Salmon and Aqua Kitchen

This weekend was a really snowy one here in Colorado, so we stayed in and did some things around the house. Stefan changed out some outlets...and I painted the kitchen!

Random Inspiration

This post honestly has no rhyme or reason. Every once in awhile, I scroll through images on Google and pull a few that I really like the feel of, so here are three of my favorites from my recent search!

Vintage Wooden High Chair

I found this adorable 1940s-50s high chair in the thrift store the other day for about $15, and I couldn't believe it! I've seen similar ones online going for $200+, so I had to get it.

You do have to be careful with older high chairs, since most of them do not meet the safety requirements for today, but it is possible to modify them so they meet the standards. For anyone who is interested, you can check those out here.

Project 62 Favorites

Target launched their first collection of the Project 62 brand last year, and it was love at first sight for me. The mid-century inspiration was really strong and felt very authentic. Awhile back, I shared my favorites from that collection, but I thought it was about time to do it again and include some of the newer items. So without further ado, here are the things that stood out the most to me!

The biggest draws for me are the new wall art options. Especially ESPECIALLY that first one with those abstract shapes, clean lines and ivory background. 😍 It's a huge statement piece too, at 24"x36"! But I also love tapered legs and angles, so that tends to be a theme in the furniture that I like.

Do you like any of the pieces from my list? Which new items do you like the best?

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Product Links

1. 36” x 24” Modern Shapes Framed Wall Poster Print Black $49.99

2. Set of 2 16.25” x 20.25” Blue and Pink Abstract Framed Print Decorative Wall Art $49.99

3. Cantilever Floor Lamp, in Brass $39.99

4. 16 oz. Monogram Stoneware Mug $4.99

5. Vase, in Gray $14.99

6. Hi Lo Blush Blocks Rug, in Gray Ivory $179.99 - $649.99

7. Mango Wood Taper Candle Holder $12.99

8. Amherst Mid Century Modern Writing Desk $189.99

9. Lemoor Mid Century 22” Ottoman with Storage, in Linen $99.99

10. Tapered Ceramic with Wood Detail Table Lamp $24.99

11. Esters Wood Arm Chair, in Light Beige $229 

Aqua Laminate

The laminate countertop samples from Abet Laminati came in yesterday and we have a winner! We ended up selecting 486 in the SEI finish. (Their samples are totally free by the way!) It's almost a perfect match for vintage aqua appliances. Though it still may be awhile before we can get to this project, it's good to know we finally found a place that sells what we need!

Vintage Coldspot Fridge

We finally got the fridge out of the truck and into the garage, so I took a few more pictures. We are going to clean it up first, which works out because we can't turn it on for a few days since we had it on its side for awhile. Then we'll move it to the kitchen!

To read my post about energy costs, click here. 

Kitchen Coincidence

The other day, I was watching the Sandlot, absorbed in nostalgia, and loving their adorable house. I mean how cute is this?



But when it came to the black eye scene, I had to do a double take because by complete coincidence, I have almost the same things in my kitchen! Must be some old subconscious memories influencing my purchasing decisions 😅

Target's Mid-Century Style

I am obsessed with Target's Project 62 brand. So mid century! And SO much more affordable than brands like West Elm or Room & Board. I just read that it got the name from the year 1962, when modernist design really became popular, and the year that Target was born. I think it definitely captures that mid-century vibe with a little bit of a twist that is just perfect. Here are a few of my favorites!

Retro Recipe Cards

I'm so proud of these recipe cards I designed! The illustrations were inspired by a 1950s children's cookbook that I have. Everything was hand drawn, then scanned in and assembled in the computer. These turned out so fun and perfectly retro. 

I sell them on my Etsy shop, if you know someone who would love these, even if that someone is you ;) Just click here!

Retro Bathroom Makeover

For the longest time, I've been trying to figure out what to do with our bathroom. The first thing that inspired me was a bathroom I saw on Madmen with gray walls and a black sink cabinet. (Ok yes, it was the Glen scene. But the bathroom was still pretty awesome.) Unfortunately the color was way too dark and didn't have the same class without the amazing wallpaper from the show. So after leaving our bathroom in limbo for several months, I finally went back to square one.

Here are some designs that really inspired me:









This is how our bathroom looked when we bought the house. It seemed like parts of it had been renovated pretty recently. The medicine cabinet, sink cabinet and light fixture are definitely not my style.



Soooo this is the plan! (Yay for Photoshop!) It's simple, but I think it's a lot more cohesive (and vintage) than what we had. The most expensive part is definitely going to be tiling the floor and tub area. But since the room is so small (and what I picked is so basic), it shouldn't be too bad. Home Depot has the square tiles for $0.85/sqft and the octagonal floor tiles are about $2.50/sqft. I'll be sure to post our forays into tiling when it comes to it. I can't wait to see all this come together!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

Earlier this year, we had zero Christmas decorations since this is our first Christmas in our own home. But thanks to my Granny and a tinsel tree from ebay, we are at least now off to a good start! ;) 

Lincoln Beauty-ful Makeover

I've had this Lincoln Beautyware dispenser for awhile now. It was something from my Granny's house that I always loved.

As I'm planning out our kitchen design, the one thing I know for sure is that the main color is going to be aqua. So far, all we've done is paint a few items Aqua and bought a vintage Frigidaire oven (more on that to come...) but then I stumbled upon this photo from a Retro Renovation post:

If you look straight back, you'll notice a Lincoln Beautyware dispenser. I loved the way that looked, so I thought I'd customize my own to match. (I love that whole kitchen BTW *drool*)


























I started by peeling off the only label that was loose. That would be easy to hot glue back on later.


























Then I put some painter's tape over the other labels and pushed them into the creases with my fingernail.


























After that, I carefully cut along the crease with an X-acto knife.


























The tape pulled away easily.


























I only wanted these two pieces to be aqua, so that meant I had to cover everything else in painter's tape too.


























Allow me to introduce you to my favorite spray paint: Valspar Color Radiance Paint + Primer (84508: Nautical). You can buy it at Lowe's. (Since this is my favorite color, I can also tell that you that if you are looking for this in a wall paint, Clark + Kensington has pretty much an exact match with 30C-4, Good Life.)


























Definitely don't skip out on buying a top coat as well, since this spray paint (as most do) will chip without it. (I know from experience!) I chose Rustoleum's Satin Clear Enamel, but depending on what type of finish you like, there are glossy and matte options as well.




The instructions recommend two thin coats, so that's what I did. Then I covered it in the top coat and now it's ready to go!