Tracy wants our ideas on how to perk up her knotty pine kitchen. What do you think, Retro Renovation Squad? Tracy writes:
Hi Pam! My husband and I bought a 1962 ranch house in Nashville about 3 years ago and I’ve been wanting to somehow “update” the kitchen but still keep the mid-century feel. It’s a knotty pine kitchen with aqua formica countertops and a sort of aqua, peach, and ivory speckled linoleum floor. Everything is in really good shape and functional and the layout works for us. The thing we’re having some discussion about is the knotty pine on the walls and cabinets. I’m not a huge fan of it. I mean, I like it, but I just don’t like so much of it. Honestly, I’m not really sure what direction to go with it. I was wondering if you or your readers could make some suggestions of things we could do to kind of brighten the room up without changing the character, which we appreciate and love.
Thanks,
Tracy
Tracy, you may be new and not quite know it yet, but we are generally nutty for knotty in these here parts. So be forewarned. See this post about Eartha Kitsch’s knotty pine kitchen. And, you might like this story on “heart pine” — the expensive stuff, which I tend to believe you have in your kitchen, given it still looks so great.
In our email back-and-forth to get prepared for this post, I ask Tracy some more questions. First, with the pics, she says:
Yay! Thanks! Here are some pics. The area with the microwave/cart/mess of rubbermaid storage containers is the bane of my existence. Storage is an issue for us in the kitchen and we want to get some sort of behind-doors storage instead of that open microwave cart with all the pet food/crap thrown in the bottom. And the red/green/clear rubbermaid containers are for recycling, but we need to figure out another solution for the recycling/garbage that is functional and sort of funky and visually pleasing at the same time. The ceiling fan hasn’t worked since we moved in – the light is broken on it, so lighting will have to be addressed as well. Thanks again!
Then, I ask her to tell us more about how she and her husband (as yet unnamed, along with the doggie) got into the house. Ahhh! Ford is involved again. They should sponsor my blog. She writes:
Sure…we live in Nashville and bought our house about 3 years ago after an EXTENSIVE house search. We were looking for over a year before we found the house actually. In the beginning of our search, our agent was taking us to newer subdivisions, I guess because that’s what most people she works with want, but we didn’t really care for any of the newer homes. They all seemed the same….didn’t have any character or any sort of story to tell. Then we stumbled on this neighborhood called Charlotte Park and totally fell in love with it. All of the houses are mid-century ranch homes, built in the early to mid 60s for employees of the now defunct Ford Auto glass plant. Ford built a plant here in 1956 to provide glass windshields and windows for their cars and our neighborhood, Charlotte Park, grew up around it for employees of the glass plant. I believe that Ford even provided some money to help build some of the homes. The streets are all named after Ford products….Cougar Drive, Edsel Drive, Thunderbird Ave. and, our personal favorite, Mercomatic Drive. Our street is called River Rouge Dr., named after the original Ford River Rouge Complex in Dearborn Michigan. Anyway, we love the story of this neighborhood, we love the people, and we love the homes. We particularly love our home – it’s not too big (we love the “not-so-big” home ideas), it’s solidly built, and it has a lot of character and just feels warm, if that makes any sense! We knew it was perfect for us as soon as we saw it.
So, gentle readers… whatcha got for Tracy?
I love how it looks in the dining room, and your light fixture over the dining table is to die for! Where did you get that? You can’t really paint the backsplash in the kitchen without painting that entire wall too, which would extend into the dining room. That might be an option, but I would leave the knotty pine in the cabinets if you did that. The other option would be to paint the cabinets only, but leave the backsplash and soffit knotty pine. If you did this, get a painted cabinet to match for all the doggie stuff and recycling. As much as I hate the idea of painting it, I think you can get away with it as long as you leave some of it the way it is. Another idea may be to get a white dining room table and chairs, and make sure all the accessories in the kitchen are white. It would lighten things up.
Hi Donna – sorry I missed your question earlier. I got that light from Overstock.com a couple years ago. There was an 80s looking chandelier there when we moved in. Thanks for the ideas!!
LOVE your house, Tracy! It makes me long for Nashville. I grew up less than 15 minutes away from Charlotte Park off of West End & have ALWAYS loved the Ford street names in that neighborhood. Starliner is one of my favorite names. I grew up with friends on Marauder Drive. That neighborhood is great and so convenient to everything.
Your exterior & kitchen are both so very Nashville looking, especially with the knotty pine — although like you, I agree that so much knotty pine can feel overwhelming. But unfortunately, I can’t immediately think of a way to downplay it. I just wanted to comment on the house and the neighborhood. Your oven and hood are beautiful, as are the awesome aqua countertop & floor design.
Thanks! Starliner is one of my favorite names here too. It’s one street over from us. It’s funny….UPS sometimes delivers our packages to the corresponding house number on Starliner instead of River Rouge! The man who lives there is nice enough to bring us our packages when he gets them though.
Tracy,
Love the house and kitchen. One little suggestion I have that will help brighten it up a bit is to put more under cabinet lighting in. I see there is some over the stove so I would add it under the cupboards too. I did that in my 1946 kitchen and it helps immenseley. And, I much prefer it to pot lights which had been suggest by a lighting designer. Plus there was no need to put holes in the ceiling.
And, for the wall where you want storage, here is a wild idea — could you take down the paneling that is there and use it to make the storage unit? Maybe put in an entire wall of floor to ceiling cabinets designed to function just as you want? Some closed up for the pet food and recycling things, and some open for microwave and other things you want easy access to?
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Elizabeth Mary
Being a big fan of old Fords and Mercurys, I would love to live in that neighborhood. You’ve got a great look already. Love that stove! But you’re right about that storage issue with the microwave cart and recycling bins. Can you put the recycling bins outside that sliding glass door area? Maybe put the microwave on the counter? Do you have any closets close to the kitchen that could be used as a pantry for stuff you don’t use daily? Or maybe try the refrigerator where the cart and bins are, and perhaps convert that nook where you have the fridge to more storage? Good luck!
