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    Granny’s Garden: Our new fabric and wallpaper collection

    Marissa Lundeen
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    1
    Granny’s Garden: Our new fabric and wallpaper collection

    Granny’s Garden: Our new fabric and wallpaper collection

    With spring breathing new life into us after what felt like an eternal winter, we thought this would be the perfect time to release our Granny’s Garden collection. Featuring a variety of roses, tulips, zinnias, and the happiest stripe design you ever did see, this collection is exactly what our souls needed to finally de-winterize.

    As we designed Granny’s Garden, we knew we wanted to incorporate the floral, Laura Ashely-esque grandma-style that has recently been trending but with a fun modern twist. Throughout the design process, we found ourselves reminiscing on our own grandmas’ styles and letting their memory inspire the designs that became the Granny’s Garden collection.

    Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and as we prepared this collection it was so fun to think about the incredible women that have helped shape us. We are reminded of them in so many of the beautiful things around us, especially flowers.

    Why Spoonflower?

    What we love about having our collections on Spoonflower is that we can do all sorts of fabric and wallpaper types. Gone are the days of having to choose between a pattern you love and the fabric you want. Each pattern is offered in a variety of fabrics, giving you the freedom to make exactly what you want.

    You can also choose finished products like pillows, duvets, curtains, dining linens, and tablecloths. Spoonflower helps your creative vision come to life in exactly the way you want it to both look and feel, and we are so excited to have Granny’s Garden available for purchase on their platform!

    On top of that, you can order just the amount of fabric you need so there’s no waste. We’ve been working with Spoonflower for years so it was really a no brainer!

    The inspiration behind our granny collection

    Granny’s Garden was inspired by the many amazing grannies of our Lars team. It’s funny isn’t it, how we come to attach the people we love to different items and places? As we were designing this collection, our team discovered we each had different flowers associated with our grandmothers.

    Incorporating these flowers into the collection was such a special way for us to pay homage to the women who have helped shape us into the creators we are. Granny’s Garden is dedicated to Grandma Annie, Grandma Gloria, Grandma Nora, Grandma Twiss, and Grandma Dorothy and we made scarves in their remembrance. Keep reading to learn more about their individual stories and you’ll probably fall in love with these amazing women and designs as much as we have.

    Grandma Annie’s Tulips

    My grandma’s name is Annie. Both she and my grandpa always cherished their garden and spent hours working in it, even into their late 80s. Growing up, I loved going into my grandparents’ orchard to pick raspberries and peaches, see all the fun flowers, and lay in the tall grass. I remember when I was little my grandpa would get all of the cousins amped to attack the “invaders” of the garden (AKA the weeds). We would all grab our tools and go to battle to help Grandpa with his weeding!

    They made our time cultivating flowers, fruits, and vegetables memorable and exciting. Grandma Annie would always have flowers from the garden on the table when we had dinner together and would consistently think of others before herself. I love how simple it is to add flowers to your kitchen decor, yet it feels so impactful. One of my favorite nights I remember spending with her and my grandpa, I brought over a bouquet of tulips and we chatted about how they had built their life together and the things they loved. My Grandma Annie passed away in 2022, so now flowers are a special way for me to remember her.

    – Jenny, Brand Manager

    Grandma ​​Gloria’s Zinnias

    Roses are classic and romantic. French parrot tulips are elegant and striking. To build on this collection, I needed a happy, round flower with a lot of petals. I ended up choosing one of my favorites: the zinnia.


    The collection’s oversized zinnias are named after my grandmother, Gloria. She recently passed away and in going through her things I happened upon a bunch of photos of her that I’ve never seen before. One of my favorites is a candid photo of her in her early 20s wearing a summer dress with the biggest, beaming smile. It’s the same smile you’d have if someone gave you an overflowing bouquet of bright, colorful flowers.

    – Garet, Designer & Illustrator

    Grandma Nora’s Mini Zinnies

    This pattern is named after our photographer Jane’s grandmother. When I asked Jane which grandmother she wanted to name a floral pattern after she said, “I never knew my Japanese grandmother but I can’t wait to meet her one day. Her name was Noriko Kobiyashi, but I know she went by Nora for short. I hope to name my daughter after her one day.”

    So in honor of Nora, I designed mini zinnias. I love how sweet and cheerful this pattern turned out! The way the zinnias are distributed and rotated in the pattern makes it feel like they are dancing. Honestly, it might be my favorite pattern of the bunch. With so many oversized florals, Nora’s mini zinnies really complete the collection.

    – Garet & Jane, Photographer

    Grandma Twiss’s Stripes

    ​​My Grandmother, Twiss Roper Nielson, was a gardener extraordinaire. She grew a bounty of vegetables for survival but flowers were her passion. Her acre-sized kitchen garden was filled with flowers and her petunias were so abundant they literally grew like weeds. They came back every year and she would have to dig up petunias to make room for the vegetables. You could smell the flowers in her yard nearly a block away! I won several flower show competitions as an elementary student with her exotic “Cockscomb” (Celosia).

    – Kerry, Accountant

    Grandma Dorothy’s Roses

    My grandparents built their Los Angeles home in 1951. They developed a lovely garden with lush grass, a mossy area, and tons of flowers, of course. They were the most gracious hosts to weddings, showers, and tons of guests. Everyone who knew them called them angels on earth and I will support that statement. Flowers will always remind me of my them, and especially my grandmother. She had a sewing room off to the side of their house where she taught me how to sew. She collected fabrics from all over the world from her adventures and housed them in an overflowing cabinet. I dream about that cabinet!

    – Brittany, Founder & Creative Director

    Granny’s Garden: wallpapers and fabrics

    These spring patterns are sure to blossom in any home, project (try this envelope pillow!), or garden and remind you of your happiest, floweriest memories. We hope you can use them to create something as bright, inviting, and timeless as the women who inspired them. As we leave winter hibernation and say hello to the land of warmth and sun (and flowers!), we’re excited to see all that you do with our Granny’s Garden! And remember, you reap what you sew!

    We can’t wait to see what you come up with! Show us what you’re making with #LarsFabrics

    Happy Mother’s Day and happy spring!

     

    5 ways to bring your family history into your home

    Brittany
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    0
    5 ways to bring your family history into your home

    5 ways to bring your family history into your home

    If you don’t follow along on Instagram, I shared about how I got to attend Roots Tech conference in March after I had spent some time talking about how our family heritage influenced the design of our home here on the blog, which was then featured here and here. I’ve been hearing some requests about how to do it in your own home so I’m sharing 5 ways to bring your family history into your home.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Brittany Jepsen (@houselarsbuilt)

     

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Brittany Jepsen (@houselarsbuilt)

    I realized I haven’t shared it with you here.

    Why bring your family history into your home

    Let’s start with the why. Now, of course you don’t have to bring your family heritage into your home in order to love and honor your family. You don’t even have to do anything big. For me, my grandparent’s home was so crucial to my aesthetic development that I have always hearkened back to it and wished to bring it in.

