Every Room In The House Party #1


Happy New Year!
 
And welcome to the debut of
 
Every Room in the House
 
 

The month long blog party where we link our posts to the theme room of the month.
 
January's theme is
 
The Kitchen
 
If you've spent any time here, you know that my hubby and I sold our cute Colorado cottage and moved to Oregon in August 2013. We're currently living in an apartment while we look for a permanent home.
 
For a girl who loves to feather her own nest, sometimes I get a little frustrated in a rental where I can't change the wall colors or window coverings, or do other things to make this "our home".  Then I remember that we are very blessed to live in a nice, warm place with modern conveniences. There are people all over the world who would trade places with me in a heartbeat. This humbles me and I thank God for what I do have.

The living portion of our apartment is one huge room, like a loft, with the kitchen in a set back portion of the open space.

This is how the kitchen looked before we moved in.

Nice, right? Clean, modern. But. . . a little.sterile.

Since we aren't planning to live here more than a year, I didn't want to spend a lot of time, nor money on decorative items that may not work in my next kitchen. I did want to bring some life and warmth into it, though. Here's what I've done.



The ceiling is 11' high, which means there's lots of dead space above the upper cabinets.  This was a good place to display my collection of shorebirds and decoys. Something I haven't had the space to do for years.




 


 
 

There's room for my cottage birdhouse, too.


I miss the over-the-sink window in our last home.  To imitate the feature of a kitchen with a "view", I hung Dennis' painting of Soda Creek, Oregon above the sink.




There's a lot of green in the painting,  and a touch of red. Two of my favorite colors. I brought more of these colors into the kitchen with a few inexpensive accessories.




This vintage turquoise planter holds a miniature pine. Dennis found the planter at a yard sale.






The hand towel looks pink in the photo, but it's actually red and white check.


I like to keep frequently used cooking utensils handy. This large red painted tin keeps them organized.



 

 
 
I've had this little garlic keeper for years. It's right at home here.
 









One thing I've wanted for awhile is a lamp on my kitchen counter. When I saw this little lamp on sale for 50% off, I couldn't pass it up.




Isn't it sweet?



Except for the recessed light in the ceiling and the light over the range, there's no other illumination in the kitchen. This lamp helps with a soft glow when we don't need full lighting. I just hate to think about having to change that recessed light bulb if it burns out. Thus, I only use the ceiling light when absolutely necessary.


I find toile so pleasing. One day I will have more of it in my décor. I just know it.





Um, did you notice the little pumpkins in the white bowl?



Would you believe me if I told you I've had these minis since October and they're still rock solid? Honestly, they are.

Shouldn't they be mushy by now?

It's kind of weird that I still have them on my counter in January, but I cannot bear to throw them out.

Dennis and I like to collect unusual baskets; he found this one a couple of years ago. It hides our vitamins and supplements. Keeping it on the counter helps us to remember to take our daily doses. (I know you were dying to know this.)



One more pop of color I added is the rug in front of the sink.  It was on sale at Wal-Mart for $12. The red and green work perfectly, and I like the design.


 
 
 
All in all it's not a bad kitchen.  It has a lot of cupboard and counter space, adequate appliances, and a pantry.
 

Come and party with me in

The Kitchen.

Link up your Kitchen related post.
 
Anything goes, as long as it takes place in a kitchen. 
DIY, total reveal, that cute little thingy you picked up at a garage sale,
even a recipe or favorite cookbook will do.

51 comments

  1. There is nothing better than high ceilings in a home. It makes me breath better when I enter the house. I like your kitchen and love the little lamp and cottage bird-house. "Happy New Year, Nancy". Deb

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Deb. It was nice of you to pop in and leave a comment. I hope 2014 is a great year for you. :)

      Delete
  2. Thanks for the invitation Nancy! Can't wait to be inspired by all the lovely kitchens!!

