I think most of us have things in our homes that we’d like to get sorted out before Christmas. Christmas being the time when a great many of us spend a large chunk of time at home. For me I wanted to have a portion of the kitchen, if not finished, then well on its way to being done. As a family we spend a great deal of time in this room. The kids eat in it as the floor can cope with the mess, just about, and we chat, tidy up, cook, bake and generally potter about. For this reason I wanted to create an area that was a little cosier and a little more suited to the thrashing that this room gets by way of time spent in it.
This was the part of the kitchen that I wanted to work on first. I wanted to remove these cupboards entirely, shift the fridge along, use the worktop in another location as it’s good wood and install some large chunky open shelving.
And that is what I did.
With my dad’s help of course. I didn’t do it all by myself.
Do you like this corner? I do. I love it. By dragging the Ektorp sofa out of my bedroom and putting it underneath the shelves it has also given us a place to hang in comfort. The kids LOVE having a sofa there and it’s nice on a Sunday to read the papers here.
Here was the wall after the units had been removed.
Here are the shelves going up.
There they are painted (and there is my father pulling focus)
My dad and I designed them so that we made the most of the wall and the space it provided. The shelves are tall, sturdy, strong and long and the top shelf continues on over the top of the fridge.
The best bit for me was filling them with stuff and I don’t think the paint had dried before I set to work on that. I’m loving the ‘Believe’ sign that my mum bought me. All I have to do is glance at it and I feel better if my confidence is taking a battering. I think it’s important to surround yourself with things that make you feel good and whole, alive and energized. I don’t want ‘life-sucking’ things anywhere near me or the space I live in and I think I’ve become even more fussy about that since having children.
I’m also rather addicted to those wonderful paper bags that hold tea lights. They are meant to decorate a front path but mine are staying put where they are. In the evening they fill the whole wall with a lovely glow and it’s nice to hang out in that sort of light. Calming is how I’d describe it.
There they are again.
I’ll move on from those bags now.
It’s decorated for Christmas at present but the joy of this wall is that I can change it and decorate it whatever time of year it is and whatever I happen to be celebrating.
The whole kitchen is being based around a palette of three colours shown here on three milkshake glasses from Ikea. Chalky pink, chalky white and chalky chocolate milk. I don’t quite know exactly what colour chalky chocolate milk is but I don’t think that matters. If I need an example I’ll refer to the glasses.
I’ve had these latte bowls for years now. I bought them in Anthro on The Grove in LA. Wrapping them up carefully, I packed them in my suitcase, and they made it home without a crack. Someday I fully expect to lose at least one of them. But I’m learning, since becoming a mum to toddler twins, that if I’m precious about every single thing in my house I’ll be devastated daily as things get broken ALL THE TIME.
I’m learning, I’m not fully there yet.
Christmas colour.
The addition of the lamp was an absolute necessity. Like I said we’re in this room such a huge amount that it needs to be the type of room that we don’t mind being in. So I filled it with comfort, some colour, lighting that was easy to live with and sofa covers that I can whip off and clean very easily. God bless the Ektorp.
There are still some finishing touches that I need to do but we’re there for the most part. I can do those last few bits at my leisure.
Have a wonderful day. Next time I’ll be sharing my Sausage Roll recipe in case you need some snacks that can be frozen. But be careful I’m not just saying this because they are mine but these Sausage Rolls are dangerously delicious. Hide them and keep them hidden until you are ready for them to be demolished. When you are prepared set them down on a plate, tell folk that they are ready, and run from the room. There will be a stampede if people have had them before. When the dust has settled there may be a few crumbs left but hopefully you’ll have some stuffed in a pocket somewhere for you to eat in secret.
I love you, thank you for reading and have a fantastic start to the last week before Christmas.
Cherry x
Don’t Forget! -
I’m so excited and honoured about this! Not only have Mitchell & Peach published an interview they did with me but have offered any customers quoting ” CHERRY ” at the checkout TWENTY PERCENT off and FREE Shipping until the end of the month. They are a beautiful business and I’m humbled as they supply Fortnum’s and Harvey Nicks!
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Looked in your Christmas section at a post entitled “So this is Christmas.” I’ve never seen anything so funny as your daughter pulling her brother’s antlers off and saying “You won’t think it’s so hilarious when I pull………. etc. I laughed out loud. It’s going to take me some time to trawl through the archives but I can see it’s going to be great fun.
Nice work…. Love it
Nice work & Love it….
Lovely post! Enjoyed having a nosy at your shelves, I LOVE sorting out shelves and making them functional and pretty…. I find it takes ages to get the right ‘tidy/messy’ look – do you know what I mean?
