Well, I was excused from jury duty within 5 minutes of arriving at the courthouse yesterday, and boy was I relieved. Turns out it was actually going to be a grand jury situation- zoinks!
Anywho, now that I’m back in the land of the blogging- I couldn’t resist putting together another quick post about another awesome area next to Mrs. Rizzo’s nifty new kitchen.
She created a cute, little breakfast nook in the room next door, and I’m cuckoo for cocoa puffs over every little element she used in it!
From the X-back chairs, to the curvy-framed mirror, to the patterns on the bench cushions- that little nook would definitely be a fun place to pull up a bowl of cereal!
Jennifer said she salvaged the breakfast nook bench from one of those old breakfast nook kits. The “beadboard” on the wall behind it is actually wallpaper, and she picked up the candle-lier at a gift store for $20.
I asked Jennifer about the nook’s creation and she said, “We live in a petite house, (1100 sq ft) so it’s important that every space serves a purpose. Before we moved in, the previous owners had their table in the middle of the room next to the kitchen, so that’s where I put mine.”
“Then one day, (about 7 years in) it just kind of dawned on me what a waste of space it was to have it there. I mean, there aren’t any rules on where you have to put a table, so on a whim, I scooted it into the corner. All of a sudden, it opened up an extra 108 square feet of floor space we couldn’t use before.”
Since the photo above was taken, Jennifer and her hubby have made even more use of the space by building a bookcase divider wall, that conceals a studio for Jennifer behind it…
How cool is that!?
Who knew putting up walls could be as fun as tearing them down- ha!
I love her whole house, especially her kitchen 🙂
Happy Valentines Day!
XO
Kristin
Love this nook. So smart to make the space work for her. Love the curtains panels, mirror, and chairs – so pretty!
That is such an amazing difference and I agree, I love every element as well. So soft and dreamy I’d want to curl up and sleep in the breakfast nook!
So awesome! Jennifer is a magician, isn’t she? The mirror and chairs are just fantastic!
Mary
Yes! But you’re quite the “furniture Houdini” too, Miss Mary! 😉
This story continues to make me happy, with every post and reveal. And here I thought Layla possessed all the talent in the whole wide world!!! Who knew there were others? Certainly not me, however….
Hugs from the great state of …..well, you know…
Ha! 😀
Glad you’re enjoying the posts about Jennifer’s beautiful home, Mz V!
Hi Layla,
I tried to click the link to her website and I’m getting an error. Any suggestions?… cuz I really wanna see her whole site.
Sincerely, Suzanne
Hey Suzanne!
I fixed the link, but you can also always find her by just typing http://www.JenniferRizzo.com in your menu bar.
Thanks for the heads up!
What a great use of space…who’da thought it would actually look bigger with that divider wall in there? What a great use of space.
That’s an amazing difference. Great things can happen, when you rethink a space.
Thanks for showing us her make over.
Amen, Linda! It’s all about pushing outside the box and letting your imagination take the reins! 🙂
you would think adding a wall would make it seem smaller – but since it doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling it lets light and air circulate – what a great idea!!! it’s a good thing to get out of the “box” (how cliche!!) when arranging furnitue!! and it looks like a cute little table next to the bench with a lamp on it! how clever!!
thanks for sharing.
You got it, Sarita! 😀
Beautiful, beautiful renovation…Love it all…thank you for presenting this!
You betcha, Shirley! Thanks for visiting us today!
Super classy! Have a fabulous day!
Thanks, Jen! Hope you’re having a fabulous Valentines Day, too!
Thanks! Hope you and Kevin are doing something fun and special. I had a great day, I showed off my office makeover today, which I”m just so smitten and proud of, we had a playdate this morning for my daughter so my house was full, and that’s always fun, I watched the bachelor while my daughter napped and then we went and picked paint colors at home depot. So hopefully my husband is smart and brings home a box of cheap chocolates and some flowers and we have perfection! lol
What a gorgeous space!
Those chairs are just priceless. I love them. I need to stop getting so many ideas! LOL.
The “room” looked like a dark mortuary before. Now, it is a wonderful space that serves so many functions! KUDOS for that. And I LUV LUV LUV hiding the little office. Way smart! I love cubbies!
I love smart women! 🙂
I’ve been planning to Board and Battan our foyer and hall. But, after seeing the great beadboard wallpaper – I think I’m in love!
Moving that table to the side was so simple – and genius! It’s so much fun (and inspiring!) to see how others think out of the box.
Thanks for showing us!
~ Dana
Cooking at Cafe D
Sure thing, Dana! I’m a sucker for an inspiring before & after, too! 😀
What a transformation! I’m so impressed by her use of space and layout. Thanks for sharing!
I love that mirror so much I will now be on the hunt for one for my new house!!!!!!!!!!!
It is so true that we get stuck in ruts and need to just think about what makes sense instead of what is “normal”. This is my idea of a slow home- well thought out to be functional, sustainable and stylish!
Great comment, Kelly! 😀
I was wondering. Do you know if she put her microwave somewhere in the new ktichen design? I could not find it in the pictures. Thanks.
It’s between the sink and fridge just over the dishwasher. 🙂
That is GORGEOUS! Glad you got out of jury duty today!!!
I love her style! Great colors, great textures–what a beautiful home!
Pam
I’ve loved her nook space too…that’s thinking outside of the box for sure!
Holy cow, that before pic makes my eyes bleed! What an improvement! I absolutely am obsessed with breakfast nooks and benches right now.
All I can say is Wow!
I love the kitchen! I love it even more that it doesn’t have the latest and greatest appliances and yet it is still a beautiful kitchen! Gives me hope that I can still have a beautiful kitchen even without brand new appliances. My husband and I live in a parsonage and things like slightly outdated appliances are not always a priority.Basically if it is a working refrigerator then there is no need to get a new one.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh my gosh. That is beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Love the wall/bookcase, brilliant idea.
That is just brilliant! I really love that divider wall. So smart. (And that mug rack is as cute as all get out.)
Such a beautiful makeover! I especially love the chandelier…it’s the little things that get me =]. Great breakfast nook!
I love that moving the table over opened up a ton of extra space — even before adding the wall! What a terrific idea!
I want to know where she found the mug holder that’s on the old dresser by the new wall. I love it and it appears to hold a bunch of mugs – I’ve been looking for one like that.
The nook is wonderful – they did a splendid job!
I love the mirror over the breakfast table! I have been looking for an old one like this… because I wont pay the hefty price tag for a new one…. for over my mantel! These are some really great pics!
xoxo!
Visit my blog at borntobeblonde.com
I would love to see the rest of Jennifer’s house as we live in a similar sized abode.
The wall erected to create her own little studio nook is ingenious!