The North Wall of the Kitchen

In on-going kitchen news, Chris has been working away at the section of counter/cupboard that sits on the North wall of the kitchen. This expanse of storage runs ten feet from fridge to wall. Ten glorious feet of storage. Awesome!

Cherry fronts, ash top

Once again we used steel wool & vinegar to bring out the tannins in the wood and then I coated it with mineral oil.

Wonderful grain

We get lots of morning sun on this wall and it really glows on the countertop.

In my original plan for the layout on this wall was for floor to ceiling cupboards. Once I lived in the house for a bit I realized that I didn't like that idea. I was afraid it would loom over the kitchen and look lopsided. So I was just going to put up open shelves or something like that. Then we went to an auction and found some fantastic barrister bookcases. Gorgeous! And I thought, well, why not put those on the counter? If I hate it I can just use them somewhere else in the house, right?

Assembling the sections

I filled them with baking stuff, cooking ingredients, and bar glasses then tucked frequently used items under the leg openings. A ladder is required in order to get to the top shelf so I put things I seldom use up there. The storage space is extensive, the glass fronts keep out dust, and I love the apothecary vibe. Not positive what I'm going to do on the wall in between, but the front runner at the moment is a French-cleat system made of cherry - decorative and functional! Which seems to be the theme of this kitchen. Looks nice? Great. Works great? Perfect!

Still figuring out what goes where...

I've got kitchen gear still tucked away in boxes so the layouts will change as the storage options continue to grow and I unpack. Chris is busy working on the drawers and shelves for the lower section and I'm sure I'll change things around as I figure out just what I've got and where I want it. I do know I'm going to be doing some serious purging as I haven't seen the content of those boxes in three years. It's going to be like Christmas when I open them again.