I'm ridiculously happy about the whole thing and after I had filled and artfully arranged the shelves the other night, I spent a long time just sitting and looking at this new edition to my kitchen.
To me it's a perfect blend of form and function, utility and style.
Some shelves are workhorses and others are display cases.
It's all practical.
Do I even need to tell you that nearly every single container and tool was handed down, found or thrifted?
This structure is going to get a lot of use. It will change and shift with the days and seasons. Some months the shelves will be fat, some will be lean. Items will be taken down, used, cleaned and returned. Repeat.
I can already sense the rhythm of its use and it feels so good. Like a heartbeat or breathing. Is that weird?
How 'bout this? I kinda feel like I've staked the centre of my universe. I've found my axis mundi, the central mountain of my life around which I'll revolve, swinging in and out of orbit, creating, tending, preserving, storing, eating, feeding, healing.
Not bad for someone else's discarded Ikea shelves and some empty jars eh?
7 comments:
Ooooo, I'm so jealous. I'm in the process of spring cleaning and desperately need some organizing solutions. Glad you are still posting!
Hey, my ole hand-me-down teapot is the same pattern as your creamer and sugar! I love it, mostly 'cause it reminds me of home and my dear ole ma. ;o)
I've missed you - but I understand what a busy time spring is. Chance of snow on Friday in our area so the early spring weather was just a tease. Love the shelves with their displays.
PJ
I love it! The whole combination of colors and textures is very satisfying. When I moved to the country I sweet-talked a friend into building an entire wall of open movable shelves. I find it so much easier to plan shopping/meals because I can see immediately what is getting low.
Hi Anon. Setting this up forced me into the spring cleaning I was dragging my feet on. My cupboards and closet are in much better shape now! Good luck with your organizing. :)
Liz! My mom and Oma used to have some Corning Ware with the blue cornflower pattern on it when I was growing up and I used to have a kids play set of the same, that I loved, so I was thrilled to find the cream and sugar set recently. It definitely reminds me of my childhood and my mom and Oma!
Actually, quite a few of the pieces definitely have a '70's vibe to them, which is the decade I was born in. I also have a thing for enamelware, milk glass and patterned pyrex, which were all very popular then.
Hi PJ. Thanks! We've got rain in store all week, but the nettles, dandelions and garlic mustard are up (I've made wild greens pesto already!) and the trees are budding out. The AGD and I rented our plots at the allotment garden today. We are expanding this year from 1000 to 4000 square feet. We're going to be very busy!!
Thanks Holly. I'm really enjoying my pantry, and you're right, it's so easy to see what is there, what needs to be stocked up on and everything is so accessible. Your wall of shelves sounds lovely!
Hi, Amber, I really enjoy your blog! This is beautiful! I hope to have such a set-up when we get our yurt up; space will definitely be a factor, so we'll have to come up with some real good space savers. Come by and check out my blog if you like: www.spiritofdreammountain.blogspot.com
It's beautiful! Now I'm super mad that I incorrectly assembled that same Ikea bookshelf last year and had to junk it when I moved, but maybe I can do it right this time and squeeze one in somewhere. I love this idea!
And I second that I'm glad you're still posting! I was so sad that right after I found your blog you wrote that you were going to slow down!
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