More Anthropologie love

I don't do ornamental kitchen accessories.

My kitchen is naked of bits of wrought iron. There are no ceramic roosters or pigs or cows roaming my counters. (And why is it always farm animals? Not just farm animals. Farm animals on the people food chain. A ceramic kitchen donkey, for example, is pretty rare. A kitchen rooster...not so much. Is it easier to eat bacon if a cute, winking pig sits by your sink?)

Sorry. I'm digressing. And this isn't a sermon on becoming vegetarian. That would be hypocritical. And it isn't a rant about farm animals used as decor. (One of my favorite decorative pieces...a remnant from a French Country obsession I had years ago...is an iron rooster that sits in my music room.)

Don't get me wrong. My countertops are cluttered. Always. (Which may be why I don't want to add to the chaos with copper this or china that.) I do love useful kitchen items though. The graceful curves of utensil canisters or mixing bowls or pitchers make me swoon. So I'm always keeping an eye out for something utilitarian and colorful and lovely to add to my kitchen.

So of course I fell in love with these.

These little spice jars from Anthropologie are perfection. They come in four soft, beautifully retro  colors, perfect for a vintage kitchen. Each lid has a rubber ring to make the container airtight. Their size is perfect for spices (or sugar cubes or paper clips or tiny dog treats). I keep salt and pepper and a combination of sugar/cinnamon in mine. I think I'll put sugar cubes in the fourth. Each is numbered and says, "Plein de Bonnes Choses" along the bottom (which frankly veers a bit Martha Stewart for me...although cutely Francophone. Still that doesn't detract too much from this jar's overall adorableness).

Best of all, each spice jar is only $4. Four dollars! Come on. What can you buy for $4? Another dish towel? This is like the perfect little treat for your house.

Just picture these in your Cooking Apple White (or white or cream or yellow) kitchen.

Adorable!

Chihuly at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston

What can I say about this Chihuly exhibition? Pictures may say more than a thousand words. In this case, pictures can say more than a thousand blog posts. If you haven't seen it yet, head over to the MFA Boston next week. This exhibit runs through August 8.

An orgy of color, texture, shape. It was sometimes too overwhelming to absorb.

And then there were the quiet, amazing details.

This exhibit featured Chihuly's Persian Ceiling, an almost indescribeable piece. It sounds simple enough: a room with colorful glass pieces thickly scattered over a clear glass ceiling. Entering this room feels almost like entering a fantastical, watery sphere. Colors shimmer and cascade down the walls. People just sat in corners and benches, mesmerized.

This exhibit also featured a number of Chihuly's glass chandeliers, so intricate and oddly organic in shape.

Go see it. It's one summer blockbuster that you won't be able to catch on DVD or Netflix.

Beautiful Arsenic

You know how you're shopping and something just catches your eye? I picked up a copy of June 2011's Real Simple at Costco today. This is what caught my attention.

So many things I love about this cover. The pretty beadboard. The simple, but lovely shapes of teapot and bowls and pitcher. The perfectly casual, but arranged collections on the open shelves. And that color. What is that color??

Farrow & Ball Arsenic.

Arsenic had seemed so intimidating, so intense on my color swatches. In this photo, it looks beautifully vintage and inviting. It just might be the perfect color for my mudroom (which has been bare drywall for months and months).

Here's an image of Arsenic from the Farrow & Ball site. What do you think?

In springtime

In springtime,
The only pretty ring time,
Birds sing, "Hey ding...a-ding a-ding."
Sweet lovers love...the spring.
~ Willy Wonka

Happy first day of spring!

To celebrate, I had ideas. Plans, even. Plans and ideas. All of which centered around photographing signs of spring. A green blade thrusting through the dirt. Fat bursting buds. Maybe even a flower.

But I live in New England, home of tempermental weather. For most of the day, it snowed. And slurried. And spit icy rain. All in all, a most unspringlike beginning to spring.

The mail saved the day.

There's something about the phrase "Royal Mail" that evokes romance. "United States Postal Service" just doesn't have the same ring. "Royal Mail" conjures up images of a gleaming carriage à la Cinderella. And a footman with powdered peruke bowing, "Your package, Madame."

Inside the package? Buttons! English buttons!

I greedily poured them through my fingers. They felt smooth, lovely. If I were a miser, I'd cackle happily. Instead (because...you know...I'm not), I poured them into a jar.

Don't these colors remind you of springtime?

So much prettier than the slushy gray outside. I absolutely love the gentle greens and pale lemons and muted ocher. The colors remind me of my Cooking Apple Green kitchen.

So what am I planning to do with a jar of buttons? "Stay tuned," say I mysteriously.

New Farrow & Ball colors for 2011

The new 2011 colors for Farrow & Ball have been officially announced, and suddenly, I wish I had more spaces in my house to paint. The new colors (I really want to type "colours," but I'm pretty sure that would be ridiculously affected. Then before you know it, I might start saying "lieutenant" with an "f" and "aluminum" with an extra "i.") span a range of neutrals. Neutrals, that is, with the exception of the definitively orange Charlotte's Locks, No. 268.

