The Lettered Cottage

You are here: Home / Kitchen / Kitchen

Kitchen

By

Our kitchen is still one big work-in-progress, but we have had fun personalizing it, little by little, over the past few years. It started out pretty builder basic…

…but with a little bit of shoestring-style dough, and whole lotta elbow grease, we’re slowly but surely making it feel more “ours”…

We change up the “art” on the chalkboard wall whenever we’re feeling artsy-fartsy, but the phrase on the wall in the photo above is part of this quote. Here are some more links to some of the things we’ve worked on/brought into the room…

Project links:

– Bead board backsplash (We painted it with plain old, right-off-the-shelf, semi-gloss while paint from Home Depot and it’s held up wonderfully over the past four years.)
– Mirrors on the inside-backs of the upper cabinets
– We created taller cabinets by adding extra molding on top of upper cabinets
– Corbels underneath the upper cabinets
– Salvaged cabinets on the right side of the room
– Butcherblock countertop
– Stainless steel shelves
– Chalkboard paint
– Cabinet paint: Mourning Dove (Martha Stewart by Sherwin Williams) and Alabaster (Sherwin Williams)
– Ceramic tile removal
– Ceramic tile removal (part 2)
– Hardwood floor installation and staining
– Wall color: November Rain, by Benjamin Moore

Decor links:

– Baskets in open cabinets: Ikea
– Herb crates on wall: FarmhouseWares.com
-Metal picnic basket: Etsy
-Wicker basket on floor: WhiteFlowerFarmhouse.com
-Butcherblock countertop: Ikea
– Rug: Pottery Barn outlet

Here are a couple of links to the posts we wrote about our appliances:

– Dishwasher
– Refrigerator
– Stove

We’ve still got drawer and door hardware to add, tongue-and-groove ceiling boards to put up, crown molding to put up, recessed lighting to install, a wall of windows to put in, upper cabinets to move (to the chalkboard wall), cabinetry to build around our refrigerator, a farmhouse sink to drop in, a more colorful rug to purchase, and we’d eventually like to top our counters with something carrera marbel-esque, too- but we do things one thing at a time around here, so who knows when the room will actually be done- ha!

 

Click here to subscribe

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Cindy

    Wow! I didn’t think it could get any better. I love what you have done and your future plans. Would like to see another pic of the shelves against the black wall. Great styling, as always. Just beautiful.

  4. Sylvia

    I love it all. Great job, as always. But, you failed to mention the adorable KitKat.

  7. hannah singer

    awesome. such a fresh space. LOVE the butcher block counter and of course the fun chalkboard paint. AND can’t take my eyes off those happy tulips:)

    happy sunday!

  10. Maria

    Beautiful space just like the two of you!!! I am so happy that I stumbled upon your site a year ago. It makes me happy every morning!

  11. Kraesmom

    Your kitchen is what drew me to your site in the first place. I saw it by clicking links one day and forgot to bookmark it. I spent 3 hours the next week trying to find you again, and when I did, you became the first blog I ever subscribed to! I love it even more with your recent updates. Kit Cat looks so at home laying on the rug. 🙂

  12. Abby

    I love your kitchen! It’s bright and user-friendly. You made great use of the available space and it looks like a lovely space to be in. Well done!

  13. Kathleen @ Miss Hannah B.

    I adore your kitchen! Quick question. Are your chalkboard painted walls textured? I am interested in painting my pantry door with chalkboard paint but the door is pretty textured. I am not sure when it’s time to write on it, it will actually look good? Thanks for any advice.

  14. Annie

    I like the shelves on the right in the photo. Could you comment on those a bit and where you got them or how you made them?

    I am intrigued with the bead board for the backsplash. I’ve been needing a backsplash in my’ little cabin and needed something rustic. I think this might work. 🙂

    Thanks.

  15. Betty

    Hey Layla!
    I’ve enjoyed your kitchen through several phases … (and LOvED the black cabinets when you had that intermediary look) … here’s my question …
    What is on top of the microwave? Please help in identifying the UDO .. (unidentified decorating object, of course!)
    Hugs and have a super special day!

  16. Kim in MD

    Your kitchen is beautiful, Layla! There is nothing that you do that I don’t love- your style is awesome! 🙂

  19. Grace

    As usual , all that you’ve done so far is fantastic & perfection!
    I was happy to see that future plans involve lighting.
    The lights that are in there now look like Ceiling Bosoms…….

  20. Lisa

    I need more of you in my life.

    I *heart* your kitchen makeover.