Wow…Wow…Wow! Tracy, your kitchen is beautiful! I actually shrieked when I saw the first picture of it. Everything is in such beautiful condition – the wood on your cabinets looks magnificent and I absolutely love your counter tops, stove hood and floor. That’s the kind of stuff that a lot of us dream of moving in to find. I’m one of those knotty pine nuts that Pam spoke about so I can’t give any advice that would in any way make those cabinets go away or be covered up. I hope that you can lean towards embracing them. They really are a treasure.
The only thing that sticks out to me is the ceiling fan but you already mentioned addressing that. We also had an issue with recycling in our kitchen. If you’re like us, you have the large carts that go out to the street for recycling? Instead of trying to keep much of the recyclables inside of the kitchen, we’ve decided to make more trips out to the outside cart in order to not let the recyclables take over. I took large, old plastic and metal picnic baskets and lined them with plastic storage container bottoms to keep things clean. These have become an attractive and functional way to keep our recyclables under wraps around here.
I’m wondering if you might be able to find a large old antique wardrobe or armoire that would go with your kitchen to put along that wall. You could put shelves in it and have great storage where things can go behind doors so that they won’t frustrate you having to look at them. Another idea is to get a long but narrow table on the cheap and put a skirt along the bottom of it to hide your bins under.
If you like collecting pretty dishes and the like, you can always take some of the upper doors off and store them. You can then use these open shelves to display colorful items that will help break up the wood for you. Knotty pine is a beautiful backdrop to dishes. That’s what we did and it made all of the difference in the world. You could also put some cute vintage drapes on that window in a happy color to take the eye off of some of the wood. If you only have one window to dress, Etsy and eBay are great resources for vintage drapes ( I think that cafe curtains would look amazing on your window).
Your house is beautiful and I love your neighborhood. I hope that you didn’t get affected by the flood over your way. I know that you’re close to the river. Please keep us updated with what you decide to do about your kitchen. Believe me when I say that a lot of folks (myself included) think that you’ve found yourself a true jewel there. : ) And three cheers to you and your hubby for looking for and owning one of the lovely, vintage Nashville homes. As you know, they’re hard to come by as more and more areas are McMansion-ing it up. I wish you many happy years there!
First off, get A LOT more lighting in there! Usually people have too little light in their houses, knotty pine or not. Take what you consider normal and add under-cabinet lighting, an extra lamp in a corner or the ceiling over the bar.
We have a 1900s Foursquare and when we first moved in the kitchen had been remodeled in knotty pine. It was not in the style of our house so when we remolded we took it all out and (gasp) threw it in a dumpster! At the time I had no idea it was retro and would have loved to give it to someone who would have appreciated it. I recently came across a 1951 issue of Better Homes and Gardens Remodeling Ideas in our attic (yea!). It has black and white pictures of kitchens, it looks like the ones done in knotty pine have a lot of white or papered walls. Also the appliances are all white which I think would help “lighten” the room. If you would like me to scan the pictures and post them let me know. I don’t know if it will help but it might give you some ideas!
Awesome kitchen-it has great bones. I love the stove and rounded peninsula. Have you thought about adding some under-cabinet lighting? That might warm up the wood a bit. I would stay away from putting any more wood (stained) accessories in there. Consider some painted pieces or a chrome legged vintage kitchen table-something to play off the color of those cool counter tops. Also, I would find some cute curtains and a few houseplants/flowers. Those are just my humble suggestions, though. All in all, a fab kitchen.
I’ve been on the fence about knotty pine for a while, but that kitchen could totally turn me! Have you considered removing the knotty pine backsplash and putting in some funky tile? If you’re on a budget, consider your local ReStore for good deals. The one here in Atlanta always has amazing vintage wall tile from different warehouses cleaning out their stock.
I love it! It is overwhelming, though. I’m dealing with the same thing in my upstairs master bedroom, which is all knotty pine.
I think some good suggestions have been made. More light and reflective materials like a chrome dinette set. A large painted armoire, shelving unit or one of those chrome restaurant shelving units might break up the knotty pine on that wall. I love the aqua counter! Maybe an aqua/cream Marmoleum/VCT tile checkerboard floor might add more color and interest. Also, one open cabinet with an aqua painted interior to show off some of your dishes? Or painted white to show off some colorful Fiestaware?
Yea for Ford-related neighborhoods! I live in Dearborn.
Jeane
Hi Tracy,
Love the kitchen and home. I too have wood cabinets although not knotty pine. I was able to brighten up my kitchen by adding splashes of color with accessories. Red works really well and draws the eye away from the wood. Also vintage curtains would help also.
Have fun,John
Hi Tracy,
Love the knotty pine. I would not touch it, it looks new. I would try to accessorize using aqua colors to match the countertops and floor (kitchen towels, rugs, small appliances in aqua or stainless). I also like the suggestion of lights under your cabinets. Nowadays you can get the battery operated ones that you can turn on and off as you use them or have all of them on when guests come over for that special mood lighting effect. I would also change the dinette set to something really modern (again using aqua and chrome to get away from some of the wood). Do you have a utility room or garage – detached garage? I have moved all my recycle bins to my utility room and it has really opened up the space in my small kitchen.
P.S. Your doggie is adorable!
What a great room to work with, the condition IS amazing.
We have a cavalier too, love those dogs!
So, you need lighting, i don’t have any immediate suggestions for the main overhead, but under-cabinet lights would help, maybe run some warm LED strips, possibly even battery operated so the install isn’t too invasive.
I would look for a run of complimentary cupboards to replace the microwave cart. Just a run of lower cabs, painted to match your existing countertop. microwave could go on top, and all your recycling bins could go below. You could even get pull out bins like i use for my trash and compost.
You need one little sheer cafe curtian (for color) but sheer enough to let light in.
IF all that still has you crazy about the wood i would experiment with carefully storing some select upper doors (left and right of the sink?) and painting the interior of the open cabinets in a color to make your dishes pop.
