One Week Challenge Week 4!!

I have been blown away by the interest in my little #projectkitchenfacelift for the One Room Challenge Link Up journey.  To bring you up to speed, this is a facelift, embracing my cabinets, to give us something we like until an eventual overhaul.  Thank you, all of you fabulous readers out there!  It is inspiring me to kick up the energy a notch, because at this point, I've fallen behind.  Yikes...

 CHAOS.  Yup.  Chaos has set in.  No sink.  Dead on the floor island project.  Let me tell you what happened this week  (some of these are instagram repeats, bear with me ).

My husband started building up the counter top edging to prep for the new Formica last Friday.  Just as he was showing my daughter on Saturday how they were going to fill in the gaps to get a level surface, he got a call that his ailing dad was not doing well, so off he went to the state next door.  So, my girls and I picked up the putty knives,  divided up the tasks, and got the job done...

Not the prettiest picture for you, but to me, this is gorgeous!  One step closer to losing my blah blah blah counters with the oak edging (you've seen the offender, you know what I mean).  Sorry if you like this look, it's just not me.

And while we're talking Formica, check out this Black Slate color I chose to give my kitchen the contrast and boldness it's needing to balance those strong cabinets...

For short money, this helps me get a lot closer to a better looking kitchen, and in person, it's a great looking finish.

More progress has been made since the weekend but oh, look at that stunning lack of tile (AAAAAAHHHH! time is flying)...

I've done some accessory shopping, some painting and repainting of a shelf  I've had and never used for 10 years,

and I've sat and stared at the progress with a "nothing-is-done-o-m-g" kind of feeling for way too many minutes at a time!

What's up for this week?

1.  Finish counter tops, install sink and new faucet
2.  Tile
3.  Order new lighting!!
4.  Work on the island.
5.  Finish the wall
6.  Finish chair cushions
7.  Start on a cabinet project 

HOW IS THIS GOING TO GET DONE?????   But who doesn't love a good challenge?  Bring on Week 5!

And now, go check out what all the other Link Up peeps are accomplishing!  And thanks, again, for pushing me on with your kind comments.  See you on the other side of Week 5.

One Room Challenge Week Three -- The Wall and Other Good Stuff

Week 3 and things are happening...

 

 Let me just put this out there about the One Room Challenge Link Up -- it's kicking.my.butt. !!  But, despite the mind games (should I do this or that), the long nights (till midnight painting and debating things) the dedication (standing in pouring, driving rain outside of Home Depot buying herbs before the next post), I have to admit I'm loving it!!  Let's see if I still say that by week 6 ;-)

To review, we left off last week with the grand accomplishment of new paint.  Not much.   But with my strong, bossy, orangey cabinets and woodwork, I needed a color that would stand up to them and push back for equal billing. Yet play nice.  I think it's working. Saturated color rules.

Next, my what-to-do-with-it-for-seven-years wall now is a true reflection of our home and our family...

Week One I showed you the brown and white watercolor inspiration for the entire room.  I confess I had no clever process to hanging these pieces.  I started with the shelves on the far left, hung the two watercolors, and then just filled in the spaces with things I had and things I found.  I eyeballed it.  I didn't want perfect. (Ok, not really, I just didn't want to measure, lol).   Here's a close up.

When I thought about what I wanted on this wall, here was my check list:

Inspiration pieces

Family photo because we eat together for family meals

A clock because we don't have one

Herbs because I've been wanting them inside for years

Stuff I love to look at all the time

My girl's artwork because we're proud of them

My list is checked, but I know I will be tweaking up until the end.  For example, the shelves to the left are a thorn -- do I stuff them or keep them simple?  (Don't mind the store pots -- I literally put them up there and played with the shelves while I was soaking wet from shopping in the rain.  Haven't found pots yet.)  Got an opinion?

Don't worry, they'll change!

In other news, I scraped the old wallpaper backsplash off in prep for my husband installing the new ivory subway tile last weekend.

But.  It didn't happen.

