Welcome to another room of our historic home. If you are new to my blog, I have a series called Room by Room, where I share a detailed peek into a specific room in our home. Today I am sharing the Butler’s Pantry. Though it is not a large room, it certainly packs a punch. This 6′ x 9′ room is located between the dining room and breakfast room via swing doors.

Unfortunately, we do not have a butler (wouldn’t that be nice?), but being a bit of a dish/glass collector, this room is perfect for storing all the tableware I love.

In addition to two swing doors, there is a small, yet pretty double-hung window and sill on the north side, providing a bit of natural light to the space. Not only do I hang our Christmas cards here, but during the rest of the year, all my garlands are hung here as well.

Still Original

The room is painted a grayish blue with Cottage White on the trim and cabinets. And the floors are the same as the rest of the house~a Canadian beech hardwood. Fortunately the original wood countertops and curved backsplash still exist and have tell-tale signs of fun parties of the past.

I am guessing that this was once an active bar decades ago as there is evidence of laying cigarettes on the counter, while making a drink or washing a glass.

Above the sink is a door that we assume allowed access into the adjacent food pantry. However, somewhere along the way someone blocked it and it’s now a place to store detergent and sponges for the sink. Here is the other pantry that shares the same wall.

I am not always this neat. To see the post on this came about, click here.

My Collections

Above the sink is a display of Modra Slovak Folk Majolica and brass trivets. I just love the colorful patterns of these dishes~they make me happy. And I wish we used trivets more at the dinner table…

Four Raymond Waites chicken plates hang on another wall.

There appears to be quite a few Raymond Waites plates for sale on eBay here.

The skirted sink is a great place to hide larger items like vases. And of course, the several cabinets with glass front doors are perfect for keeping all my cherished dishes.

Beautiful….except…

When we finally closed on the house, we were dismayed to see that most of the nice light fixtures were removed (not per the real estate agreement). However, after a nearly 9 month closing, we were just happy to finally take possession of the house.

In retrospect, I wish I had chosen a different light fixture. This one provides an abundant amount of light, but it is very difficult to clean. You would think it would be easy to disassemble, but it’s not. The dust collects inside and no matter how well you wipe it out, is still remains streaky. And it’s just big enough that when I open the cabinet door closest to it, they make contact.

Whoever designed this room, made good use of the space but it isn’t easy to get to the very top cabinets. Here is where I store those things that get used occasionally.

Organization

Many of the existing drawers have dividers already, so things like cocktail napkins, votive candles, tapers, place cards, and trays all have a place to go. Back in 2018 I did write a post on organizing this space and you can see it here.

For the most part, the pantry is kept organized, except the countertops. For some reason any flat surface becomes a dumping ground. Every now and again, I do need to tidy it up.

I hope you have enjoyed this version of Room by Room. If you have missed any of the other ones, you can find them below:

Front Hall here

Master Bedroom here

Living Room here

Can you believe there are only 3 days left to September? Fastest month ever! Have a wonderful Tuesday and thank you so much for joining me today!

This past weekend I did do more window washing and tackled the job of cleaning the range hood. Using a newly recommended product from my friend, Andrea from Design Morsels, I am amazed at the results. A weekend of cleaning resulting in also doing some easy kitchen updates. But let’s start with this new product.

A great Degreaser

Andrea is the modern day Hints from Heloise (am I dating myself?). From her decorating tips to product reviews, I know I can trust that Andrea has done the homework for me. When she recommends Krud Kutter to clean your range hood, I immediately order some online. See here.

Our Dacor stainless steel range hood looks clean from a distance….until I spray Krud Kutter on it. Immediately the smell of old grease fills the air and much to my horror, the range hood is far from clean.

When I spray Krud Kutter on my Waterworks tile (again they look clean) the degreaser quickly does its job. At this point, I am just appalled.

In the range hood, I have 4 metal filters which I spray down and place in the sink. Thinking grease is difficult to remove from the mesh, I pour boiling water over the filters. You can see the difference between the dirty vs. clean part.

By the time I finish, not only am I pooped but what other items can I attack with Krud Kutter? Now that this cooking area is super clean, I want to mix things up a bit.

My Inspiration

I love art in a kitchen. However, I have so few walls that it is difficult to find a place for it. Inspired by a picture of Heloïse Brion’s kitchen, (author of Miss Maggie’s Kitchen cookbook), why not put art on the shelf above the stove?

Before and After

Here’s a picture of my cooking area before Krud Kutter. A bit cluttered and well-used.

And now here it is ~new and improved! Look at the clean hood and tile!

I know you are thinking that having original artwork about the stove is not practical…..and it probably isn’t. However, I did have such fun playing with the space and changing things up. Will I leave them there while I cook? No. But for right now I am enjoying the new look around the stove.

