Laowai

So we are starting down the path to a kitchen renovation. Yippeee ad Yikes too!

Last weekend I dragged Brian and the girls to some showrooms to look at sinks and faucets and stuff like that. The girls found a pink bathtub in the sale room at the back of one store. What’s with the tongues out? I told Claire she could have the tub but she’d have to get rid of her bed.

Today I met with a kitchen cabinet designer. While we talked Bea designed this special kitchen complete with a cheese maker, flying pizza and a special avocado protecting room.

The kitchen designer was very good. I was hoping for someone that was a good listener and someone I could have a good rapport with. And I think I got that – it’s a good first step.

I spend a ton of time planning on Pinterest but after the kitchen designer left I thought I would look to the past for some inspiration. I got out the magazine that the previous owners of our house left – it’s from 1973 and it features our kitchen!

There it is 40 years ago and it looks pretty much the same today. That is my kitchen! All that pattern. All those flowers, all that Formica – all mine. I noticed today that there were curtains that match the wallpaper – I don’t have those.

Here’s some more inspiration from that 1973 Better Homes and Gardens idea book. 

A fancy sink can complement a fancy dress. I think we were looking at this brand of sink last weekend.

The headline below says “For today’s women — alert, open-minded… involved”. I want to be alert. I want to be open-minded. I want to be… involved. 

A wifesaver – that’s something I have to have.

I would love to add some bright color to our kitchen. A pop of bright green would be so happy. Unfortunately Brian disagrees. Maybe if I show him the color in this kitchen he well let me put a small bit of bright color in our kitchen. 

I like the pom pom fringe on the curtains but I think I will skip curtains in my kitchen – especially curtains right next to the stove.

European inspiration. A red kitchen to go with your European red pants.

More fancy curtains and a street lamp in the middle of the room:

We have this exact faucet and it is in perfect working order. I feel bad wanting to change it out but I think I will.

It does make me sad to think that in 40 years people will be laughing at the kitchen I design today. I don’t know how to avoid it – even if you think you are making classic choices it always ends up looking stuck in a decade.

But I do take comfort because no matter what I do it will never look as goofy as Mary Tyler Moore’s kitchen below. What is she sitting on? Did her island shrink? Does she trip on it? 

It’s good to look back.