Currently Coveting : Kitchen Necessities.

The dust has finally settled a bit on our initial remodel of the new house (our full electrical and plumbing overhaul are 95% done) and as the kitchen and bathroom slowly come to life this place is starting to feel more like “home” everyday. Although we have a VERY long way to go until this place really sings, we are focusing the majority of our energies right now on getting the kitchen and bathroom as livable as possible. There will be many photos to come soon of our slow, but steady progress, but for now a few kitchen items that have caught my eye and will gradually be making their way into our space, if they haven’t already.

1. Marble Kitchen Slab : As much as I would have loved for all of our countertops to be marble it just wasn’t in the budget. I’m still thrilled with the butcher block countertops we went with, and as a means of keeping them looking pretty and fresh we are using this pretty marble slab on top of the counter for all of our meal prep.

2. White Subway Tile : This is hands down the thing I’m most excited about when it comes to our kitchen remodel. I plan to do ceiling to floor subway tiling throughout the entire kitchen. Currently looking to this Melbourne home and this San Francisco coffee shop for inspiration.

3. Glass Jars for Pantry : We have really limited storage space in this kitchen so I want to do an open pantry with reclaimed wood shelving and have all of our storables in glass jars. I’ve already purchased a variety of these Ikea jars in the small, medium and large sizes.

4. Turkish Kars Rug : I’m on the hunt for the perfect rug to sit underneath the sink. I want something with fun bright colors to juxtapose the neutral foundation of the white cabinets and appliances and butcher block countertops.

5. Wood Utensils : I’ve collected wood kitchen tools all over the world during my travels and can’t wait to finally have a place to display my collection in pretty canisters on our countertop. I especially love these pretty jobillo wood spoons and these ones too!

6. Copper Pots and Pans : With the majority of our decor budget going down the drain with the plumbing and electrical overhaul (ha! get it!), purchasing these gorgeous copper beauties is a long ways off, but a girl can have a bit of wishful thinking right?

7. Enamel Dishware : I’ve had just a teeny obsession with enamel for a while now, especially this amazing collection at Merci in Paris. I bought one of these pretty almond green bowls last time I was there and am wishing I could have the entire collection for entertaining.

8. Leather Cabinet Pulls : I’ve always been drawn towards kitchens that offers a little something untraditional. I tend to get bored easily with interior decor, and all of the cabinet pulls and nobs I’ve found online never spark much interest for me. For longer than I can remember I’ve envisioned having leather cabinet pulls if we ever got a chance to remodel a kitchen. Now that the cabinets are installed (thank you Adam and Jason!), I’ll be spending next weekend looking for the perfect leather hide to create our new pulls. I like these ones, but feel like for the price I can easily make my own and be just as happy with them. I’ll keep you posted on how they turn out!

9. Apron Sink : At least 10 people told me it wasn’t possible. To give up the idea, it just wasn’t gonna work with our cabinet choice. Well, guess what? It worked and looks damn good. A BIG thank you to my sweet hubby for not giving up and making that apron farm house sink a reality for us after cutting into the cabinets for the perfect fit. And although we had to wait months to get the darn thing, I’m so grateful this one was a reasonable price!

10. Scented Soy Candle : I love having candles burning throughout the day especially in the kitchen. I fell head over heels in love with these Apotheke soy candles while we were in Brooklyn a few weeks back. They have so many fun scents, including the basil sage mint, tomato and the green tea ginger, all perfect compliments to a kitchen. I brought home the jasmine scent for our living room too!

11. GE Artistry Series Appliances : When we initially started our hunt for new appliances (the house had none in it when we purchased it) I thought we would head in the direction of stainless steel, but none of the appliances we could afford really made me happy. When I randomly stumbled across this white retro looking line from GE, Adam and I both fell madly in love. At the end of the day, we wanted our kitchen to be really clean and neutral in color and these appliances fit right in. We purchased the fridge (my favorite of all of the appliances), the stove, microwave and dishwasher too (hallelujah for that last one!). I couldn’t be more thrilled with how they look.