    My grandparents built their home in Los Angeles in 1951 and were known for their hospitality and hosted showers, weddings, out of town visitors. My grandmother had a small sewing room behind the laundry room with a cabinet full of fabrics that she had collected from all around the world. She taught me to sew all sorts of things. That room was magic.

    The kitchen was French-inspired. It had hand-painted tile with delicate flourishes and little toile scenes. It was placed on the counters, on the kitchen hood along with beautiful accessories. The family room had a high cup rack around the ceiling of the room where mugs were displayed. It was covered in a beautiful wood treatment. All around the house was furniture and paintings that my artist uncle had designed and painted.

    By hearkening back to this time, I feel like I am able to capture my grandparent’s essence. Like they still live on through me. They were the loveliest.

    I know we do always know those who came before us or have great relationships with them, and I’ll get to that, but they do inform who we are and finding a way to honor it can get us in touch with our soul.

    1. Look back to your family history origins

    If you don’t have a specific idea of how to bring your family heritage into your home, look back to where you came from. Here in the States we all came from somewhere else and so there’s quite a bit to look to.

    Growing up, I was told stories about my Irish and Danish ancestry and grew up really interested in learning more about it. And in school, I always selected Denmark if given the choice, for a country project. Denmark always made its way into the stories I wrote. I was fascinated! So learning about the aesthetic history of the country was something that I was always interested in and it happened to align with what I naturally gravitated to.

    On a trip to Denmark to visit Paul’s family, I snuck away to the National Museum of Denmark and stumbled across this cabinet below middle. I loved it so much that I used it as the inspiration for our fridge in the kitchen. You can see how I used all three traditional Danish wedding cabinets to inform it.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Brittany Jepsen (@houselarsbuilt)

    Of course, you don’t have to actually go to the country in order to be inspired by it. Look at books, videos, movies. There are more resources than ever to help you get familiar with your heritage.

    You can read more about the fridge in this post about the kitchen.

    2. Identify the people in your family tree

    A large storyline in our episode of In With the Old was my ancestor, Patty Sessions, a Mormon midwife who delivered babies along the plains as they came over to Utah in the 1840s. I grew up on stories about her and learned to love her for her grit, business acumen, and strength. Being able to talk about her on the show was very special and we found ways to honor her throughout the house.

    The staircase is one place where we honored her. I was inspired by traditional flat sawn balusters in Scandinavia, then had my friend, Jill DeHaan carve our flowers onto a few of them. We used the birth flowers of our family members along with the birth flower of Patty Sessions on them. Hers was the rose (June) so we featured it here on the balusters and on fabrics throughout the house.

    Learn about them, find things out about them, make them your own!

    You can read more about the staircase in this post here.

    3. Work in the family heirlooms into your home

    We don’t always get to inherit the things that we were really hoping for or the things that matter most to us. In fact, when my grandmother died, I inherited her globe. I LOVE the globe, but there were so many other things that reminded me of her and that I was really hoping to have. Slowly, family members have been giving us some things that didn’t fit into their own homes and I’ve been treasuring them.

    One of them is this painting of my grandparent’s house. It’s actually my mom’s that she received as a wedding present and it’s just on loan, but I placed it in the kitchen where I think about my grandparent’s every single day. It’s a beautiful memento. You can see it better here:

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Brittany Jepsen (@houselarsbuilt)

    This coo-coo clock was also my grandparent’s that they got in Germany. It’s also on loan, but I will cherish it while I have it!

    That

    I know not everyone has the same style as their grandparent’s mementos and that’s fine! Work it in a place where it can be read as an heirloom and not necessarily the focus of your design.

    You can see more of the kitchen renovation here.

    4. Blend in your heritage with your personal tastes

    Jasper’s bed was inspired by traditional Scandinavian built-in alcove beds, but I didn’t want it to read too historical. I wanted it to be slightly modern so we removed some of the decoration and left a few details here and there. We added in that mural and wanted it to shine.

    We also painted in yellow as an homage to the traditional color of Danish homes, but also one of my favorite colors and the color that I use for Jasper. (I’ve more or less assigned the boys an unofficial color).

    in with the old Brittany Jepsen room reveal

    You can see more about Jasper’s bedroom here.

    5. Create what you don’t have with your family history

    I know it can be hard to secure items of importance like family heirlooms. In that case, create what you don’t have. My great grandmother’s favorite flowers were fuchsias so I always make sure to have at least one pot of fuchsias in the garden. And without fail, I think of her every time I walk by. It can be simple and cheap!

    You can read more about our drought tolerant cottage garden here.

    Bringing your family history into your home

    Weaving in your family heritage into the design of your home can seem daunting, but with a bit of research it can be simple to add in some mementos of those who have based on before us. I LOVE having these reminders because it fills my soul. I actually feel things inside of me stirring.

    I’d love to hear if you’ve done anything special to bring your family heritage in. Tell me in the comments! 

    Forte Appliances Review

    Brittany
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    3
    Forte Appliances Review

    Forté Appliances Review

    We partnered with Forté on the dishwasher in our main kitchen and the retro style refrigerator in the office kitchen and I’ve had a great experience with both, but let me tell you first about the adorable retro style fridge.

    Retro style Fridge by Forte review

    Once I imagined the Parisian bistro with a dash of retro dinner, it was much easier to go looking for all the details. I found Forté, an appliance brand who had this very special retro refrigerator and it was game over. I loved the style, how narrow it was for the use that we needed, and it fit the perfect amount of food.

    colorful tile in a kitchen

    Kitchen planning

    Prior to this I was thinking of doing an under the counter fridge or a small panel ready fridge to go underneath and continue the counter all the way across the whole wall. I still like that idea, but I love having a slightly larger fridge.

    The purpose of this fridge was to serve as a spot where the team could put their food and also act as an overflow for our own fridge upstairs. It’s really too big of a fridge for the first need, but perfect for both.

    retro fridge

    We actually have a fridge/freezer in the garage as well that came with the house. We use it for our main second storage, but how many fridges is too many?! So, we’re planning on selling that one soon.

    Retro fridge colors

    Now, you know me. You know I was so stoked to see that Forté had a ton of fun color options. At the time of ordering they had less options, but they still had the pale blue and the mint green. It was hard to imagine what our tile was going to look like with the pink floors. I was also considering painting the shelves (still am!) so I decided to keep it to the classic cream. In another world and time I’d take any one of these colors! How cute are they?!

    colorful refrigerators

    Forté fridge specs

    We got their 450 series that’s 24″ wide with 11.65 cubit feet. It’s counter depth so it’s flush with the rest of the cabinets. There are 3 glass shelves, a crisper drawers, energy star certified. We really love it! And honestly, it’s so cute that I gasp every time I see it. There’s even little inserts for drinks and eggs–score! It’s a bonus that it works great too!

