Life as I know It

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San Luis Obispo, California, and South Bristol, Maine, United States
Author ~ Illustrator ~ Lecturer

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Won't You Join Us for a Kitchen Visit?


The sunlight shimmers through the Lemon Verbena Lady's gorgeous herbal jellies. An unexpected gift we received this week.


BEFORE-Not our style, though the tile is great. The old plastic cupboards were falling apart. I don't want to see microwaves, etc. out in the open. I love open shelves, not closed shelving.


AFTER-Open shelving, an overhead vent (instead of through the floor), antique lighting, old sink, and our beloved stove, Abigail, named for my plump Grandmother Lovejoy.


BEFORE-A small sink complete with a garbage disposal, which we NEVER use. We believe that kitchen garbage is worth its weight in gold. It all goes into a bucket under our sink and is dumped into the worm bin daily. We donated all the cupboards to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, all the tiles were set into the stonework of our new outdoor dining room. No waste!


Nope, no garbage disposal.


The worm bucket.


The old kitchen had very little storage. With slide out drawers and the use of a lazy susan, we were able to double the capacity.


BEFORE-A wall that took more turns than a country road. An oven installed next to the refrigerator, which was, perhaps, the noisiest fridge in the world. It conked out on us. To the left is the laundry area and far left, the one and only pantry.


AFTER-Slide out shelving in the pantry.


AFTER-I actually have a place to store things. I really only keep what I use; other things that aren't often used were donated to Hospice.


AFTER-ugh, I can't stand to see appliances. These cupboards are all fitted with electric plugs so everything can be plugged in and used in place.


AFTER-What was once a crooked wall is now all the same depth, the cupboards are simple, and there is room at the top of the cupboards (thank you, Jeff) for some of my big wooden bowls. Did I want a stainless steel refrigerator. NO WAY, but this Liebherr is the greenest one imaginable. Even the way they are manufactured is considered the greenest in the industry. Very low watt usage. Good food storage, but I wish I had an old one, or maybe the Northstar that looks old.



AFTER-I now have two drawers for storing my Grandmother's iron skillets, dutch ovens, and cornbread molds.


BEFORE-Storage in the protruding wall, a dropped ceiling with can lights.


AFTER-Protruding storage removed, bookcases installed (great windowsills for plants here), and floor patched and repaired. Antique cupboard for kitchen linens, and just because I love it.


BEFORE-Floor vented cook top, tile counters, no storage under stove because of vents.


AFTER-Make way for Abigail! Maple countertops with breadboard ends, and I love the little cutting board niche that Jeff designed.


AFTER-Two Fisher-Paykel dishwashers are under the sink apron. One on each side. The light above the sink is from Maine.


AFTER-Almost finished. I love the repaired and refinished wooden floors, the warm and welcoming work-family table in the center, and my old miner's coat rack from Pennsylvania, which holds my copper pots and pans.



And my favorite thing in the kitchen? These two recipes for "Heavenly Pie" hand written by my two beloved grandmothers. See Grandma's pie crimper?

Forgive me for posting such a long entry, but I am answering dozens of questions that we've been asked these past few months. Now you can see what we've been up to. We hired a cabinet maker to do the fine work on the cabinets, but when it came to elbow grease and willing learners, well it was us. We're so happy to have it within a feather of being finished.

Sending love and thanks to all of you who have written and who have sent notes about the Country Gardens article in the early spring issue. 


Followers, this is your last week to sign in for the give-away, which will happen next Saturday.

Love to all of you. Now dig in and start working on your dream kitchen. The elbow grease really makes it affordable, as does shopping in salvage yards, the ReStore, and antique shops. Such an adventure.

Sharon

Now a word from Jeff

Let me explain why it has taken so long to complete our kitchen. If we ordered new appliances and fixtures, we could have finished in less than a calendar year. You have to remember that we spend at least five months a year in Maine, so our California year is only seven months less any traveling we have to do.
When we bought this house, we knew we needed to remodel the 1980’s kitchen and return it to its original 1930’s time period. We’re willing to wait until we find what we want.
What we wanted in our “new” kitchen was a farm sink with high back splash, open shelving, lots of pantry space, a niche for our huge antique wooden bowls, bookcases for cookbooks, room for an old farm table in the center of the kitchen, and an old stove. 

