Here is the kitchen project I have been SO excited to share with you all! Again, this was one of my brainstorms, and I’ll be darned if I should’ve thought of it sooner!
So….take a good look at the photo below. This is a stairwell down into the middle level where our laundry room is, to our finishes basement (with 1/3 of a side unfinished.) You see that ledge along the stairs and half-wall? We are always putting stuff there that needs to go down and put away, that we don’t have room for to keep in the kitchen. Extra platters, our slow cooker, etc. Plus, we have plenty around the kitchen that could use a better residing place.
So one day it hit me……we could make this area into some really awesome, USEFUL, shelves. And I knew just how it could be done, more or less. So, I told Michael about it, he drew what he thought, I said “No, no no, like this….”….and drew out what I thought, and we debated some. In the end, he understood my ‘vision’…and I got BEYOND excited.
That half wall is about 4.5- 5 inches thick. Pretty useless, as is the ledge. The half wall is a nice way to keep the kitchen open to the school room (which was one of the rooms added on to the house), but when this hum-dinger of an idea hit me, it all suddenly seemed like long-time-wasted space.
So, here, is the beginning rough framing of these shelves…..
Michael was just testing the fit of it, if it was going to work alright, etc. We talked about how to finish it off. Which is always a good thing, to bounce each other’s ideas off of each other. Because in the end, we come up with the best overall solutions. We just love working together on new ideas. Especially when it comes to improving the appearance and functionality of our home.
And here it is finished . . . . . .
I am SOOOOO in love with it. I can’t BELIEVE I didn’t think of this sooner! Notice how we incorporated the 1/2 inch wall, and added the actual shelving space for a new 19.25 inch top surface?! Ohhhh, the things I could display there. For now, I just took what I really wanted MOVED…a few photos frames, and a candle.
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I even love the little nubby things, that cover the screws. It adds character!
The shelves I have now, will serve in holding things that have just been in the way around the kitchen, and just ‘stuck somewhere’ as there was nowhere else to put it, as well as many of my favorite things.
Look at the fine trim work. Underneath………
….as well as on top. This was purchased trim, primed and painted, and mitered, to fit.
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One of the sentimental things our new shelves displays, is our family plate.
Our names are actually under each hand, but I edited them out because…..right, I’m still thinking on that.
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Our growing collection of cookbooks. Below that on the right is the plates the kids made, for the triplets 6th birthday at a ceramic place.
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I SO love this bowl. I love roosters. Love the royal colors. Had to have it. There was a few other pieces that matched, when I found them at Marshall’s. But I resisted buying every piece. I just got the bowl.
Here’s our big guy, who has resided at the far end of the half wall, for some time. He’s made of tin.
He looks better and more secure, in a wider platform such as this. De Colores! ; )
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I can’t tell you the JOY I will get, going up and down these stairs, from now on. Or, on second thought, I may think, “Ugh. I need to dust again.” lol.
But generally, it makes me happy.
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This has been over our stairs for some time. It’s a large framed piece, from a family friend’s upscale boutique, Grandma Daisy’s, in Dennisport, MA. It was a gift, and I love it too.
It is nice, to have a husband, who can whip up nearly anything you dream. His gets such skills and ambition, from his father, who was/is very much the same exact way. “Why buy it….when we can make it?” Or sometimes….”We can’t afford to buy that, but we can make it!” Always cheaper. And again….you just love your home even more, when you’ve invested such thought and hard-work into it.
So, here is the BEFORE and AFTER, together:
I hope you enjoyed reading about this project, as much I enjoyed sharing it. Wouldn’t you know, no sooner was this one done, did I have another GRAND idea for our kitchen. The little things that bug me, inspire me, more than you know. I’m a picky one, but who ever said that was a bad thing?
Thanks for coming by!
Thanks Samantha. Gee….only 30+ hours from here to there, huh? lol. I wonder what it would be, exactly.
Wow, you two come up with the greatest ideas! (Can you come over and come up with some kitchen improvement ideas for us??) Just a 30+ hour drive…..
Excellent job, I can’t wait to see what you guys have in store next!
Kim – OOOOHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh. No wonder I was confuzzled. lol. ; )
Laura,
It was the picture from Grandma Daisy’s I was referring too. 🙂
I showed this post to my mom today and she was super impressed also! Absolutely love this idea and it is so well done! You know I love your style. Will you come help me decorate my apartment? 😉
I LOVE it!! Perfect fit and so useful, I too love Roosters and anything handmade, great job guys! It’s funny, I noticed the picture of your dad right away but didn’t know it was your dad at the time.
Great job! You are both so creative and talented!! Decolores!
xoxo Shelly
Thank you all so much! We’re pretty thrilled with it. To answer some questions:
Paula – The black & white is a photo I really love, of my father. It was 3 Christmases ago, and he was here, and still having a really (really) rough time after losing my mother. It was Christmas morning, and he was at our breakfast bar reading the Bible, which he has done a lot of all of my life, for as far back as I can remember. I have SO many memories of him sitting here or there, with the Bible. So I loved that I caught one of those moments of him doing that. I took 2 shots, but was so absorbed in what he as reading, that he wasn’t even aware I was photographing him. Flash, shudder sound, and all.
A frialator, is a deep fryer. ?? Maybe I’m spelling it wrong. lol
Kim -Thank you very much.: ) Yes, we’ve got it made in the handy-husband dept.lol I do love roosters. I don’t collect them or anything, but I love them. When did you see that photo of my father before? I’m trying to think. I’ll be e-mailing you guys soon.
Teri! LOL — You never cease to put me in stitches! 😛 USPS > You’re a freakin’ riot! Not sure Rudy would make it, in that case. It would certainly be risky.
Rene – Yes, the register is still under there! Michael built the case right against the wall, right above the register. The heat just flows right out from under.
Gina – Yeah, the rest of the house you haven’t seen is a dump!lol. No, just kidding.
Hey Maria—Sure, just have him make everything in gold! Why not! lol. You need to work with what you can, right? ; )
Thank you Cher and MP, for dropping by too!
It’s been nice to have you all share in my excitement. : )
I love it! I dream up things like that all the time, unfotunately our husbands abilitlies are quite different! Now if I could dream in gold, he could design it, wood…not so much. The shelf looks perfect! 🙂 Great teamwork!
Ooohh . . . nice! I love your house. Well, at least the little bits I have seen of it.
What a grand idea! Did he have to take the heat register out, ir is it still underneath? I’m guessing it’s still there, given the bottom gap. I love it, kudos to you and Mike! xoxo
Very nicely done! I would have painted mine dust colored though LOL! Oh, and if you want, I could ship Rudy to you. I’ll be sure to send him USPS so he gets the royal treatment.
LOVE IT!
I’m a huge Rooster/Hen/Chicken fan myself!
Ya’ll did a great job LLR!!
Wow what a difference. Great idea! Hmm…didn’t know you were such a rooster fan. Want ours? lol Yes.. BBE is very handy. We are both so very fortunate for our DH and their handiness. P.S. Can’t wait to be invited to see it. Great job and great photography. I love that framed picture just as much as when I first saw it.
Completely speechless.
Again.
Both of you have been given such a gift. Thank you Lord!!
Who is in the black and white picture above the kids cookbook?
What is a frialator?
I love love LOVE this! You already know I think your home is beautiful. Wonderful idea and wonderfully done 🙂