Challenge Accepted: Art in the Kitchen

Last week Brandy challenged all of us to get creative in the kitchen and add some life through art. I spent some time brainstorming on how I could add some more personality to my own kitchen and here's what I came up with. It's far from being finished but I am pretty happy with how it's all coming together.

First, I started with the easiest thing, adding art in to your open shelf displays. Before, I only had dishes and collectibles here but once I added this little painting, everything came together!

Next step were the walls on my main kitchen wall. This is a little more difficult because I really don't have a lot of wall space to work with. 

Here are my ideas so far. I could hang some really pretty vintage plates (which I don't have yet) to add some color to that wall. Or, I do have some really cool vintage wooden tennis racquets that I could hang here. I think the rustic factor would be awesome but I really would like some color, soooo I am still thinking on this one.

Next up, the breakfast nook:

Again, this was difficult because of all the windows. However, there is a lot of trim work between the windows so....

I just decided to hang something right over the windows! The scale is a little too small though so I will be on the hunt for the perfect piece. I also added this large painting to my trunk in the corner. I really like the color it adds. 

And my Fiddle Leaf Fig tree likes it too ;)

For a little more color on the fireplace, I added this old street sweeper brush that Brandy and I found at Canton. Elle seems to like it.

And finally, the only actual wall space I have in the kitchen is this little space. I found this vintage needlepoint at an estate sale. It's perfect because my husband comes from a little fruit tree farming town in California!

Well, there you have it. This is all I could come up with in a short time but I will be on the look out for some more art to add to the kitchen. What do you have hanging in your kitchen? Send us pics, we would love to see it, and maybe even post some! jessica@twineinteriors.com

~Jessica

CraigsList Shopping

It's no secret that I love to thrift shop. I think I got this from my mother. She used to drag me around to antique/junk stores looking for all kinds of stuff, from old records to depression glassware. At the time, I hated it. I would've much rather been shopping in all the nice new stores that were clean and sparkly. But there's something about finding a diamond in the rough that I think appeals to all of us. It's not only a shopping experience, it's a treasure hunt, and who doesn't love treasure?

Twenty years later and I'm still going on treasure hunts, only now, it's online and never ending. Today,  I thought I would invite you to join the crew as I reveal some great finds on the oh so easy to use craigslist site. If you don't know what craiglist is, (where have you been for the last 5 years?) it's basically an on-going online garage sale times a billion. You can search for things your looking for or just browse the latest stuff people are selling. Yes, there is a lot of junk, but every once in a while you strike gold. This is not for the faint of heart. You need a little imagination and gusto to weed through all the overstuffed leather recliners and find that one awesome piece.

Here goes:

Rattan Patio Set  $400

I love these chairs with the oversized large backs. I also love the little swirl on the arm. These would look really cool with some new seat covers in a bright and fun fabric. 

It could look something like this:

Or, you could always spray paint the chairs a bold color like this awesome bohemian space:

Not quite your style? A refreshing robin's egg blue makes this chair pop in a more neutral office.

Windsor Chairs - $40/piece

I really like these windsor chairs which never go out of style. I would paint these black and pair them with a couple upholstered chairs for the end of the table. 

It could look like this:

They would also look great as extra chairs in a living room like this:

Since they don't take up very much visual space you can put one in a corner or flanking the fireplace like they did here. 

End Table - $10

I love this little end table. The hardware is really cool and all the texture would look great next to an upholstered headboard. And for 10 bucks, you can't go wrong! 

It could look like this:

or this:

I actually think the craigslist table would look better here instead of this white bamboo one. It would give the room a little more warmth. 

Tiger Oak Dining Table - $150

I love the base of this table and the extra thick profile of the top. This would look awesome with some mid-century dining chairs. (Blog post for next week, how to take better pictures of your stuff so you can sell it for more $$ on craigslist)

It could look like this:

Or for a more fun and casual look you could mix it with some white modern chairs and some bold color. 

Like this:

Secretary Desk - $300

This desk is a little bit pricier than most craigslist finds because it comes with two chairs so you could ask about just buying the desk.  The hardware is awesome and once cleaned up it could look great in your office. 

It could look like this:

Or you could have some fun with paint and it could look like this:

Well I better stop now because I could spend all day long perusing craigslist. To make your search a little easier, here are my craigslist tips:

1. When typing things in the search bar, be vague. A lot of times people don't know what they have or the call it something different than what you would so if you're looking for an awesome wing back chair with button tufts, just type in chair and sort through everything. 

2. To help make the process of sorting through the crud easier, click "grid view". This will allow you to  see all the images at once instead of having to click through each post. 

3. And finally, the best for last. Craigslist+ app for your phone. This is soooo easy to use! Search for what you want and then click on pix map in the top corner and choose photo wall. This will let you see all the images at once. What I really love about this app is that you can add stuff to your favorites folder instead of just emailing yourself a bunch of postings.

Oh and remember to be smart. Don't go alone to see stuff, go during the day and not to some secluded spot. Just use your brain!

Happy hunting!

~Jessica