The most interesting new colors to me are their purple-neutrals. If you've considered dabbling in lilac or eggplant, but don't want to go particularly pastel or vivid, you may consider these colors. They have that elusive Farrow & Ball quality of being colorful (without being blinding) and neutral (without being muddy). This is what I love about Cooking Apple Green, and it's what made me plunk down the dollars for the paint.

Calluna, No. 270 is a gorgeous, subtle lilac, one that carries an air of quiet chic. I can particularly see this color in a modern, urban space. I can't wait to see this one in person.

Brassica, No. 271 is an aged, darker version of Calluna. Wouldn't this be spectacular in a jewel of a powder room? Or on your front door? I love this color. Purple without being purple. Perfect.

If I were still working on my kitchen cabinets, the colors I'd want to examine in detail are Mizzle, No. 266 and Manor House Gray, No. 265. Farrow & Ball states that Mizzle is a soft blue gray, but it reads like a stone-colored neutral on my monitor. Perhaps a chameleon of a neutral, which is always intriguing. Manor House Gray appears to be a really lovely gray. I wonder about using it for flooring.

Have fun browsing! Some day soon (if it ever stops snowing), I'll head out to the paint store to see these colors in person.

Vintage + Etsy = love

From tentpitcher design at Etsy:

A vintage enamel-covered metal breadbox. Isn't she a beauty? With a bit of rust and a slightly imperfect finish (I refer to this as "patina"). Exactly as described by Lise at tentpitcher. Large enough for multiple loaves of bread. I love having the bread on the countertop, close at hand.

These vintage enamel-covered bread boxes appear from time to time on eBay and Etsy. They also sometimes show up at antique shows or vintage shops. Modern bread boxes with retro styling are still in production as well.

Polder makes this white toolbox-style bread box. It's also available in black.

And for those craving a bit more color, Wesco makes a line of bread boxes (or bread bins as they're called in the UK) in a spectrum of saturated, playful colors. Based on the original 1940s Wesco design, these bins are made in Germany.

The Breadboy from Wesco offers a slight variant on the toolbox shape. Absolutely beautiful.

My green beauty will definitely not be showing up on regretsy. If you've decided that a vintage (or modern) enamel-coated bread box is in your kitchen's future, happy hunting! It may take a little while, but I know you'll find just the right one.

Look what came in the mail...

...the other day.

Seven of these vintage brass library bin pulls from ebay! (The seller by the way, moondoghs, was fantastic and has various vintage items for sale.)

Aren't they gorgeous? The shape. The patina? I plan on putting them on the small Cooking Apple Green drawers. Here's the pull with the Cooking Apple Green paint and Beleza soapstone countertop. Love!

Speaking of Cooking Apple Green, we finalized our cabinet order yesterday. Gulp. I was having cold feet...heck, frozen and frostbitten feet...about the light green cabinets. Maybe we should do all of the cabinets in Old White? After all, light green cabinets?!? Not neutral. I could just hear one of HGTV hosts stating, "This is very taste-specific" in a tone dripping with disdain.

Then, at my cabinetmaker's, what do I see? Absolutely stunning cabinets in the process of being built. Painted pale green. Headed for a very upscale home.

Oh no! Maybe I'm not quirky or interesting. Maybe I'm just...trendy? Lord, I hope not.

Imperial Danby marble

Note: My Danby staining/etching tests can be found here.
- Imperial Danby sample test
- Imperial Danby patina
- Imperial Danby sample test, round two
- Imperial Danby, meet Barkeeper's Friend
- Life with Danby marble

Article as originally written:
Another step on the road to kitchen nirvana. In doing this reno, I've tried to use local resources as much as possible. Our Trikeenan backsplash is made in New Hampshire. Our cabinets will be built by a local custom cabinetmaker. So when I was thinking through countertop possibilities, Danby marble came to mind.

Danby marble is quarried in nearby Vermont. It has the reputation of being a denser, harder marble. The Danby website says, " its low absorption rate of (0.07) that makes it highly suitable for use in the kitchen." Indeed, this absorption rate is less than some granites. However, it does still need to be sealed. There are many beautiful Danby marbles from Eureka (which compares to Calacatta) to Appalachian Green to the muted veining of Royal Danby to the dark green true serpentine, Verde Cavendish.

My husband finally had the opportunity to see Danby marble in person when he visited the good folks at Marble & Granite Inc. in Westwood, MA. They have an enormous selection of granite and marble. He'd made an appointment, and they pulled out a number of slabs for him to view. He brought home two samples. One, Monte Blanc, was polished quartzite. The other was honed Imperial Danby.

We both fell in love with the Imperial Danby. The honed finish was so wonderfully soft and tactile. I found myself petting the sample whenever I was in the kitchen. My son also loved it. The orange-y, gold veins perfectly brought out the antique heart pine that we're considering as flooring. Lovely.

Honed Imperial Danby with Farrow & Ball Cooking Apple Green (cabinets), Trikeenan backsplash, and antique heart pine (floor):


Honed Imperial Danby with Farrow & Ball Cooking Apple Green and Old White (cabinets), Trikeenan backsplash, and soapstone (for the Old White cabinets on refrigerator run):

Kitchen palettes

The time of our kitchen renovation draws nearer. We're targeting an early summer start. We need the open-window weather to finish the wood floors.