    Cherry on top

    Of course, the fridge was the perfect spot for our cherry on top. With a cake theme you have to go all out!

    cherry sculpture

    Forte Panel Ready Dishwasher review

    Now, the dishwasher in our main kitchen. We got their 24″ 450 Series which has room for ten place settings. They have a number of different functions for washing the specific types of items as well as delay start. I do find that because the buttons are on top of the drawer we accidentally hit them a lot. And once you press the delay start button you have to scroll through all 24 hours to get back to 0.

    Because it’s panel ready, you can add any panel on top of it. Initially we put on a panel to match the rest of the cabinets, but our cabinet maker got the dimensions wrong so that when you open the dishwasher, it hits the bottom of the toe kick, so we have to replace it. Because of that we’re thinking of doing something fun like in brass or something.

    The size is a bit smaller than our previous one so if I were to do it again, I’d probably get the 650 series which is now available. BUT, it does mean that we do the dishes more frequently, which is probably a good thing ;).

    It runs very quietly and cleans well and we’ve had a good experience!

    Let me know if you have any questions! Happy to answer them.

    See this post for all the sources!

    These products were gifted by Forté appliances

    How we made the cake-inspired tile mosaic in our kitchenette

    Brittany
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    2
    How we made the cake-inspired tile mosaic in our kitchenette

    How we made the cake-inspired tile mosaic in our kitchenette

    I don’t exactly recall how the idea hit me to turn the kitchenette into a decadent layered frosted cake. Maybe it was seeing how many colors, Fireclay Tile had? I can’t recall! All I knew is that I wanted my team to be able to come to work and have the most delightful experience. A trip to the kitchen should ooze with whimsy (especially one where you don’t actually have the cook or bake anything–that is a score in my opinion). We’re never trying to be too cool around here, just tap into what makes life fun! And that’s a frosted layered cake, obviously.

    Colored Tile

    Fireclay had so many options of colors and I spent a good amount of time trying to figure out the combinations I liked the most.

    Inspiration for the tile mosaic

    I looked to classic cake frosting ideas like these over the top ones with lots of swags and rosettes.

    At first I went to town with this idea only to realize that these cakes actually got their inspiration from interiors in the first place. So the idea circled back on itself.

    Designing the cake mosaic

    I realized I needed to modernize the idea so it didn’t feel too rococo and started to play with simple shapes. Please disregard all these color combos!

    I didn’t feel like the shapes were going to read “cake” enough so our intern, Emily, came up with some frosting. I loved this direction! 

    But I couldn’t quite figure out how to incorporate the frosting. Did I have to customize some tile? Or Did I have to turn it into a wallpaper so I could do any shapes I wanted?

    Finally I realized that the mouldings and trim could all help with the effect of the decorative cake idea. I found some ornate crown mouldings (from here) and polka dot baseboards here. They’re so over the top that they are perfect for it. Please note, our trims guy kind of bailed on us so we haven’t yet installed the baseboards.

    Not knowing how to bring the frosting part onto the tile, I finally realized I could do it with the shelves. Maybe I could create some 3D component? I found this yellow pantry with the scalloped shelves and it was game over. So good. So then I looked into how to make the scalloped shelves. I figured we’d have to DIY it, but ended up finding some already made trim on Etsy here and then we just attached it to blank shelves and then painted over it. I talked more about that in this post.

    Mock ups of the design

    I couldn’t gauge the scale of everything so I cut out the exact shapes of the Fireclay tile in paper and made a mock up. I talked with the guy who was going to install the tile and he indicated that you could cut any of the tile down so I could really customize any shape I wanted.

    That came in helpful when working with the half circle tiles. They didn’t have any blank color surrounding it so we just made some with more tile.

    I hung the mock up in the space to see if I liked it and we had it there while we placed the tile order and waited the few months for the tile to be made in California.

    In the meantime, I made more of a plan with some photoshop mock ups with the lighting, cabinets, and appliances.

    Adding in that great crown and baseboards really sealed the deal.

    Our ceilings are only 8′ tall so I had to be mindful of getting anything that would come down too low. I ended up going with a single pendant.

    While we waited for our tile, I envisioned more to the design that we ended up not really having time for. I wanted to add in some paneling on the two walls.

    Drawings for the kitchenette

    And on the opposite wall, I wanted to add in a custom banquette. I think we’ll still be doing this at some point, but who knows!

    I really wanted to have fun with some custom hardware, but we also didn’t have time for that. Maybe one day!

    The day the tile arrive was a very big day. It took about 3 months to hand make all the tile so yes, I was on the edge of my seat. Our tile guy, Mike, was so great to work with. He encouraged me to lay out the design so we could see how it would work in the space.

    Lay out the pattern on the ground

    This is when we could adjust some measurements of where we wanted the tile to be. You can see that the circle tiles come in a square. I wanted most of the whites to be taken off.

    Testing out the pattern

    Then he put one row up from top to bottom to see what would be cut off at the bottom. We were able to get two of the circle rows in. I would have loved to have seen another row of blue and white in there too, but there was no room for that. Yes, I was freaking out–I was in love!

    Adding in the grout

    Mike put the tile as close together as possible. I really wanted the pattern to show through and that was the best way to do it. I really like seeing the spaces though. It’s kind of fun to see it without the grout in yet.

    Adding on the scalloped open shelving

    Pat came to the rescue once again with the shelves. She bought some from Home Depot and then added on the scallops. We used these shelf brackets.

    This is the day we shot the show in the basement that didn’t actually make the cut.

    What’s left to do

    There’s still some things we need to do to the space like add on hardware, paneling on the walls, and the banquette on the other side, but overall, it brings me happiness every time I walk in. And it brings Jasper happiness too because he likes to climb on the shelves and get the candy. I will be taking those down and replacing them with cake stands soon.

    Ok! Let me know what you think! Would love to hear your thoughts!!

    Cake-inspired tiled studio kitchenette

    Brittany
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    3
    Cake-inspired tiled studio kitchenette

    Cake-inspired tiled studio kitchenette

    When I was first thinking about tackling this small kitchenette in our basement, I knew I wanted something with lots of color (shocking, I know). Our team works out of this space and they didn’t have a proper way to prepare food so we were really just getting by for about a year and a half. I had plans but there were so many other priorities that it got pushed to the bottom.

    This is the space on the day we first looked at the house:

    The show sped up our renovation priorities. At the time, the angle of the show was supposed to feature the business of The House That Lars Built, which is why we did this room in the first place and why it was taken out.

    You can see from these before photos that it’s really a part of the hallway but carved out in a u-shape. It was already set for plumbing with outlets for a fridge and an oven.

    And this gorgeous lighting fixture. I mean, I really should have left it 😉 

    We had a little mini fridge on the opposite wall, so basic needs were met, if not absolutely disheveled!