First we had to find an old stove and a sink, the heatbeat of our kitchen. In the meantime, the dated appliances that came in the house started to poop out one by one–first the dishwasher, then the cook top (we were down to one burner that worked). The refrigerator, whose only saving grace was that it was so loud you couldn’t hear traffic outside, conked out too. I’m sure being installed next to the built-in oven (yes, a refrig next to an oven) accelerated its demise. Every time we used the oven the refrigerator compressor was called into action.
We found a double drainboard farm sink at Ohmega Salvage in Berkeley. It arrived in the salvage yard the afternoon we were leaving the San Francisco Food Show. So, we detoured to Berkeley to look at it and decided to buy and store it until we were ready for installation. The monster sink took up most of our small garage. We located a man who resurfaces old bathtubs and sinks, and he spent a couple of days restoring the finish. He didn’t do a good job and right now I am learning how to refinish it myself.
When the cook top retired, we were luckily enough to find a 1950, six burner O’Keefe and Merritt with double ovens and broilers in a Paso Robles antique shop, only 35 miles away. The 42 inch wide stove got stuck half way through the doorway. I had to get out my trusty Sawsall and cut a four inch section out of an interior wall so I could move the oven into the house.
Once we had the pieces assembled, we demolished the inside of the kitchen and started the remodel. We filled voids in the floor before we had it refinished and I patched the walls and ceiling where I removed laundry and storage closets and a dropped soffit in the corner.
I designed the cabinets to hide countertop appliances (Sharon can’t stand to see these modern conveniences) and to have adjustable shelving to suit our needs for in-cabinet workspaces for the Kitchen Aid, Cuisinart, and Vita Mix. Form follows function without compromising aesthetics.
This year we found the hanging light at Let There Be Light in Stillwater, Wisconsin, and installed it. Once we determined the lighting pattern, we decided on the location for a wall hung light Sharon bought over a year ago at Trifles Antiques in Bath, Maine. Then, I pulled out the canned lights, removed the speakers in the ceiling, and patched everything with drywall and mud. A few finishing touches and it should be complete...complete? Sharon will find more chores for me, I’m sure. And I love doing this creative work.
Jeff

86 comments:

Larkrise garden girl said...

What a beautiful kitchen!
Cheri

Cape Cod Rambling Rose said...

WOW! Your kitchen is jaw-dropping gorgeous, Sharon! I'm going to bookmark this post for future reference, as we are in dire need of a kitchen remodel ourselves (I am ashamed to admit our house boasts a Brady-Bunch-style kitchen, complete with a harvest gold stove!) I love your 30's remodel. So cheerful! The time spent was definitely well worth it!

Unknown said...

Your kitchen is beautiful! Very inspiring -- thank you for the tour.

farmlady said...

This is a lovely kitchen and worth all the effort. I'm lusting after that sink. It's beautiful!!
The colors you chose, the appliances, everything is just perfect. You should be very proud of all the work.
My parents bought the very same O'Keefe and Merritt stove in 1950 when we moved into our new home in Pleasant Hill, CA. I loved that stove. They don't make any stoves like that anymore.
Thanks for the before and after photos.

Lemon Verbena Lady said...

Lots of great ideas, Sharon and Jeff. Thanks!

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

It is beautiful!!! The wait is worth it to have it the way you wanted. I'm taking notes. We have other remodeling to do first but a new kitchen is in our future. We don't use a garbage disposal either. We have one and run it to break down bits before they go in the drain but all scraps go in "the pile" or composter. Food for the garden. So glad to hear you support Habitat and Hospice. We work with our local Habitat and the ReStore is a great resource. When we remodel, we do our own demo so we can save and recycle as much as possible too. After our last bathroom remodel we actually ended up with extra lumber because we removed a poorly constructed soffit. We reused less lumber than our house builders did. I like all the appliances in the cabinet. Awesome job!!!! I'll bet you walk in and feel like you're in a dream. Enjoy it.

