One Room Challenge Week 6 -- The Before and After Kitchen Reveal !

Welcome to my little corner of the One Room Challenge Link Up, where first things first, I want to thank you for following my journey these past weeks and for your supportive and lovely comments!  It has meant the world to me.   As for our host and cheerleader, Linda, of Calling it Home, well, let's just say I could hug her for getting me a newly styled kitchen!!

When I decided to jump in and do this, I wanted to make sure that the end result was truly reflective of the style of 6 Wilson, which, in turn, is a true reflection of my personal design style.  I did up this statement months ago, and I keep it on my side bar.  I think the new kitchen fits right in!

And now on to the reveal!!...


OH yeah!  I'm feeling pretty accomplished over here at 6 Wilson.  The six week, One Room Challenge has come to an end and I made it!!!!!!!!!!!  Project Kitchen Face Lift is complete, and I couldn't be happier.  Thanks to Linda of Calling it Home and her do or die challenge,  and my husband for jumping in with his mad DIY skills, we now have a kitchen I actually enjoy.

Before we get to the rest of the "Afters," let's take a quick look back at where it all started.  I had to keep the cabinets as is (it was time to just embrace what wasn't changing any time soon). Wasn't planning on new counters until my man said "didn't you want new counter tops (week 2.5!)?"   Ended up getting a new chandelier, sink and faucet, too, which will all be reusable when we expand the kitchen in a few years. 

Here's the same wall as above, when I started...

Here's the other Before view...

And six stressful fun-filled weeks later, here's the result...

If you've been following along, you know I took an antique chest and turned it into a small island on wheels.  We are desperate for more storage in this kitchen, and this old/new baby does the trick.

I love that the original, worn marble top has chips and scratches, bringing it's own story to where our family gathers.

I choose creamy ivory subway tiles because I wanted a clean, unfussy feeling, and I've always loved the look of a brick pattern.  The fact that they are on trend, along with the gray walls, is not at all why I chose them.  When we decided to replace the counter tops, it was a game changer, and I knew instantly that I wanted to do my take on a black and ivory kitchen (my favorite).  Gray walls was the natural choice to hold its own against the bossy cabinets.

A new sink and faucet wasn't in the original plan, but since we were changing the formica, well, you know how that goes.  I think I have to confess true love for this faucet.  I also switched to a 9" single sink and it's nothing short of heaven.

The wall behind the table and chairs has been my nemesis for seven years.  I hung the print and mirrors (Before pic) when we moved in, and since I didn't love the rest of the kitchen, I was never motivated to turn it into what I knew it could be.  Until now.

Most of what's on this wall has a story, and that's what I like about it.

The monogram is from a shopping trip down South with a dear friend.  The tile art is something my daughter did a few years ago, and I held on to it for the black and ivory room I'd do someday.  And the pen and ink my other daughter did.

 The Wedgewood pitcher is from an antiquing afternoon, and I adore the hunt scene on it and the dog on the handle.  It's all about details, don't you think?

I went with a chrome chandelier to compliment the chrome faucet on the other side of the room, and to bring a little shine and reflection to counter all the black.  Love. It.  I looked for something a bit more mod, but at the end of the day, everything was too big for my short ceilings and the space in general.  It also speaks to my love of classic lines.

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 Here's a bit of the detail on the chair pads I made.  I thought at first that I would slip cover the whole chair, but in the end I decided to leave the graphic lines of the backs exposed and just go for a sassy skirt...

Even though these were a pain in the butt to make, I'm so glad I did, as I've always wanted chairs with pleated skirts.

As for the Roman shade, for the first time in my entire life, I had something made for me!!  I think the house shook when I told my family at dinner one night that I was having someone else do it.  I have never done that.  It's a control thing, mostly, I think.  Okay, and the fact that I was brought up to not pay for something you can do yourself (the Yankee in me, I suppose?)

I have a big thing for open shelves in a kitchen, but since my husband so doesn't, (and I try really hard to be a partner first, designer second), we compromised on no doors for a while on the dishes cabinet, with that leading to glass doors down the road ;-)

And that, my friends, ends my One Room Challenge adventure!  I will do a quick post in the next few days about the behind the scenes, the things that influenced my choices, and what's it's really like to change a room in 6 weeks while life goes on, oblivious to impending deadlines!

Now I'm off to catch up on the Top 20, and journey through the reveals of all my fellow Link Up Participants!  Come along for the fun ;-)

One Room Challenge Week 5!

Say it isn't so.  Week 5.  The home stretch.  Still have lots to do and I can't possibly drink any more coffee.  Just telling it like it is.  But guess what?  I'm only one week away from my new face-lifted kitchen!!  Woohoo!!  It's all good!!

My constant cheerleaders always looking in and wanting a cookie... My Kipper on the left and his neighbor pal.  And yes, the deck is next when this is done!!

The One Room Challenge Link Up has been amazing for this household!  I have embraced my dated cabinets that aren't changing, and the whole family is really loving the evolving look.  If you need to catch up, check out Weeks One, Two, Three and Four.

So, here's what happened this week...

I worked on the island project (converting an antique chest into a kitchen workhorse)...

And my husband tiled the back splash, then we did the grout together...

After the tile was done, my is-there-anything-he-can't-do husband had to redo our plumbing for the new single bowl sink I bought.  Who thinks about the fact that the old double sink was plumbed for two drains, and the new one would need a new center line?  I mean really, WHO thinks about this stuff when mesmerized by the attraction of a single sink??

In other news, we decided to replace the lighting over the table, and doesn't it come with part of it not wired and without some parts!   Really?  So I had some firm words with the online Home Depot and the new one will be here in two days.  Yup.  The ORC made me have to get tough.

Still on the punch list:
1.  Finish painting the island
2.  Hang the window treatment
3.  Finish the edging on the counters
4.  Hang the light
5.  Accessorize
6.  Clean till it all shines!!!! (may be the hardest part, lol)
7.  Oh shoot, and make 3 more chair pads that I didn't do last week!!!!

Now, enough of me, go check out the rest of the Link Up Participants ;-).  And don't forget the One Room Challenge official 20!  They rock ;-)

See you next Thursday for the reveal...

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!