I'm Dreaming Of A White Kitchen!

Oh how I love a classic white farmhouse kitchen! I am in the midst of planning mine. I have been looking at cabinets, counter tops, farm sinks, and everything else under the sun. I can't wait to see how my new farmhouse kitchen comes together!

So what is so great about a white kitchen? It is a classic and without a doubt a perfect choice for my house. I am trying to find the perfect balance between updating my house to have all the modern conveniences and well laid out floor plans, and at the same time, make sure the vintage charm is maintained.

Here are some wonderful farm kitchens. Maybe you will start drooling like me!

Do any of you dream of a white kitchen? OR... maybe you already have a great farm style kitchen! If so, tell us what your favorite thing about your kitchen, or what you dream of having.

My confession...a desperate fabricaholic!

As many of you know I am in the midst of a home renovation project, which requires facing all the things that are filling my home! I keep trying to get rid of unnecessary CLUTTER!

However...ahem... I have become aware of a small or maybe....ummm... large problem? shhh. don't tell anyone let's keep it between you and me.

I seem to have an obsession with fabric, linens and the like. I have been faced with a somewhat large collection of items I am accumulating. First there is my weakness for cozy cottage bedding, quilts and sheets. Not to mention my love of retro inspired aprons, tea towels and hot pads in my kitchen. If that isn't enough....then there is my stack of vintage reproduction tablecloths I adore! I could go on, but this is getting embarrassing! Can you see me blushing? Needless to say I see no hope for me!

Here is my official confession:

Hi... "I am Denise...The Cottage Chick and I am a fabrictextileclothaholic.

The biggest problem is that I am like any other addict. I am gonna tell you I will stop, but as soon as the next wonderful quilt, or plushy pillow strikes my fancy, I will be right back at it. Oops! That probably was the wrong thing to say, huh?


I guess I am now supposed to look within myself and try to figure out the deeper reason lying hidden within me, as to why I have this "obsession". I can't seem to come up with anything other then, I LIKE IT? Oh wait, I LOVE IT! I love surrounding myself with things that inspire me and make me feel happy. I am rejuvenated by color, texture, feel and pattern. All of which is in fabrics!

Whew... so glad I got that off my chest!

I hope you still like me and can accept me as your cottage chick friend! Just keeping it honest you know. What about you? Do you have a pension for something that just seems to call your name?

My Cottage Renovation...An Ugly Duckling!

Wow- what a week it has been. We just started this renovation project a week ago, and have we ever made progress! So happy you have joined our family on this journey. It's going to be a fun ride for sure! Now mind you... none of it is "pretty" yet, but so exciting all the same. Its exciting because there is PROGRESS happening!

This week my hubby could see how happy I was to have work done on this old house o' mine. This is what I have dreamed of, you know? But never thought it would be me!

I have watched everyone else on HGTV get their remodels and huge renovations done. I've drooled over kitchens that I wish I could have. I have watched my fair share of Extreme Makeover shows. But now it is my turn! I feel I need to pinch myself to see if this is really happening. But low and behold it is!

Here are the highlights of what we accomplished in this first week of renovating...

Old asbestos siding removed from house and outbuildings

Drilled holes in side of house...making way for blown in insulation. (Looks like a giant birdhouse!) Going to have a toasty home in the winter. Yay!


BEFORE: Old siding off...check out that wood underneath- its an adventure seeing what is underneath this house!


Progress: New Siding and trim going up! What an improvement!

See ya soon for more of the step by step process of my cottage farmhouse renovation! Hang on... it will get more exciting as we go!

House Colors...Trying To Decide

This week I am pondering on house colors for my 100 year old farmhouse. We are starting to put up new siding, so I will be faced with CHOICES! So many choices of paint colors. Since my house is old, I wonder if I should go with a classic color combination or choose a more modern color scheme?

This week on Facebook I had some differing opinions, but very useful all the same. I would love to get more feedback. What do you think? What color should my new/old house be?

Here are some inspiration photos I am contemplating...

Leave me comments and let me know what you think!

My Cottage Farmhouse

Renovations have officially begun this week on our 100 year old farmhouse! We will be documenting the progress as we go, right here on The Cottage Chick blog.

Look for progressive photos and videos as we take you on this ambitious project. We will remodel, rejuvenate and revive this old historical house into a cozy cottage home.

Here is the master plan for the farmhouse...