    Inspiration for the cake-inspired kitchen

    I immediately partnered with Fireclay Tile on the project. With their breath of colors and sizes, I knew there was a lot of synergy and freedom there to do whatever I wanted to do so my mind went wild.

    Envisioning the kitchenette as a little whimsical retreat, I immediately thought of what you want to do in a kitchen–eat cake. And it just kind of went from there. I gathered images of frosting

    And tried to figure out how to translate that into tile. I also wanted it to feel like a Parisian bistro like the image below, so some of the details would come through there. I’m going to be talking more about the process tomorrow so stay tuned for that.

    Not to leave any confectionary out, I also wanted it to feel like a candy shop. My 5 year old son thanks me for that nearly every day.

    Mosaic inspired tiled kitchen

    Without further ado, here it is!

    FireclayTile

    All those beautiful shades of sorbet in the best shapes from Fireclay. That circle one?! Too much! Again, stay tuned for the process post tomorrow.

    I’ll be talking more about our cute retro fridge on Friday.

    Matching tiled cake

    My friends, Evelyn and Julia Bigelow made an adorable matching cake to go with the kitchen. Our shoot got postponed so many times that we didn’t dare eat the cake. Then it turned into a challenge to see how long we could keep the cake out. It was 6 months. Ha! I very much wish we could have taken a bite!

    Banquette seating

    The opposite wall of this kitchenette I had planned on doing a custom banquette seating. I’m really glad we didn’t spend the energy doing it after it was cut! But we did stage a little temporary seating area with a cute brass bistro seat.

    If you remember, we did a tutorial for that matching vase.

    Parisian Bistro Lighting

    The Parisian bistro details came through with some of the hardware and lighting. I got these globe pendant with some floral detailing at the top from Mitzi. I also got two sconces to go on the opposite side of the wall, once we put in the custom banquette.

    The bar faucet from Signature Hardware really sealed the deal for the Parisian bistro vibe.

    Our pink dishware from Year and Day fit in perfectly.

    DIY Scallop shelves

    We set out to make some scallop shelves thinking we would have to do it all custom, BUT! I ended up finding this scallop trim on Etsy. We got DIY shelves from the hardware store, glued the two together and boom! We used these hardware brackets. Pat painted it high gloss white though I’m considering painting it another color. We’ll see!

    Tulips from Sun Valley Farms

    We had been given a ton of beautiful tulips for the photoshoot from Sun Valley Farms (an amazing collection!), but because we had to reschedule the shoot many times, the flowers weren’t fresh except these beautiful yellow tulips that remained. Bless you yellow tulips!

    Sink

    We used this white undermount sink from Signature Hardware and it works great!

    Hardware

    Like the other kitchen, we haven’t installed the hardware yet. I really wanted to try out something fun and custom maybe out of ceramic, but I didn’t have time. I think we might put in some classic brass knobs and pulls.

    Cabinets

    Like our other kitchen, we used Cliq Studios for the kitchen cabinets. We used the Jensen style, which is more modern, in the silk color. With all the tile work and fun details I wanted to make sure that the cabinets felt cleaner.

    We decided not to put an oven in the space because we didn’t think we would use it and thankfully, we haven’t needed it. Or a dishwasher for that matter. No hard core cooking down here!

    Ok! That’s it! Our sweet little cake kitchen. Tell me what you think! And stay tuned for tomorrow’s post about the tile!

    Antique tile turned into wallpaper

    Brittany
    -
    2
    Antique tile turned into wallpaper

    Antique tile turned into wallpaper

    When I first began scheming about our kitchen, I knew I wanted to make the oven and hood a big focal point of the space. It’s the wall you look at when you walk into the room and there is so much potential for a wow moment. It was a long journey to get there and eventually landed on something but it wasn’t easy. Here’s how it went!

    Kakelugnar

    I began thinking of how to tell the story of our Scandinavian background into the space and landed on what I thought was going to be a really fun angle. Have you ever seen those antique Swedish fireplaces? They are called kakelugnar and you can read about the history here. They used an innovative way of heating a room cloaked in gorgeous tile. The tiles were often very decorative. I was particularly drawn to this one on the left:

    I loved the yellow, the florals, that green! The amazing 3D tile on the right were also a top inspiration for me though I couldn’t find them anywhere. They’re so so beautiful!

    Kakelugn for the kitchen hood

    Well, I stumbled on a ton of beautiful looking kakelugnar and instead of using it to heat our house, I thought it would be cool to take the tile concept and move it onto the wall as our oven hood. It would serve a similar appearance but in a different way. I immediately began thinking of how to make it happen. I researched antique tile, custom tile, DIY tile, friends, family, you name it. There are some companies that sell old kakelugnar, but they are hard to get or very expensive (and talk about shipping to the US!).

    I then looked into getting custom tile made to mimic the look. I waited for weeks to get a custom tile back and I wasn’t thrilled with the results. It would have cost me more than antique tile too so I had to go for a plan b.

    Heres’ the direction I was heading in.

    Antique tile

    As you might recall, my grandparents had this lovely French tile in their kitchen and I looked into replicating the look and then applying the tile onto the kitchen hood to achieve the same idea as the kakelugn.

    No go. Couldn’t find the right tile anywhere.

    Antique Portuguese tile

    I began searching around for antique tile out of Portugal, France, Tunisia, anywhere where there is a history of tile and stumbled on the iconic Solar.

    I found two gorgeous tiles that I loved and ordered samples.

    I love them so so much, but I was worried about making a huge investment in so little time because of the timeline of the show’s schedule.

    Here’s the quick mock up that I put together. 

    Antique tile for backsplash

    I mean, it would be A LOT of tile and A LOT of money!

    SO, due to time and money, Jane on our team took a picture of one of the tiles and turned it into a repeat pattern that you can find in our wallpaper shop. I ordered it on the prepasted removeable smooth option because it has a shiny surface and it cleans off super easy for backslashes.

    Antique tile as wallpaper

    And you know what? It works great and it fools everyone who walks in! I wasn’t necessarily looking to fool people with it, but unless someone is looking closely, they can’t tell.

    Pat became an expert wallpaper installer because of this show as you can see here. It’s the pre-pasted wallpaper, which she says she prefers over the peel and stick and non-pasted traditional.

    What do you think?

    So there you go! The Plan C wallpaper. Ha! And what next you might ask? Oh, I’ve got a new plan. It might take some time to execute, but I’m going to take all the time I need now!

    Let me know what you think!

    You can find the full kitchen renovation here
    All the before and afters of our renovation here
    Our custom kitchen table here
    Kitchen hardware
    A fridge made to look like a cabinet
    Kitchen cupboards
    Ilve oven review

    Becoming: Jana and Tanner Roach of Beck and Cap

    Brittany
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    Becoming: Jana and Tanner Roach of Beck and Cap

    Becoming: Tanner and Jana of Beck and Cap

    Currently nestled in the mountains of Northwestern Montana, Tanner and Jana Roach are the heart and soul behind each Beck & Cap piece. Starting as childhood friends, to spouses, and now Creative Designers, in every sense the development of Beck & Cap has been a natural progression of an early dream.

