Head on over to my Pot Rack Paaah-tay!

All the hub-bub over the release of Julie & Julia** has me waxing poetic about one of my favorite kitchen design elements: pot racks. I've always loved a great pot rack, well, more precisely, a pot rack full of great pots and pans - bonus points if they're copper.

I bought an inexpensive wrought iron pot rack in Laredo, Texas many years ago - before I even had a home in which to hang it. I have to say, it has become a very well-traveled piece!
It had its inaugural hanging in our first home in Houston...

It made its way to northeastern North Carolina... (for you attorneys out there - yes, we negotiated for the attachment in the sale of our home)

...And now hangs in Casa Giese in Brazil (sorry no pic, our kitchen here is kinda fug) I imagine some of you may wonder why I would go through the trouble of carting it from home to home, when it could be easily replaced... I guess, for me, some things taken from one home to the next, or from update to update, provide not only a continuity in design, but also a part of the previous home's soul.

Perhaps I'm a bit strange - after all, it IS just a pot rack - but if I'm sentimental about my cookware storage, it seems I keep good company....Martha apparently likes her pot racks, too! Here's her original, in her Turkey Hill home kitchen - found at a Massachusets tag sale!

And it remained, after the professional remodeling of the kitchen. Do you think Martha polishes her own copper? Nope, me neither.

Why change a good thing, right? Here's a color-coordinated all-stainless version in her new, Cantitoe Corners kitchen.

via MarthaStewart, obs

Behold a custom unit in polished chrome. Nothing but the best for the deRothschilds. Does anyone even USE that fabulous cookware? I'm always a little sketchy on perfectly-shined copper - seems artificial - just sayin'...

At least in this Michael Smith-designed kitchen, it is a bit more believable there are serious cooks involved (well, maybe not with the silver candelabra in the middle of a prep station)

Sometimes I'll see more unique versions, and I always make a mental note. This single-bar style manages to share the space with the retro fixtures without overwhelming them.

Country Living

I happen to think this pot rack-gone-valance is pretty flippin' clever!

via Decor Design

But the most ingenious (especially for a small kitchen) is this DIY version made of copper pipe. What a way to turn (I'll admit it) a rather common kitchen element into a wonderful convo piece! If you're interested, and handy like that - you can go here for all the how to deets.

Do you have a favorite kitchen design element? Have you taken it from one home to another? Inquiring Minds wanna know!

**I'll likely be unable to see J&J in theater until 16 October - the Brazil release date. For the record, that is later than the release date in most civilized countries, including ESTONIA!!

Trendspotting: Samovars

I love samovars - you know, a large (typically) silver urn with a spigot? Traditionally, they are used to boil water for tea making. I think they are beautiful...

flickr images by: maryuta, le_shirin, LenSOP, burlap jacket, flickmor

I found one a few years ago - a steal at an antique co-op. So, how tickled have I been to see them popping up as a new "It" kitchen accessory?!

House Beautiful

Crazy, crazy about this HB kitchen mix of natural elements and glamorous marble - really turns the silver samovar into an eye-catching piece of kitchen jewelry!

You may not be able to tell in this pic of a Kelly McGuill Home design, but this kitchen has two!

kitchen by Tim Clarke

I doubt they'll go the way of Kitchenaid mixers or Dualit toasters in terms of iconic kitchen gadgets, but what's wrong with a little shimma' near your stove?

Java Reverie

As I attempted to pull my brain out of the fog this morning, my thoughts turned to the benefits of very. good. coffee. Admittedly, I've been as much a tea as java girl these days, but today, my visions turn to The Ultimate Cup.

When we moved to North Carolina, and before I started studying for the Bar Exam, I worked as a fledgling barrista at Muddy Waters Coffeehouse in Elizabeth City. What a truly amazing experience - I will never look at (or smell, or taste) coffee the same way - once you go great...well, you know... ;)
Funny, too, how we (hubby and I) have grown to really enjoy simple espresso rather than lingering over a mug of coffee - I guess when in Rome - or, rather, Brazil... We recently had an after-dinner shot that I swear was made from some sort of ambrosia fruit - the flavor was simply melodic.

So, in my attempts to connect this java reverie to design...I think either of these wishlist-quality espresso machines might hit the spot...at least my Kitchen Gadget Junkie one for sure!

Built-in automatic coffee & espresso machine

WS Elektra Espresso Machine

Do you remember the Sopranos episode when Carmela received one of these? Total scene stealer!

I'll take mine in one of these...

Amelia Espresso Cup & Saucer

While sitting at this table in this room...

For other delicious kitchen gadgetry, check out my friend and former classmate's site: Stuff Cooks Want

Happy Monday!

Survey Says - Kitchens!

I've had kitchens on the brain lately, especially after Cote de Texas' amazingly thorough and precise feature post on what makes a kitchen desirable. But as I viewed, and reviewed(!) all those pictures of too-good-to-be-true kitchens, I recalled (as if it takes a monumental brain synapse to do) that most of us won't get to build The Ultimate Kitchen - with EVERY fabulous appliance, finish, fixtures and hardware.

Some of us might have the chance to put together a less-lavish, but genuinely close to Dream Kitchen. So, I got to thinking...what ONE fabulous kitchen accoutrement would I choose, having the limit of budget, space, or installation time? It's a very tough question, as I'm a major Kitchen Gadget Junkie. So, while I ponder this so very pressing (and completely rhetorical) question...think about your answer!

