Magazine Covers From the late 1920's

I love old magazine covers.  Here are a few from around the time my house was built.  There is plenty of color inspiration in old illustrations.

More nookie

Here is the breakfast nook bench, screwed to the wall but without its false paneling rails and stiles on the back or molding on the base.

I wonder about the height of the window. It has always seemed high for a nook window. Aren't they usually just above the table-top?


I ordered the floor- Armstrong Excelon tiles from Lowe's, where they are $30 a box with free shipping to the store. Online, some stores wanted $1.69 per tile, and then $200 for shipping (granted, I didn't call to ask if they could just UPS four boxes to me)














I thought I'd get artsy with the shavings from the seat edge.

Breakfast Nook Bench 1

I am totally proud of myself! I built something that's like real furniture! Like, it's made of more than just soft pine 2x4s!

 

This is the first (experimental) of the two planned kitchen nook benches. I made a couple of bone-headed measurement errors, though they were cheaply and easily fixed. My real hangup was the hinges for the bench lid. I have a bad record keeping hinges straight and even. After an evening spent plugging and re-drilling screw holes, the joint is even enough and I just hope the problem hinge will warp into place after it is sat upon awhile.

I didn't find furniture-grade wood for the curvy bench ends as thickly as I wanted it, and ended up buying 3/4" birch plywood instead. I'll see how it goes- if they feel cheap and flimsy when attached.

My goal as a novice carpenter is to have these benches feel as if they are original to the house, and as the original nook pantry woodwork has a rough, nearly primitive feel inside its guts, it doesn't concern me that I didn't use fancy joints, and that the bench lid is two pieces of wood (carefully) joined with braces. The bench's weight alone makes it very sturdy. Fat Cat is kindly demonstrating this.

Ikea Kitchen Update

Here is where the new kitchen stands. The tile is now up to the middle of the window-the walls were too scarred to leave them bare, but I think it has a nice charm. I'm still working on painting the cabinets and we could use a replacement stove but there's no rush.



















The oak countertops are my favorite new thing- I never thought wood was something appropriate to my messy, sometimes grungy kitchen. I used 6 coats of Waterlox, a tung-oil and resin-based finish. Spills wipe right up, even a day later, and there are no white rings or dark rings. Nothing soaks in. The finish dulls a little when water is left standing for a day, but you wouldn't even notice unless you peered closely. We treat our countertops roughly- though no direct cutting on them- and they haven't chipped yet. If they did, it's easy to recoat or touch-up.

So far we've probably spent 2800-3000 on this kitchen, for a complete re-do. I kind-of regret the new steel-look appliances- they seem cold and not very vintage! How do they look so great in period kitchen magazine photos?

Jason paints!









The pot rack.