Fallingladies said...

Love seeing your kitchen and hearing your stories. Your books look wonderful!
-Andrea

Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said...

Wow Sharon!
I really do love it! You have all the details just so perfect!
And the table and the copper collection and that wonderful farmhouse sink!
Beautiful job, enjoy!
Hugs,
Cindy

Marcie said...

Just right. It looks like You. I can imagine you there with your loved ones.

Melissa said...

Oh dear Sharon! I just love your open shelves, your oven, your sink, your copper pots and I am in love with your kitchen table! Thank you for inviting us into your whimsy kitchen! The sunlight and the herbal treats make me want to pull up a chair and marinate in all of the fabulous surroundings forever! I do not know how to enter your drawing but I am forever one of your biggest fans :)....You are a true inspiration!

Vicki Boster said...

Sharon and Jeff-
I hardly know where to start- you have both worked so very hard to create this beautiful kitchen of your dreams. If this were my kitchen- I would never want to leave it. This is truly a place to make wonderful memories with family and friends. I am so happy for you Sharon- you must be overjoyed to sip a cup of coffee every morning in this beautiful place. Thank you for such a lovely tour.
Vicki

Alyssa said...

May I ask where in Maine you got that light? I am there every summer and may have to take a trip to purchase one, or online ;) Your kitchen is just as I would imagine your kitchen to be like. So cozy and warm and full of light. Thanks for sharing and what a nice treat from the Lemon Verbena Lady! I know her, small blog world ;)Alyssa of Boston Bee

As the Crowe Flies and Reads said...

That's one of the loveliest kitchens I've ever seen, and I love the story behind it.

Unknown said...

Congratulations Sharon and Jeff on a wonderful job well done... Your new/old kitchen looks as if it's always been there and you must both feel so " at home" now that you have made your own creative marks as well as given new life to old things.
We are in the middle of our kitchen remodel as I write. We've also waited for just the right materials to use. Ours is an eclectic mix of old/new, recycled and contemporary. I so enjoyed your post and it was so nice to hear from Jeff today as well! Bravo!
Deb

Nan said...

I absolutely, utterly love this!!!!!!

The BUTT'RY and BOOK'RY said...

Oh I love Abigail!
Today we just finished the walls and wide wood floors of our new kitchen in the transformed very big cold storage farm building!
And now I get to pick cupboards to fit around the country sink we bought 2 years ago! I was looking on line for ideas for hours and found nothing.But then I looked at your new post and I am inspired again! What an inviting cozy place you have made!! Ooo oo ooo! I want a kitchen like yours...right down to the worm bucket ;-)
Blessings from Linnie

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

I just love how old fashioned and "homey" your kitchen is in the best way! So very charming! Now, how can I inspire my hubby to help redo our dreary circa 1965 kitchen!?

Bonnie K said...

The kitchen is the heart of the home. I love your husband's adventures in making pasta.

the REAL girl said...

Sharon,
This is so so fabulous!! My goodness; I love all of the details and your reasoning behind each and every product....love it all!!

Cindy Garber Iverson said...

What a fantastic job you've done! If it's done right than it's work the extra time spent on it. Especially when you're looking for finds like that wonderful sink. We love Ohmega Salvage! It's a favorite for us to go and snoop. Everything you've done looks original to a 1930s kitchen. The love you've put into shows!!!! And the work-family table is exactly what I wish we had room for in our kitchen. It always seems like the essential piece for a homey kitchen.

Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage

Dan said...

I think you've both really captured the essence of what a kitchen should be - it's beautiful and practical without looking utilitarian. It looks like a room in which you could enjoy relaxing and spending time in - I think the look and design of so many kitchens these days means that it's just not tempting to spend any more time than you need in them.
Thanks for sharing how your ideas became reality - I love looking at before and after pictures.
Dan
-x-

Rebecca said...

Truly a "custom-made" kitchen! Very happy for you. My husband and I have looked and re-looked several times at the unique features. It's been a dream-feeder for us. (I'm the dreamer; he's the do-er.)