Scrubbing the scale and coffee bean container add to the shine.

By the stove I keep handy things for cooking on a pedestal plate~oil, seasonings, spices. Even the water faucet cleans up nicely!

The double ball boxwood topiary is from Ballard Designs and is one of two. And the twine holder with scissors can be found at the shop at Whitfill Nursery.

The paintings are done by me. The blue bowl and oranges is from a Kelli Folsom online art class. Since I do love chickens, this painting is just for fun.

There is something fun about re-arranging items in your home. It’s easy to leave things as is, but mixing it up helps stimulate my creative juices. I am enjoying my much cleaner kitchen and the new look in the cooking area.

Have a happy Wednesday and hopefully the warm Spring sun is shining on you.

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My daughter, Julianna resides in our guest cottage. Her plan, after graduating from college, was to live in our guest cottage for a year while she acclimated to a new job. Well, then the pandemic hit. Thankfully she is still employed and has been working virtually since last March. Our guest cottage is just that~a small cottage for guests. Since it doesn’t look like she will be returning to an office any time soon, she requires a designated place to work. Today’s post is about making a home office in a small space for her.

Finding a Place

Currently, her “office” is squeezed into the guest cottage living room. She also shares her living space with a large dog and cat. To see our sweet guest cottage, click here.

Last month, we added more internet coverage to the pool house and will set up her office here. The pool house isn’t used much during the winter months and it is a short walk from the guest cottage.

Existing Corner

Right by the back French doors, there is a cluttered corner that is the perfect small space for a home office. My first thought is go to Ikea and pick up an inexpensive desk. But we have SO much furniture here, why not use what we already have?

The Perfect Desk

The black desk in our family room is really a place for the printer (doesn’t everyone have a printer in their family room?). With the addition of the round table and 4 wing chairs, this part of the family room looks too crowded anyway.

So off to the pool house the desk goes! Actually we have two of these Drake writing desks in a black finish. The dimensions are 55″W x 25″D x 30″H. If you recall, the other one went upstairs to my son’s remodeled bedroom. See that post here.

Having a sheet of glass on top of the desk really does preserve the wood surface. Since my daughter has ruined a few desktops, this beveled topper is perfect for her.

Adding Elements

Using an existing pool house table lamp, the desk starts to come together.

A blue and white vase with faux flowers adds a touch of pretty to the desk. I love these faux peonies as they look attractive and can be added to a fresh bouquet of peonies to make a larger statement. These faux peonies can be found here.

A few other items makes the desk feel like it is ready for work~a filing basket and a place for pens and pencils. Naturally, she will add her computer and monitor, but for now, it is ready for her arrival.

This designated corner will be her office until who knows when. At least she will now have the guest cottage as her living space and this corner of the pool house as her work space.

The wing chair more than likely won’t work, but it looks good in the photos! Plus the wall behind the desk could deserve a piece of art too.

I am hoping that the pool house will be a remodeling project in 2021. For the last several years, it has been the place where the children hang out with their friends. The color scheme is yellow and blue. To see the story behind the pool house, click here.

The faux painted yellow walls are a bit dated. All the “stuff” that goes with X-boxes, video games, Wii and television viewing needs to be organized. My husband’s gargantuan Klipsch speakers (yes, from college) take up too much room. And the furniture holding all of that is tacky, at best.

Have you set up a home office space due to the pandemic? If so, what room did you use?

We are experiencing very cool, rainy weather here in Phoenix. Lots of snow up in the mountains too. Wishing you a warm Tuesday!

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday #627

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When reflecting back on 2020, is it possible that we took on TOO many projects? Perhaps for me, keeping extra busy was a way to not focus on all the world’s problems last year. I guess the good news is that several things got done, but it feels like an exhausting year on many fronts. Here is a list of completed projects of 2020 and which ones we hope to tackle in 2021.

Italian Fountain

Our outdoor Italian fountain is transformed from ugly to pretty~the rusty spouts are replaced with new ones! See post here.

Master Closet

After the embarrassing condition of our master closet, it gets good cleaning and goes from a mess to a neat and organized space. See post here.

Dining Room

With a few great yard sale purchases, I am able to upgrade the dining room with these fabulous upholstered parsons chairs. A new coat of paint helps brighten the room, too! See post here.

Windows and Screens

Being confined to home gave us the opportunity to personally wash each and every window in our home, as well as the out buildings. Not only did we clean, but repair screens, touch up paint chips and make sure our windows are in good working order.

Back Terrace

Many new upgrades are added to the back terrace. Since we entertain a lot in this space during our better weather months, it is time and money well spent. A new tile backsplash, so desperately needed, is now pretty and easy to clean. All the upholstered furniture and rugs are thoroughly cleaned; the concrete/slate floor is treated with a sealant. Broken slate is repaired at the fireplace. See post here.

