The Heart of the Home

When I lived in my apartment, my kitchen was approximately 7 feet by 7 feet. That included the cabinets, so my floor space was approximately 5 x 5.  Because the water heater was in the kitchen, cupboard space was limited, so I had a freestanding particle board cabinet on the free wall, which limited floor space even further.  This was definitely a 1-person kitchen.  Actually, it wasn’t even comfortable for 1 person. Needless to say, I very rarely cooked.  I ate off paper plates; I used plastic utensils.

So, when I bought a house, I wanted a great kitchen. I wanted a kitchen where I could bake dozens of Christmas cookies, my first apple pie, my first turkey dinner.  Oddly enough for someone who rarely cooks, I have collected a lot of kitchen stuff from the 1940’s and 50’s (old linens, jadite, china, vintage aprons, etc.), so I wanted a kitchen large enough to not only display these things, but also large enough to have space left for me to work.  I wanted a kitchen where family and friends would gather. I wanted my kitchen to be a cozy heart of the home, sort of like grandma’s kitchen, circa 1950.

 

I’ve been very shy about posting pictures of the inside of my home, out of fear that it won’t measure up to all the beautifully decorated homes that I see on other blogs. Right now, money is tight, so I’m working with a use-what-you-already-have mentality when it comes to decorating. I have big plans, but I'm not yet in a position to put most of them into effect.I don't have elegant stuff and my style is anything but sophisticated and chic. Most of what I have is rather kitschy; it all reminds of cozy grandma kitchens.  So, I've done the best I could with what I have at the moment. 

So, without further ado, here is my a-work-in-progress kitchen:

Since the light fixture over the sink made it impossible to hang curtains, I hung a vintage apron instead. I love the embroidery and crochet detail.

This dresser was in the bedroom that my sister and I shared when we were kids. I added a shelf that I thrifted last year.  Believe it or not, I found the original 1964 purchase receipt for the dresser when I was going through Mom's things after she died (Mom saved everything).  

The King's Crown goblets were my mother's.  Somehow, wine tastes so much better served in something pretty (so does rum and coke, for that matter!)

I love old silver pieces, and find them often at thrift stores. As you can see, I'm pretty lazy about silver polishing, but the tarnished patina has its charm.

These girls were on my grandmother's kitchen wall for as long as I could remember.

I love embroidered linens. So cute!

I should have ironed these first before I took the picture. My grandmother embroidered this set of kitchen towels for my mom when Mom & Dad married in 1954.

I have a small collection of jadite and moderntone platonite. And yes, I do use them.

Like I said, I'm using what I have for the time being.  When the weather warms up in the spring, I'll paint the walls (the tan color is okay, but not what I envisioned). Eventually, I would like to find a something to serve as a kitchen island, and would love to replace the tile with hardwood floors, but I'm happy with what I have for now.

By the way, I did make my first turkey last Thanksgiving. I was traumatized by the disgusting sight of the neck and the giblets, but other than that, I must have done an okay job, since no one died as a result of the meal.