Now that the painting and cabinet changes are done, I have decorated the kitchen for Christmas.
I am more a minimalist than a maximalist, but I find myself adding things every day though I thought I was finished :)
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The first room I tackled after moving in was the kitchen. Once I had changed the paint, it started to be my house. Each additional change just added to that feeling.
This is the before from the real estate listing:
Happily the silk flower swag (and there were a lot of them in this house) went with the seller :)
The first thing I did was have the fan removed and a new light fixture installed.
I had the painter lined up for shortly after I moved in and the first room to be painted was the kitchen. It was a fleshy pink colour, I used Sherwin Williams "Sensible Hue" SW6198, a green with a muddy, grey background.
I then had a few changes made to the cabinets. There was a built in stove top that was broken and I had it removed and a slide in stove and above stove microwave installed.
BEFORE:
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I have moved. To the small town that my Mother and Father grew up in. I still have aunts and dozens of cousins here.
But I retired 5 years ago and have been re-evaluating my life since. I find that just when you have more time for all your friends, they have also retired and moved away. Closer to the country, in small towns. So ... if you want to spend time with your friends you move also.
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| Main Street |
The town I have moved to has a main street with small interesting businesses. The bigger stores are all on the edge of town as seems to be usual Every one says hello and asks how you are. Neighbours invite you over for coffee to introduce you to other neighbours. Everyone walks downtown for the Rememberance Day ceremonies, and there are banners from the light posts with pictures of people from town that died in the wars. And everyone knows the families!! There is a Farmer's Market and a Christmas Market; a Santa Claus parade that the high school band and all the Girl Guides and Scouts march in. Everyone turns out to watch it and share coffee and baked goods. The local park is lit up with millions for lights and everyone walks or drives through it and oohs and aahs.
When I moved in, a cousin recommended a painter. When I had him over for a quote, he said "your last name is Kennedy .... do you know xxx and xxx Kennedy?" I said they were cousins. He said he had told his 84 year old mother that he was coming here and she remembered my Mom and Dad. His niece is married to one of my cousin's sons. As we were talking and figuring out all the people we knew in common all I could think of was "This is exactly why I moved here".
I felt like I was home.
I haven't done anything during the lockdown except quilt, but I was browsing Kijiji and spotted this vintage cabinet and I had to have it.
It was about 20 miles from home and a beautiful, crisp winter day for a drive. We made a mask safe exchange and this little beauty was mine.
I am going to hang in my kitchen, but need a couple additional pieces for a vignette. The cabinet is 22 inches high and 16 inches wide.
I usually don't have a big Christmas tree. Just lots of decorations and small trees throughout the house. This year with being home so much, I wanted a tree ... but one with my own twist.
I went to my workroom and made one with materials I already had.
The centre is a tree stake I stained. The branches are miscellaneous trim pieces. I picked out the ornaments I wanted to use (mostly wooden) and started by adding the top branch. I added the ornaments and then spaced the next branch. It has a sturdy base on it, but I used a large brass planter to sit it in. As a final touch I ran miniature white lights up the centre stock.
Here it is in place in the den.
Starting with the bedrooms, I've put on festive quilts, pillows and garland.
It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
