KITCHEN UPDATE: Tile, lighting and paint

Somehow the entire month of December slipped by without one post.  I am very sorry.  I neglected to acknowledge Well Fed's three year anniversary.  I didn't do one post about my own birthday (mid-thirties for those who are wondering).  Nothing about Christmas and nothing about New Years Eve.  It's not that I haven't been cooking.  I have.  In fact, I've had some time off between projects and my goal was to cook up a storm and blog the hell out of it.  And yet, nothing.  I do have an excuse, be it a feeble one.  The battery in my camera died.  It's kind of a blog equivalent of "the dog ate my homework" isn't it?  But it did.  I'll go get one tomorrow, I promise.  

I also promise to recreate some of the meals I've made, the results of which I was very pleased with.  There's a really great curry from Nigel Slater that I've made several times.  I had my first dinner party (spiced pork stew with pan-roasted root vegetables from Sunday Suppers at Lucques) as well as my second (chicken tagine with kabocha squash and chickpeas and a carrot and coriander salad from a fantastic new cookbook called A Plater of Figs).  I made a great rice pudding with flavored with orange flower water.  I baked chocolate thumbprint cookies with a vanilla and honey chocolate ganache filling that I saw Martha make one day with special guest star, Paula Abdul.  I used stock that I made from the Thanksgiving turkey carcass to make risotto and then used the leftover risotto to make aracini - little risotto balls stuffed with fontina cheese, which are then rolled and breadcrumbs and then fried.  Heaven.  Seriously.  And then there was the big New Years Eve party Mark and I hosted with the unbelievable help of Annie, Heather and her professional chef boyfriend, Timothy.  We counted down till midnight nibbling on roasted shrimp cocktail (Barefoot Contessa), fontina and truffle oil fondue (New York Times), creamy balls of goat cheese seasoned with smoked paprika and then rolled in strips of roasted red and yellow peppers (Anne Burrel).  There was also a warm crab dip as well as sausage stuffed, fried olives.  Oh yes.

With all this entertaining, I was frantic to get the kitchen done.  Unfortunately it still isn't.  But it's very. very close.  

The subway tile backsplash was installed and looks amazing.  (And for anyone in the Los Angeles area who might be interested, my tile guy is fantastic)

That would be a framed photo of Jane Fonda as Barbarella in her trailer on a break making soup or pasta or something while still in costume.  A little reminder that just because we're cooking doesn't mean we can't also look fabulous.

The gorgeous brushed nickel industrial style hanging fixtures for over the sink and in the breakfast room (which Mark thinks looks like something out of The City of Lost Children) have been hung.  Let there be light.  (I would also highly recommend my brilliant electrician)

And after weeks and weeks of priming, wet sanding, painting, more wet sanding and yet more painting, the cupboards, doors, drawers and also walls are finally done.  

Well, almost - there's still all the baseboards and the bookcases and walls in the breakfast room.  I'm still not sure about the color - are they the same as the cupboards, are they white like in the rest of the house, or something different still?  I'm really liking the idea of black woodwork.  

And then there has been some issues with the hardware for the cabinets.  As I install them, I keep breaking screws off in the wood.  While I figure out how to rectify the situation and make sure it doesn't keep happening, my drawer pulls are little tags made from painters' tape.  So classy.  But as far as a functioning kitchen goes, I couldn't be happier.

Comments

[riya]

Happy New Year.

Love your kitchen to bits!!

: )

[dp]

That is a gorgeous kitchen. The style is exactly what we'd love in our house, but we're still recuperating from a basement remodel that dragged on and on. Anyhow, happy cooking in your new kitchen and happy new year too!

[jon]

Absolutely beautiful. Another dreamy kitchen to add to my inspiration file. Thanks.

[tokyoastrogirl]

Wow. I mean, it is stunning. You have excellent taste, truly.

[Brian]

I just subscribed to you via Google Reader and you got me hooked; I love all of your documentation. Congratulations, the renovation looks like it's coming along splendidly.
Now you got me thinking, "Someday... Someday..." Cheers!

[susan]

your kitchen is beautiful. would you mind sharing where you got your beautiful hanging light?

[Deborah Dowd]

Your kitchen looks wonderful! You must be so excited- what a great place to prepare meals and be the heart of your home!

[Caryl Wilkinson]

The kitchen is unbelievable.
Your talent is also unbelievable. I know you
enjoy cooking in it after all the time you sqweezed in
the kitchen in your tiny
apartment. I love the black
wall - how stuning! cr

[David]

Hello - Your kitchen is wonderful! I'd love to install the identical backsplash - where did you order the tile? Any specifics (size, color name, manufacture, etc.) would be much appreciatedl!!! And is that a satin finish?

Best, DH

[Alex M]

I love your kitchen! That modern lighting is so simplistic and gorgeous. When I was re-doign my indoor lighting, I shopped around for cheap lighting fixtures and discovered LightingSALE.com. Happy remodeling everyone!