Here are the plans. They're missing a few details. For example, the hood shape is now trimmed out with an antique heart pine ledge along the bottom edge. If you're contemplating do-it-yourself design, I really recommend the non-Pro, free version of Google SketchUp. It really helps to visualize what you're planning and makes communicating clearly with subcontractors much easier.


So the materials. I've narrowed it down to two color palettes. I want simple, warm, inviting, friendly, and happy. The only thing already purchased is the backsplash. Everything else is still under consideration.

Details:
Backsplash tiles: Trikeenan custom blend with milk white, crackle white, fog, and matte chartreuse.The final mix will have a bit less green and a bit more cream per area.
Antique heart pine (possible floor or possible counter): Longleaf Lumber
Soapstone: Beleza from Dorado

This one combines:
Ball Green and Old White: cabinets
Green Ground: wall color
(All colors Farrow & Ball)
The Old White, a warm gray, would look beautiful on the cabinets by our enormous stainless fridge.


This one combines:
Ball Green and Farrow's Cream (or a similar cream paint from Fine Paints of Europe): cabinets
Green Ground: wall color
The cream color lightens and warms the space.

Farrow & Ball revisited

Our kitchen now officially looks like Joseph's coat of many colors.



I think...well...am fairly sure...sort of sure...that the base cabinets on the range/sink runs will be Ball Green. Which is ironic because it was the very first color to be put up and the very first color to be dismissed. After a few weeks, I thought the coverage looked splotchy so I added another coat and voila. Beauty. The uppers on the sink wall and both base cabs and uppers on the fridge wall will be some yet-to-be-named cream. And the walls will be either Farrow's Cream or Green Ground. I love, love Green Ground. Such a happy color. I also love Cooking Apple Green and plan to use it somewhere. Maybe the laundry room?

More Farrow & Ball paint colors to add to the Internet's library of images. Hope they're helpful.

Ball Green


Stone White (green) and Old White (gray). Why are none of these "whites" actually white? Is this an English thing?


Green Ground. Someone mentioned on an online forum that they were surprised Green Ground looked so neutral in the photo. For them, Green Ground went very peridot. In my space, Green Ground goes from a very pale peridot to an almost stone color. This seems to be the color that is most difficult to capture correctly in a photo.


Cooking Apple Green

Farrow & Ball

You know the saying "champagne tastes on a beer budget"? I have champagne tastes on a prosecco budget.

We're leaning toward painted cabinets that we'll paint ourselves. But the paint will most likely be Farrow & Ball. An English company founded in the 1940s and still independent to this day, Farrow & Ball uses traditional methods of manufacturing paint, using old-fashioned pigments instead of synthetics. The company mixes all of its paint in Dorset, England, and ships them to their stockists. Now, I don't know if I've just swallowed the Farrow & Ball marketing pitch whole, but I have to admit there is something about their colors once applied. They look historic, elegant, muted without being muddy. And who can resist colors named "String" and "Elephant's Breath"?



I've now taken two trips to my nearest Farrow & Ball retailer (or stockist) and purchased enough samples to paint a small closet. And now that I've uploaded the photos, I realized that the colors don't read true on my laptop. The photos are too grayed and dark. The colors do read fairly true on my desktop.

String

A lovely warm changeable neutral. A warm, pale taupe.

Green Ground

This is an amazing color. A very pale spring green, but in certain lights, it reads as a neutral.

Old White

A perfect sophisticated, warm gray. I don't know what it is, but this color simply screams high-end. This would look stunning with marble.

Cord

The color of corduroys. A more intense version of string with perhaps a touch of mustard.

Ball Green

A gray-green that again reads almost neutral.

Vert de Terre

A stunning green with a hint of blue.

Seeing the world in color

One of the things we decided early in the kitchen design process was that we wanted a colorful range. Not stainless. European manufacturers seem to embrace color more than their American counterparts: AGA from England, Molteni, Ilve, Bertazzoni, and Fratelli Onofri from Italy, and from France, Lacanche and La Cornue. The Americans offer Bluestar, American, and Viking. Another thing we quickly discovered was that color was expensive, ranging from pricey to...well...let's just say that the La Cornue Chateau is priced in line with its name. But then...just look at these beauties.


Ilve Majestic Collection from AJMadison


Close-up of the Fratelli Onofri Royal Chiantishire from AJMadison


La Cornue Chateau from Purcell Murray


Lacanche Cluny


Bluestar in one of the 190 available RAL colors

On a colorful side note, I just discovered that Dell offers their laptops in shades of your favorite OPI nail lacquers. Tagline: Match your nails to your e-mails. Of course, do you then change your Dell laptop every season? You don't want to be sporting a "You Don't Know Jacques" laptop (great color, by the way) when you've moved on to a "La Paz-itively Hot." mani/pedi. I'll bet the Dell executives hope so. I'm a bit relieved not to be faced with that choice on top of all my other color dilemmas. I'm an Apple gal.