Homemaker Monday: To Design a Kitchen - Part Five

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YOURS: This week's "YOURS" goes to Sweet Pea over at "The Newlyweds"! (I think her screen name is Sweet Pea. I couldn't be sure, though, so Sweet Pea, correct me if I'm wrong!) Sweet Pea has linked up here at Homemaker Monday for several weeks now and she always posts great-looking recipes! One of her posts even inspired me to plan a whole family home evening around making cakes in mugs and blogging it. (That post is HERE.) Last week she tutored her readers on how to make broccoli and cheese, one of my favorite ways to eat vegetables! The kids, too! Take a look at this delightful dish...


Looks awesome, right? This will definitely be making an appearance on my table soon. For her entire post, click HERE. Thanks, Sweet Pea, for all of your delicious posts and please feel free to take the "I Was Featured" button on my left sidebar if you like!

MINE: Work Center - The Island: In the 14 homes in which I've resided over the past 20 years as a homemaker, only one of them had an island. When my first husband and I first saw that our new military housing kitchen would have one, I was so excited, gushing and bubbling over my newfound counter space. His response: "It'll just be a place where you collect all your junk." I was hurt and pouted 'til he apologized, but in reality, I knew he was right. But he wouldn't be right this time! I would PROVE him wrong! And I did. I made a cute runner to lay across the length of it and purchased a pretty fruit bowl for the center and prove him wrong I did. I made it my life's goal that I would never clutter it up with my junk. That's when my love affair with kitchen islands began. I promised myself that if ever I designed a kitchen, it would certainly have an island. Some how, some way, I got my wish...


I wanted my island to be special. I wanted it to stand apart from the rest of the kitchen. I designed the perimeter of the kitchen in sort of a country restaurant industrial fashion, what with the commercial faucets, the stainless steel double ovens and dishwashers, the ice machine and the open cabinets. But the island would be different. It would be the focal point of the kitchen and this is how I would do it...

1. It would be green. My idea was to have it painted in a distressed fashion, but John convinced me that if we stained it, it would still tout the color I wanted, but the beautiful grain of the hickory would show. He was right and I'm so glad we did it that way...


2. Rather than stainless steel or rustic black hardware, as in the perimeter of the kitchen, the island's hardware would be copper or copper colored. I knew this would be lovely against the green, just as a redhead looks perfect in an emerald sweater. The crown jewel, so to speak, is the 33" x 9" authentic Mexican copper sink. We were able to find an antique copper finish faucet to complete the look, in addition to copper cup pulls and knobs...The carpenter and the granite man (my awesome brother-in-law) did an excellent job!


3. We would tie in themes from other parts of the kitchen, like this tile, which also borders the range hood...


4. There would be an 7' x 3.5' slab or "copper canyon" granite on the bottom level...


...and slate and copper tiles on the upper level...


5. A huge pot rack would hang over the island. To make the rack, we purchased two cheap pot racks with attached lighting on Ebay, sautered them together and painted them black. We then had our wrought iron guy fashion a beautiful hanger to connect the pot rack to the chains that attach to the ceiling. Our wrought iron guy is another genius with whom we've had the pleasure of working.


6. Our island would have unique, interesting bar stools, seven to be exact...


....Ah, but there are only four, you say. Here's a funny story about those bar stools. Although they may seem sturdy, apparently there is a defect in the way they are manufactured in that with very little use, the tops simply snap off the bottoms. It's very inconvenient and disturbing. We have even had to come up with a bar stool grave yard under the stairs...


We can only hope that our wrought iron guy can find a way to fix them permanently so that this travesty will not occur again. He IS a genius, so I think he can do it.

7. Our island would have lots of drawers on the sides and front for miscellaneous belongings, like Reynold's wrap, funnels, dish towels, and lunch bags...


8. Finally, on our island would sit a beautiful fruit bowl (courtesy of my mother) just like my very first island...



And there you have it. The island! Stay tuned next week for the sixth and final kitchen kitchen post in a series featuring the office and drink center!

(If you missed any of the previous "To Design a Kitchen" installments, click below!)
To Design a Kitchen - Part One
To Design a Kitchen - Part Two
To Design a Kitchen - Part Three
To Design a Kitchen - Part Four

OURS: All righty then, let's see what all of you Happy Holiday Homemakers have for us today. Dig in your archives or create a new post today, whichever you prefer, just share your talents, ideas, tips or how-to's! Thank you so much for joining us and we'll see you next Homemaker Monday!



P.S. If you don't see Mr. Linky, I believe it's because the Mr. Linky site is having technical difficulties. :( It should be back up soon.

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