Lastly, as your budget allows i think you need to get every scrap of wood furniture out of that room, and bring in colorful upholstery, chrome, or painted furniture.
For an overhead, something like this, but with three lights. Copper could look cool too.
http://www.rejuvenation.com/fixshowW873/templates/selection.phtml?ref=1
Hi Tracy,
Perhaps you could change the knotty pine backsplash behind the counter and stove to some other material. You could try chrome sheets if you get a chrome table. It could possible to attached OVER the knotty pine temporarily so it could be removed if you decide it dosen’t look good. You could also try other materials cut to fit, lean them up first to see if it works.
John
My eye goes to those books stored on the rounded end of that peninsula. Maybe those can be placed somewhere else or more artfully arranged. That rounded area would be a nice place to display some colorful pottery that would really show off the detail rather than hide it.
Thanks Pam and thanks to everyone who’s commented so far!! I will admit that when we first bought this house my thought was either to tear out the knotty pine or paint over it. Haha! That’s the reaction of most of our friends too – rip the cabinets and knotty pine out. They usually make a face like they’re smelling something bad when they say it too. But, luckily my husband convinced me that we should live in our house for a while before making any big decisions about what to change and the longer I’ve lived here the more I love our kitchen. The cabinets are solid and in really good shape so there’s no need to get rid of them. I can’t justify that not only for the history of them but for environmental reasons as well. I have wondered about changing the backsplash from knotty pine to something like glass tiles…maybe aqua glass tiles? I thought that might break up all the pine. I love the suggestions about moving the refrigerator and using that nook for storage. That hadn’t even occured to me! I’ve been looking around for a vintage sideboard or long buffet that I could put along that wall that would have shelves and storage and maybe even doors to put small recycling containers behind. We have also discussed taking down that wall where the microwave cart is and making it into a half-wall that would contain a nook for the microwave and some storage built into it. I don’t think we’re going to change the floor. We really love it and it’s in amazing shape. Our downstairs (basement) laundry room has the same pattern with different colors. I’m also definitely going to get some under cabinet lighting and add splashes of color with accessories. Great suggestions!
Kelly – I know what you mean about the McMansions. They’re popping up everywhere. Oh and our neighborhood did sustain some flooding but our street and home is fine. Parts of Annex and Basswood were under water though and the Marina and Blue Moon Lagoon were flooded.
Love your kitchen!
Way back when it was new, housewives had storage issues, too. Why not look for some vintage free-standing storage cabinets at your local antique store to house your overflow on the microwave cart? I have a pair of old white cabinets with glass doors on top and storage underneath for the cat food, and tin foil, plastic bags, etc.
All that wood is making a big statement, and clearing some of the clutter would help. Put away the cookbooks and display some pretty pyrex bowls!
I wouldn’t change the flooring, either. What you have is more durable than most of what is available today.
Congratulations on your house! It’s absolutely charming!
Good suggestion about the chrome furniture. That didn’t even occur to me, honestly! We just bought that kitchen table and chairs but we got them off Craigslist for $100 so it’s not a huge loss if we don’t use them. I was thinking about getting some colorful chairs to go with the table because it only came with 2 chairs and we need more, but I think the chrome idea makes more sense.
Y’all have no idea how much I appreciate this feedback!!
Wow, I am not a fan of knotty pine and even I love this kitchen. It is in such great shape! I would remove upper cabinet doors and replace with glass doors. Use removed cabinet doors on a floor-to-ceiling built in unit – butler pantry style – for storage (when the cart/totes are – do a combination open shelves, glass doors, and solid doors). Remove back splash wood and replace with light colored small frosted glass tiles. Under cabinet lighting would really help (and softly reflect on a glass tile back splash) and if you go with upper glass cabinets do lighting in the upper cabinets as well.
I agree with moving the books. The rounded counter gets lost with the corners of the books sticking out.
If you want to keep the colors you have in the floor and counter, how about getting an organizational cabinet made where your microwave sits. If you get it made, or make it yourself, you can hide the microwave with a door. You could also incorporate your recycling and dog stuff in there too. Maybe paint it just one shade darker than your counter to pull that color to your opposite wall. Even leave some small open shelves on each side for your books.
LOVE the light in the dining room. round tables are so nice when you have doors like that. If you don’t want to replace the table, just use a small tablecloth or recover the seats in a fabric, that can also be used for a curtain in your kitchen, to tie the two rooms together with a pattern or stripe. I wouldn’t get rid of the knotty pine…but I would add more of the counter color. And more lights. Under cabinets are so inexpensive, easy to install, and really give your kitchen a big boost! Plus, they would “light up” that old retro counter top even more! A nice retro ceiling light for your kitchen too.
Good luck…you have a great kitchen to start with!
The pine, really-cool-stove, hood, floor, counter tops, are awesome. Here are my suggestions. I’ve mentioned this before for another reader–think of the Lucy and Ricky Ricardo’s Connecticut home.
1. Remove the fan and replace it with a simple light fixture along these lines:
http://hidden-valley-antiques.com/photos/kitchenfixtures.JPG
2. For storage, have you considered an antique dry sink like this:
http://www.laurelauction.com/0602f%20Pine%20Dry%20Sink.JPG
You could paint it a complimentary color if you think the added wood is too much.
3. The white fridge is very prominant. This may not be practical, but a vintage fridge would be really cool. Or, if you’ve go money to spend, a new copper color fridge with tie in with the stove hood. I saw copper color appliances (I think Kitchenaid) at a local store. Here is a picture:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.atticmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/ka-jennorbovens21.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.atticmag.com/2008/11/oiled-bronze-appliances/&usg=__fJWfnZ2LCSIyhoEpCVjZTB20IKM=&h=555&w=400&sz=108&hl=en&start=53&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Y5M-LZYSOOnyRM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=96&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvintage%2Bcopper%2Brefrigerator%26start%3D40%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1
Good luck.
Sorry for the typos. Also, a oval country rag-rug would add a nice touch.
