KITCHEN REFRESH FAVORITES

My favorite thing about social media is the abundance of inspiration. If you’re planning any kind of project, trip, outfit, or looking for motivation, it’s there. If my kids will ever attend school regularly, I’m going to refresh our apartment. The entire place will be repainted. Did you know you’re supposed to repaint your interior every 7-8 years? It’s been nearly 12 years (and 2 kids) since ours was painted. And let me tell you, it’s the kids who have made painting necessary more so than time. I also plan to remodel the master bath due to water damage and install new furnishings and lighting throughout. But the one thing that is not in my budget (not that the other stuff is, either) is a new kitchen. Kitchens are typically the biggest spend in a home. Fortunately, the first time around we installed pretty classic white cabinets, nice appliances, and Calacatta Gold marble countertops. That said, it still needs a facelift. So I’ve been working to give it a refresh by clearing clutter off the countertops and adding some new accessories that are both beautiful and functional.

I’ve saved so many images for inspiration. As a designer-in-training, I rely a lot on the work of more experienced designers for education. Here are a few I’ve saved for kitchen inspiration.

Inspiration from House of Jade @houseofjadeinteriors

Inspiration from Shira Gill @shiragill

Inspiration from Henna at The Simply Styled Home @thesimplystyledhome

Inspiration from Alaina Kaczmarksi @alianakaz

I love bringing art into a kitchen. And natural elements like olivewood and rattan add warmth and texture. Beautiful bowls for fruit and vases and pots for flowers make it easy to add color and life to the space. And I’m stepping up my game on every day items like hand soap and wooden spoons to make form as important as function. My best piece of advice is to make sure you accessorize with things you use. For example, we make margaritas on the weekend, so I used a rattan basket to make a margarita bar area. And I'll probably purchase Don Julio Blanco tequila more often because the bottle is pretty AND it’s my favorite, even though I also like less expensive Espolon…but the bottle isn’t as visually appealing.

I’m sharing several items that I have or plan to acquire as I continue to refresh our kitchen without spending the big bucks. All items are linked for purchase in the copy below this collage.

I love this marble utensil holder, refreshed with both heart-shaped and slotted olivewood spoons. This landscape print can be dressed with this ready-made frame that comes in several sizes and also comes in other colors. Heavenly scented hand soap and lotion look more beautiful on this rustic wood platform.

My margarita bar was created using this rattan basket that is the absolute perfect size. I place our bottles of tequila and Grand Marnier in it, along with a bowl, perhaps like this one, for limes, a cocktail shaker and a stoneware crock with fresh flowers.

Salt and pepper (and another favorite spice) go from countertop to table so easily in this pinch pot trio. And I love displaying one of my favorite cookbooks like this one, which has beautiful images of Ina’s garden so it doubles as artwork for my kitchen, on a stand with a clear cover (also this one that I’ve had for 15 years) to protect the book from my messy cooking. And cleaning up messes is more fun with beautiful kitchen towels like this one.

I always have fresh fruit, and a beautiful way to display it is in this sculptured bowl. Fresh-squeezed juice (or any other beverage) must taste better in this seagrass pitcher. If you cook and/or entertain, these rustic cutting boards, in different shapes (like round and square with handles) work double duty for cutting and serving.

And finally, since I can’t get new cabinets, I’m going to change the current hardware. I’m considering these knobs and these pulls, which come in a few finishes. I’ll probably order two finishes and see what I like best. I’m between aged brass and aged iron, but they are a great shape, regardless, if neither finish suits your kitchen.

I hope you’ll have with at least one or two of these items to give your kitchen a fresh new look.

XO,
Jennifer