Kitchen inspiration

We're working on the kitchen again this weekend and hope to get the back splash started. We're going with the classic, white subway tile. It'll be easy to work around when I feel the need to change up the colors.

The island in the mood board is just for inspiration sake but it's similar in tone to the one that I have. It's a large vintage cabinet with a zinc top and is on small casters. I was told it came out of an old home in Pittsburgh. I need to buy large casters to get it to counter top height. Because it was a wall piece, I just need to add bead board to the back so it will look like the front.

We're going with open shelving on one wall to open up the space and make it feel more airy. I wish we had more space for lower cabinets so we could do away with the upper ones all together.
The lower cabinets, sink, faucet and chopping block counter top were put in a while back so we only have a little more to go.

There is light at the end of the tunnel!

Big decision for a little wall

How does one obsess over a small wall? My problem - I can make decisions for others but when it comes to my space, I wait to move until I can get what I really want. Oh well. I think I've found the solution to my, do-I-paint-or-wallpaper, make-my-own-stencil-or-search-for-one-that-I can-buy dilemma.

I think I found it. Reusable wall stencils by Cutting Edge Stencils. I've always liked the Acacia leaf so I am leaning toward this but there are others. And after I run it by Jon, we'll see what we choose. I like for him to like the space as well so his opinion is important. And with as much work as this could be, we both need to agree.
But I am excited at this possibility.

High/Low office components

I have been working on the office/studio. You could say my taste is all over the place. I like a little of everything although I think that helps me from getting too theme-y which can happen with any of the styles that I like.

After a thorough steam cleaning of the carpet, I am ready to get things back together. The mood board shows a few similar items that are going into the space. I call those the "High cost" which are higher price-points. Mine are the "low cost," Lower, more reasonable price points to me.

The semi flush-mount light adds to the contemporary look of the space as does the wallpaper that will highlight one wall. I am still deciding if I should wallpaper or paint a design. Their wallpaper is $189.00 per roll and mine is $20 per roll. The one I like is not metallic but a tone-on-tone Spanish tile design. However, I think I'll need about 7 rolls. The paint is only $20 per gallon but I'll need a ton of time to prep and paint a design. In the end I don't know which will be the better deal. Sometimes for the sake of time and ease, the higher option works out better.

For a similar style to their $150.00 light, I found one for $59.00. Jon and I decided that one of the best ways to update our house is to change out all of the lighting. So this style of light will also be going into the upstairs hall as well.

The chair in the mood board is similar to a pair that I purchased off of Craigslist a while ago. I wish they had simpler lines but theirs is $799.00 and mine, with a rounded high back, were just $17.50 each. A coat of paint is just dollars. So I couldn't pass them up. They are comfy too.

While I am trying to work with what I have, I did purchase a desk/shelf combination. It was an inexpensive choice ($130.00) that gave me enough workspace as well as extra storage. Although I like West Elm, their parson's desk in the mood board is $299.00.

And any of the decorative items for the walls are already in the house. I just need to shop the other rooms or the garage for those. I consider that free. So the transformation of this space will be budget friendly and I'll still get the style I like.

But first, I have to tackle the wallpaper/paint issue...