Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Humble Bungalow Kitchen...as requested!

Yesterday I posted about my kitchen sink and the lovelyand inspiring blogger Janet, over at The Gardener's Cottage asked to see more of my kitchen.
I went back into the arcived posts from January 23rd and found a few and then decided to recapture my kitchen this morning.
(I am flitting around camera in one hand, an mug of coffee in the other!)
East wall of kitchen, glimpses of  the dining room 
 a butler's door that swings both ways
is on the far left.

My floor is soft fir and is easily marked and pitted
I throw down rugs to keep it warm and add some vintage ambiance.


A modcon amid vintage 1913 arts and crafts
silver, recently polished, above the fridge gleaming!


The phone has a deep gurgle of a ring
as it thrums, I love it!


Bins which open are to the left hold onions and spuds

It is a sunny morning so I had to close the blinds to capture these images...
even with the dark fir it is a bright space when the sun is shining
it does become gloomy in the winter and I turn on more lights.


I am not the only dishwasher here...Kitchenaid is on the job too!


Pantry cupboard where I store food...it used to have an opening to the outside with a mesh screen
I suppose it was cold storage but we have boarded that up!


My kitchen nook
I blog from this arts and crafts table and bench seat


Our border and my talented friend Cheryl Fortier's acrylic
(I have 4 pieces of her work which I cherish)
she has a website www.cherylfortier.com
go and see her work
She and her husband are in Auvilar France on exchange until the Fall.


Shelves for cookbooks
Family room to the immediate right.

The Humble Bungalow is a small scale "working man's" home built in 1913
it is very modest.
When we purchased the Bungalow it was in need of a major overhaul
it had been rented out and neglected
we took it on and painstakingly restored it
 is now on the Heritage Registry and protected from the wrecking ball!

There were times when the children were teenagers and brought many friends home 
that I deeply desired a larger space
we even looked at some
now though,
 I see that it is a perfect retirement home for the two of us as we advance in age.

13 comments:

Susan B said...

I love the dark wood and arts and crafts design! So inviting!

Rebecca said...

It truly looks like a "perfect" kitchen! Such character & warmth & charm!

Anonymous said...

Dear Hostess, How absolutely fascinating all of this is and how very attractive too. I do admire the furnishings which you have clearly chosen to be very much in keeping with the original bungalow. If I were to choose a style of architecture, it could well be Arts and Crafts and here you are living with it.

LPC said...

What a beautiful ode to your house. Arts and Crafts is huge here in Northern California, so I've seen a lot. I like the way you have integrated the modern and the old. The rugs too. Very nice. How wonderful to have resurrected something old and in need.

mette said...

Your kitchen mixes well with the rest of your interior. Everything is so clean and well thought through. There is a cosy atmosphere. The white pots and the stainless steel gives it a functional, modern touch.

Britta said...

Dear Hostess,
now I can never write "of the Humble Bungalow" again! It is absolutely gorgeous, your wonderful kitchen ("humble indeed!") Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! Congratulation - and I'm sure you enjoy cooking in that fine place!

the gardener's cottage said...

hi leslie,

thanks for posting these pics. our cottage is listed on the registry as a "workingmans cottage" also. it is actually called the gardeners cottage, hence my blog name.

i love the way you incorporated the new with the old. the refrigerator space is wonderful. and you lucky devil, you have a dishwasher. i don't. i love that your pantry had a door to the outside. you are right, the cottage is the perfect size now for the 2 of you.

~janet

Angie@Echoes of Laughter said...

Very lovely! The character of your house is wonderful....your humble bungalow would have been an amazing house of modern convenience in it's day I think!

Frugal Scholar said...

I liked it the first time and am glad to see it again. So true about how the too-small house becomes perfect for two.

JMW said...

What a great kitchen - I don't think I could bear pulling myself aware from there!

Annie ~ Red Roses and Crystal said...

Such a cosy space especially the nook. Reminds me of the kitchen nook in my childhood home.
Gorgeous white utensil holders too...I want some!
Does being listed on a Heritage Register (in your part of the world) restrict any improvements you may wish to do externally/internally?
xx

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Deja Pseu-Many people who visit comment on the darkness..and I do understand...it's not for everyone.

Rebecca-It works for me...but I do see all white kitchens that make my heart beat fast!

Edith Hope- Married to a partner in a local architectural firm, I have strict guidelines which I must adhere to and I confess are not mine alone!

LPC- A&C has been poplular for quite a long time and modernist seems to be the choice of the younger generation as seen with my children...I am not a purist...new and old come together here...in a former post I commented on A&C expert Jane Powell from Oakland, Ca. and her visit here where she admonishes us for our granite and stainless!!

metscan-I wonder if I have too much on my countertops sometimes...but I use these items regularly and it seems appropriate to have them handy.

Britta-Truly we are very humble here..no airs, simply living life and enjoying everyday as it unfolds.

Janet- If we are both living in these workingman's cottages we must be working women...I love my job!

Angie@Echoesof Laughter-It was simple in design with an Inglenook with the fireplace in the centre of the living room to keep warm...small rooms and only the basics...in 1913 with indoor plumbing it must have been wonderful!

Frugal scholar-I apologize for the repeat...it just seemed simpler.

JMW-I do love to cook and create family dinners!

Anne Marie-The white utensil holders are McCoy and are easliy found on EBAY and if you are fortunate...at Thrift Shops.
The Heritage registry does have guidelines...any "improvement" must be in keeping with the scale and design of the home...no aluminum windows or gargantuan boxy add ons...there is currently funds available to help maintain heritage homes...paint, roofing, electrical...none of which we have availed ourselves of but in our dotage may need to apply for consideration!

karin said...

An honest and beautiful kitchen. I'm so glad you decided to stay there! My boyfriend and I recently remodeled our 70 year old kitchen (our house is not considered "old enough" to be historic)and we used kitchens like yours as inspiration. Thanks for sharing yours! Karin