Headboard Bench

This morning, walking into our kitchen was a whole new experience.

For the first time since we've moved in, it felt crisp & classic, well-balanced & us.

And I know this might sound strange- but if a room was able to feel happy, I could've sworn our kitchen did, for the first time, today.

You see, until today, our kitchen was made up of two very different sides.
The north side, and the south side.

The north side, (the left side in the photo above) which has pretty much been done for a while now, with the exception of stainless steel appliances, a few under-cabinet corbels, and a window treatment over the sink.

And the south side- previously known as "the side where junk lived".

But as of this morning, I'm happy to say, the south side no longer looks like a messy flea market booth, and it now actually serves a purpose!



Within minutes of waking, I sat at the Dining Room table, chomping my way through a bowl of Cracklin Oat Bran. I was giddy with excitement, staring at the finally finished beadboard wainscotting, and the headboard bench Kevin built...

I want to have a thick, upholstered cushion custom-made for it.
My Mom might know someone that can make one, but if there's anyone out there that's interested in trading services with me- drop me a line! (LaylaPalmer@aol.com)

I bought the old headboard at a local flea/antique mall, several months ago. I wasn't quite sure exactly where, or how, I'd use it- but something about it really spoke to me.
(It was probably the caning...I'm a sucker for the stuff)

Two seconds after I spotted it, I started hauling it up to the front of the store. Certain that if I let it out of my sight for even one second, someone else would snatch it up.
"Twenty-one dollars and forty cents", said the lady behind the counter.
Remembering the last purchase I made there (my Dining Room table and chairs), I replied, "now that's a grand total I can handle!"

Once I had decided that the headboard was to become a bench for our kitchen, I started to envision what it would look like.



I drew him a sketch of the vision in my head and we talked about what we'd need to get to bring the bench to life.

We ended up only having to purchase two pieces of trim to make it. The rest of it was made from scrap wood we had from other projects. As soon Kevin is finishes editing the video he shot while building it, we'll post it here for those interested in how he did it.

On the beadboard above the bench, and the wall above the chair rail moulding, I'm going to hang a large collection of mismatched, antique plates. I visited a few flea markets today, with my friend Sarah, and was thrilled to find four little plates that would work perfectly as a part of the collection. The best part- all four plates cost just $1.00!

Oh! I should mention- the two pillows in the photos are not the ones I'll actually be using long term. Those are from the Guest Bedroom. I just have them sitting there, temporarily, until I purchase some that are perfect for the bench.

I'm also working on a project inside the china hutch. Here's a sneak peek...

It's hard to believe the Kitchen looked like a big, bowl of sherbet, less than two years, and less than $2000 ago...



Tomorrow morning I'm sure I'll sit in the Dining Room and reminisce some more. But thanks to a "buy one get one" sale at Winn Dixie, and Kevin's thoughtful Mom, it'll be cantaloupe I'm chompin', not Cracklin Oat Bran. :-)