fridays with oscar | kitchen update
hello friday! which means another week has come and gone. it’s so funny but the blog keeps me regulated as far as time and weather are concerned. photo shoots are scheduled then re-scheduled if inclement weather blows into town. let me assure you mother nature has carte blanche when it comes down to it. then there’s an editorial calendar in place with oscar penciled in on friday. now that ollie joined our family she makes cameo appearances from time to time.
for the past year or so we’ve introduced recipes and cocktails to the blog to coincide with fridays with oscar. thursday has turned into our indoor photo shoot day where i’m slicing and dicing and mr. style is shaking the cocktail shaker then snapping photos. so i thought i would take you behind the scenes so to speak and share our kitchen with you. many of you know we moved to athens, ga two years ago. before that we lived in a tiny two bedroom apartment in san francisco, ca. before that we owned a lovely home on six acres in minnesota where we made the decision to downsize our lives and sell everything! we’ve definitely run the gamut as far as living conditions but i think we hit the nail on the head with our current home. not too big and not too small. but since we arrived at our home we’ve purchased furniture, painted, added light fixtures, and replaced knobs. here’s a photo of what our kitchen looked like when the previous owners lived here.
take a look at those drawer pulls and cabinet knobs.
our first purchase was a kitchen table and two windsor chairs, both from Wayfair. plus a dorchester bench with cushions from Ballards Designs. notice the original paint was pale blue and the light fixtures most likely came from a big box store. but i loved the built-in bookcases in the eating space. and the beadboard paneling set the tone for the entire house – modern farmhouse.
a stainless steel island was purchased to add a prep center. space is tight but it works and i can store major appliances on the bottom shelf. like a cuisinart food processor, kitchenaid blender, and my favorite a kitchenaid mixer.
recently we painted the walls shelburn buff, replaced the chandelier, and added task lighting over the stainless steel island.
anyone notice the kitchen knobs and drawer pulls were exchanged? little details like this make a big difference.
love the addition of recessed canned lights.
curtains and rod were installed. cheery buffalo check panels add a country flavor. there’s pattern mixing in play with striped farmhouse cushions and check curtains. interior designers have utilized this trick for years. notice another pattern mix in the room? that would be my horizontal striped tee and vertical striped shorts.
a butcher block cutting board is a must!
the kitchen appliances lined up on the bottom shelf. mr. style loves the simple human stainless steel garbage can.
on that happy note, oscar, ollie and i wish each of you a lovely weekend!
Good Morning Beth! We recently (April) downsized into a newly built 1800 sq ft ranch. The big 4000 sq ft home that we lived in for 19 years was sold to our daughter. We are both ecstatic..lol! I’ll be 60 in October ( hubby 61) and having the smaller house is just what we need at this stage. I loved (and obsessed over) every design decision. Taking my time with decorating though… I want it to feel just right.
Approve.
that sounds like a win/win as your house is still in the family. you are so wise to wait with decorating decisions. if you wait long enough the house will tell you exactly what it needs. xo
Terrific! It looks like the house has “good bones,” which helps a lot in decorating. Glad you’re enjoying your digs. And it looks like Oscar and Ollie approve.
the house does have good bones, sue, and overall we didn’t have to make any major renovations which is a plus. xo
Who is the maker of that wonderful cutting board?
dang! i thought i had everything linked. the cutting board was purchased at Macy’s the brand is Catskill. hope this helps! xo
Thank you. I just bought one. It’s just what I needed. Love your blog. I’ve bought many of the things you feature.
How easy was it to remove the two cupboard doors? Did you have to cover holes and paint?
it was very easy to remove the doors. you just have to patch the holes then paint. the hinges to our cupboard doors were on the inside of the frame so the holes left behind are not as visible as those on the outside. xo
You look so thin – and happy.
thanks, mary! my workouts are paying off.xo
Outstanding post Beth! So appreciate all the hard work you guys do on all your posts and your refreshing candid approach! Love the kitchen and dinning room choices! Blessings to you and your family
thanks so much, shannon! the kitchen is the heartbeat of the home so it’s always fun to add your personal touch. xo
I have often admired your curtains now know where to obtain them. Thanks for the link. We also have downsized, from a heritage home to something modern on a smaller acreage and in a different state. All part of lifes rich journey
it sounds as if you didn’t miss a beat downsizing and relocating. life is good! xo
I finally retired in June and a week later hubs & I & our 16 year old cockapoo got in the car & drove west. New York to California in 5 days! Both of our kids are in CA so the decision was easy. Sold nearly everything; downsized to condo in golf resort community. Have not looked back! Thanks for all your inspirational ideas!
that is a no-brainer! i’m certain you are enjoying living in close proximity to your kiddos. it sounds like the golf resort community was the perfect choice for you. xo
Beth, I’m so happy I came across your blog! I always look forward to your posts.
I have the same curtains in my kitchen and love them.
Really appreciate your fashion tips and hope to see more of your decorating style.
then you know firsthand how cheerful this buffalo plaid curtain is! don’t you just love Ballards Design?! xo
I got mine from Country Curtains a few years ago. They have since then gone out of business. They’re starting to show their age (much like myself) but it’s good to know they’re available at Ballards!
What fun it must be to putter around that great, spacious kitchen of yours. Of course being the stylish couple that you are, you have incorporated such wonderful details into this lovely space.
it’s home! and there’s nothing like home sweet home. hope all is well in NYC. xo
maine coon cats can weigh upwards of twenty pounds. they are BIG cats. but the best breed possible. xo
that’s a great tip! thanks for sharing. mr. style loves the fact there’s a space for bag storage. xo