If Jen Could Redo the Redo...

When we first moved into our home in 2000 this was our kitchen...

It had the world's smallest oven (seriously could not put a full size cookie sheet in it!), old appliances and peel and stick floors. 

We immediately put in laminate floors and then 2005 we updated the appliances

Then in 2007 we added on and remodeled and in the kitchen I had no hesitation picking out what I wanted...I had been scouring design magazines for years and was enamored with the "Something's Gotta Give" kitchen (like the rest of the world) Marble for the island, honed black granite the perimeter, beveled  white subway tile and white and black cabinetry. I used my existing fridge and dishwasher (in the island) as they were stainless and worked well and allowed me to splurge on my Wolf range and two Shaw farmhouse sinks and Rohl faucets.

I love my kitchen but there are a few things I would change...

1. The dish drawer should have just been a second full size dishwasher. Kris and I will both tell you that dish drawers DON'T WORK, unless you don't mind cleaning your dishes after they have been in the dishwasher!!! I should have sacrificed the mini cabinet and made it another full size dishwasher. 
2. The layout would be different. I would have not had the island on an angle and moved it farther away from the dining table. It is meant to mimic the angle of the entry into the great room and allow me to watch the T.V., see in the playroom and be a part of the greatroom which I love, but there is too big of a space between the workspaces and not enough room around the table.
3.  This is an imaginary house item...I would love a subzero fridge (see below) and open shelving , though both items would be entirely impractical for my family (think sippy cups filling the shelves and left overs in the fridge:)

 

This kitchen was for me and my husband let me have free reign...as long as I made sure he had this...

He loves coffee in the morning and a cocktail after work and boy does he deserve both:)

They say hindsight is 20/20 and I am hoping my hindsight will give you some

 insight into your next kitchen redo!

Put some kitchen insight in your back pocket...

Stencils? Yep, Stencils.

We'd love a little wallpaper in our house but there are a few thing holding us back.  

1. We don't know how to wallpaper.

(For some reason we think we're DYI-ers.)

2.  It seems a little "permanent" for those of us with decorating-ADD.

Here's a little inspiration.....

Kris was on the blog Mod Girl  the other day and she came across this post of her laundry room where she she used these STENCILS by Whitewall and Co. that we love. Here is her laundry room...

and here are some pictures from the Whitewall portfolio...

These are some of the patterns...

These stencils are an easier, less expensive and a customizable alternative to wallpaper.  Much more important is the fact that they are modern and hip.  Not like the old "grapes on a vine" stencils of the 90s. 

We are deciding which wall in our house to put one on...

Put some modern wall stencils in your back pocket...

Target Treat

Kris and I have always loved these salad plates from Christopher Jagmin but they are pricey...

then at Target today I snatched up these dessert plates...

They are $11.99 for four! You know our obsession with numbers, we can't help ourselves!

 (FYI Phoenix peeps, don't go to the 19th Ave.

SuperTarget they are all gone:) 

Get these plates and put them in your back pocket...

Imaginary House: Brick Detail

Another element for our imaginary house that we've been pondering is "a little brick."
It adds instant warmth, texture and detail.

     

There is a store called Willows in Phoenix that we love and the owner posted these pictures of her new brick floor on her blog... Kris is jealous, she has always wanted a weathered brick floor in her kitchen...

put some brick inspiration in your back pocket...

A Little Getaway...

We are in Irvine, California for a little getaway to watch Kris' son in the USA Junior National Swim Meet. We managed to get away yesterday for a little shopping at Fashion Island and loved seeing the bright modern designs at Jonathan Adler.

He is fearless with color...

Then we went to Z Gallerie and bought a half price curtain panel that we are going to make pillows out of

It is " faux" Kelly Wearstler Imperial Trellis,

 and we are thinking we can get four pillows out of it for $29! Here is the inspiration

put some shopping finds in your back pocket...

Imaginary House: The Foyer

We are back to dreaming about our imaginary house and in it would be a big foyer with a great table styled just right.

If you struggle with what to put on your foyer table then check out this great how-to from House Beautiful.

Put a big, cool foyer in your back pocket...

Back to School Project:Cork Board Tiles

My kids LOVE art projects. I mean LOVE. They also want them up all over our house and we don't really have a big house so it was time to come up with a playroom display solution. I would love a giant cork board wall but that is a big committment...so I found this easy, cute idea for cork board tiles with a tutorial from a blog called Hazel Bloom.

You take 12 x 12 cork board tiles. (mine were on a back to school sale at Staples for $5 for 4)

spray on some adhesive and take scrapbook papers

(which are 12 x 12, so handy!)

and press them on

these are how hers turned out, so cute!

The paper gets holes in it from push pins, but that is no big deal since you can so easily change the paper. 

I also used Amy Butler double sided scrapbook paper,

 here they are...

I put them on the side of the awesome plastic cubes from Target, they fit perfectly (although it took a few attempts to get them to stick...double sided poster tape seemed to do the trick)

The cubes are called itso and you can stack them customize them with shelves, different size drawers,and bright colored fabric drawers that are so cute!

Here are some "style tiles" from Pottery Barn Teen that

 Kris is going to try and recreate with her daughter, though this one will set you back $299...(of course we think doing it yourself  for $20 sounds a lot better:)

Put some cork board tile fun  in your back pocket...