    Being inherently artistic people, they knew from the start that any business venture would need to nurture their desire to create. Generating list after list until notebooks were filled, they were constantly dreaming up different pursuits.

    In 2016, they were designing a display for Jana’s vintage market when Tanner carved the first wooden mushroom. They knew they were on to something special when dozens of people were asking how they could get one.

    Over the next two years, they would carve hundreds of mushrooms, delivering them to California, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and everywhere in between.

    Yet those notebooks of ideas grew as Tanner started dreaming up new furniture possibilities. It was undeniable that Beck & Cap as a business was now a reality.

    Then in 2020, a whirlwind opportunity came when they were discovered by interior designer Leanne Ford, and then featured on “Home Again with the Fords.” Suddenly, Beck & Cap was no longer just a small business, but internationally recognized and thriving.

    Together with a small team, they continue to hand carve organic modern wabi-sabi furniture out of sustainably and ethically sourced wood. Each new design and innovation is inspired by the natural beauty and imperfections of the wood itself. They consistently focus on one of life’s most important treasures – time brings character and beauty to everything.custom furniture

    What do you consider yourselves? Example: Artist, designer, illustrator, maker, business person, educator, etc.?

    We consider ourselves artists, creatives and serial entrepreneurs!

    Where did you both grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have influenced what you do now?

    Tanner and I grew up in North Idaho. We were both creative when we were younger, and I think the melding of our minds has only created a more insatiable creative monster haha.custom furniture

    What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?

    Tanner thought he was going to build houses and I thought I was going into forensic science! WILDLY different career choice, at least for me. I also knew back then that I couldn’t be corralled into one specific profession. I don’t think either of us could! We have to flex that creative, spontaneous muscle whenever we can.

    Are there people who have been influential in your chosen career path?

    My mom taught me to appreciate beauty and how to put together a room or vignette, and I know that has carried through to what we do now. Tanner’s entire family is extremely artistic as well. We are very inspired by Axel Vervoordt and his impeccable taste. The way he blends the natural and antique with modern is like none other.

    What sparked your interest in design?

    We’ve always had that spark for design in there, I think. We both love a good end result and appreciate the work/process/dance it takes to get from the before to the after. It sounds so simple, but beauty is what sparked my interest in design. There’s no better feeling than finishing a project or a piece and seeing it in someone’s space. No better feeling!

    What is one piece of work that you are especially proud of and why?

    We are so proud of Brittany’s island. I will forever be a lover of antiques with a story attached to them, so when we were tasked with creating her heirloom island that is infused with family history? I could barely wait to see the progress Tanner had made on it every day. We’re so proud to have created such a meaningful piece.

    What is your design process like? Where do you find inspiration for new creations?

    We typically brainstorm over Pinterest, design books, nature, and late night chats. We’ve found inspiration in the weirdest places, like an ottoman! The shape of it inspired our design for a side table. I love looking to antique furniture for unique shapes that we can incorporate into our signature organic modern pieces.

    We would love to hear more about the amazing kitchen island. What was the process like?

    We wanted to create something that looked like it had been around for centuries. I’ve loved larder tables and merchandise tables that you’d find in old general stores, so we wanted to have that look. Tanner drew up options for the legs and Britney gave the overall inspiration for sizing and we went to work! Tanner also drew and carved the design you see on the sides that give it such lovely detail.

    What artists and creatives do you look up to, both historical and present?

    There are so many artists and creatives that we look up to – especially Axel Vervoordt, Leanne Ford, Rose Tarlow, Colin King, Hans Wegner, and even set designers like Grant Montgomery (those sets in Peaky Blinders? Incredible).

    What is a piece of advice that you have carried with you and who is it from? Do you have a personal motto?

    We don’t really have a motto, but we are firm believers (that have to regularly remind themselves) that everything will work out, even if it doesn’t look quite how we planned it to. God knows better than we do, and no matter what happens, we have hope in the goodness of who He is.

    beck and cap table made from pineHow do your surroundings influence your work?

    We now own the quonset hut and brick building next to it which will be our showroom in the next few months! White brick, old timbers, concrete floors – we are surrounded by beauty which definitely makes us motivated to see each piece finished and set against that backdrop!!

    What is a typical day like for you?

    Tanner wakes up around 5-5:30, heads to the shop (sometimes plays a little guitar before work), and then carves all day long. I wake up, get the kids to school and then work on emails, posting on social and answering questions! Sometimes I go to the shop to take photos, look at projects and help out there. I pick up our kids after school and then Tanner comes home! We’ve just gotten to that place though. There were many, many months of him working until midnight or later.

    Do you have a secret talent? What is one skill that you are working on?

    Tanner won’t tell you, but he’s an incredible artist and baker!! I look forward to the treats he makes during the holidays. I don’t know that I’ve got a secret talent, but I could probably beat just about anybody at movie trivia! We’re both working on learning guitar and ukulele right now which is such a relaxing hobby!

    What advice would you give to someone who wants to self-teach a new hobby or skill?

    Just go for it! Don’t worry about if it flops or it’s hard. Just start! Network with people doing that hobby or skill and see how you can help/shadow/be around them.

    Nobody likes to talk about it, but can you share any advice regarding financing your  business?

    I would say it is SO worth it to find a financial professional before you start that will help you come up with a business plan and strong sense of how to set your pricing. It can be detrimental to your business if you don’t have those things in place. Creative types often don’t think about this before they start and it creates a lot of stress. Ask us how we know 😉

    Is there anything more you would like to “become?”

    This is a hard question! I think we’d like to become less stressed. It’s so much of a mindset thing for us, so being able to roll with things a little more than we do now would be great!

    What is your long-term goal? or What do you hope to accomplish within the next 10 years?

    We would love to have a thriving business, be a well-known company and be freed up to travel more! Creating and delivering pieces to people all around the world would be incredible.

    Thank you Tanner and Jana! You are the most talented and the best people to work with! Can’t wait to see what else you do! 

    You can read more about the custom work table kitchen island they made for us as featured on In With the Old on Magnolia Network now! 

    A custom Scandinavian kitchen island table with floral flair

    Brittany
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    0
    A custom Scandinavian kitchen island table with floral flair

    A custom Scandinavian kitchen island table with floral flair

    Immediately after signing the contract to work on the show, I reached out to Tanner and Jana Roach of Beck and Cap. I had met Jana years prior when she held her vintage market, The Market Beautiful, in Salt Lake City every year. They had THE BEST vintage market in all the land and she always came up with the best displays for it. One year Tanner made these handmade wooden mushrooms for their woodland theme and they were/are so amazing. He’s so talented.

    The Inspiration

    I’ve loved this image for years and it was a main source of inspiration for whatever we were going to do to our kitchen. EVERYTHING speaks to me–the floors, hood, even all that white and especially the table. I loved the idea of doing a similar type of work table as a kitchen island, but where do we find something like that with a patina like that?!