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Beautiful - thank you for sharing.
Did much of what you did in my old farm house - years ago. This new smaller cottage just wanted to move and went the fast route.
You and Jeff did wonderful. Enjoy...
Is my name in the drawing for the books.

Claudia said...

Oh Sharon and Jeff! What a wonderful kitchen! I can't say enough about how much I love it. Warm,welcoming, well thought out. Every touch is perfect. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!

xo
Claudia

Zuzana said...

Love all the before and after images. Your old kitchen was lovely, but the new one is incredible. I can imagine it must be the center point of your house now.
The first image is so beuatiful...
xoxo

Darla said...

What a wonderful and informative post. I will have to remember all the great tips for our next kitchen. We also love doing our own work, because we can control so many variables and learn so much along the way. Unfortunately, bathrooms are next on the project list.

Lemon Verbena Lady said...

P.S. The jam and jelly looks right at home on your counter. xxoo Nancy

Fallingladies said...

To answer your question ... I was following acorn pies and saw your blog on her list that she follows. The problem with that is it's endless, you can always find another interesting blog, and another and another and pretty soon you've spent hours on the computer...
glad you like my falling ladies.
-Andrea

Lindy said...

Hi, Sharon and Jeff. What an absolutely lovely kitchen. You must enjoy every moment you spend in it.

I'm not sure how to enter the drawing for the book(s). How I would love and cherish the Gladys Taber classic. Many years ago I was able to find these in libraries and read everything she wrote. I haven't seen one of her books in many years.

Erin | Bygone Living said...

Oh...my...God. I am at a loss for words! Can I just say that you have created my ideal kitchen? It's so beautiful!! That sink is absolutely amazing. I can't believe that someone could have the exact same taste as I! I'm floored (and jealous! hehe).

Wonderful, wonderful job! ♥

Sheilagh said...

What a wonderful labour of love.
Thank you for sharing

Susan said...

What a beautiful, well organized kitchen. Full of charm, but very efficient. I'd love to cook with you!

Kay's flowers said...

Oh Sharon, I love your kitchen! What beautiful taste you have and you have great patience to wait to get just everything you want. So many great ideas.

I would love to enter the drawing for the books. I love Gladys Taber and would cherish her book.

Lovely post.

Hugs,

Kay

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

Although we have never met in person, your kitchen tells me you are just the kind of person I imagined you to be.

I think you can tell a lot about a person by their kitchen. :)

The Red Umbrella said...

This is great! I love your thinking as to how your kitchen should function and look. I'm with you about pretty much everything.

Glynis Peters said...

What a wonderful warm glowing kitchen! Well done for making the change.

Dawn said...

Jeff is such an angel. You two sure combine your ideas and skills to make everything you touch 100x more beautiful!

This was so much fun, thank you!

Miss you, Sharon...was so lovely to hear from you. :)

xo Dawn

Mother Nature's Garden Evolution said...

Your kitchen is beautifully unique just like you, Sharon.

Kim said...

Sharon, I just love your new old kitchen! We just moved a 36-inch 1948 Chambers into our kitchen... and now that we know it fits, I have some subway tilework and other renovations to make. (No blog posts yet--soon.)

It's so much fun to take an older house with unfortunate updates and return her back to a suitable era. Makes her look so much more comfortable in her own skin. :)

Tell Jeff that I think his cutting-board spot is pure genius, by the way. And did you have the brackets for your open shelving custom made, or is there somewhere those could be purchased?

Congratulations on a job beautifully done!

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Kim and others,

Somewhere around the studio I have Jeff's original drawings of everything (he took mechanical drawing in prep school and it has served him well). Anyhow, he designed the door fronts, well, he designed everything including the actual shape for the brackets. Then they were simply cut out of 1 x 12 pine, primed, and he painted two or three coats of paint on them.

S

Donna said...

Beautiful kitchen! Love all the work you did ~ love the open cabinets.

PLaneFancies said...

I found your link from a FB posting by my sister-in-law. I am pleased to see that you have such good taste:-) We did a total overhaul of our kitchen about 4 years ago--we also finished our cabinets in green and painted our walls a soft yellow! Your kitchen is bright, cheery and homey. I'm sure you love being there.