Why?  Well, when I got done scraping and stood back, visualizing the new ivory subway tile against the lame old blue-gray formica, and thinking how I would love a soapstone countertop for great contrast, my husband called, and says, "didn't you want new countertops?"  WHAT?!  So naturally I said "yeesssss, but we decided not to spend much..."  Him: "Well, if we're doing tile, it's kind of dumb not to do new formica to hold us over."  Say no more.  Not 45 minutes later I was paying for soapstone colored formica at Home Depot.  Done!

My process on this?
1.   I went with inexepensive tile because the wallpaper I chose was acutally more expensive.

2.  Formica gives us a new look and let's us save for the future remodel.

And, check this out -- I've had this image in my favorites file for a while because I love it.  So me, so good for my house... (I'm sorry, I don't know the designer!!)

Now, with the blackish new countertops on order, ivory accents, and honey cabinets, I may actually be getting close to having a similar room...

EEEEKKKKKK!!!  So. excited!!

More mood things...

Sooo.  There are other things going on, but I think this post is long enough, will all the other projects you'll want to check out on Calling it Home, so I will save them for next time.  But if you want sneak peeks here are there, follow me on Instagram (@6Wilson).  I'd love to have you follow along!

Up next:  1.  Working with my husband to install the countertops and tile (pray for peace ;-)
                2.  Creating a new island.

Ooohhh, putting that in writing feels scary!  See you soon,

Chinoiserie Blue and White to Style Your Home

You may remember this post from back in February, when I showed you the new 6 Wilson chinoiserie trays from the artists in China.  I have them back in stock, and I thought I would just copy and paste that post here as, well, let's face it, with the One Room Challenge going on, I don't have time to restyle them!!

  Are you a lover of blue and white chinoiserie?  Then you've got to see these porcelain trays...

I am going to be carrying this Chinese porcelain line when I launch 6 Wilson.com, and I am so excited about it.  These trays are handmade in China by local artists who mold them and then hand paint them.  They are heavy and substantial, not really for serving, and definitely make a statement.  I have styled them a bit to give you an idea of scale (mind you, the lamp below is only 10" wide). 

Here's the rectangle...

And the octagonal...

When I discovered these pieces, I learned that a lot of the mass produced blue and white porcelain you see in stores everywhere is actually produced using blue decals, while some is painted.  That is why the price can sometimes be very inexpensive.  I believe I will probably offer both variations -- mass produced and hand done, because each has it's place, and each offers a different aesthetic.


What I love about this more rustic line of hand done porcelain is the rich character the pieces contain,  making no two alike.  These are done in a pre-industrial setting with the rich clay of the region, where up to 8 or 9 potters and painters can collaborate to form just one piece.  These pieces are definitely not the perfect, crisp white and blue porcelain of the modern factory.  And that's what gives them their charm.  They are regional and proudly made.

If you look closely at the images above, you will see markings from tools, the imperfect lines of the painter's brush, and what I love most -- the occasional and sometimes densely spaced, tiny brown markings that appear (bottom center) in the piece after it is fired.  I'm told this is actually iron from the rich iron content of the local clay.  Some pieces will have a lot of it, some barely any.  It's all a natural process.  Here's another look.

The rectangle measures 17" x 13" x 1 1/4" and the octagonal is 15 1/2" x 15 1/2" x 1 1/4".

The bottom of these pieces is unglazed, and looks very rustic, but it so smooth...

Because the 6 Wilson.com shop won't be up and running for a few months, and I can't sell them in 6 Wilson on Etsy because I didn't make them,  you can buy them from 6 Wilson via a PayPal invoice.  Shipping is $20 (and if you are a Massachusetts resident, sales tax applies.)  You just need to email me if you want one.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope your week is off to a great start!

Email me at Shop6Wilson@gmail.com to purchase or to ask questions.

Update:  I published this post at about midnight last night, and within 10 minutes, the octagonal tray was sold!  The rectangle is still available ;-).  If you would like to order an octagonal tray, please email me as I will be checking with  my vendor today on additional stock.
 