    The search began

    I did a lot of searching and found antique tables here and there but they were never quite the right size or price or what not. I did find this French beauty below and it looks like it’s still available, but it wasn’t tall enough as a kitchen island. Someone get it!

    Thankfully, Tanner and Jana said yes so we got to work designing the perfect work table for our needs. My friend, Meta Coleman, came in and measured for the perfect size for the space, keeping into account distance from the cabinets, ADA, etc. Then I got to dream up exactly what I wanted. Here’s one of my first sketches that I gave to them.

    Then they came back with their own sketches. I didn’t know exactly what was possible so seeing their drawings showed me what they could do. We put different elements from each to form what the final would become.

    Scandinavian inspired wood carvings with floral flair

    I had sent over some pictures from our trip to Denmark in December of 2021 from the National Museum including this medieval room covered in wood paneling.

    The door to the room featured this floral motif. 

    Process of building the work table

    So I was stunned when one of the first updates I got was this:

    I lost my mind! They absolutely nailed the Scandinavian inspiration.

    Then this one. Then, ta dah!

    Isn’t she a beauty?

    As you saw in the show, Tanner and Jana drove down from Montana and delivered it themselves. It was even better in person. The finish, the color, everything. And it fit in like a glove!

    Kitchen island table Storage

    While I think it’s so so beautiful, I’m somehow even more enamored with the amount of storage it provides. Is that the unsexiest thing I’ve ever said? Probably not.

    Jana made this beautiful video about it if you need even more inspiration.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Beck & Cap (@beckandcap)

    Ok, that’s it! Let me know if you have any questions or comments about the table. I hear they are not taking commissions on the table and you can find it here. And stay tuned with an interview with them next week!

    Related posts: 

    If you’re looking to see all the before and after photos from the renovation, you can see them here
    You can see the full kitchen renovation here
    Kitchen cabinet info
    Antique-inspired oven range
    Kitchen hardware
    A fridge made to look like a cabinet

    A fridge made to look like a cabinet

    Brittany
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    11
    A fridge made to look like a cabinet

    A fridge made to look like a cabinet

    The idea to turn a fridge into a cabinet was gifted to me by my ever clever friend, Meta Coleman. Before she stepped in, I had every intention of turning a panel-ready fridge into the same style as the cabinets so it would blend. However, Cliq Studios didn’t offer panels for the fridge so we would have had to have a cabinet maker do it any way and honestly, to make it look exactly like existing cabinets would have probably been trickier because it would have had to have been impeccable. However, in the same amount of energy, we could turn it into whatever we wanted. And that’s exactly what we did!

    How to do it

    Meta has achieved this idea on other client’s homes so I was relieved to know that it could actually be done. I hadn’t seen pictures of her creations and didn’t know how exactly to do it so we had to figure it all out. And there was a LOT to figure out! And a lot of brave people up to the task, ahem, Handy Nanny Pat!

    Inspiration for the fridge cabinet

    Because the rest of the cabinets were white I felt like I could really go wild to let it shine as a stand alone piece. I decided to go for a Scandinavian wedding cabinet look as evidenced from a trip we took to Denmark in December of 2021. The cabinet in the middle photo below is found in the National Museum of Denmark and it was a major source of inspiration. The proportions were just right for the 36″ panel-ready refrigerator we bought. I collected a lot of additional inspiration and brought in elements from everywhere but these three were the main ones.

    The left for the shape of the roof and possibly how we may do the flowers in the next go (more about that later). The middle for the top shape as well as the colors and possibly the faux marble look on the top and middles. And the right for the diamond shapes.

    Sketching the cabinet fridge

    I did a ton of sketching to figure out the shape I wanted. If you recall from the kitchen post, I was going to go a completely different direction on the tile, which meant I was going to go much simpler on the cabinet. As you can see below, I tried out a lot of shapes:

    Final design

    I landed on a final design and a cabinet maker who was going to make it for me made this rendering for it, which was very helpful. It includes trim work on the sides and fronts. Squares on the top and diamonds on the middle panels. The bottom portion of the fridge had a wide base and so I wanted to divide it into smaller drawers that fit better with the proportions.

    Ultimately, the cabinet maker had to back out of the project due to time constraints, which left me in a big bind and not too much time to find someone new.

    Enter, Handy Nanny Pat to save the day once again!

    Pat graciously shared how to make the cabinet if you’re looking to create the same!

    How to make a cabinet out of a panel-ready fridge

    You will need:

    • Additional molding trim as needed for the top. We ended up using chair rail molding. The design called for crown molding, but we didn’t have the available width for it.
    • Wood glue, we used Titebond.
    • Liquid Nails
    • Construction screws
    • Painters caulk
    • Oil based Primer
    • Paint

    Instructions

    1. The first step was to build the three sided (plus top and bottom) cabinet that the fridge would sit inside of. Your panel ready refrigerator will come with instructions on tolerances for the dimensions of the cabinet. Ours was approximately 6’ high, x 3’ wide, x 2’ deep. On the back of the cabinet, we left two large openings where the access panel and electric cord on the back of the fridge are. We had the panels for the cabinet cut from the ¾” plywood at Home Depot, and used both wood glue and screws for the construction. The two sides of the cabinet have the 2” x ½”’ trim around the edges, and the ½” inside corner pine trim set inside the 2” trim. All trim corners were mitred. In addition to being decorative, the trim also covers the screw heads from the construction of the cabinet.
    2. Next we worked on the door panels. We bought the Hardboard and trim at Lowes. We had the Hardboard rough cut there, and then did the final cutting on a table saw. The door panels have a maximum weight tolerance as well as very specific size and thickness tolerances, so that influenced the choice of materials. The door panels have the same trim treatment as the sides of the main cabinet. Hardboard (MDF) won’t accept standard wood glue, so you have to use liquid nails or construction glue to attach the trim on these panels. On the lower drawer, where the freezer is, we gave the look of two drawers, but it’s actually one. The trim was used to achieve that look. The diamond accents on the front panels were also cut from the hardboard and glued on with liquid nails. Caulk was used to fill in any gaps in the mitered trim and smooth out joints as needed.
    3. At this point, we sanded, primed, and painted the cabinet and door panels. We attached the bun feet using hanger bolts and added felt pads to the bottom of the bun feet.
    4. We were under a tight deadline, and did not get the upper decorative part of the cabinet built until later. So after the cabinet was painted, we moved it into place in the kitchen and positioned the refrigerator into the cabinet. We attached the door panels using the attachment plates provided with the refrigerator.
    5. Then Boom! Covid hit, and the deadline was moved back two weeks!! The upper decorative element was built, attached and painted. We ended up modifying the design a bit and used chair molding rather than crown molding, to accommodate the width we had to work with. We also left a gap notch in the back of the top molding to add a metal bracket and secure the cabinet to the wall, once it was in place.
    6. In the schematic that the contractor had made, the trim was 3” wide, which in retrospect, would have been better. I used ready made trim that was easily available, but if you have access to a custom made product, I would have 3” trim made. When it really mattered was when it came to attaching the hardware. I had to modify the hardware a bit with the 2” trim that I used. Other than that, I was truly surprised that with some encouragement and perseverance, I was able to build a really special element for the kitchen.