1. New paint, siding and trim
2. Chimney removed and old furnace replaced with a heat pump.
3. New Roof
4. New 3 car garage
5. Kitchen expansion giving an additional 6 feet of space.
6. New entryway
7. New dining room
8. New breezeway which will accommodate a mudroom and laundry room,connecting the kitchen and garage.
9. New family room addition, complete with a fireplace and covered porch off the back side of the house.
10. Above the family room will be a new master bedroom and bathroom.
11. New family bathroom upstairs
12. New well and septic (boring, but necessary)

Ambitious dreams I know, but we are excited about the progress and hope you enjoy seeing the renovations as well! Come join us on this exciting journey.

Decorating With Plates

I love decorating with plates! Plates are easy to find, inexpensive decor and can add color and interest to many areas through out your home. Great places to find plates is at garage sales, flea markets, and goodwill. I also love TJ Maxx for great deals on plates, especially if you want a matching set. When you go on the hunt for plates, try to search complimentary colors that will display well together. Look for interesting shapes and edges to the plates to make for a fun eclectic mix.

You can add plates on shelves and in plate racks. Or for fun, think outside the box and try adding plates in new ways. Let's look at some great ideas here:

Try adding small saucers around doorways and window casings to add to the architectural details of a room.

Why not go for the gusto and make a collage of plates all over the wall?

How about over a fireplace mantel? Here notice how the blue and white stands out against the white paneled wall.

This pink room is so sweet and shows a great example of plates becoming part of the window treatment and window casing.



Love the rectangle shaped plates to this display, and the graduated sizes. You could also do this same thing with trays.



Love this circular pattern that was used to create an interesting focal point to a room.






Another great fireplace mantel idea. I love the arched plate display here! The plates become part of the entire look here.

Maybe you would like to start decorating with plates? Its cheap and easy and adds character to any room!

Kitchen Banquettes

Lately I have been a bit obsessed with kitchen banquettes. I am considering how to create one in my own home. I love the way banquettes add a cozy eating space to any dining or kitchen area. They add a sense of "built-in" history to your home as if it was a fixture from years ago.

Banquettes can be created rather easily. Either built in or created with the proper furniture.

Banquettes are great space savers for your home, and can be nestled into an unused corner.

You can accent your banquette with beadboard for the classic cottage style, or consider adding decorative wood molding. Maybe even paint it an accent color to brighten up your kitchen.

The bench portion of the banquettes can even be created with stock upper kitchen cabinets.

One great asset to having a kitchen banquette is the provided additional storage. Make sure you have the benches made with a hinge top or front cabinet doors for easy access to stored items.

Of course don't forget the fun part of decorating your banquette with accent cushions and pillows to perk up your kitchen, giving a cozy place to sit and a practical space all in one.

A banquette can be a simple as a straight built in bench with a table pulled up to it.

OR...create a window seat, then pull up a table to the bench when additional seating is needed, giving you double pleasure and usefulness.

Maybe you would like to consider adding a kitchen banquette to your home, giving it a sense of history and long-term appeal!

(Photos courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens)

My Pottery Barn Sink

I have been admiring this cool vintage inspired trough style sink in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog. I want this sink for my new combo laundry and mudroom.

I could envision using this utility sink for not only laundry, but also for my busy boys to come in and clean their grimy hands off after playing outside. My list of uses could go on...

We live in a very old farmhouse (more than 100 years old) so this would fit perfectly. We are getting ready to do major renovation and adding onto the house.

In doing so, I am looking for some key pieces that will add an element of interest and history to my already very old house.

So I went on the hunt for this sink,

and VIOLA!

I was able to locate the sink at Home Depot of all places. It is reminiscent of a school house sink, and made by Kohler.

Now mind you... this is a spendy little thing, but feel I can make a splurge here and there in an attempt to add character to my house.

In order to save a bit, I am going to order it in a two faucet version with the soap holder in the middle. That will give me a considerable savings.



What are you looking for....
Something interesting? Do you have things catch your eye? Don't give up and do your research, you just may find what you are looking for!

New Painting Projects With Dutch Boy

I was just contacted by Dutch Boy paints offering me 4 gallons of complimentary paint in exchange for a review of their product. They just sent me a beautiful fan deck to choose my new colors. I can't wait! Check out their website here.

I am looking forward to trying this brand of paint and now I need to decide what new project to tackle. I will probably paint my 16 year old son's room and then from there I am not sure.

For all you DIYers out there. Dutch Boy has another site called Restore My Decor, where you can submit pictures of rooms you need help with. You can even enter a chance to win a room makeover!

Have you ever used Dutch Boy paint? I would love to hear your feedback on this brand of paint. Be sure to stay tuned for my painting results. I'll let you know how it turns out.