Let's Talk Kitchens: New and Old

As promised, I intend to focus on something other than my troubles. Life with both the good and the bad is going on, so the blog's focus is on something lighter ---although trust me...real life is going on. (think: doctor visit yesterday with mother for a severe sinus infection followed by me falling asleep on the couch VERY early last night)

Now about kitchens.

I have not been so excited about kitchen pictures in magazines in a very long time. Let me preface this with I think EVERYONE should be entitled to their opinions of what they like and I have NEVER been a fan of cookie cutter anything. I love PERSONAL style.

This is not a post about dissing white kitchens.

Lately though, there has been no variety in the kitchen department. I mean variety is the spice of life😊 or so it is said.

All kitchens are white these days. My mother painted hers white before she moved down here a few years ago and was so happy. Her biggest disappointment in her new home was that it didn't have white cabinets. She loved everything about it but that.

I can appreciate white cabinets. One of my favorite kitchens period, white or not, is Jenny Steffins Hobick's. Below you will see her kitchen. I think what makes me love the white here is it is warmed up by the wood floor.

We are home shopping for a second home in our college Alma Mater's town. In fact we made an offer last night. More about that on another day. OF course, the kitchen is white.

Looking at all these homes made me decide to take a stroll down memory lane to what I love in a kitchen.

Does anyone else make a folder of ideas? I started my folders in college and still have many pictures from magazines from the early 80's and forward. I still love to hold the magazine in my hand, so it is one of my weaknesses although I have really curbed it lately.

I now have a folder on my computer for the things I see on blogs and Instagram.

Warning: as we stroll through my memories and magazine clippings... the photos you are about to see are all just from my stash of clippings taken with my phone.
No special touches here...

I adored this kitchen and it was the guide for our kitchen when we built a home back in 1986. I just swapped out green for my very favorite color of all time...NAVY BLUE. This is the home we lived in from 1986 until 2003 when we moved to our present home.

This began my love of wood grain. 

I wish I had lots of earlier pictures of my navy blue kitchen before it hit the early 90's and became a cluttered mess. What were we thinking with all that country stuff everywhere?!!!

I remember when we were building it and I told people I was going to have navy blue counters people questioned it. It turned out perfect and I LOVED it. Afterwards, it received lots of compliments. I also am probably still the only woman in America who loves those honey oak cabinets, but I do. It is all about the coordinating colors with them.

Here are more of that navy loveliness and the clutter.

Here is one pre kids with a little less clutter. The dog is my first child, Sally.

There was also a cool pantry and the kitchen area opened to my dining area with beautiful glass pocket doors.

Lindsay stayed in the pantry. She unloaded it almost daily and taught her little brother to do the same. 

Now, let's see some more clippings that inspired my kitchen. The next three were a Southern Living magazine kitchen that I loved. You can see it heavily inspired me.

Can't you see how I loved the wallpaper and kitchen cabinet choice?

I also adored the hutch and the brick wall. I had a brick floor in my kitchen and so loved it.

Here is another kitchen that inspired my clutter days. I simply couldn't live in that now. That is one time I should not have followed trends although I can look at it and like it from afar. This kitchen was clipped from A Country Woman magazine.

Shortly before we moved in 2003, I had taken the wallpaper down, and painted the kitchen. I took no pictures of it which really saddens me because it was some of my best work ever. Life was going on though at that time too... we lost Jeff's mother right after I did all of that and moved into our current home. It helped sell it I think.

When we moved into our present home in 2003, I was still inspired by the love of country, so this clipping captured my thoughts.

My current cabinets were custom built and are the most beautiful solid oak with lots of wood grain. I wasn't too crazy about the white counters until I saw this picture. I thought ok..

I adore my cabinets although they are 34 years old and on the drawers and a couple of the doors they are showing age. My husband has been slowly retaining and refinishing the messy drawers and doors. He is doing a phenomenal job, so I am excited for him to finish them.

Here you can see what I am talking about...the top drawer he has redone, the next one is in need of it.

I hope you enjoyed the stroll through 80's and 90's kitchens. I have tons more clippings old and new:)

I know I have certainly toned down the clutter, but I still love all of the wood grain in all of those old clippings.

Off to get started on a very busy day,

Sandy