    Can we be friends?? 🙂

  21. Sharyl@Thelittlebrownhouse

    I am so glad I saw this post! I had never seen your butcher block counter top one, and I am so going to steal…. I mean use.. your idea! I had been thinking about getting some from Ikea for our kitchen island, and seeing how you used a stain to darken yours has me sold now – thanks so much for so freely sharing your amazing ideas and creativity so your readers can benefit from it! Love you guys – 😉

  22. kelly

    it is so beautiful. we are renovating a kitchen right now and i am so happy with the way it’s turning out. i know you know your stuff but since we’re in the midst of it i really wanted marble counters but did a lot of research, marble can stain and etch and i didn’t want to worry about that. there’s a company called cambria that sells quartz countertops that resembles marble and is very pretty. we could get a better deal on a granite slab so we went with that but i really loved the cambria!

  23. Laura

    I love the quote you chose for the blackboard wall. After all everyone has felt like a square peg in a round hole and that is total vindication!

  25. Steph.

    KitCat looks so regal! 😀 Very pretty, Layla. All of your ideas for the future are just spot on, too! It is already amazing and will be even moreso.

  26. Coastal Femme

    Layla,
    I still love your kitchen after many the changes it has gone through. It just gets better and better. The chalkboard wall is fabulous and I love seeing little Kit Cat in the photo:)

    ,

  27. Felicia

    That is one risky step you took painting the hole wall black chalk paint…But it looks FANTASTIC! I love how fun it looks. Your kitchen is so off the wall, but so stylish as well. The bathroom cabinet turned out so perfect as well.

  29. "Carolyn'

    What kind of lighting will you be using on the bean board ceiling?
    Pendats or only recess?

  30. Angie

    fyi (sorry if it has been mentioned): the link for butcherblock counter top goes goes to Blackboard Paint…

  32. andrea

    love the whole room, but excited to see that you’ve used the butcher block countertops from ikea … we are finishing our basement and plan to use them there. and doing breadboard backsplash too – thanks for giving me a visual of what our end result will be (hopefully)!!

  38. NataLee Callahan

    I have always loved your kitchen, but I adore your chalkboard wall with exposed shelving! I am kind of obsessing over full chalkboard walls as of late! 😉

    • Layla

      Thanks, Stephanie!
      We’re having fun with it and look forward to sharing future updates here on our blog, too! 😀

  42. Crissy Woolever

    Looks AMAZING. This is one of my favorite blogs 😉 I was wondering about your tolix chairs, are they comfy??? I love the look of Tolix chairs, but my hubby says they look uncomfortable. And unfortunately if he don’t like it we cant buy them 🙁

    • Layla

      Hi Crissy!
      They are comfortable, and we’ve enjoyed them very much! Maybe you could get one and give a whirl. If your hubby doesn’t like it you could send it back. Good luck and happy decorating! 🙂

  44. Rebekah

    About the sliding barn door (yes I’m totally off kitchen track, sorry) – I was over on Pinterest today (of course) and found a link to a tutorial for a sliding door that I thought you might be pinterested in 🙂 since I remember you mentioning it in one of your posts. shabbylisaw at wordpress dot com. The cost for the hardware was about $45. Maybe I’ll get around to this some time this Summer (my bonus room would love this).

  45. Layla Sten

    Hi Layla, just thought I’d let you know that when you click the Link to the Butcherblock counter, it takes you to the ‘Chalkboard Black’ link instead! BEAUTIFUL kitchen, love it!!

  46. Anna @ agoodhome

    I’ve gotten a bit behind on reading my favorite blogs, so I just got around to this post today. Is it ok if I just straight up steal/copy your entire kitchen when we finally get to buy our own house? I am so in love with everything about your space!! Thanks for compiling all the project links, too. Hooray for your kitchen! 🙂

  47. Sylvie

    Your kitchen is absolutely stunning. It gives me such inspiration to tackle my kitchen, which currently looks like your before pic. I spend so many hours in it everyday, I know it would be worth it!

  48. Amanda

    WOW!!!! I LOVE your kitchen! I would never have thought of doing a whole wall with chalkboard paint. 🙂 Definitely going to bookmark this for when we have a kitchen to redo. Thanks for the inspiration!

  49. The Vintique Object

    I just love your kitchen. It is probably the most awe-inspiring makeover I’ve ever laid eyes on. In fact, I used yours as inspiration for my kitchen painting project. (Same Mourning Dove because I was completely stuck picking out a color and I figured if you picked it, it would be good!) Thanks for showing us a picture of both sides. It’s fun to see them together.

    http://thevintiqueobject.blogspot.com/2011/08/kitchen-is-painted-but-hardware-hasnt.html

  50. Lindsey

    Wow! Your gorgeous kitchen makeover is just the kick in the pants I needed to convince me that I MUST do this cabinet painting project! How long did it take you on the cabinets???