We have loads of stuff the same… the white star, KitchenAid mixer and sweet jars for starters! You have fab taste
Nicki xx
That looks splendid, a lovely light but cosy area.
It’s so much more Cherry! I love it
So lovely, Cherry! Thanks for sharing!
Just found your site. Love it all. Your Dad looks so much fun.
Oh i am in love with this, i think i may have to ‘borrow’ your idea!! On my long list of plans, re-arranging the kitchen is a big one and this is just perfect
I love the idea of curling up with a book or having a friend sit and chat while I cook/bake.
Hi Cherry,
Two things: I was at the Grove yesterday, shopping in that very same Anthro. (I also have those bowls..but didn’t buy them yesterday). Also, being that I live in Los Angeles, though I LOVE LOVE LOVE your shelves, I would never be able to put them in my house for fear of an earthquake. I’d hate my stand mixer to come crashing down on someone’s head. lol! It is a lovely addition to your kitchen though. <3 Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful!!!!!
Where did your Mum get the Believe sign. It’s so big and bold I love it. Love the Anthropologie dishes , the chandelier, the Emma B mugs. the standard lamp the……………………………………………….
Oh, that corner looks so inviting. You’re giving me ideas:) I would love to have a cosy nook like that!
Wow Cherry! This looks absolutely fabulous – well done you (and your Dad!) I love the idea of a sofa in the kitchen, unfortunately the space does not allow for me
It has really opended the room up, perfect. Cxx
How cozy and fun! The open shelving is so eye catching. Kudos to you and your talented father.
I loved this corner of your home. This is a great makeover. I congratulate you and your dad:)
O.K. I’ve read all about it. Can your dad come and renovate my kitchen. I just love the lighting and all the pretty bits you have. I just love you!!!! How about some seminars on how to’s.
I’m going to do a Bruno Tonioni and say ‘You saucy little mynx you”. That provocotive photo is out there again. Hey And why not. By the way, love the refurb.
Cherry
I love how you’re using the chalky tones as the base colours. What’s wonderful about them is that you can add in splashes of delicious red and yummy greens, and it will all look wonderful. I love open shelving – much more interesting than closed cupboards if you have pretty things to show off – and now I’m regretting getting rid of our Ektorp when we moved house (not that we have room in our kitchen for it)!
Keep on doing what you do so well.
Cara x
WOW I haven’t even read the post yet but what a MAGNIFICENT diffrence. Oh your new home is going to be so lovely when you’ve finished with it. Now I’ll go and read all about it.
Looks lovely.. I’m much more off a ‘bits’ to make a house a home person than a modern un-charactered ‘hide everything away’ person!
Love that you put up your Pheasant photo too.. despite all the people moaning for no good reason, it is a beautiful vibrant photograph and deserves to be seen.
Finally… don’t worry about breaking your Anthro inside out bowls! They are a timeless Anthro classic and I’m sure they will be in store indefinately (though perhaps in different colours!)… Did u know Anthro is in London and Edinborough now too
Possibly one of the best stores ever!
Love what you’ve done with that corner of your kitchen. It’s a comfy,cosy nook. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned for the rest of the room.
We’re all cosy here too, looking forward to rest of this week, the build up to the big day is great and we make sure that we’re done by Christmas Eve so we can potter about at home making mince pies and wrapping presents while watching cheesy films.
Looking forward to your posts this week, thankyou for sharing. xx
absolutely love it. Love it. Tons better, and very cosy. Love the pic of Papa Menlove!
And yeah, spot on, you can’t get too attached to things when there are small children in the house. I’ve become quite hardened to that now, and no longer shed tears when something gets broken.
The week before Christmas! Can you believe it?!
x
Such a brilliant make-over!
I’m with you, Cherry – last year, we knocked through from the dining room to the kitchen to create one big space. At one end we have the “working” area, and at the other is a log burner and big squishy sofa with photos in frames, glossy magazines etc. It has completely changed the way we use the space – we no longer have a formal dining table, but have replaced it with a big island unit that doubles as a baking station, homework area, craft station, dining table, somewhere to put large vases of flowers etc!
Just one question – how do you find such lovely properties to rent, where the landlords are happy for you to make such big changes?
Obviously, I’d actually PAY money for you to live in my house and sprinkle the Cherry Menlove magic on it, but how do you negotiate that with the house owners?
In this case our fabulous Landlord had the kitchen more the way we have it now. It was another person who installed the bank of cupboards on the wall I believe.
Oooh, I love it ! Character, that’s what you brought to that corner in the kitchen.
Love Ektorp, got some myself, even if they are not as pristine anymore. Need to wash covers in the next couple of days.