This week’s gem: Kim’s Kitchen Remodel. Not an ongoing blog in the traditional sense, this mini-site chronicled blogger Kim’s (one-half the always lovely Desire to Inspire blog) 2008 kitchen reno. It covers everything from her initial ideas and cabinetry choices to demolition, installation and the final reveal. Essential reading for an aspiring kitchen designer like me, but also fascinating for anyone with an interest in home remodels, kitchens or interior design.

Enjoy, and have a Happy Weekend!

I’m obsessed with the Danish Modern Covered Casserole, in the last image. What about you- see anything you like?

Take this conceptual kitchen, designed to recycle waste as close as possible to where it’s produced. Called Ekocook, it’s been dreamed up by Victor Massip and Laurent Lebot of Faltazi. As well as the usual things you’d expect to find in a kitchen, Ekocook includes an under-sink reservoir for collecting reusable water, a collection of super-organized recycling bins, pendant lights which double as herb pots and even a container of earthworms to turn food waste into compost.

I’m all for reducing waste and recycling more, but even I can’t imagine keeping worms in my kitchen. What do you think?

So, without further ado, I present the Kitchenist kitchen:

If you’re a regular reader of my food blog, you might deduce that the table under the window is where I take my photos. Bought for £15 at a local furniture shop’s sidewalk sale, this piece is a perfect size and shape for my needs. The top is used as a landing strip for change, mail, keys and phones to get dumped when we come in, and I keep baking paraphernalia in the shelf. It’s an old piece and in pretty poor condition, so my original intention was to re-finish it. I’m still hoping to get around to that this winter; I want to strip and re-stain the top dark, and paint everything below a glossy white.

There’s a lot of annoying, wasted space around the sink, so I try to fill it up with pretty and useful things. The wooden box houses my scale, matches and other odds and ends, and the vintage kitchen scale is perfect for my t-shirt towels, which I use for spills and such.

As a vegetarian, I eat lots of grains and legumes. This is only a small portion of the variety I like to have around more (there are more in the cupboards), but I like to keep these ones, in their pretty matching jars, in plain sight ;)

I need to keep all my cooking stuff close at hand (also, there’s no room in the cupboards; they’re full of grains), so I keep a tray with oils, vinegars and salt next to the stove. The salt pig is Nigella Lawson’s mini one, which I keep stocked with Maldon sea salt- I use it for just about everything. The Le Creuset utensil jar holds just about half of my regularly-used utensils.

This bit of counter is my favourite, thanks in part to my brand-new Wesco breadbox, a birthday present. I also keep cutting boards, a cookie jar and another utensil pot (filled with baking stuff, mainly) over here. You can also see my dark green Chasseur Dutch oven on the cooker; I use this baby almost daily.

The far wall is the flat’s answer to a closet- we keep our coats, shoes and shopping bags here. You can also see my two aprons on the far left- the patterned one is from Kitsch’n Glam and the burlap one was a souvenir from an Italian holiday. The antique coat rack is one of my favourite things in the flat; I bought it while on a Landmark holiday with my family.

I hope you liked my little kitchen tour; the shots are nothing special but at least it was recently cleaned when I took them! :) I think it would be interesting to see the creative spaces of other food bloggers, too- perhaps a new feature?

Not only was the transformation of this space amazing (be sure to click the link and see the “before”), but the kitchen itself is pretty damn gorgeous, too. I love the different shades used for the upper and lower cupboards, and how they work with the accessories in the space.

You can see more photos of this space at Sabrina’s blog, too.

Made from an old clay pigeon target, I like this bright wall clock from A Well Dressed Bullet:

PILOTdesign makes loads of modern clocks, but my favourite is the simple Petal Links design:

In terms of vintage, I love this school clock from Mary and Grace. Circa 1960, it’s a style that can go from sleek to retro in a second:

The victorienne clock from uncommon is one of my favourites. The ornate needles stand out on the simple background, which comes in nine colours:

At first glance, I didn’t think this kitchen was my style: it’s posh, polished, and a little too “grown-up” for my tastes. But I kept coming back to it, and began to notice the little details that make it fresh. The shiny, continuous backsplash looks newer than a tiled one, and the touches of black are unexpected and edgy. Also, is that a tulle light fixture? I so need one of those.

I love the cool, Mediterranean vibe here. The beamed ceiling, whitewashed walls and complete lack of “decoration” make the space relaxing and serene. The long table (and mismatched chairs- love!) makes me think of leisurely meals with family and friends. Also, how cool is that fridge in the wall?!

I could go into my usual “Why this works” spiel now, but it would be a long list. The warm wood and cool subway tile, the huge storage island, the light fixtures and mismatched dining chairs… I could go on. I especially like the windows tucked between and above the cabinets. They bring in lots of light, making the space bright and airy but warm and inviting at the same time. 

Check out all the kitchen photos here, and the rest of Allison and Paul’s home here.