I think it could be updated through color, lighting, appliances, counters and flooring…leave the cabinets pristine. The contrast with the pine and white appliances is pretty severe. The light over the dining table is a great jumping off place for color and style. If she wants to reduce the knotty pine a little bit, change out the backsplash for something bright – like moaic. What about a natural color quartz counter (not bright white), a fun backsplash, and stainless appliances? Bring some greens in with wall color, towels, etc. Lighting is always the most overlooked element in a home, and does the most to make a room feel (literally!) lighter and brighter. Get some good under the counter lighting, and maybe recessed lighting on the ceiling- take out the ceiling fan. Drop a fun pendant over the peninsula. I think a darker floor would actually help “ground” the space…that floor feels a little “free-floating.” It reminds me so much of my grandmother’s kitchen. She had Carthage (Missouri) Marble countertops in the 1940′s!
WOW! gorgeous kitchen! It’s so beautiful.
#1. I too am totally loving the idea of getting a chrome & formica dining set to offset the wood. You could get white/pale gray, which is easier to find, unless you are very lucky to find an aqua set. With white you could then get a big aqua bowl or vase for the center, or get some aqua placemats. But aqua is my favorite color so I always say MORE AQUA!
I love the combo of the aqua with knotty pine.
#2. Also, getting some vintage cafe curtains in a light color….white or the pale aqua for your window.
#3 I think the idea of a plain chrome/silver/stainless JUST on the back splash is intruiging. If you put in some under cabinet lighting (another great idea), it would reflect off of the silver nicely and just glow!
#4. I guess in summary, the above have some great ideas! More aqua/lights/chrome. no more wood, and you don’t have to paint anything.
….and your doggie is the cutest.
Here are some neat tile ideas:
http://www.homedepot.com/Flooring-Tile-Stone-Tile-Glass-Tile/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xg1Zbo1x/R-100659948/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
http://www.homedepot.com/Flooring-Tile-Stone-Tile-Glass-Tile/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xg1Zbo1x/R-202022658/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
These two are a bit pricey, but they sure are cool!
http://www.homedepot.com/Flooring-Tile-Stone-Tile-Glass-Tile/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xg1Zbo1x/R-202070529/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
http://www.homedepot.com/Flooring-Tile-Stone-Tile-Glass-Tile/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xg1Zbo1x/R-202070522/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
Congrats Tracy on your beautiful home! The knotty pine looks gorgeous-it looks to be in super condition! I think adding some light with under-the-counter lights and maybe several matching ceiling fixtures would help. I love the idea that Eartha Kitsch and her DH have of a long cabinet with counter top along the wall. It would help with storage issues and give you extra space on top. I love the aqua with it and also the floor is very pretty. Using those color touches in the room would also brighten and tie it all together. Good luck with whatever you decide. Hope you have many years of happiness there on River Rouge Drive!!!
One thing that really helped me out with my kitchen cabinets was giving them a quick refinish. You can use one of those products that restores furniture finishes or floors quickly. Once my drab cabinets were lightened up (and cleaner), I could enjoy my kitchen more! And there’s nothing like gleaming kitchen cabintes to get the creative juices flowing!
You are sooooo lucky to have a kitchen that has such large nooks for the appliances!….You’ll be really surprised at how much light you have, once you replace the broken overhead fixture …plus is there a light over the sink? I’ d difinitely have a light there – you have such a nice wide window ( enjoy it). I would coordinate the light fixtures in the kitchen area, over the sink , and the dining area…. not too matchy-matchy but something that would blend or marry well with existing copper hardware on the cabinetry. Before you install the new light fxtures, you can put a fresh coat of semi-gloss white on the ceiling which will reflect more of the light in the room. I ‘d remove the traverse rod over the sliding door and carefully repair the holes with stainable filler disguise with stain and a suitable oil finish. If you absolutely need a curtain on that door, hang it at ceiling height – rods that attach from the ceiling would be a good choice because if you do want to take it down at a later date it’s easier to fill and paint the ceiling than to restore the knotty pine….. A nice crisp tablecloth, coordinating chair pads, and demi panels on either side of the sliding door, and a short valance just peaking out from under the cornice over sink. (use a tension rod for the valance to get it right behind the cornice – no drilling and easy to remove when it needs washing). If you use an aqua fabric that goes w/ your countertop at the windows, sliding door, and on the table, it will break up all the brown of the wood . It looks like the floor has some nice colors to pick from as well. As for additional storage…..it looks like there is not enough room for a microwave over the oven. I would recommend a buffet a long your wall that is fitted for your specific needs : recycle stuff, microwave, etc. — then you gain more counter area for serving or baking (if you have a butcher blok top on it ) — I’d put the bucks $$ here – not on moving appliances or changing cabinets that are in as great of shape as your’s. If you go w/ something that buffet or counter height you have a more open feeling than w/ a tall cabinet or amoire. Hope this helps……..you really do have a great kitchen to work with………
I want to endorse the idea of taking off some cupboard doors. We did that in a heavily wood kitchen, for our everyday dishes and glasses, and it lightened up the wood and increased efficiency. I really get tired of opening and closing all those cupboards. A professional kitchen is much more open. Plus, with more lighting, you’ll get reflection off the dishes and glasses, too. You have a wonderful house!
I am a knotty pine lover so I would not touch it. Instead, I would get rid of the rest of your wood furniture to minimize the ‘wood-look’. You could paint your table and get an armoire and paint it. Not only will the armoire introduce color and storage to the room but it would also cover a section of the knotty pine, lessening the ‘wood-look’ some more. Since your appliances are white, I would paint the table and armoire white with some nice sheer white curtains over the sink and sliding door, then accent with peach and turquoise knick-knacks on the built in shelves and a nice white platter or artwork over the stove. Also, declutter!
I really love your kitchen…and have waited a few hours prior to adding my 2 bits.
I like all the ideas that folks have come up with-but I would suggest a Cushman Colonial-ish hutch on that wall. It will provide storage and be in perfect harmony with what you have going on.