    Where it goes from here

    Now, for the show we were up against such a time crunch that I couldn’t achieve the old cabinet effect I was going for. So we painted it solid green and Carrie from our team quickly painted on some flowers. It’s the best we could do in the circumstances and she did a wonderful job. The next step will to be to add on some additional decorative painting and really play up the diamond shapes. Maybe try and make it look aged. I’m also waiting to see what I land on for the tile to help inform the design.

    Pat did an AMAZING job on it. I think she even surprised herself! Ha! We are all stunned. And now we have this beautiful kitchen cabinet that is meaningful and full or surprises for our guests who wonder where our fridge is. Ha! Thank you so much, Pat! 

    Related posts: 

    If you’re looking to see all the before and after photos from the renovation, you can see them here
    You can see the full kitchen renovation here
    Kitchen cabinet info
    Antique-inspired oven range
    Kitchen hardware

    Best hardware for kitchens

    Brittany
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    0
    Best hardware for kitchens

    Best Hardware for Kitchens

    Merging Old and New

    When thinking about our kitchen renovation for the show, I knew I wanted something that felt old world, but also refreshing and revitalized. Prior to all the renovations for the show, we used Signature Hardware for our primary bathroom renovation with that gorgeous dark green vanity, as well as all the hardware. Based on my previous experience with them, I was thrilled when they wanted to partner again. Their products are beautifully designed AND well made–such an incredible combination. They do a great job of using traditional hardware that also feels fresh and modern–exactly what I was looking for.

    Letting the Details Shine

    Because our kitchen cabinets are an off-white and left a blank canvas, I knew I wanted the details to shine. One of the main, eye-catching elements of the kitchen was a beautiful stove. It set the stage for the vibe of the rest of the kitchen. The stove had some amazing brass details and I wanted the rest of the kitchen to have more of those details sprinkled around. Signature Hardware was the perfect choice for that end goal, one of the reasons I consider their products some of the best hardware for kitchens out there.

    Best Kitchen Sink, Faucet and Accessories

    One major area of the kitchen in which we used Signature Hardware’s hardware for kitchens was the sink area. Signature hardware has a really great bridge faucet shape that’s both elegant and timeless. And the polished brass finish carried a lovely balance with the ILVE stove.

    signature hardware best hardware

    The fireclay farmhouse sink itself was another major win. It was large, lovely and paired perfectly with the shape of the faucet and granite countertops. I knew I wanted to go with a farmhouse sink because of the vibe I was going for with the kitchen and they had a number of gorgeous options. I didn’t mean to match the cabinets in that Biscuit color, but it just worked out perfectly! I also loved that I could order customization options along with the sink, like a compatible strainer drain and sink grid.

    Refrigerator Hardware

    One thing I love about Signature Hardware is their great selection of hardware for big appliances. We chose these oversized brass appliance pulls in 18”.

    As a note to those with children, Pat did some research on the safest pulls for children. Did you know that some pulls are less safe than others? In case you were wondering, the option we chose (linked above) is the safest for children because it can’t get caught on clothing or hands or what not, which was a requisite for us with two young, wild boys. In my book, that makes Signature Hardware some of the best hardware for kitchens with children!

    For the bottom of the refrigerator we made the one large drawer look like two faux drawers, which is why we put two pulls there. I have to say, I’m pleased with how well they’re holding up! Plus, they really capture the old world well. As for the rest of the cabinets in the kitchen, we ended up waiting to put the hardware on them just yet because Felix is still in a toddler stage and we don’t want him opening up cabinets.

    Hardware for Studio Kitchen

    Our studio kitchenette in the basement was a different challenge entirely. It ended up not being a part of the show, but I’m going to share about it still! And I’ll be talking about it more in an upcoming post. Its inspiration was traditional Parisian bistro meets layered frosted cake with icing. Ultimately I wanted it to feel like a whimsical refuge for the team. Because it’s a little kitchenette, it didn’t have all the functions of a normal kitchen, but I still wanted it to feel complete in its simple charm. We incorporated two elements to that end: a timeless, undermount sink and gooseneck faucet. Unfortunately, the original faucet we used is no longer available, but this one is similar.

     

    The sink, though it’s smaller than its larger, upstairs kitchen counterpart, was a wonderfully practical size and beautiful design, perfect for our studio’s needs. The beautiful Signature Hardware polished brass gooseneck faucet’s long, elegant neck went so well with brass shelf supports. Overall the faucet added the perfect amount of elegance and whimsy to the studio kitchenette, which is exactly what I envisioned.

    colorful tile

    The Takeaway: Best Hardware for Kitchens

    We had a lot of remodels to do in a limited amount of time. Signature Hardware was not only efficient and timely as far as getting products to us in time, but we were blown away by the quality and design elements of the hardware options they had. Our main takeaway is this: if you’re going for an elegant, stately, traditional well-designed hardware, Signature Hardware has some of the best hardware for kitchens.

    Related posts: 

    If you’re looking to see all the before and after photos from the renovation, you can see them here
    You can see the full kitchen renovation here
    Kitchen cabinet info
    Antique-inspired oven range

    Products from Signature Hardware were gifted

    Cliq Studios cabinets review

    Brittany
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    0
    Cliq Studios cabinets review

    Cliq studio Cabinets review

    One of the first things I did when we moved in was to get going on phase 2 of our kitchen renovation. As you saw in our before and after post, the kitchen left much to be desired. I connected with Cliq Studios once again on the project. We had previously worked with them on Mary’s modern kitchen (Mary was my business partner for a few years) and I loved the quality and functionality. I knew we would be in good hands.

    Plus, Cliq Studios had been acquired right before we bought our house and it’s better than ever, so it was a really great time. With their excellent customer service, I was in really good hands and they made the process so so great.

    Before pictures of our kitchen cabinets from Cliq Studios

    To remind you, here’s the progress of our kitchen until now. When we first moved in, the space looked like this:

    before and after kitchen

    We immediately put in super basic cabinets so we could move in quickly while we figured out how we would design in.

    Super super basic and tragic really.

    But anything spruced up with tons of sunflowers will always be bright and chipper.

    This was the scenario for about a year and honestly, if I had just painted the cabinets and put up some open shelving, I think it would have been great! I had lots of ideas of things I could have done to this space, but I just didn’t want to invest any energy/time/money into it.

