Remember this? My kitchen counter and stove area? In my last post, I mentioned that I was considering adding a bit more vertical storage, and possibly a pegboard.
Well, over the past couple weekends, Steve and I have been tricking it out with a lot of vertical storage. Like, a lot a lot. Check it out!
We installed a pegboard! I won't lie: I am in love with the pegboard. It is just so groovy. I
smile when I walk into my kitchen now. Plus, the function! Julia Child
knew what's what. Now our most frequently used implements
are in easy reach, and our cupboards and drawers are approximately five
million times more manageable now that they are no longer stuffed to
the gills with tools. Just opening the pots and pan cupboard used to make me panicky: No longer, people.
For anyone interested in hanging a pegboard in their own home, it was pretty simple. We used two of these Triton pegboards. They are nice and sturdy, much nicer than what we found at Home Depot (delivered free in 2 days with Amazon Prime). On a warm day, I used a roller to apply three coats of primer + paint in a semi-gloss olive green that is slightly darker than our wall. I thought the paint would glom up in the holes, but it really didn't. While I was doing that, Steve screwed two long strips of wood (about 3/4" thick and 1 3/4" wide) to the studs along that wall and used drywall anchors to secure the third. To work correctly, the pegboard has to "float" away from the wall so that there is room for the hooks to hang from the holes. Drilling into the studs or using good drywall anchors is necessary if you want the board to hold any significant weight (i.e., pots and pans).
We got an assorted set of hooks, which are really awesome and actually screw into the board (and thus are very sturdy and can hold a lot of weight). But many of the hooks turned out to be better suited for a garage or tool storage than kitchen storage. For our purposes, we really just wanted about 50 short and medium length hooks. Ah well, live and learn.
Once your pegboard is up, it's time to start arranging the hooks to hold your stuff! I see the current set-up as a "first draft." I'm sure I'll be moving things and perfecting the arrangement as time goes on.
I also did a little Ikea shopping and had Steve install two pot racks over our stove. Yay! Now I can display my copper bottomed pots! So much awesome here.
I did do a tiny bit of sewing in the past couple weeks, too. I whipped up some new kitchen curtains using some inexpensive Ikea fabric. They're nothing fancy. I was reminded that there is a reason I avoid sewing curtains: so boring!! My sewing machine doesn't have a setting that is fast enough to make these anything but tedious. But I'm glad now that they are done.
This is still very much a work in progress and I have ideas for more improvements and maybe some new artwork. So this isn't the "final reveal," just a progress report. On my list of accessories to look for on Etsy: a natural jute macrame plant holder, more 70s era Pyrex, and a more colorful kettle worthy of our groovy new kitchen.
Can you guess what Maggie's favorite new item is? The step stool, naturally! (Also necessary for me to reach things on the potrack and pegboard.) When I told Steve I got a step stool, he said, "Great! Maggie will enjoy climbing it and falling off!" Pretty much!
In other news, Joe recently said: "Mama, can you make me orange and yellow pants?"
To which I responded: "Aye aye, captain!"
Inder, I love it! So this is what's been keeping you away from sewing. :) Well it was worth it! And I for one have missed you! :)
ReplyDeleteps i guess technically you *have* been sewing, just not garment sewing. and the kitchen is totally groovy. and i'm coveting your step stool.
ReplyDeleteThe step stool is just the cheap Ikea model! Thank you, and don't worry, I'll be back to garment sewing soon!
DeleteWow- what a huge transformation! I love it- and it must be so nice to have everything handy. And fun colors, too! Is that an IKEA stool?
ReplyDeleteIt is! And it is incredibly nice to have everything handy, and without having to bend down and shove your head deep into a messy pots and pans cabinet!
DeleteWe have that step stoll too and i got used to 'flying' kids in my kitchen...
ReplyDeleteHaha! I figured, it can't be any worse than our current situation, where she moves chairs all over the house and climbs up to the counter that way. She's always been a little climbing monkey!
DeleteI love those pot racks above the stove - great use of space! The curtains are pretty. I haven't made curtains but I did sew duvets, duvet covers and pillowcases for my girls when we moved a couple years ago and it made me want to poke my eye out with boredom.
ReplyDeleteThanks! The pot racks are fantastic. Ikea for the win! And thanks, sometimes you just have to suck it up and do some seriously boring sewing, huh? The results are worth it, even if you did almost run over your finger with the presser foot several times because you were sewing at full speed and not really paying attention because it was SOOOOOO BORING!
DeleteI love it!! Great work! I'm inspired to blatantly copy ;) And I would, if only I had enough wall space in my little kitchen. Enjoy your groovy pegboard :)
ReplyDeleteA small pegboard can be very functional as well! Just saying! My Pinterest board is filled without five hundred examples of storage ideas in very small spaces. http://www.pinterest.com/inder_khalsa/kitchen/ Mind you, I know my kitchen isn't tiny by any stretch. It's not large, but it's a good space. But we are seriously lacking in overhead cabinets and storage, so I am inspired by seeing what other people can do with a much smaller space.
DeleteCheck out this very small but very useful pegboard. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/40532465370645912/
DeleteI'm a pegboard enabler now!!
It looks great! I am envious. Loving that funky kitchen!
ReplyDeleteThanks JoEllen!! :-)
DeleteLooks like my comments have been being eaten.
ReplyDeleteI love it Inder, a perfect cooking room. (As Tildy calls the kitchen)
Oh no! Sorry about the comments! I changed my comment preferences to require registration, but to take away the captcha, which was just getting SO ANNOYING. But I definitely don't want anyone to have trouble commenting - rather, quite the opposite! I wanted to make it easier! If you keep having trouble, can you let me know? My email is in my profile.
DeleteNo probs, I had a look back and quite a few of my comments were not there.
DeleteI might have got a complex he he....
Personally, Maggie in that brown dress with orange and brown plaid blouse is upstaging the pegboard for me. But then I'm her Grandma. That said, the kitchen improvements are also awesome.
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