Your mid-century kitchen is a great homage to a Colonial look…while adding a modern, clean and STREAMLINED look. For everything you add to this room I would take TWO things out. On the countertops I would only leave things you use everyday….percolator, salt/pepper a sugar bowl and a toaster. Over the sink- I would put a rod (right through the wood) and hook your new collection of Vintage (prior 1968) Revereware with shiney bottoms. That will free up a least 2 cupboards.
Hokey…..but I can see some copper molds…white and aqua plaid curtains and of course a philodendron. A milk glass pedestal bowl complete with plastic fruit and grapes will keep your guest wondering if you are “for real”.
Pam has one million pictures of beautiful pine kitchens and they all share one common element…they are all pretty spartan.
But that’s just me…and I like stage-set timecapsules. Youtube an episode of Ozzie and Harriet…they had a very similar kitchen.
Best wishes to you.
The kitchen is gorgeous!! I can’t decide which is more beautiful: The knotty pine kitchen or that perfect Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Both vintage and both wonderful to live with. If you cook, i will come over and dog-sit.
The floor is great and so is the countertop. Love it. If it were my kitchen (so jealous!), I’d try to find some cool material to pull colors in (aqua, that reddish/orangey color in the floor and a yellow, maybe). I’d do some curtains, maybe placemats or cover the kitchen chair cushions with it. You can make a corkboard over by the microwave cart and use the material to cover the frame on it. Perhaps you can also use material to make a skirt for the microwave cart, kind of like those old-fashioned skirts you’d see on bathroom sinks. You can hide the stuff on the shelves underneath that way.
These are some “loud” samples I found. I generally always go for “in your face” fabrics.
http://warehousefabricsinc.com/CUDAUN.html
http://warehousefabricsinc.com/ORABLA.html
As for lighting…undercabinet or perhaps some little lamps on the counters…?
Good luck to you.
Change nothing; just let me move in. I’m nuts for knotty pine!
Congrats on a fabulous new home. You’ll have this kitchen perfect in no time.
The woodwork is nice, but a little dark and the knottiness is quite busy. I’d redo the backsplash to provide contrast. It could be tiled or just painted, but in a light color that is easy to clean and reflects diffused light onto the work surfaces. I might even paint the cabinets, but leave the doors unpainted. I’d paint the white appliances to add color. The white brightens the space, but is too much of a stark, antiseptic contrast to the warm, earthy wood. Maybe an aqua or something appropriate to the ’60′s.
Tracey-
What do you want this Kitchen to be?
Are you looking for authenticity or a nice accent color to what you have already got? Do you want a vintage room or a 21st Century kitchen that just happens to have pine cupboards? Are you looking to move to “Pleasantville” in a time machine?
Some of the posters are pretty much re-enginnering your kitchen and some are suggesting small touches. My own post above is basically giving you a whole different life right down to your choice of dinnerware: Red Wing Bob White.. I know that posters (myself at the top of the list) can get into trouble when they start bulldozing their way through your home.
I should have asked this before my above post; but what do you want the end result to be?
Sincerely, Gavin
Yeah, I guess that’s the million dollar question, Gavin! With the exception of the microwave cart/recycling bin area and the broken ceiling fan the hubs would love to just leave everything as is. I don’t think I want it to be completely vintage but rather a sort of updated vintage. Not looking to move to Pleasantville but I also don’t want white cabinets with beige granite counters and ceramic tile floors. I would really like to keep the cabinets, floor and some of the knotty pine while breaking it up a little so that’s it’s not just knotty pine everywhere I look. I think that maybe adding a different backsplash and getting a hutch or something for storage, especially if it’s brightly colored, is the direction I was headed. I appreciate all of the specific suggestions you’re making like the Cushman Colonial hutch because I’ve never even heard of most of this stuff! I love what Eartha Kitsch did in her kitchen…that’s the direction I want to go. And I love the look of her cabinets, which I think has to do with the fact that there’s painted wall to it up between the cabinets and countertop.
I love your kitchen! My kitchen is very similar in the house I rent and I LOVE it. And by the way I live on River Rouge Dr too! I think the idea of taking off some cabinet doors is great. Maybe even just some cute curtains above the sink might help brighten things up too.
Nothing improves the look of a knotty pine kitchen more than a vintage copy of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. There’s something about those red and white checks…
I use it all the time!!!!
That is an amazing kitchen!
Have you considered staining the backsplash with a transparent or semi-transparent tinted stain? This way you can keep the wood material but break up the wood color. I think the first step you should consider is a good purge. I can see just from this photo that you have what looks like 4 cutting boards, 2 cast iron skillets, and 2-3 types of spice racks/containers. I’ve been through this in moving to my new ‘old’ house but once I pared it down to one really good pan/appliance/serving dish, etc. I found I had a lot more room than originally thought.
I second everyone’s opinion on reducing the amount of wood furniture throughout the rest of the room. Do you have an IKEA or Target nearby? I think some of their stainless and white laminate storage options might be a good and inexpensive option. Otherwise I highly recommend getting a repurposed vintage dresser or buffet to use as storage – I think drawers are so great compared to shelving for storing kitchen items. You can paint all of your existing furniture white or another complimentary color (maybe a mango yellow or a fuschia/lavendar/pink) and add a coat of shellac or whatever it is that makes it shiny like enamel.
Hi. Thanks for allowing us all to comment on your kitchen. Your kitchen is reminiscent of Sara’s kitchen from a few weeks back, and very similar to a picture Sara was inspired by:
http://retrorenovation.com/2010/04/16/help-sara-add-retro-flair-to-her-country-kitchen/
You might get some great ideas from going through the suggestions on that kitchen, too. A theme in the comments for Sara was, Don’t paint the cabinets, leave them as is. That’s my suggestion on your cabinets as well. Personally, I would look for storage solutions and add some touches with fabric before making any big changes to the cabinets themselves. Once you solve the storage problem, the knotty pine might not seem like an issue.
