the chateau kitchen

Now I'm not going to make this a kitchen design blog, but I couldn't  help but notice the interest shown in the first picture I put up yesterday, so I thought you might like to see more of that amazing kitchen, as well as a few other oversize,  château cuisine

I think we are attracted in this kitchen to the mellow colour of the old brick walls, the exceptional brick ceiling, the lack of structure to the room, and of course the old cooking range.

Funny though, when we all long for sleek, easy to clean, designer kitchens, how we are drawn towards this room which answers none of those criteria.

 I think if this were my room the only thing I may add would be curtains at the windows, I know about draughty old châteaux, and even with shutters closed at night, I think a little extra protection would be comforting.

 Finally, this kitchen even enjoys one of my favourite features in any house, a view onto an enfilade of rooms.  

Brooke Gianetti put up a great post a few days ago, at her wonderful blog Velvet and Linen about kitchen design, and how she no longer wants any built in kitchen cabinets.  She got me thinking and searching through my old kitchen pics, and I came up with these.  Sleek?  No ...  Full of character?  Well I think so, what do you think?

 photos thanks to Mire images

kitchen layout

This year should be the year that we renovate and rethink our kitchen.  Inevitably I find myself looking hard at kitchen layout in magazines and on the net.

First, I have to come to terms with the fact that to have a wonderful sprawling brick-walled kitchen like this first picture, my house would need to be about 150 years older, and at least 4 times the size!!  Come back down to earth Sharon!!

Thought you might enjoy this Parisian kitchen and breakfast room.  I like the way they have used the L-shaped space, I love the quirky window and door, love the huge generous curtain that could pull across the whole wall in the evening.  I like the black paintwork with the chequered floor; the hang down lamps and the terrace garden immediately outside the door and window.

all photos thanks to Mires images

the writing on the wall - my chalkboard

I've always loved to have a blackboard in my kitchen,  shopping lists, mots d'amour, rugby fixtures, it all has to be put somewhere.   But the one I used to have tended to get in the way.  It  hung a bit close to a door, and now and again we'd knock it as we walked past.

So I decided to go two dimensional ...  I love painting on walls, it's very relaxing.  When the children were little I found it hard to get cross if they wrote on a wall because I know how good that feels!

I painted a trompe l'œil frame around the blackboard, and to make it more fun screwed a couple of little aluminium hooks for my tea towels and aprons underneath.

And the day I don't like it any more I shall get out the brushes and start all over again!

Very happy to be linking in to the chalkboard party at SIxty Fifth avenue

when I grow up - my china cupboard

When I grow up I will have beautiful, well-appointed cupboards;

no mismatched or chipped china;

my wooden boards will never fall on the floor as I try to slide one out from the bottom of the pile of trays, boards and table mats;

I will never find stale or mouldy spices at the back of my untidy shelves;

no one in the kitchen will ever need a plaster because they cut themselves on a sharp knife hidden in the drawer;

and when a kind soul offers to empty my dishwasher I will never hear "I couldn't find anywhere to put this", because every inch of my kitchen will be so totally rational, clear and spacious.

A girl can always dream!

Photos 1 here, 2, 3 and 5 here, 4 and 6 here

friendly kitchen

I love this photo, it's such a friendly looking room it is.  Spacious and light, without seeking to impress.  A table to sit around with friends and a glass of wine, while preparing a meal.

I love the colours, the old sign for sparkling wine on the wall, the farmhouse table.  Big doors lead out to a terrace or straight onto the lawn., and the family dog is probably about to trot in looking for a crust of something.
This is definitely not a 'fitted kitchen', I've never seen a lamp like that on a work top, but the whole thing just comes together.  Lunch in the country.

photo here