Family Room

Another room benefitting from the great yard sale scores is the family room. New upholstered wing chairs and a round table is added; a gorgeous decorative chest becomes the bar storage. To see more about our family room, click here.

Potting Shed/Well Tower

In the spring, the potting shed in the well tower gets attention. Filled with dust and spider webs, it needs organizing and cleaning. See post here. Plus I finally create a storage system for most of my wreaths. See can see that story here.

Front Porch

A lot of focus is on the front porch last year. New front door color, polished hardware, updated wreath, fresh paint on the rocking chairs and a new door mat. What a welcoming difference! See post here.

Guest Cottage

While sprucing up the front of the main house, it is time to also tend to the guest cottage. Using spray paint, the light fixtures are brought back to life (see post here). With your help and suggestions, the vintage mailbox is updated too! (another post here).

Back Staircase

Yesterday’s post is a summary on the back staircase. Though this project starts in 2019 and is completed just a few days ago, much of the work is done in 2020.

Flooding and Ghosts

2020 is a year to remember, not only for the pandemic but the series of unfortunate events we had with flooding. First a broken water heater in the basement and then the dishwasher in the kitchen. No pictures of either mess, just a blog post about Old Houses and Ghost Stories here.

Pool House Bathroom

Perhaps one of the most difficult new projects is stenciling the tile bathroom floor in the pool house. But the end result is stunning. See post here.

Closet and Storage Organization

Thanks to being part of a blog hop, the front hall closet gets completely re-organized. Nearly all of my table linens reside in this odd shaped space. See more here.

Another storage organization project includes the hidden space under the front staircase. Slipcovers and decorative pillows are organized into bins and kept here.

Painting Furniture

Transforming an old piece of furniture into a Scandinavian style dresser at our cabin is a creative leap but with good results. To see this DIY project, click here.

Building New Things

My husband’s creativity and handiness produces a chick-nic table for our sweet hens. A fun and easy DIY project here.

Property Maintenance

With the help of our professional painter, John Cruz, the well tower, barn and hen house get some sprucing up. To see more before and after photos, click here.

New Projects for 2021

Our master bathroom is looking a bit tired. The tile floor is the same as the pool house, bland and dated. Debating whether to try and stencil it or just demolish and put in new tile. The countertops are marble squares ~again a dated look. It might be time for a complete renovation. To see more on our master bathroom, click here.

Create a Cutting Garden

I am just receiving my seeds from Floret Farm and am looking forward to making space for an actual cutting garden. Not sure how well this will do in our climate, but it will be a learning experience.

Update our Kitchen

Since I haven’t thought this through, I’m not sure how or to what I want to do with our kitchen. It will all depend on the budget, but it would be nice to fix a few things and update others. More to come on this.

Organize the Entire House

I want to start at one corner and make sure each and every room is the best it can be. Is that even possible? I dream about a place for everything and everything in its place.

Do you have any projects for 2021? I can assure you that there will be less projects for me this year. Instead, I want to fill my year with more fulfilling and meaningful experiences~like art, friends, family and travel. Let’s hope the world will begin to open up once again.

Happy Wednesday! Stay safe and healthy!

There is nothing better than having house guests to motivate you to spiff up your property. This has been a year of projects, mostly because of being confined to home more than usual. But this year it is necessary to get some of the bigger property maintenance projects done. Last week, I was blessed to have 4 friends come and stay. Since they haven’t been here before, I naturally wanted to make sure our property was in the best condition possible. A great time to finally schedule some overdue maintenance work.

The Well Tower

The well tower siding is redwood clapboard. Every five years it needs to be sanded and re-stained due to the exposure to our brutal summer sun. Peeling, blistering and fading make the structure look tired.

Being a size and shape that is difficult to navigate, I hire my favorite painter, John Cruz to help. John and I have been working together for years. He is my go-to painter for all my home remodels. The quality of his work is excellent and I believe his pricing to be fair. Plus he is fun to be around!

With the well tower power washed and the sides sanded, it is now ready for stain. The dark green trim is also re-coated, making the final project crisp and ready for another 5 years. To see more information on the history of the well tower and its restoration, click here.

The Barn

I haven’t shared much about the barn. Originally home to two horses (long before we owned Bella Terra), the barn is now where furniture is stored. Once the headquarters of 2 Connecticut Yankees, the barn was a fun vintage shop started by me and my friend, Susan. Filled with antiques and old treasures, Susan and I would have a barn sale 2-3 times per year. To see more about 2 Connecticut Yankees, click here.

But life and family responsibilities became bigger priorities and the barn sales stopped. A few of our pieces and treasures are still inside. Some of those pieces can be found in my Store (there’s a tab on the top of my website).

