Monday Musings - Captivating Kitchens

Did you know that I collect kitchens? I used to keep scrapbooks of pictures of kitchens which I still look at  from time to time and it's quite interesting to see how kitchens have changed over the years. 

Apparently the biggest change in kitchens arose because of a change in our perceptions of cooking. When cooking started being seen as a creative, and sometimes social act instead of work, there was a trend towards integrating kitchens with living areas. Families welcomed the trend towards open kitchens, as it made it easier for the parents to supervise the children while cooking. For people who love entertaining, the open kitchen has the advantage that they can be with their guests while cooking, and for the "creative cooks" it might even become a stage for their cooking performance. 

There is also a huge trend towards very sleek, modern kitchens, with completely empty surfaces, integrated appliances and state of the art equipment. You know the kind I mean - they look like no actual cooking ever happens in them. But, don't worry, you won't find pictures of them on the pages of this blog.

I like kitchens that look like people cook in them, families live in them, the appliances are used, the cutting boards are weathered and worn, the surfaces might be a bit battle-scarred and they are warm and inviting. 

But, having said all of that, I don't like kitchens that are too cluttered, and that are so functional that no thought has been spared on aesthetics. I think you need to pay as much attention to your kitchen decor as you do on any other room in the house. 

These are some kitchens that I have in my collection that are my current favourites. No more commentary ... just pictures. 

What appeals to you in a kitchen? Did any of these push your buttons? I would love to hear.

Till next time

Sharon x

Images: 1. Pinterest  2. David Michael Miller  3. Kevin Harris Architects  4. Mary Evelyn Interiors  5, 6, 7, 8. Tumblr 9. Coastal Living 10. Decorare 11. Crush cul de Sac 12. Elegant Interiors 13. Georgiana Design 14. Mike Hammersmith  15. Indulge Decor Blog 16. Pinterest - Brooke Gianetti  17. Inspiring Interiors

Monday Musings - Collecting and Collections

Collecting is possibly one of the world's most popular pastimes and I'm sure that most of the readers of this blog are collectors of some sort. 

Many people start collections as children. My children have all had collections of some sort. Model ships, gemstones, wooden elephants,  sports memorabilia and so it goes on. They often outgrow them and move onto different things.

As adults, we can also change the things we collect. As we grow older and wiser, our tastes often change and we might move on from collecting certain things and start new collections.

I think the joy of collecting is in the hunt, stumbling across things to add to our collections in unexpected places, sometimes waiting years to find the item that is just right for our collections.

Sometimes collections can be hidden away and taken out every now and then to enjoy.

But, on the whole, we tend to display our collections, so that we can enjoy looking at them everyday.

Displaying collections in a way that is visually pleasing is is quite an art. Smaller objects can be placed in containers to great effect.

I think, in general, it is best to display your collections together, rather than distribute them all over your home. Massed objects create greater impact than those same objects dotted here and there.

If your collection is vast, you don't need to display it all at once, rather pack some of it away and rotate the pieces every now and then. You want to avoid your home starting to look like a shop.

Collecting things found in nature is especially rewarding and the best part is that it costs nothing. 

Flea markets, car boot sales and second hand shops are usually a treasure trove for collectors.

One of the fun things about collections is remembering the provenance of the pieces. I have collected Christmas decorations from different parts of the world and when we decorate the tree, it always brings back memories of wonderful travels.

It is often more fun collecting things that are old and have a history than new things. I quite enjoy speculating about the path a certain object might have travelled before landing in my hands. 

Having said all of this, I think probably the most important thing about collecting, is knowing when to stop!

I would love to hear about some of your collections.

Till next time

Sharon x

Images:  1. House of Mine 2. Tumblr 3. Pinterest 4. Pinterest 5. The Little Corner 6 Style for Living 7 Tumblr 8. Style for Living 9. Tumblr 10. The Vintiquarian 11. Country Living 12. Real Simple 13. Pure Style Home 14. Real Simple 15. Tumblr 16. The Bella Cottage 17. Atlanta Bartlett 18. Brown Dress with white dots 19. Country Living 20. Art And Decoration 21. House and Leisure 22. Tumblr 23. Tumblr 24 Tumblr 25. Unknown 26 Estilio Rustico

Monday Musings - Cupboard Love

One of the (many, many) things that I love is a big glass fronted cupboard filled with crockery and glassware.

Everything is there, clearly displayed, just waiting to be used.....

...for entertaining or everyday use.

You have to be a bit disciplined about the way you arrange it....

...if it's too haphazard, it just looks messy...

...but there is a danger of over-styling it too.

The look to go for is "smart casual", if you now what I mean.

Uniformity of colour works best, in my opinion...

....although a little injection of colour or texture, like the wicker used below, makes things interesting.

Did you know "cupboard love" is a phrase referring to affection that is given purely to gain a reward.

The term derives from the way in which a  cat will give a cupboard containing its food superficial "love"  when it wants to be fed. The phrase is most often applied to human activity, for example when a child will say "I love you so much" before or after requesting a treat, for example an ice cream. My children never do that!!

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Wishing you a wondeful week ahead.

Till next time

Sharon x

Image source:  1. Jenni Button, 2. Tumblr, 3. Southern Living  4. Georgiana Design, 5. Nicety Live Journal 6. Country Homes and Interiors, 7. Brown Dress with White Dots, 8. Emily Jenkins Followill Photography 9. Casa Decorada, 10. Pinterest,  11. Cakestands and Buttondowns