For storage, I think I’d try to find a big hutch to put where the cart and plastic bins are now. Something like this:
http://www.qis.net/~lauer/hutch1.html
This hutch, while pine, has been whitewashed, which makes it a pleasant change from all of the natural wood in your kitchen. You could paint it some other color, even black. You could store the pet food, recycling, etc behind closed doors in the bottom, and put cookbooks and other display pieces in the top. A trestle dining table with benches would look good with such a hutch. (But the suggestion of a chrome dinette set sure is a good one.)
Don’t see anyplace for wallpaper in this kitchen! But, fabric would be a great way to bring in some color. If you could find a barkcloth with aqua and coral in it, that would be pretty.
Oh wow, look at this cool barkcloth that has guitars in it — perfect for Nashville!
http://www.barkclothhawaii.com/big/jetson.html#
As for lighting, I will let Pam, who’s more of an expert, weigh in on that topic.
Have fun with your wonderful kitchen. (By the way, recently I looked at two houses for sale in Lexington KY with knotty pine kitchens. One had the same flooring, but white counters with the boomerang pattern. It had knotty pine cabinets, with plaster walls. The other kitchen was all knotty pine like yours (well, not sure about the backsplash), with dark green counters, and the floor had been covered in industrial grade carpeting. Your kitchen is in much better condition than those kitchens.
I always wonder why the majority of people prefer new homes. I am the minority in my friends and family to love old houses and old cabinets! But that’s good because there are more people than old houses, and if everyone loved old houses, I wouldn’t be able to have one!
I wouldn’t change anything about the pine cabinets. I love it, as well as the countertop and flooring.
I think that many ideas that others have posted are great, like lighting up the kitchen with a ceiling fixture and under-cabinet lighting, adding a white or chrome dining table and chairs, adding a cheery bright yellow bouquet of flowers, adding a cheery fabric curtain, and de-cluttering. I really think that will do wonders for you and that’s probably what I would do if it were my kitchen. Remember that clutter alone can make you feel claustrophobic or over-stimulated, so that might be part of the problem you feel.
I love Eartha Kitsch’s kitchen as well, and I see what you mean about how the painted drywall backsplash keeps it interesting and light. As much I love all of the wood, I do wonder if I would start to feel claustrophobic over time because there’s so much of it–like being encased in it.
You could actually remove the cabinets carefully, remove the paneling from the walls and replace it with drywall, and then re-install the cabinets. You can probably find a buyer for the paneling so that its history isn’t wasted.
Or you could remove the paneling from the far dining room wall. Replace it with drywall, and paint it the dark red that I see on the wall in the adjoining room for a natural flow.
One more comment: I don’t think that a tile backsplash is the answer. The knotty pine cabinets are busy and a tile backplash is busy, so it may be too much.
Okay, okay … from someone who had a very similar kitchen back in the early to mid-70′s as a young wife and mother: loved the cabinets, the backsplash, the walls … everything was knotty pine. The floor, however, was a “brick” look vinyl (of some type put in when the house was built in late 50′s early 60′s probably). My windows had white curtains … and my furniture was dark. I had a table with four chairs in the dedicated eating area, and along the blank wall was a beautiful cabinet that matched the table and chairs (dark). The original counter was yellow, and was in very bad shape so we had a new one put in and replaced the peninsula, which had been “hacked” off by the previous owner. It was replaced with a nice shade of yellow/gold (what we could get at the time). The ceiling was white, we had some undercabinet lighting, and an original light over the table (a brick colored metal shade, as I recall … probably to complement the floor). I know “lighten up” seems to be the feeling here, but, honestly, my darker table and chairs and cabinet actually helped to tone down the golden color of the knotty pine. I do think, though, that containing the clutter is extremely important with the busyness of the knotty pine — containing that ‘softens’ the knots! Of course, I didn’t have a microwave to contend with (as I do in my present 1961 kitchen … it’s on the countertop) since they were not yet common. I speak from experience (I turned 63 yesterday).
Just last week, my 40-year-old daughter found a picture of me in the kitchen … from when she was a little girl … and asked if she could have it. She loved the warmth of the kitchen … how cozy it was!
I’m with you, Janet. Your ex-kitchen sounds lovely and very mid-century “home-ly”.
We saw this all the first time around!
Growing up, every room in my house was knotty pine, except for the bathrooms. “Never have to paint,” my Dad said. I would love to have some element of that in my home, but not sure I could live with it every day. Other than the “paint it white and call it beachy” motif, I’ve wondered about pickling or whitewashing knotty pine. I’m sure it would be labor intensive, but it would lighten and brighten it without losing the character. Here is a room by Sarah of HGTV with ligth knotty paneling: http://www.hgtv.ca/sarahscottage/episodes.aspx?sectionid=300&categoryid=8211131934201546917&postid=67416
Love this. Nice work guys!
On your street names — how cool. In our neighborhood, Gardenside, most of the streets are named after battles in American history: Yorktown, Blue Licks, Gettysburg, Antietam, Appomattox, Manassas, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Normandy. Ours is Meridian, after the battle at Meridian Mississippi. Then there’s Traveller Rd., after Robert E. Lee’s horse.
I love your kitchen – I wouldn’t touch the existing cabinets, paneling, etc except to add undercabinet lighting and perhaps replace the stove hood with one that’s white to match your other appliances.
What I would do is to replace the clutter of the cart and storage bins with built-in floor to ceiling pantry cabinets – they don’t have to match your existing cabinets, just stay with a nice country style. I’d painted them a nice cream color and choose upper cabinets with glass doors – the insides could be illuminated and painted the nice aqua color you have for your countertops – The microwave could be built into these cabinets with a pull-out board beneath.
I’d also replace the woody breakfast furniture with something non-wood – Say a vintage white-painted metal table base w/ a glass top and matching white metal chairs with bright aqua vinyl seats. Then get some pinch-pleated draperies on that window – again, in a bright print in predominantly aqua and white, and have a roman shade made in the same fabric for the window above the sink. Finally, I’d use the back wall to display a collection of plates – perhaps some fun & kitschy vintage souvenir plates?
