Weekly Inspiration ~ Our Farmhouse Kitchen

Hello and welcome to my weekly inspiration post! This weeks inspiration is our farmhouse kitchen...it is just about the only room in our house right now that doesn't have stuff for the Springfield Show piled to the ceiling in it. You literally can't even walk through our dining room right now...makes me a bit nutty....if anyone that didn't know me stopped here they would think I was a full blown hoarder (actually I wouldn't even be able to open the front door)...good thing the show is next week!

The rest of our house may look like a bomb went off but at the end of the day I always have to have a clean and neat kitchen.

Other than keeping a clean and organized kitchen I also strive to make ours welcoming and cozy. I like to do that with lots of white mixed with warm rustic wood tones. We absolutely love the big farm table that Neal built us and it is the perfect size for homework, my sewing projects, dozens of cookies being decorated, board games, lego building, or whatever else we may have going on on any given day.

Lots of beautiful linens, crocks filled with old rolling pins and old wooden spoons and big cutting boards are also a must in our farmhouse kitchen. I cook and bake A LOT so I like the things I use to be right on hand.

My newest little relish jar is actually what inspired this post. I have quite a few of these and I just love them and this one was begging to be photographed.

Well I hope that I am going to be seeing some of you next week at the Springfield Extravaganza!! I absolutely can not wait!! Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed this weeks inspiration!!

***Walls, Beadboard All Trim and Cupboards ~ Glidden's Swan White
***Island ~ Glidden's Whispering Wheat

Farmhouse Kitchen On a Summers Day

Some pictures of our kitchen on a bright summers day... fresh cut flowers on the table, all of the windows open, screen doors slamming, ahhhh what could be better?

*Walls Trim and Beadboard are painted Glidden's Swan White
*Butcher Block Counter Tops - IKEA
*Chandelier - Overstock
*Fresh Baked Pie Sign - Etsy ~ The Lauren Collection
*Antiques Sign - Etsy ~ Farmhouse Supply (My shop)
*Cubbies on Counter - Hobby Lobby
*Flowers on Table - Lady's Mantle

My Love For Old Things

I know you guys love old things just as much as I do so this post is dedicated to vintage kitchen items....oh how I love things like old hand carved wooden spoons, old white pitchers, vintage fly screens, antique silverware, big white mixing bowls, zinc lid jars, soft and stained from use vintage linens, wooden cutting boards with thousands of knife marks...the list goes on and on. And for me they are what makes my farmhouse kitchen complete.

When I head to the flea market these are the things that I seek out the most. I love that these things are beautiful, but also that they were used over and over again by someone previous to me.

I recently found some beautiful ironstone pitchers and wooden spoons at the flea market.

I also love finding things that aren't old but look like they could be, like these measuring cups that I found at TJMaxx on clearance and the wire egg holder from Hobby Lobby.

These salt and pepper shakers were also a clearance TJMaxx find and I just love them.

Most of my antique silverware is from estate sales. I usually buy it by the boxfull and boy do I love going through that box when I get home, sometimes I am lucky enough to find the "B" monogram on them.

All my best until the next post!!! Oh and my computer (which is brand new!!!) is giving me all kinds of problems and for some reason I get all kinds of spam, pop-ups, you name it when I go to reply to any of the comments on my blog(and yes I have virus protection)....so if you have a question for me please email me directly at MSBrokman@gmail.com so that I can answer you asap!!!

Farmhouse Friday ~ Farmhouse Kitchen

Hello and welcome to this month's edition of FARMHOUSE FRIDAY!!! This month's theme is FARMHOUSE KITCHENS!!! 

I have to say when writing these posts it is hard to know what readers already know and have heard lots of times (yes you Debbie, Maria, and Robin) and what others may not know at all, so I figure it can't hurt to go over some things.  First of all our budget is usually zero dolllars when we start a room so I am always looking to be creative and use what we already have. Our farmhouse kitchen was dark and small before we gutted it and took down a wall. There was nothing original left in it when we purchased the house, the cabinets were ugly 1970's brown shellacked and the walls were paneled and there was a drop ceiling.

Anything that we already had to work with when we were re-doing the kitchen was a bonus. Like the cabinets for example, my parents were tearing them out of their house right at the same time we were re-doing our kitchen so we just reworked them to fit in ours.

This is Neal, my dad and my nephew putting them up. 

I painted them white of course, it appears that I had actually already started to when I took this picture, seems like so long ago. The counter tops are from Ikea, and we couldn't be happier with them. 

Another item we were able to reuse is the top for the island, it was the top to our very first Ikea kitchen table. I designed the island and Neal built it, it hides our garbage can and microwave and has shelves for baskets that hold my potatoes and onions. I recently painted it Glidden's Whispering Wheat ( it was Martha Stewarts Sissal before) and changed the handles I had on it.

The french door that keeps our mudroom closed off was $5 yard sale find that Neal cut to fit this door frame.

We have had a couple different tables in our kitchen but I was not to be satisfied until we had a big farmhouse style one. Neal built us this one and the chairs are hand me downs from my sister. The chandelier I found on Overstock.com for a steal.

I am sure you have spotted my amazing new sign by now. I have been looking for an old black and white sign for this area for the longest time. Then a couple of weeks ago I spotted this beauty on Etsy at Maria's wonderful shop Covet Antiques. I new it was the absolute perfect thing for this space and Maria could not have been wonderful to purchase from, and she knew of my blog!

Isn't it just beautiful?!

And at an antique fair a couple of weeks ago I found this little folding step stool, I just love it.  

On top of this little cupboard that Neal built us I keep my rolling pins and antique drying rack that my mom gave me.

You guys now how much I love wooden spoons and this month us gals in the blog hop were lucky enough to get utensils from Polders World Market!!! Their items are handcrafted by a member of the Poldler family in Rogersville, Tennessee. They haul the fallen trees out of the forest, cut the wood on their sawmill, carve, sand and pack each utensil themselves, pretty cool if you ask me.

As much as I love to cook I am embarrassed to say that I have not yet used mine but they are absolutely beautiful and so soft to the touch. This month Polders is offering 35% off collections so hurry up and get some while they are on sale! And you could even win some, check out the giveaway at the bottom of the post!

The beadboard on the ceiling is not original, we added that. We also added the beam running through the center of the room. It hides where the two ceilings meet, it is just pine that I stained Dark Walnut. We finally just got to putting up the trim where the walls meet the beadboard ceiling. We actually used PVC trim oppossed to wood trim which saved us over $200. I usually don't like using things that would not have been around when our house was built but sometimes price does come into play.

And actually once it is painted you really can't tell that it is not real wood.

I like my kitchen to be bright and white contrasted with lots of wood tones. I love filling it with simple but pretty things like linens and rustic baskets, and lots and lots ironstone of course:) 

I am off now to a girls trip to Washington DC!!! Thanks for visiting and make sure to visit all of the wonderful blogs below!!! AND MAKE sure to enter the giveaway....

a Rafflecopter giveaway 






HOUSE OF HAWTHORNES


  STONEGABLE

  THE EVERYDAY HOME

TOWN AND COUNTRY LIVING

  FADED CHARM