Kitchen inspiration

Stu and I have decided that we will extend our house in the next couple of years, which means our current kitchen will get knocked down. So I've been compiling a little list of what we would love to have in our dream kitchen. When The Kitchen Place asked me to share this list with you, I happily said yes.  Read on if you're interested...

1. Marble benchtop for kitchen island. I love the look of marble, however, as it is very porous, it is not the most practical material for a working bench. Our compromise? A marble benchtop for the kitchen island to be used as a showpiece of that space, and stainless steel for the working benches where all food preparation takes place.

2. Bespoke tapware. I would so love something that looks old fashioned, is understated but offers a point of difference from all the commercial tapware in the market.

3. Walk in pantry. I've been dreaming of having more storage space for a very long time now (sad but true). Mine would have a combination of shallow shelves so everything is in view and allows for easy access, as well as deep shelves for open baskets.
4. Dark tiled splash-back. I'm loving the idea of a dark statement wall in the kitchen, which will also pick up on the dark tones on the marble island bench top and contrast nicely with stainless steel appliances and working bench tops. Best of all, it will be great for hiding stains!

5. Statement lighting. At the moment we have very discreet down lights in our kitchen which works well as the space is quite small. Ideally our future kitchen will be much bigger so it will be lovely to have a couple of hanging pendant lights that makes a bit of a statement without being too flashy.

What does your dream kitchen look like?

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by The Kitchen Place, one of Melbourne's most experienced kitchen, bathroom and laundry renovation experts who can bring your vision to life with expertise, creativity and professionalism.

DIY herb wreath

This is a great way to use any overgrown herbs and bring the outside in. Mine's hanging in the kitchen, so as the herbs dry, I have easy access to them for cooking. Looks pretty, smells absolutely delightful and will make a wonderful housewarming gift!

To make your own herb wreath, you'll need:

Your preferred herbs (I used oregano, rosemary, sage and lavender)
Embroidery hoop
Kitchen string
Scissors

Method:

1. Make little bunches with each herb and tie with string.

2. Position first bunch of herb in desired position on hoop and secure with string.

3. Repeat with other bunches of herbs, making sure to overlap so as to cover the string.

Kitchen makeover

I have a new kitchen!And did I mention Stu built this new kitchen himself? Apart from the electrical and plumbing work, Stu did everything else (demolition of the old kitchen, tiling, installation, building and painting). For a bit over 3 weeks, everything in the house was covered in a layer of dust and we survived on take-out everyday.

I've never seen Stuart as tired as he was working on the reno and I too, was pretty frustrated at times with the inconvenience of not having a kitchen. But we both had to grin and bear it as we knew it was for the good of the house (and for us) in general. In the end, we have a fabulous kitchen with shiny new appliances to match. Totally worth it.

And what do you know? Barely 2 weeks after the kitchen reno, Stu already has another home project lined up for next year (bathroom!)