One Room Challenge: Week 2

Well, last week, before I left for High Point (the international furniture show), I got started on painting the kitchen.  If you missed week one of the ORC, click here.

Since I have to leave the cabinets as is (dated oak, you know the look, you know the husband who loves wood), I had to find a paint color that would give me the drama I was looking for, and look really great with the orangey wood and the blue-gray formica countertops that are staying.

So, bring on Benjamin Moore Galveston Gray. 

 

Here's the first coat, as it is now, as I am away this week!

 Because I am leaving the counters and cabinets as is, I want to create impact and style with color and accessories.  I've had to work with wood trim in this house and my last house (I hope I am rewarded in heaven ;-).  It's limiting.  But that's another post.  And I know there are a lot of you out there who have dated oak, too, so I'm hoping this transformation will inspire you!

Anyway, I will be bringing that taupey-gray Galveston Gray over to the other side of the kitchen through this Sanderson fabric that I've been thinking about for months and months with nowhere to use it.  Until now!!

So, this is where I ended week one.  Up next, I'm removing the wallpaper backsplash while I get the shop ready for an upcoming 6 Wilson pillow cover giveaway on a blog I love!  Woohoo!  Lots of fun going on ;-)
Come back next Thursday and see how far I've gotten!!  See you soon and thanks for following along.

  Oh!!  And click on over to Calling it Home 

to see all the other fabulous One Room Challenge Link Up Participants!

One Room Challenge: Week One!

Okay,  I will be honest up front. It's not easy for me to show my house, never mind where it's really dated. ;-) But to participate as a link-up to the One Room Challenge that Calling it Home hosts?  Well, I'm gonna just get right over it!  It's just too fun to let pass by, and, let's face it, there's nothing like a deadline to get something done.

So, I give you my very tired kitchen (unstyled and real life), which will be the room I will be redoing during this 6 week challenge...

My small kitchen has two areas -- the eat in, above, and the cooking, below...

Don't you love how I left out the cleaning stuff?  Well, this is me, people.  No airs.  The light was good, so I took the picture ;-)  Don't get distracted by the red trash can.  I know you want one.

Now, here's the story.  We moved into this house over 7 years ago, knowing that the kitchen was inadequate for the house and we would have to expand it some day.  I hung the mirrors and the print on the empty dining wall because I had nothing else, and they were what was left over after everything else from our old house went up.  I made valances with fabric I already had.  I kept saying everything was temporary.  They are still there 7 1/2 years later.  Life is vast.  Budgets are small.  Time Flies.

Enter the ORC Link Up.  

I'm on a mission to update my kitchen, with a goal of making major impact without a major budget.  All the big ticket pieces will stay, because this is meant to be a "spruce up" to get us a few more years before a total overhaul.

I'm going for:   New Paint Color
                        Affordable Backsplash
                        A Better Looking Dining Area without new furniture
                        Texture, Personality, and lots of  #6WilsonStyle (my fave instagram tag)
                        A New Window Treatment, maybe a roman.
                        A Cozy, Homey, Inviting place to drink my excessive amounts of coffee ;-)
                        A Surprise Element I can't wait to share (of course, I hope it goes as planned!)

Where will she start with that, you ask?

Well, about a month ago, I scored these two signed watercolors at 70% off, and when I saw them, the heavens opened, the angels sang, and I finally had a vision for my kitchen.  It struck like lightening.  Originally, I was going to do my powder room for the ORC, but this artwork changed the game.

It has the earthiness I was longing for, clean lines, and botanicals (which I adore).  I immediately saw a plan for the entire space starting to take form right there as I stood contemplating them in the clearance room of a small shop.

I'm not going to say much more (okay, because the plan is really still forming ;-) but I will add that when I was putting these stones in an orchid my girls gave me, inspiration struck again, and so I put the little stones in a bottle, to act as my guide...

And now, I say to you, "Wish me luck."  I will need it, to accomplish this in 6 weeks!  I hope you will come along for my ride.

So say goodbye...

                        

And thanks so much for visiting!  Check out all the other Linking Participants here for great inspiration.  See you next week for the Week Two update.