This has been amazing. Thanks everyone so much for all the of comments, feedback, and suggestions. This has definitely inspired me! I’m going to start with the decluttering/purging and keep my eyes open for a hutch/cabinet/storage unit to replace the microwave cart and hide the recycling. I’m looking forward to finding accessories to add a pop of color also! Thanks Pam and I’ll send pictures after the updating is done!
What fun readers had, Tracy! Thanks for sharing. Note: I think I will do a “mood board” with my own suggestions — they are mostly all covered in the reader suggestions, so I just have to call out my favorites! I think I’ll aim for posting this tomorrow, but I have work-work to do so it might come later!
Wow, what a kitchen!!! Tracy, lots and lot of ideas posted here – I haven’t been able to read through them all! I agree with A) more undercabinet lighting…. B) Ditch all of the micro cart stuff, and love the idea of a really large painted antique armoire or farm cupboard (maybe coordinate with your floor/counters) and C) This is my idea for the soffit area above the cupboards:
Not sure if this was mentioned but…….I’d get some cool retro/vintage print curtains and hang a valance attached to the ceiling tight to trim board at the top of the soffits (think hospital curtain track to hang them from), so when you want something a little different, you can slide your short curtain/valances around to cover the knotty pine soffit – it would give it a different look, without resorting to paint/wallpaper/etc which are more permanent.
I’d also make a fairly concerted effort to shift some of your counter items to storage areas in the new armoire/farm cupboard, just for the sake of uncluttering a bit. As for recycling, I’d invest in pull out bins that fit in a lower cupboard. In my kitchen I will have butcher block on the cupboard my bins will be located in, so I can cut veggies etc, and then pull out my bin underneath to scrape the waste off the butcher block right into the bin.
Have fun with all of the ideas here – back to reading for me.
I think you have some good ideas here. Our knotty pine had already been painted a horrible dirty cream when DH bought the house. So, we have painted it white for the cottage/beadboard look.
I would agree on perhaps taking out the pine in the backsplash and maybe leaving it painted for some visual breakup. We do have blue glass mosaic tile, but the cabinets are painted white.
Also, we have a similar wall where there is no storage. I have a vintage Hoosier cabinet, but it’s still not enough, and we’re looking at what else to add there, mabye some Ikea shelving, or else I saw some modular storage units on JCP. com.
Oh, BTW, around the corner from us is a house for sale with pretty much the exact same knotty pine kitchen AND a pink tile hall bathroom!
Hi,
I didn’t make it through all 56 comments, but I had a similar recycling/microwave problem that I solved with a customized cabinet from http://www.barsandbooths.com. See images 3 and 15 at this retrorenovation link:
http://retrorenovation.com/2010/04/09/the-seven-month-saga-of-susans-steel-kitchen-and-her-recommendation-for-a-metal-cabinet-refinisher-in-new-jersey/#more-22639
Also, I had to bite the bullet and throw out some things to make room for others. Barsandbooths will work in any material you suggest–even knotty pine, I bet! In the cabinet ,we installed two pull-out Rev-a-shelf containers for recycling, one behind each door. I found special Rev-a-Shelf units that were shallow, with the longest edge of the wastebasket facing front (I have a photo of the inside of the cabinet if you’re interested). Because my cabinet is not very deep, it doesn’t take up very much floor real estate.
Good luck! I grew up in a 1955 ranch home in suburban Detroit in a neighborhood across the street from a Fisher Body plant, so I lived a little bit of what your neighborhood recalls.
Oooh thanks for that link, Susan! I’ve been thinking for a while that I might need to have a custom cabinet made that can hold the microwave, recycling and has shelves for my cookbooks but I just wasn’t really sure where to go to have something like that done. This helps.
I also saw this table on Craigslist this morning that looks like it could match my counters perfectly!!! http://nashville.craigslist.org/hsh/1738225466.html
Ha, Tracy – the retro decorating gods clearly read about you on the blog yesterday and sent this item to you for your consideration!
Haha! Clearly!!
Tracy, we have some mid century magazines, please let us know as we could copy some stuff out for you.
Daisy suggests pulling colors out of the floor for accent items. She also suggested hanging different colored items in the backsplash, such as mondrian style quilts wrapped around streacher frames and hung in the back splash. We have some pictures showing this. Then you wouldn’t have to destroy the back splash.
Let us know! Nathan and Daisy
(You can reach us via direct email at nathan at valinet dot com – replace the english with appropriate punctuation).
Ah…jealous!! I would love to have that table!!!
Hi Tracy,
I think your home is very cool. How nice to live in such a neighborhood with those neat street car names. Also, your exterior shutters with the blue squares are awesome!
I had a kitchen in a prior home that had knotty pine similar to yours. I think part of the problem is that as you say, there is so much of it, it sort of gives you a log cabin feel. Perhaps you could make it stand out more by taking it out of the back splash area under the cabinets & maybe using formica or tile in that area. The area above your cabinets maybe could be painted or wallpapered in a neat retro-vintage style. I think this way you would have less knotty pine but at the same time, what is left would be shown off to greater effect. Maybe in the dinning area you might paint the walls a nice nuetral color or if you want to be more daring, you could match the formica on your counters for a more dramatic look.
Good luck and enjoy !!! Rob
love, love, love it! would go well with my knotty pine basement! – I would suggest red accents, or turquoise. My kitchen has a knotty pine theme-and I’ve decorated with a cheery cherry theme. But it’s in moderation. I have cherry curtains, and some cherry/fruit chalkware for the decor. I’ve also framed a couple cherry canning labels (in red frames).
What an adorable family and such a sweet home. I agree with the new backsplash idea. White or light colored tile that would complement your laminate countertops. Looks like you are fond of blues, a pale turquoise color would really make the cabinets pop. Maybe paint the ceiling fan white too so it blends with the ceiling and gives the room more visual height.