Melody said...

I think I have stove envy... or maybe sink envy... i can't decide!
Beautiful! I want to see the Maine house now too! :)))))

Mozart's Girl said...

Such a wonderful unfolding story to your beautiful dream kitchen! You know my kitchen - so different to yours yet I see similarities too. And now we're embarking on a remodelling of the flat too - I'm almost scared to start! Thanks so much for reminding me that it's always worth it in the end. Love to you both xoxo

Lydia said...

Abolutely a LOVELY collaboration! I am so happy to see something personal- designed to live withm not to sell!

Thea said...

I love how sun-kissed your kitchen is. and i know i have said this before, but i love your sink. i had one like that in my first house. what a partnership you and jeff have! t p.s. love grandma's recipes - what a treasure

jerilanders said...

I understand about the Sink restorer "not doing a good job". I had an antique tub resurfaced and they had to come back and fix it 7 times!!
We bought 2 of those farm sinks, and this time my husband is doing the restoration work himself.
Love the pine table and the little pine- looking cupboard, what a find that was!

Elizabeth and Gary said...

Hi Sharon,
I love, love your kitchen and the open shelving! your farm house sink is to die for..and I love the kitchen table in the middle of the room..very well done.. I just love it all!
Have a sweet day and hugs, Elizabeth

Vee said...

I so enjoyed reading this team effort. Jeff, I'd love to know more about what you're learning about how to restore old sinks. I love the one I have now so much, but it is tired. I'd build any new kitchen around it and it's going with me if I leave. :D

Beautiful, sunny, inspiring kitchen. The extra touches such as grandmother's handprinted recipes are so very special. Is there any better kitchen than grandmother's? Not in my world.

Oh, Sharon, I just found another Elizabeth Coatsworth and I'm going to spend some time this crazily chilly afternoon enjoying it.

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Dear San Luis Obispo Country residents,

For those of you who have written about not being able to find the Better Homes & Gardens Country Gardens Magazine-Just wanted to let you know that the local Barnes & Noble has a table display with many of my books and with copies of the magazine that features our gardens, potting shed, etc. Good luck!

S

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I just love how your kitchen turned out. Love the color of the cabinets, love the stove and LOVE the sink. It just looks great.

PS Tell Jeff that I love Sawsalls too and learned how to use one a couple of summers ago so I could "surprise" my husband by cutting the railings off our deck one day when he was at work :)

Marguerite said...

I love the story behind your renovation. Doing it a little at a time, finding the right piece, makes the end result very worthwhile. I'm sure you'll spend many happy years in this kitchen.

Lili said...

Sharon, Just looking at your kitchen makes my heart happy! I was so tickled to see all the little details up close and have you share all the before and after areas and break it all down for us! I absolutely LOVE your kitchen, and when I saw the before pictures I was so impressed with how you could envision this extraordinary space you and Jeff have created. You two are amazingly talented and I am drooling! Sending you love & hugs from Maine. ~Lili

Lori ann said...

Dear Sharon and Jeff,

AWESOME, AMAZING, INCREDIBLE.
you are a perfect example of getting out of something what you put into it.

all the effort and hard work and love has paid off in this beautiful personal made for you kitchen. i love that you make your dreams come true, and that you do it together. You are both so lucky to have each other, and now your kitchen too.
enjoy your hours spent there.

love,
lori

Kate at Wonderful Life Farm said...

Your kitchen is lovely...sunny and bright and cheerful. Having designed two kitchens in two different houses, I will say that I like the obvious fact that your kitchen looks like REAL cooking happens there! Beautiful color scheme!

kj said...

sharon and jeff, awesome, wonderful, cozy cozy cozy. i love before and after pictures and these are magnificent! thank you.

electrical outlets INSIDE the cabinets? i won't forget that!

two things i will never forget (you no doubt agree) is always choose dimmers and write your paint colors in pencil on the wall before putting the light switch covers back on. oh, and a third: don't be afraid to imagine.