    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome, Anne. I'm so glad you joined the party. I'm off to see your kitchen post now. Thanks for being #1 to link up. :)

      Delete
  3. Lovely kitchen Nancy! And I have one of those little squash "pumpkins" still going strong too. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy Every Room In The House entry! Your kitchen is made warm and cozy by your touches of color and vintage. I am sending you a smile and hug for the "window" over your sink. Perfect to have a view of the outdoors and thoughts of your husband too! I am curious about the planter. Do you know the name of the pottery? I have wondered why those little pumpkin types last forever too . . . although mine left my scene after Thanksgiving. Happy House Party Meme . . .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lynne. Unfortunately, the bottom of the planter is quite worn down and there's no mark that can be seen. However, I did a google search and found a McCoy planter just like it. I suspect it is a McCoy from the 1940's.

      Delete
  5. Your kitchen is so warm and cozy looking! Your decorative touches really changed the whole look.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Tina. Best wishes for a peaceful and happy New Year. :)

      Delete
  6. You've done a great job making your rental kitchen look homey with sweet personal touches. Your link party was the first entry on my 2014 calender, and I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for hosting, and Happy New Year, Nancy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Laurel. I'm truly honored that ERITH was your first entry this year. I love your style. Thanks so much for showing us your lovely kitchen. Blessings.

      Delete
  7. Happy New Year, Nancy! I love your kitchen~ I am always amazed by the way a few small personal items can totally transform a space! We are big decoy collectors over here (which is kind of funny, because when they are not made of wood, I am not a big bird fan!) so I like looking at your collection...and out your "window"! ;) I am excited to link up today~ thanks so much for hosting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My pleasure, Kim. Thanks for coming to the party, and showing us your pretty kitchen. You collect decoys, too? One more thing we have in common. :) My late husband and I started collecting decoys after I bought a worn blue duck decoy at an antique store back in the late 80's. I've given away most of them. Dennis likes the ones I've kept, and it's nice to have them out where I can see them again.

      Delete
  8. Nancy, your bird collection is fun. And you know I love your cottage birdhouse! I also love toile so the lamp hit a home run with me! Thanks for this fun new party. I shard two posts. Hope that's o.k. Happy New Year!
    hugs,
    Jann

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you shared two posts, Jann. I say the more inspiration the better! Cheers!

      Delete
  9. New follower who found you over at Jann Olson's! I linked up the homemade cream cheese mints.

    Happy highways,
    Kelley~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kelley! It's nice to meet you. So glad you shared your recipe. I love mints and will hop on over for a visit and look see. Welcome!

      Delete
  10. As a new follower, I'm happy to see all the kitchens. But know this....if I had seen that sweet lamp first, you wouldn't have gotten it! It's hard to make a rental look homey, but you've accomplished it. Vicki in Louisville KY

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for leaving such a sweet comment, Vicki. I love making new friends and will be visiting you very soon. I see you live in Kentucky, a very beautiful state. Blessings, Nancy

      Delete
  11. Just learned of your new party, so don't have a kitchen post to share. I'll look forward to each month. This is a fun idea. Love your sweet lamp. I like the look of a lamp on the kitchen counter. '-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you visited, Sarah. The party runs the entire month of January, so feel free to come back later and share any kitchen related post you may publish. Even a cooking post will do this month. Cheers ~ Nancy

      Delete
  12. Thank you for the invite. I've linked up my kitchen post and joined as a follower as well. Thanks for stopping in. I'll be checking back to see what all you are up to with your rental.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome, Katie! Thanks for sharing your pretty kitchen. I know it will inspire all who see it. Warm regards. ~ Nancy

      Delete
  13. Nancy, dear, thank God for having referred you to my virtual home. You can not imagine how happy I am because we are friends now!
    You know, I also live in a rented house yet. My husband and I bought our land, but construction only begin here in a while.
    I love your kitchen because it is beautiful, functional and has indeed become much more warm, inviting and cozy with the elements with which you decorated.
    How many beautiful details! Loved every one of them!
    I also like to accommodate my cooking utensils on the sink counter. Are in a vintage jar.
    That cuteness pot with pumpkins ... And, you know, I found a lovely idea to have a lamp on the counter. One idea that I want to adopt!
    Oh, and as soon as my kitchen is with decorative details that are missing, I will be happy to share it here with you!
    Kisses on your beautiful, dear heart!
    God bless!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're so sweet, Karin. Thanks for your kind words. How exciting to be building your own home. I'm sure you'll be blogging about it, and I look forward to following your progress. Do share your kitchen, when you are ready. Hugs, Nancy