Hi Tracy — I didn’t read all the comments so I don’t know how many people have suggested painting, but I have almost the exact same kind of kitchen in Woodland Hills, CA (a suburb of LA) in our very ranchy house. We painted ours white and spray painted the hardware black. Our floor was a very raunchy and ugly yellow 70s vinyl that we covered with black and white peel and stick tiles. Your floor looks pretty cute though. I would not be afraid to paint the wood if you don’t like it. I’ve never liked knotty pine and I doubt it would grow on me – perhaps you feel the same way. If you want to see a pic our our white cabinets with black hardware, email and I would be happy to send some your way.
Oh, my, I hate the thought of painting that beautiful wood. I do love the log cabin look and I had a house made of pine logs with all knotty pine inside, floors, walls ceilings, cabinets, even the furniture was handmade from local cedar. What tones it down a little bit is colorful window treatments and upholstery or otherwise not wood furniture. Pine can take lots of color in the accessories. I like the red and turquoise very much. Since you have to live there and don’t love the knotty pine, though, I hope you can come up with something that can be reversed should the mood strike you or maybe the next homeowner in line.
For instance, I like the idea of a colorful backsplash. Might there be something, like tin or stainless that could be applied over the wood in such a way that it could be removed without damaging the wood too much? Could you put drywall over one or more of the walls instead of painting?
Great kitchen…there’s something to be said for “original” time capsule preservation.
I have the same flooring in my bathroom!
I’m going to look at this storage table today:
http://nashville.craigslist.org/fuo/1747366045.html
I love it in the pics, but I think it might be a little too deep for the space. I hope it works though cause I love the look of it. *fingers crossed*
That is a pretty cool lookin’ cabinet, Tracy. But yes: Be careful not to get something too deep. Idea: Take cardboard or even newspapers… arrange them in the space you’d put the cabinet — see if you can even get the mockup to the proper height and then see if you feel like it’s okay or not.
That’s a great idea….thanks! I was trying to do it with chairs and it wasn’t working very well.
hey i also think $400 is way too much. and: while the piece is great, i was also noodling: do you want something that doesn’t scream “wood” so much, as you already are sheathed in knotty pine? and, tracy, i think you really want to optimize all that space along the wall. you need a piece or pieces not too big not to small just right. did i mention: this all is torture. don’t listen to any of us, including me. scope, laugh, have fun and trust your instincts.
Yeah, she said she would sell it to me for $250 but I decided it’s too big for the space. I’ll keep looking.
Tracy,
Loved looking at your pics because it reminds me of my house. We have knotty pine cabinets and an adjoining pine den. We put LED thin under cabinet lighting, not the pucks but long bright ones. Big difference. We added a travertine subway tile backsplash, black stone counters, and a black island. I think black helps anchor the room even though it is a dark color. I also think the idea of pulling off some boards and making a built in cabinet with them is a great idea. We have red accents to give a splash and light green walls.
best of luck
I’m sure Tracy has long ago gotten her kitchen sorted out, but in case someone with similar issues comes across this post, I just wanted to say that the knotty pine cabinets in my 1950′s ranch kitchen have a pickled finish that lightens them up quite a bit so that IMHO they’re not so overwhelming. I guess the idea was to “antique” them (since the original owners were into retro, too, but to them that meant Early American!)
I’m not sure if “pickling” can be attempted as a refinish job or not, but it might be possible. Actually, if anyone knows, I’d like to hear from you, because currently I’m trying to figure out how to keep the pickled look on my cabinets while doing some much-needed refinishing where spots have worn away around the cabinet knobs.
Although I am sure Tracy has long since made up her mind, here is what I would do:
I would leave all the cabinet doors as they are, and the walls as they are, but add a contrasting backsplash and give or sell that paneling to some else more knotting pine deprived. She does have an overflowing abundance of it and you can have too much of a good thing; wood is a great element but it needs to be offset by other elements– stone, metal, glass, color to be comfortable. I would stain, paint, “pickle” or otherwise add color the valence and the cabinet facings on the kitchen side. This will add color and made cabinet doors pop in contrast. I would also paint the trim around the other three sides of the room the same color and add picture frames in a matching color. I would not use any other wood furniture or accessories in the room. The cabinet facings don’t appear to be as knotty, and painting it would make the rest of it stand out in contrast. That leaves 90% of the knotty pine untouched, but it will brighten it up considerably and make it less overwhelming and more comfortable, more balanced.
Hey, if this is a redundant comment…sorry! There were just soooo many!
I had a Knotty Pine room with water damage, discoloration, and just dang dark from the wooded lot I live on. I decided to give my walls an update, modeling them after my childhood 1970′s pickled kitchen. If the brown is getting to you, consider giving the walls a light sand (with an orbital sander for speed) and try not to overwork it (even if you do silghtly, in the end it can even out). The goal is to knock down the sheen and give it a tooth. Then create an oil-based glaze (Ben Moore’s Alkyd Glaze is great) and tint it with a white oil paint or have a good paint store do it for you. Test the glaze on an inconspicuous area, as it always dries differently from it’s liquid appearance. My overall end effect was a very 1970′s beach-washed Gray knotty wood—-somewhere between Nantucket and Gilligan’s island. In your case, you could just treat the walls, and keep the doors brown, as it is the darker more dominate color and would stand out. Or vice versa… the push and pull of tone could be cool, as the overall “woodyness” ties it together! **Note** Paint stores can sell you pure tints so you can tint your own paint and glaze. Storing them in plastic application bottles from Hair Salon supply stores is how I do it. Then, like a good cook, you can experiment and make your own colors!
*correction*….not orbital sander! That would eat the paint off your car, I meant hand-held electric sander with med-fine grit sandpaper. That way you’ll have something left to refinish after you’ve touched it! Mucho apologies!
Last summer I re-did a knotty pine kitchen. A finish carpenter took down a wall to open up the tiny kitchen and then reconstructed the cabinets on another wall. I refinished the door faces and traded he dark hardware for chrome knobs from Lowe’s, faithful to the period but brighter.
I’d love to know what these kids ended up doing with that sweet little kitchen.