    Brittany is wearing a blue dress and holding a baby. She's standing in front of a yellow cabinet

    Kitchen renderings of the cabinets from Cliq Studios

    I began working with their designer, Erin, who was so patient with me as I came with a lot of direction. I supplied her with my inspiration board and the specifics of what I wanted it to feel like. We also had some existing pieces to work with like the plate rack. You can see one of her first renditions here:

    In this one, we tried out having an appliance garage on both ends of the counter, which in hind site, I don’t mind for practicality. This was also before we decided to make the fridge into a cabinet and not integrated into the cabinets.

    This rendering is what we went with. Please note, she wasn’t designing the furniture that we ended up with for the fridge, but using them as placeholders.

    You can also see how we added in legs so that it felt more like an old English kitchen.

    Floor planning of the kitchen cabinets

    Prior to Erin, I get an iPad for my birthday so I could get a renderings app and try out some floor plans myself. Here are some combinations that I tried out. And I tried out everything!

    Even some scenarios where I covered up some of the windows, which honestly, I wasn’t opposed to, but nobody else liked the idea.

    Style of cabinets

    I used Cliq Studios’ Signature Plus line in their Newport style. This is their true Shaker style with the clean lines. I actually prefer the Fairfield style with the extra bit of ornament on each door, but we are planning on doing a DIY to it at some point where we add in our own colored trim onto the inside, which is why I went with the Newport style. If you’re looking for inset cabinets they do have that option too (see here). I love inset cabinets myself!

    Here’s what we landed on for the window wall. A tall floor to ceiling set of cabinets with pull out drawers. We use this as a close pantry. Our actual pantry is down the hall and through the laundry room and I guess we’re lazy because a lot of things just didn’t get put back because of the walk. Thankfully, we had lived in the house long enough to know that this was a problem so we designed a spot for quick food grabs. I LOVE having this here! It’s really helped a ton!

    This is one of the photos where I really see how not having hardware on yet really detracts. I think it will be much more interesting once it’s on there, but this is for now until I decide what direction to take the tile walls, which I haven’t fully designed yet.

    Bench

    One of the elements I’m most happy with is the decision to include a bench under the window. We purposely didn’t put bar stools in the kitchen because I anticipate them getting in the walk way and our dining table is so close that we didn’t really need more seating. However, it’s so fun to have a little spot while we spend time in the kitchen. I’ve even taken a nap there! It leads into our backyard where we have some neighborhood deer run by.

    Appliance garage

    Another element I’m very happy with is our appliance garage that sits on the counter. I just wish I could have had it expanded even more because I like to hide it all.

    Cliq Studios review

    I had already seen the quality of the cabinetry from Mary’s kitchen renovation and I was already a fan so it made the decision a no-brainer. The touch feels smooth and the cabinets and drawers close like butter. We have some nice features like a lazy susan corner, a pots and pans drawer, roll out trays, and a two tier drawer for knives and forks (see more options here!). Honestly, happy customer here! Couldn’t ask for anything more! Plus, they have all the classic styles with great colors.

    Regrets

    I have a few regrets about the design. I wish I would have either added in a big of open storage to add in more visual interest or put in glass into at least one cabinet because the block of cabinets on the left seen below feels super blocky to me. But, I was also worried about open shelves or glass because of needing to keep them tidy. So for me it was a toss up.

    Ok! That’s it for now. Stay tuned for more details about the kitchen tomorrow! Let me know your thoughts or if you have any more questions about our cabinets!

    Ilve oven range review

    Brittany
    -
    1
    Ilve oven range review

    Ilve oven range review

    For the look and feel of our kitchen, I wanted an oven range that would looked like it had been there forever, like it was from another time. I did a lot of research and stumbled on Ilve, an Italian company that manufactures gorgeous ranges. They have a US presence, which meant that I wouldn’t have to worry about special shipping or customs–a big plus!

    Our previous oven range

    To remind you, here’s what we were working with before the new oven. This big 48″ commercial oven range was one of the few things we inherited from the previous owners (it was a totally blank canvas!) and while I liked it, it was quite large for the space. It featured 8 burners plus a pancake griddle, which we didn’t really need. It also had two ovens and we didn’t really need to ovens.

    I think the oven looks a bit worse in this photo because we hadn’t found the bottom panel yet.

    Brittany’s checklist for an antique-inspired oven range:

    • A smaller oven to economize on storage elsewhere
    • an oven that fit in better with the look we were going for
    • Something with sparkle and shine!
    • something that looked old but had modern features

    Specs of our Ilve oven range

    Majestic II 36″ duel fuel

    What I loved about the Ilve ovens was the character and color choices. In particular, I loved their Majestic II series that has those beautiful legs and metallic detailing on the trim and knobs. They have another series that’s called Nostalgie that’s less expensive with as much character (I would even try to figure out how to change the legs).

    I actually quite love the look of a wider oven range so I looked into a size from 36-40″. , but it came down to cost for me so I decided to go with the smaller option of 36″.

    36″ oven options

    They had just a few in stock in that size that they could ship out immediately. I looked back into the emails and these were the ones. I’m curious what you would have picked, not knowing what you were going to design for the kitchen yet!

    From top left going down each row:

    1. grey/blue with brass
    2. black with copper
    3. graphite with brass
    4. black with bronze
    5. grey/blue with chrome
    6. white with brass

    Which one would you have chosen?!

    As I was weighing my choices, not knowing where the design was heading and feeling the pressure of so many decisions, I did what I always do, and that’s look at my favorites.

    Enter Claude Monet.

    Monet’s Kitchen at Giverny

    I’ve probably mentioned this over and over, but Claude Monet was a childhood hero of mine for many reasons and especially after I got to visit his house when I was 13. He had a black oven with brass details that you may not be able to see too clearly because of the reflection of the sun.

    This photo was taken by Jane on our team when we visited Giverny in September. 

    The perks of black, or graphite, in our case, with brass details, is that it can basically go with anything. It left me free to try out something more adventurous elsewhere. Plus, I love that it adds depth to the feel.

    My review of the Majestic II Ilve Oven range

    Admittedly, I’m not the hugest chef in the world, but even I have surprised myself at how much I’ve been using–yay! It actually worked! I’ve had a great experience using both the oven and the stove.

    One thing I’m surprised at is that there’s no child lock as my 2 year old son likes to hang on the bar and can easily open it himself.

    Another thing to note is that the oven functions using a touch pad electronic screen rather than knobs. I think there are some perks to this like setting the exact temperature. Again, my 2 year old son can easily come over and start touching it. He can turn on the screen, but it would be rather challenging to actually turn it on.

    There’s also a warming drawer, which we use to store our cookie sheets.

    Overall, I’m a big fan of both the looks and function and would highly recommend it.

    Let me know what you think! I’m happy to answer questions!

    You can find the Ilve oven range here.

    Want to read more?

    You can see all the before and after photos of our renovation for the show here
    You can see the kitchen renovation here

    The Ilve oven range was provided in exchange for a review but all thoughts and opinions are mine!.

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