KP Duty

Hi Friends after many months the kitchen refresh is finally complete!

Back in February I popped into Home Depot and came home with a sample of English Channel. I am not someone who needs a plethora of swatches. I knew I wanted a dark blue but, not navy and this color fills the bill perfectly.

On Friday July 24th we celebrated 17 years of ownership here at the Chalet. In that time all but two spaces have been redone at least once. (We like what we like and we like it for a long time! hahaha!) So the kitchen was one of the spaces that had not seen any updates since the original remodeling project in January 2005.

This is our kitchen in its full Ben Moore Pumpkin Spice glory…. I loved the color so much for so long - until I didn’t. I started talking about painting the kitchen a dark blue last fall. I saw some raised eyebrows and I get it - I really do - the space is about 9’ x 9’ and I’m being generous - the measurement from the frig to the diningroom is 6’ 6 inches.

If you follow along on IG than you never see this space. It’s small, hard to photograph and the light levels vary between barely any to being very bright thanks to it bouncing off our neighbors house.

In April I painted the trim - the problem was I didn’t have the wall and ceiling paint. This is my very sweet husband - he went to the store (during the the height of the pandemic here in New Jersey) and bought me paint. I started painting the ceiling Behr Paint Pink Prism in May but, as it is with life especially during Covid the project stalled. On July 22nd he took pity on me and gave the ceiling the second coat it needed and then my friends I was off to the races!

I painted for 6 hours on Friday July 24th (that magical 17th Houseaversary) and for another 8 hours the next day. I know you’re thinking what?1? 14 hours to paint such a small space but, I started brushing and stuck with it. I like brushes they offer me a control I don’t feel with a roller. I also used artists brushes to get in to some of the nooks and crannies.

By Saturday night there was Art! Thanks so much Christina for lending your eye!

“KP duty is “kitchen police” or “kitchen patrol”...”

— Wikipedia

This image proves the ceiling really is Pink!

This fabric was the jumping off point for the rest of the elements in the space. Originally I thought about going in a chinoiserie direction but, when I closed my eyes and asked myself what did I want to live with? What did I see in my minds eye? Something I Ask Clients To Do… I saw fun with a modern twist and this fabric is the perfect blend of color and pattern to tell that story.

I first saw this fabric on my friend and Interior Designer Cameron Jones IG feed, she was sweet enough to grab a yard and mail it from Raleigh, North Carolina. It had been sitting in a bin in my basement for a few years - I am so glad I hadn’t used it for pillows or a client! So the last thing I tackled were the cafe curtains.

I hope this has inspired you and let you see even professionals can struggle to get projects finished - for one reason or another.

This pretty space is getting a break while we’re at the beach - breathing in salt air, eating donuts, playing mini-golf - all while self distancing and wearing masks. Please know I’m here for assistance - email me - no project or query is too small!

Take care and Please wear your mask!

Touch of Texture

I haven’t finished the Kitchen or Stairwell updates - I could blame homeschooling but, honestly friends I’m just not motivated. You know what was super easy to update - the Loo - because after more years than I would care to admit it was time for a change and all I had to do was go onto www.Target.com point and click.

No surprise I traded blue stripes for pink! I really like the simplicity, the texture comes through in the band of gold thread and the fringe. Click here for the curtain. You’ll see I also chose new towels with a great texture and the color is spot on! Click here for the towels. It all works so well with our multi-color woven basket - since we have a pedestal sink this is a necessity that holds extra supplies.

Here are a few fun curtain options. Click images for source.

Here are some basket options as well. Click the image for source.

This cotton terry curtain served us well and she might be back one day!

Til next time - Stay Well!

Greetings On Day 26

Happy Wednesday friends I sincerely hope this finds you well. Yes today is day 26 of sheltering at home - my husband has done the marketing and with the exceptions of walks in our neighborhood I have been home since Friday March 13th. Here’s the link to my piece from March 25th Chaletbound if you missed our new normal. I’m blessed to say the King family is doing really well! Today I’m sharing some things from life around the Chalet along with some new treasures and inspiration.

I’ve been lighting more candles and everyone is really digging it. Click image for source.

I’ve shopped a bit (we are wiping everything down) in an effort to support small businesses and friends who run these enterprises during this crazy time. I ordered this Leopard Cotton Velvet Cover from Annabel Bleu. They have a ton of styles. Below are few more I’m really loving. (I sew covers but, I have not mastered zippers - I need to learn! )

The wonderfully talented Jill Rosenwald held a warehouse sale on 3/15 and this delightful center vessel Calypso Jilly is now mine!

Elena S. Boiardi is a tremendous artist and friend - I’m overjoyed to have two more pieces of her work here in the Chalet. The Tortoise Shagreen Egg and the Ziggy Heart Box.

We last went thrifting at the Black Rose Antiques Center in Philipsburg, NJ February 16th, my sister and brother in law met the three of us there - I bought a bunch of art books and after we shared a delicious sushi dinner! Oh those were the days! We’ve actually been thrifting less lately but, when Christina of The White Pepper Vintage put this remarkable enamel dish and brass egg box up for sale… I knew they were coming to the Chalet!

I will share that this time has been way more about homeschooling and doing my day-to-day Mom chores than about client work, my website or home projects. I sent a room schematic to a client last month and we’ll pick up again when we get to the other side of this. I had hoped to spend more time cleaning out the basement and I’ve made a bit of progress over the weekends but, focusing on Liam has been my top priority and honestly I can’t muster the energy with all the rainy days we’ve had to get down there. The other project is the kitchen. I didn’t buy paint, thinking I’d be able to go to Home Depot or this situation would not be stretching out before us - like it is. In the big scheme of things I know painting my kitchen is not a big deal - but man - it would be so great to do - to have a pretty project!

When I came across this image of Carlos Sánchez-García home on IG I was picking my jaw off the floor. I love the pattern and the infusion of color married with the warmth of his furnishings. LOVE LOVE LOVE! So this led me to start saving images of brightly patterned pillows. Like I said it’s all about simple and doable and we all know the easiest way to change the look of a room is with pillows! And for me the more the better! I’ve been pulling pillows from storage and swapping stuff and making wish-lists! ha!

Look at these fantastic pillows from Middle March Shop and then I popped over to Anthropologie - such unique pieces! The yarn details definitely started by wheels turning!

I have managed to do a few things: I did update the seat fabric of an old chair that was in the basement for months. So that’s off the To Do list. I finished the book Hillbilly Elegy. I tooled around here on my website - adding two new sections Blogs We Love and Floral Tips in the sidebar. I’ve swapping out some art by reusing frames I had on hand. I hung a new piece - I partnered with Mapiful on a personalized Zodiac Print. I’ve been looking through my huge stack of fiction and figuring out what I’ll read - I just started Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House. I’ve been looking through my art and design books - its been so pleasurable to sit with a stack and lazily peruse them.

Liam is on Spring Break this week so we’re concentrating on fun - art, games, Lego, movies, as much outdoor time as we can manage and of course museums - back in February my sister Noreen and I decided yesterday was going to be the day of spring break we’d ride the ferry into the City and visit The Met (our favorite museum) and she’s a member; but, instead we’re looking in books and on-line. A little Met is better than no Met! We’re also looking at other museums in NYC and around the world through You Tube and their websites.

Til next time - take good care - please stay home - please stay 6 feet away from everyone you do not live with - please wipe everything off before you bring it into your home.

Thanks as always for taking your precious time to be here! xoxo