Kitchen Stove Niches

 Lately, I've been obsessed with kitchen stove niches.  

I love the idea of a stove tucked in its own space with shelves on either side for spices and cooking condiments.

Niches also create a wonderful focal point in the kitchen, much like a fireplace does for the living room.

I particularly love this example with its curved ceiling.

How wonderful is that stove?

Another wonderful stove.

A stove like this deserves its own niche!

Putting the pots on the backsplash brings all the cook's tools close at hand.

 I'm not a fan of the stove, although at one time I would have been.

But I like the cookware hanging on either side.

 This niche combines a tile backsplash with soapstone which looks great with the black cabinetry.

Copper cookware sits on the shelves.

There's that stove again!

I absolutely love this design.

The rustic beam juxtaposed with the tile is unexpected and fun.

 I saved my favorite for last though!

The kitchen in Steve and Brooke Giannetti's Ojai home is such an inspiration.

It has all the elements I'm hoping to incorporate into my Asti kitchen.

Hanging pots, spice shelves and a fabulous stove tucked away in a niche.

I'm meeting the architect tomorrow for the first time and plan to show him these examples.

I can't wait to hear his ideas!

The Big Kitchen Cabinet

 My favorite part of the kitchen in Asti is the large built-in cabinet.

This is what it looked like 9 years ago when we bought the house.

A lot has changed since then!

Here is what it looks like today.

A large clock hangs over the cabinet and a large burlap pendent hangs over the island, replacing a ceiling fan.

Not seen are the kubu wicker barstools that replaced the green ones that came with the house.

I've had a lot of fun staging this cabinet with my white ironstone and glassware.

Looking closer, you will discover that the cabinet is a series of cabinet components sitting next to each other and stacked on top of each other.

It is not real wood, but thermafoil which is vinyl clad over MDF.

Did I mention that it is peeling?


Because remodeling the kitchen is part of the future renovations, I would like to replace the existing cabinet with a better version.
Here are a few ideas from my Pinterest board, "Asti Kitchen."

Finding an antique cabinet like this one, which may have come from a store could prove difficult.

I believe that one could be custom made to look old.

This one is amazing, but I prefer glass doors to keep the dust down.

I haven't ruled out a black cabinet either.

This example gets me every time!
I like how tall it is and how it looks with the terra cotta floor.

While my plan is to replace the big cabinet, another idea would be to move the stove to that location and create an entirely different focal point.

I can't wait to meet with the architect and hear his thoughts at the end of the month.

I'm hoping he has suggestions that I haven't even thought of!

Thank you for all your sweet comments on my Transitioning post.

I really appreciate your thoughts and encouragement.

It's also nice to know that others are going through the same thing!

Transitioning

I remember my parents saying that life was a series of phases as they were enjoying their "retirement phase."  I didn't think much of it until now.

Now, we are entering that phase.

Retirement.

Retirement!

What does that look like?

Where do we want to live as we transition to a new phase?

We've been spending more and more time in the country, wondering if living there full time is what we want.

Will we be happy there?

Will we miss the hustle and bustle of the City?

After much consideration, we've decided that yes, we would be happy living in the country.

The City will not be missed.  At all.

We tried living in the City and are enjoying it, but it's not sustainable in the long run.

So, we are beginning the transition to retirement and country life.

Our timeline is hopefully 18 months.

The plan is to eventually sell our City home and remodel the house in Asti to accommodate full time living, as opposed to weekends only.

We are excited for chickens and goats.

A garden too!

It's a little scary, but will also be really fun to create a new, different life.

A new phase.

Retirement!

"She understood that the hardest times in life to go through

were when you were transitioning from 

one version of yourself to another."  

~Sarah Addison Allen

June in Asti

"What could be more perfect than the lovely month of June."

We've been spending more time in Asti lately, enjoying the season.

All the winter rain has brought such a glorious spring.

So many flowers to enjoy and so many birds to watch.

Stay tuned for more adventures and projects in the wine country this summer.
In the meantime, "Happy June!"