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Archive for June 2009

Colour in the kitchen: Blue

While purple and red aren’t exactly my cup of tea, blue is a colour I can definitely get on board with. Meant to inspire creativity (always a good thing in the kitchen), it can be bright, modern and cheerful or calm, cool and sophisticated. Also, blue is decidedly non-polarizing. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t think these kitchens were gorgeous, wouldn’t you?

I love how the cabinets and walls work together in this scan from sarahleeab‘s photostream. The contrasting orange accessories are the icing on the cake: 

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super-bright shade in a cheery retro space, from Lara604

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Originally from the now-defunct Domino magazine, and found on Laissezfaire, I like the colour used in this space. Light blue can be very elegant, as demonstrated by the marble-and-chandelier style here: 

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A bright, modern backsplash in an otherwise white kitchen, from house to home:

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Pale and modern, by Paul Raeside and found via Apartment Therapy

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Navy is an unusual choice, more modern and subdued than the brighter shades. I like this Miele kitchen from 03interiors

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Flickr find: sun, florals

sun and floral

I love this photo, from Etolane. Just gorgeous.

Cool Kitchen: Dwell July/August

We’re still waiting for the July/August issue of Dwell to hit our doorstep here in London, and frankly, it’s beginning to irritate me. Sick of the suspense, I headed over to their website this morning to see what I’ve been missing. What I found was a slideshow and article about the LA home of architect Jeremy Levine. The style is SoCol Spanish meets ultra-modern, and I love what I see: 

dwell july/august

Besides the obviously wonderful combination of warm wood, crisp white and touches of black, I think this kitchen works so well because of all the horizontal and vertical lines at play. The wooden ceiling and floor increase the sense of horizontal space, but thanks to all the tall, white-framed cupboards, the feeling isn’t at all stifling. I like all the built-in nooks and shelves, which are not only practical, but draw your eye across the width of the room.

Product round-up: Bread Bins

I don’t actually have room for a bread bin in my kitchen, but I want one just the same. I bake a lot, and a tupperware container, while practical for storage, is just plain unsightly. Not so for these fantastic bread bins, any one of which would be welcome on my kitchen counter. 

As classic roll-top designs go, I think this matte black version from Brabantia is pretty nice. It won’t fight for attention, and the size seems reasonable for a small kitchen: 

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This 30′s number from Etsy seller sixpence & a blue moon might look like some of the knock-offs you see around these days, but it’s the real deal. I love the bright colour for a kitchen counter:

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The futuristic Gnam bread bin by Alessi is cute and quirky, comes in several colours, and is reasonably priced, too:

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If it wasn’t for the huge size (and price) I’d go for this cream-and-beech ceramic binby Nigella Lawson. The other side of the wooden lid can be used as a cutting board:

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I think my favourite might be this steel bread bin by Joseph Joseph. The size, shape and colours are spot-on:  

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Kitchen Inspiration: Inspace Locations

I like browsing the locations at Inspace when I feel the need for a little property eye-candy. My interest isn’t limited to kitchens by any means, but since this blog is, sit back and be inspired by these gorgeous cooking-and-eating spaces.

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Etsy finds: recipe cards

I know most people don’t really need recipe cards these days, keeping most favourite recipes in computer bookmarks as we do. Still, there’s something nice about a box of index-size cards to hold and pass on. If I can’t convince you, maybe this selection of adorable sets from Etsy will. 

This modern blue design from up up creative is simple and straightforward: 

card one

The Fork and Spoon set from WhiskerGraphics is actually a downloadable pdf, so there’s no writing involved: 

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From Daily Sip Studios, I like this set of 24 Modern Flower recipe cards, which have room for loads of info and can be personalized, too:  

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The animal lover in me loves these quirky Dog Silhouette Recipe Cards from browndogboutique. You can even choose your favourite dog silhoutte from a range of 24, and your ink colour:

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I love the simplicity of these Mixer Recipe Cards, from HelloPaper

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Kathleen Hills

I remember seeing British designer Kathleen Hills’ work over at The Kitchn about a year ago. I come across a lot of tableware and kitchen products when I’m browsing the web, but the work of this product designer and Central St. Martins teacher really stayed with me. I recently came across her site and loved what I saw- here are my favourite pieces. 

The piece that Hills probably gets the most press for, her “Made in England” china and beech rolling pin

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These Milkli double-spouted milk jugs come with colourful foil caps, as well as practical plastic ones:

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I don’t use sugar cubes, but for this Sugar lump holder I might have to start: 

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There’s no way I could choose between all Hills’ plate designs, but here are my favourites: 

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Hills also makes beautiful light fixtures, including this Cluster light which I covet for my own kitchen (it comes in black, too):

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Flickr find: bookend the day

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end

These lovely meal shots, titled working breakfast and end of the day, are from the Food photoset of rachellake. I’m also loving Rachel’s blog and Etsy shop.

Cool Kitchen: hownowdesign’s functional vintage

Remember this photo? It’s probably one of my all-time favourites from Flickr. So when I came across the kitchen all those bundts hail from, in hownowdesign‘s around the house photoset, I couldn’t wait to share.

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Though decidedly vintage in its leanings, this kitchen is actually quite spare and functional. The only touches of decoration come from the bundt pans on the wall and the paper-lined, glass-fronted cupboards, both of which are practical storage solutions, too. I particularly like the addition of a utilitarian storage unit (from a university surplus sale), which I think adds a masculine touch.

Re-found finds: RE

I was the mood for a cathartic clear-out this weekend, and spent some time emptying cupboards and engaging in general organizing. Ripping tears from a stack of old Elle Decorations, I came across blogging paydirt- an article on the UK’s best catalogue companies.

One of the companies mentioned was RE, an online and brick-and-mortar (if you’re in Northumberland) retailer selling a mix of home and design objects. Most of the stock is rare, recycled, rescued or restored, making it a wonderful resource for one-of-a-kind vintage style. Personally, I can’t wait to get shopping.

I love this selection of French milk bottles and matching glasses:

re one

I’ve never seen vintage baguette boards before, but think these are lovely and hilarious in equal measure: 

re two

Beautiful baking paraphernalia is a weakness of mine, and these vintage mixing bowls are no exception: 

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Given my recent milk glass obsession, it’s no surprise that I’m falling for this lovely green set of pitcher and tumblers

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These pressed glasses come in a great range of colours: 

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Perfect for the summer, check out these seaside-themed cookie cutters:

re six