i wish you would invite lori and me to dinner :)

love
kj

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Dear kj,

We use compact florescent bulbs and most don't work with dimmers, but they do make dimmable CF bulbs. They are more expensive. We label the left over paint can with the room and have the paint store keep a record of where we use each color. I like the idea of writing the paint color on the wall, but sometimes there isn't enough wall space under cover if the electrical box is big, so maybe putting a label on the inside of the cover will do the trick. I'd write the brand, color name, and the number as brands change names. Better yet would be the color code and size of can. The color code is specific to the can size. Some codes can't be broken down into smaller increments, i.e. a gallon into a pint. Jeff

gigi said...

i always enjoy your posts; this one strikes a cord in the biggest way! Kitchen Redo - underway here at our casita!! Your post assures me that there is an end in sight! A beautiful end! Thanks, Sharon.

Sharon Lovejoy said...

You're right Gigi, there is an end in sight and I DON'T mean an end to a relationship. It is all worthwhile in the end. Hurrah!

Chin up and keep paddling,

S

Rosemary said...

Sharon thanks for dropping by my blog. So enjoyed seeing your kitchen reno. Wonderful sink..... plus your talented husband making pasta. Will be back.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I am so happy to have found your wonderfully inspiring blog! I am a Country Living reader from its first issue. Although I've lived in a large city my entire life my heart has always in the country, I was lucky to have had a grandmother who lived on a small farm in Pennsylvania, She had a Victorian era farmhouse with a large black cast iron wood burning stove. She made the most wonderful bread and pies in that stove! The fresh eggs and vegetable from her garden were the best I've ever eaten. To this day I think of my grandmother whenever I smell dill, as she always grew large amounts of that herb to use in her home pickling. Reading your blog tonight brought back such wonderful memories..thank you!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sharon~~ I love your vintage kitchen. Great before and after photos.

Farmgirl Susan said...

Oh, Sharon, your new kitchen is just too wonderful for words! Everything is PERFECT, and it was great to see the before and after photos. I love it all and am so inspired. You have such beautiful taste - and treasures. It was obviously well worth the wait (of course this is coming from somebody who started building their new house 8 years ago across the farmyard and hasn't quite moved in yet, LOL).

A huge congratulations to you both on a fabulous job so well done. xoxo :)

Leontien said...

Hi Sharon,

First off: Thanks so much for following me!!! Made my Day!

I loved that you re-used those tiles i thought they were very pretty! Hope to see lot's of posts with great tips and and that you enjoy following my reading adventures!

Thanks
Leontien

Privet and Holly said...

Sweet, sweet
kitchen for a
sweet couple
who make pasta-
making and herb
growing look divine!
LOVE the framed
recipes....
xx Suzanne

The Unusual Farmchick said...

I covet your Aprin sink! I have longed to have one for what seems an eternity. I keep hoping one will show up in the local used ads. And the copper pots...love so much about you kitchen!

Stephanie Roth Sisson said...

HI Sharon! You and Jeff created a beautifully designed space- what a difference! YOu can really see that you thought about every detail and made it your own. I can't wait to see you and your beautiful kitchen in person. xoSteph

Donna said...

Sharon, it's clear how much you enjoy cooking, spending time with friends, and creating with love in your kitchen... You absolutely deserve this spectacular "playground"! It is just BEAUTIFUL!! Enjoy!... Donna

Comfrey Cottages said...

Any woman who has an Abagail AND a bookcase in her kitchen , is a woman after my own heart! lol Just beautiful Sharon! I would like a kitchen exactly the same:) xx

Donna@Conghaile Cottage said...

I LOVE the details of your new kitchen... I too do NOT like any appliances showing and have had the same talk with my Hubby on HIDING it all! Your sink is magnificent! I LOVE the size. and your stove is a GEM, LOVE IT!!! I have settled on the "Elmira Black and nickel" to look old... You fridge is interesting, I DO NOT want the silver BUT I'll have to check out your brand. Your Kitchen is "So Beautiful" and fits in so well with the beauty that surrounds your cottage in Maine...
Hugs to you and thank you for sharing,
Donna

Kimberly said...

I think I am in love! You've totally captured what I want our kitchen to look like. We just bought a 1920 Sears & Roebuck farmhouse. The kitchen was remodeled/destroyed in the 80's and needs some serious love.

