My son (who is a grown man) and I were watching "Ratatouille", the movie, the other night and it set me to thinking. (That's a phrase that has been known to send shivers up my husband's spine.) Anyway, I digress. The premise of the deceased chef Gusteau was that anyone can cook. I, too, pretty much believe that anyone can learn to cook given the opportunity and the right tools. Tools are important!! But what I have also come to learn is that you do not need a gourmet kitchen to cook well.
I have dreamed of a gourmet kitchen with granite countertops that won't quit, a 5 or 6 burner gas stove, the extra little sink, the pots hanging above the island, and tons of cupboards for all of my stuff. Alas, it's never going to be in the cards.
My little cottage is only 1150 square feet which doesn't translate into any normal size kitchen. You are about to see what I'm talking about.
That's it. These pictures are sequential from left to right. On the back side of the island is my hubby's piano, music cabinet and telephone table. So it really is a jampacked room.
I have decided that whoever designed this house must have never cooked a meal. There is very little counter space as well a totally impractical amount of cupboards.
Hubby and I went to work getting creative. We had at one point watched more HGTV than anyone has a right to. One of our favorite shows was "Design on a Dime" because, frankly, that's about all we have. If you noticed we imported a free standing cupboard...and by "free" I mean it was literally free... for dishes, and a bookcase that we use for cookbooks, serving bowls, casserole dishes, and knick knacks (is that a compound word?). We painted using color which actually really made things pop. I made curtains, and recovered the chairs from the dining set we inherited from hubby's parents. Threw in a few coordinating rugs and "Voila"...new kitchen. Not gourmet, but comfortable and functional. The saving grace is the nice sized island. If that hadn't been there I really would have had to get creative. The one thing we don't have room for in the kitchen is a pantry. That little problem was solved by using another free standing cupboard in the garage. Thank goodness it's a small house and not much of a trip to the garage!
All in all I am pretty happy cooking in my cozy little kitchen. I've learned to make due with the space I have. I have most of the tools I want...although a trip to Sur Le Table or Bed, Bath, and Beyond always thrills me!
As they say..."When life hands you lemons make lemonade."
That's it. These pictures are sequential from left to right. On the back side of the island is my hubby's piano, music cabinet and telephone table. So it really is a jampacked room.I have decided that whoever designed this house must have never cooked a meal. There is very little counter space as well a totally impractical amount of cupboards.
Hubby and I went to work getting creative. We had at one point watched more HGTV than anyone has a right to. One of our favorite shows was "Design on a Dime" because, frankly, that's about all we have. If you noticed we imported a free standing cupboard...and by "free" I mean it was literally free... for dishes, and a bookcase that we use for cookbooks, serving bowls, casserole dishes, and knick knacks (is that a compound word?). We painted using color which actually really made things pop. I made curtains, and recovered the chairs from the dining set we inherited from hubby's parents. Threw in a few coordinating rugs and "Voila"...new kitchen. Not gourmet, but comfortable and functional. The saving grace is the nice sized island. If that hadn't been there I really would have had to get creative. The one thing we don't have room for in the kitchen is a pantry. That little problem was solved by using another free standing cupboard in the garage. Thank goodness it's a small house and not much of a trip to the garage!
All in all I am pretty happy cooking in my cozy little kitchen. I've learned to make due with the space I have. I have most of the tools I want...although a trip to Sur Le Table or Bed, Bath, and Beyond always thrills me!
As they say..."When life hands you lemons make lemonade."
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