Would you go for the gold with an Über range like this La Cornue - the ultimate in extravance?

Or how about a custom pot rack from which to hang your pro-grade cookware?

An architectural range alcove or a copper hood are sure to be head-turners

Would the pragmatist in you take over to pick an exquisite faucet (or two, or three!)??

Or finally, would you, in your cloud of indecision, opt not for one "statement piece," but rather a whole of elegant simplicity that says "Please, share a meal with me?"

Have you made your decision?

So, what ONE kitchen item would you choose?
a) Ultimate Appliance(s)
b) Custom Hardware
c) Statement Ventilation
d) Bijoux-esque Fixtures
e) None of the above

Click on the "VOTE" Button to have your say
Happy Voting!!

It's Just A Thought...

I have a funny little habit of redoing homes I visit, if only in my mind. If I actually had a job in interior design, it would be an occupational hazard. It's not that I think a home or a room is decorated poorly, I just have fun imagining what I would do with a space, especially if it has naturally beautiful structure, or "good bones." Of course, there are places that scream "please, update me!" and those are the ones that nearly make me twitch I want so badly to bring out their full potential.

If I were ever so lucky to be asked my opinion (wink-wink, hint-hint) on a redo of this kitchen/butler's pantry...it would go something a little like this....

Here's the current (would-be "before" pics)Kitchen - Cooktop on right, wall oven (hidden) on the left

View from butler's pantry looking into the kitchen

To get a sense of where I'm going design wise, you need to know that the house is on the river, so to me, pulling in the colors of the natural surroundings is a no-brainer. Think river stones, clear, fresh water, live oaks and natural limestone.... I'd hope for a look that's fresh and updated, but will still be classic years from now...

First of all, the kitchen is really small - when more than one person is in there, it gets a little cheeky, if ya know what I mean ;)

Think this wall would need to come out to open up the space. Might be fun to do a breakfast bar on the other side. (Cooks always like to be kept company!) Replace the oven with an all-in-one range on the opposite wall...Since we're keeping it not-too -over-the-top, let's stay away from the mondo stainless ranges...

How about a precious little O'Keefe & Merritt vintage unit?** Let's pray we could convert to gas!

Probably would do a tear-out of the existing, dated cabinetry... and do something in that amazing gray-green you see everywhere - it's a nice, gentle color - and can function almost as a neutral...Think something like this:

I'd probably paint the built-ins in the butler's pantry a very dark version of one of these hues, or maybe even go with black - to make it look more like a free-standing piece of furniture. It would look so striking with the rest of the walls painted a lighter, complementary color. And of course, the glow from halogen spotlights installed would look amazing through the glass-fronted doors.

Please forgive my rudimentary skills with a digital paintbrush

For the countertops, I'd seriously consider some type of butcher block, something in a shade that would work with this as the backsplash:

I know this river stone is most often used in baths, but let's be creative and unique!

O-Kaaay...down to the details...the part I love the most! I'm a firm believer in the importance of fixtures and hardware (I think I may have mentioned this before)....A great design always seems lost to me if there's no thought put into the finishing touches - Like a beautiful hand left bare of any jewels...
Now, my gut instinct would be to stick with the cool tones, and you almost have to pay me not to use polished nickel, I love it that much...but, I'd really want to use a finish that would wear better and better with time - make it a little less predictable - not as "matchy-matchy" - what do you think about unlacquered, satin brass??

Great selection of all hardware here

And, finally - a faucet. We've already got a wall-mount, so let's stick with that....but, freshen it up a bit....
Can't forget lighting - it's an elemental force in design - Schoolhouse pendant over the sink? Yes! And de riguer undercabinet halogens...

Voila! There's my free design services for a very deserving client ;)

Here's some of the other images I used as inspiration

**Would this not be the most fun stove to have...EVER??! I think I may have found the people who restored that gorgeous copper Chambers I blogged about under KGJ. If you want to check others out....go here

Kitchen Gadget Junkie

I am a proud Kitchen Gadget Junkie ("KGJ"). It's as simple as that - I love just about anything kitchen; from appliances and fixtures to cookware and serving pieces. Some (like my husband) might call it an unhealthy obsession...I once trekked dozens (OK,not that many!) of blocks in Paris just to find E. Dehillerin (where Ina Garten and French chefs shop cookware), and then managed to persuade my poor Honey to carry my newly-purchased copper pots in his backpack!
But chi-chi copperware aside, my true devotion is to vintage and/or retro kitchenware.Old or meant-to-look-old scales make me giddy, Dualit toasters - I'm all over them, and no true KGJ would be honest if they didn't admit to a glowing admiration for Chambers stoves (my brother & sister-in-law have a near-perfect specimen).
I realize there's no way I could ever have all the things I think are so fabulous - at some point, instead of being a Kitchen Gadget Junkie, I'd become....just a Junkie!

Classic Stainless Scale

Famous Dualit toaster
And they come in all sorts of too-hard-to-decide colors

That fantabulous Jadeite color!

I don't think I've ever seen something more beautifully restored

I just can't get over these precious pint-sized retro kitchens for kiddos Courtesy of Pottery Barn (of course!)

One last little cutie-pie - how fun would THAT be on your counter!