Alexandra said...

I'm wanting a vintage kitchen, but I had trouble envisioning a vintage design for our mid-sized L-shaped kitchen. Serendipity brought me here! Judging for your cabinet sizes in the before pictures, the dimensions of your kitchen are exactly the same as ours. This is such a help! Now we just have to take up the search for a vintage stove and farmhouse sink.

Mary P. said...

I am absolutely, positively, head over heels in love with this kitchen! The sink make my heart beat faster, the stove makes me swoon. Just amazing. I would live in this room and never leave. Seriously, I'd sleep over there by the bookcase, right under the copper pots.

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Hi Mary,

Thanks for your sweet words. We DO practically live in the kitchen. No matter what is going on our family gathers around this table and/or the long dining room table. Sometimes I wonder why we have other rooms? This Old House Magazine featured our do-over last spring 2014, but they removed my copper pots, the squirrel nutcracker, many books, etc. Didn't feel like my kitchen!

We are having the long farm sink refinished next week and we'll get a ten year guarantee this time.

Thanks for stopping by. How did you find me?

Sharon

Anonymous said...

Hi Sharon,
Don't know if you even see comments from your older posts, but here goes. I've looked all over for original historic kitchens and you have some ideas I've never seen before. We are trying to restore a 1917 kitchen to original. If we could get the Fisher dishwashers to fit under our sink it could totally help us. Could you tell me how wide your sink is?
Thank you!!
Maggie

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Dear Maggie, aka "Anonymous,"

Our sink is 78 inches wide and 22 inches deep with a 6 inch apron. Normal, modern counters are 25 inch deep so we had the cabinets built to accommodate a modern 25 inch deep dishwasher and our 1923's sink. This left a 3 inch space behind the backsplash of the sink. I filled in the space with trim boards to make it looked finished. If you send me your e-mail address, I'll send you some close up photos, email me at jeff at sharonlovejoy period com.

Because of the 6 inch apron, we couldn't use a conventional dishwasher so we turned to the Fisher Paykel dish drawers and instead of stacking them, as they are intended, we split them up on each side of the sink. People think they are bins, like in old kitchens. When I pull out a drawer, people are shocked we have dishwashers.

The nice thing about them is that Sharon and I use one draw a day. When we have a dinner party, we can wash the silver in one drawer and the stainless in another, fragile dishes on one side and heavier soiled dishes on the other.

I'll be glad to answer any other questions you might have.

Husband Jeff

p.s. Note that we had the under counter cabinets made without a kick plate to tie in with our 1930's home.

Melanie @ Rustic Farmhouse said...

WOW I am loving this! fabulous idea having the fisher & paykel underneath the sink! LOVE!! ~Mel

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Ok Melanie,

Now I need to visit Rustic Farmhouse.

Thanks for stopping by. I still love this old/new kitchen remodel, but I've been yearning for some other remodel challenges.

Best,
Sharon

Anonymous said...

Wow this is just amazing!! My dream kitchen!! I love ever single inch and the best was the stove and sink!! The best!! Job well done!! Thanks for sharing!! Elma elma2179@yahoo.com

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Elma,

Thanks for your visit. It was a JOB for sure-lots of hard work, but after all, the kitchen is where we spend the most joyous times.

Best,

Sharon

l said...

What a treat to find you here ! Cambria and Heartsease is just not the same without you. My favorite place in the world to go. We miss you~~~

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Thank you Leatrice,

I miss Cambria AND Heart's Ease!

Sharon

Nancy In Boise said...

Great job using that space!!!

Anonymous said...

Love your kitchen!!! We have that exact sink, and after looking for months found your kitchen and it us exactly what I want. Could you tell me your paint colors and the dimensions of your kitchen. Want to convince my builder/husband.😊 Thank you!

michelle chamlee said...

Wow, your kitchen is absolutely wonderful. Thank you for sharing!

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Michelle Chamlee,

Oh gosh, such a fine from long ago. I am glad you like our kitchen. We still love it too. I would write you in person, but don't have your address.

All best,
Sharon