      Delete
  14. I'm your newest follower and I'm delighted by this party. The kitchen is my 2014 project for my cottage and I'm sure to find lots of insiration in the links.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome, Magali! I'm so glad you took the time to drop in and introduce yourself. I'll be coming over to see you. Hope you'll be showing the progress on your cottage kitchen. Cheers! Nancy

      Delete
  15. I love your shorebird collection. It is very pretty and should be displayed. I also love the toile on the lamp shade.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. Those are my favorite things in the kitchen. Nice of you to stop in and leave a comment. Have a great weekend.

      Delete
  16. Hi Nancy! Thanks for the invitation to join your party! You have a lovely blog going on here. I'm a new follower and look forward to more great posts and parties!
    New Years Hugs!
    Dru

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you came to the party, Dru. Welcome! And best wishes for a great 2014. xx

      Delete
  17. Nancy thanks for stopping by and you kind comments as well as the invitation to the party. It looks like you are making your rental very welcoming and inviting. My heart goes out to you, we moved twice in one year and while in the rental we had, lived out of boxes, and to be honest I still have boxes I have not unpacked.
    Sandy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome, Sandy. Moving twice in one year isn't fun. I've done it. . .many years ago. Thank you for joining the party. It's great to have you. xx

      Delete
  18. love your party Nancy. so glad you came by. your rug would be so perfect at the homestead's kitchen...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome Karen. I'm so glad you joined the party. I love your homestead, so your comment that my rug would be perfect in your kitchen is a great compliment. Hope you're having a super weekend. ~ Hugs.

      Delete
  19. Hi Nancy,
    Thanks for the invite to join in on your party and thanks for coming by my blog and your sweet comment on my kitchen redo. It was fun to join in.
    Kris

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Nancy, thank you so much for invite. You have such a nice place to hang out and meet new bloggers. Oh, and I love your lamp too. I am following you now and look forward to seeing you around. Rhonda

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome Rhonda. I'm so glad you joined the party. Hope your week is off to a great start. :)

      Delete
  21. Nancy,
    How true that there are millions who would love to have the simplest home available here in the USA. Nonetheless, we all enjoy feathering our nests with things we love. Your bird collection is perfect above the cabinets.

    I found you through another site and saw your invitation to that blogger to join your January kitchen linking party. So, I popped over to link up a post from last year about my kitchen. It is my most viewed post of all time.

    I am now following on GFC and invite you to visit Botanic Bleu, http://botanicbleu.blogspot.com/

    Judith

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. P.S. I forgot to tell you how much I love your blog's header photo. The shaded garden spot is so inviting.

      Judith

      Delete
    2. Welcome Judith. I'm so glad you found me and shared your kitchen. Thank you for your kind words and becoming a new cottage friend. I'm off to see your blog and kitchen right now. Hugs, Nancy

      Delete
  22. What a great idea for a linky party! I can't wait to look thru all the links and to see what next months theme will be :)

    Erica
    www.fortheloveofdecorating.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Erica, I'm so happy you came to the party and shared your pretty canisters. I hope you'll come back. xx

      Delete
  23. Your kitchen looks great, really like the birds. Thanks so much for stopping by chapter37 and for your kind comment! Thanks also for the invite, linking up now!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Abby. Thanks for the visit. If you linked up, it don't go through, so please feel free to try again. I really do like what you did with your kitchen. Blessings ~ Nancy

      Delete
  24. Rentals are restricting when it comes to decorating, but you've done a great job putting your personal touch to this kitchen. Thanks for inviting me to the party! Have a wonderful weekend.

    Deborah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My pleasure, Deborah. I'm so glad you came. Enjoy your weekend. xx

      Delete
  25. Thanks for hosting!:) This is so fun to share and see others work!

    ReplyDelete

Your comments bring me joy! Thanks for stopping by.