childhood memories) that a more typical layout could never provide. I don't really care to make pies that often (love to eat them, though. lol!) but I believe my pie making would be a lot more enjoyable in her setting. : )

It's all personal taste...I agree, way too cluttered and too "cutesy". But it's her kitchen, not mine...so good for her going with her dream!

BTW...her site tracks not just the source site (GW), but also your physical location...down to the town & state...

How does a site do this and how can you tell from the site? I know nothing ever "goes away", but I just wondered. I need to find out if there is a computer forum, so that I can ask about some software for cleaning up my computer. Thanks

The blog uses a third-party tracking site to display visitor information. This probably comes from the IP address, which any site you visit can see. You can go to a site called whatismyip.com to find out what your IP address is (assigned by your internet service provider). This will typically map to your ISP's server, which is often close to where you live. In my case, it showed I logged in from the next town over from me, not my actual town.

Here is a link that might be useful: IP tracking used by the blog

Not for me, and I love a theme! Very fun to see, though - thanks. And, if the owner is happy with her kitchen, which she obviously is, then great!! I hope that my new kitchen (when it finally is completed) makes me so happy!! Actually, it reminds me of a play general store set-up we had when I was a kid. I can even see the little cardboard box food items :)

kompy, "Oregon Trail" is a very cool game that's gone through several editions...you choose a character, income, etc., and put together supplies and a team to travel the Oregon Trail to one of several destinations. It's really wonderful, seriously, and teaches many different aspects of the Oregon Trail experience, including history, botany, economics, medicine, etc. I wish I were in my 30s :) but it's my daughter's game.

Scary.

I'm with Mom & Kompy. I see a wonderful & dramatic space--vaulted ceilings, massive wooden beams, great floors. It's a space that can, in not much more than an afternoon & with minimal cost, be transformed into an entirely different look. The biggest 'sealed in stone' item is that tiny amount of checkerboard splash behind the range...and changing that out is a relatively easy DIY project. The 'bones' of the kitchen are white & wood & that's about as neutral as you can get. I love the screen door idea for the pantry--that solves the stuffy pantry syndrome in a very clever way. Another item I noted is that she achieved a Victorian look to the screen door by using a basic, inexpensive door & attaching some gingerbread pieces to it.

The only thing I really dislike about the kitchen basics are the bun feet on the white cabinetry. But that's just me & my across the board distaste for bun feet, period. So, I'm going to be optimistic and believe that she used Velcro to hold the feet in place so I won't have to break out my Japanese saw when I invade her house & take over her kitchen! ;)