Using Ralph Lauren Barn Red, this structure definitely needed a new paint job. Though Ralph Lauren got out of the paint business in 2017, Sherwin Williams replicates this color. John scraped off the blistering paint, protected the hinges, primed where necessary and coated the entire barn with a fresh red layer.

The posts were primed in gray paint and then new white paint is applied.

All the hinges are re-painted with a fresh coat of black. Everything is now looking so much better.

The Hen House

Though the paint, for the most part, still looks good on the body of the hen house, the entry doors need significant help.

Using the same red paint as the barn, John, makes them pop again with his magical brushes.

Miscellaneous Touch Ups

In the interior, all the walls are plaster. Chipped corners happen every year with normal wear and tear. Typically, every October, I will go around the house and touch up the obvious dings in paint. It makes me feel like I am getting the house ready for the holidays. By putting both wall and trim color paint in mason jars, I am always ready to do a quick touch up here and there.

Sprucing up the Planters

Beautiful flowers are now available for planting so we are taking advantage of the abundant assortment to bring color to the yard. Some of our planters have been deteriorating and crumbling and are in need of replacement.

New geraniums and snapdragons are added to the front planter. Fresh containers of chrysanthemums enhance the fall entry. Whitfill Nursery has a great assortment of flowers and planters, if you are in the market.

Though it takes a bit of effort to get all this done, there is something very rewarding when your property looks clean and sharp. Plus after your houseguests leave, the work is done and you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Happy Tuesday! I cannot wait to share the visit with my four blogging friends tomorrow!

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This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday #616

Since I shared my husband’s home office space earlier this week (see post here), today I will show you where I work. Since I am in our kitchen 99% of the time, having my computer desktop nearby is very handy. And now that our home is nearly child-free (of course until the next pandemic), we are not using the breakfast room table for meals any more. So the breakfast room is my work space/office. Logistically perfect, but it’s hard to keep it neat and tidy.

My work space is like my brain. Organized clutter. It may look messy to the average person, but I know where everything is. And you can tell what I am working on by the stacks of projects on the table.

Today I am joining some of my good blogging buddies for our November DIY blog hop where they are sharing Home Office ideas and tips too. Please check out their stories at the bottom of this post!

Table Challenges

Ah, the table. I purchased this many years ago, but I cannot tell you if it is a new table made to look old or a really old table. But since I’ve had it for 25 years, I guess we can call it vintage. When we began restoring this house, the table is where we would gather with our architect and contractor, lay out the plans and make big house decisions.

One day a worker, obviously bored, decided it was a good idea to pound a nail into it. I guess he thought it was old and worthless. That was the beginning of the abuse this poor table took. Notice all the chips where the “made to look old” paint has come off.

Then, only making matters worse, the contractor tried repairing it by using the wrong colors of paint. Really, bright green and blue? So I finally decided to try my hand at touching up the chips and dings. The nail hole will stay as I guess it makes a good story.

Storage

Recently I ordered a two drawer filing cabinet from Wayfair since this is a table and not a desk. Here is a similar one from Amazon for less.With no drawers for office things, all the paperwork is placed in file folders. I truly have a folder for everything.

The filing cabinet slides nicely under the table and being a dark color it disappears from sight.

Using baskets and trays, I try keeping current projects organized on the table top.

I am putting my recent melamine tray from My Stylish French Box to good use. A vintage pink glass bowl holds paperclips.

And this ornate inlaid box is a sweet place for my business cards.

Office Equipment

Since I am constantly using a printer, this new small Epson ET-2760 is perfect on the decorative chest. There is storage below where I put stationary, printing supplies and file folders.

Blending Decors

Since you pass by my office space to enter the kitchen, it is a well traveled path. With a blue and white chinoiserie lamp (from Overstock) and a blue/white vase with flowers, I try and tie my workspace in with the rest of the room.

The large painting by Hector Armendariz Martinez from Mexico is one of my favorites. I love the blue and white vases and platters on the shelves in the painting. This space was practically the only wall in our home where this large piece of art fits. To see more about our art collection, click here.

Two ladder back chairs sit at either end of the table, in case I have guests. Handmade needlepoint cushions with our initials were made many moons ago and prevent rush seat marks on your thighs.

Beneath the table is a large dog bed. When there isn’t a dog there, it’s a great place for me to rest my feet.

From my office chair, I have wonderful views of the fireplace, outside to a window of green, and to our family mealtime prayer (painted by Kris Kollasch.

Here’s an After picture after I filled my filing cabinet and tidied up the space. Now let’s hope I keep it this way. Do you have a designated work space at home? I’m always looking for better solutions in this space.

The month has been just a blur, hasn’t it? Hoping the fall weather will continue to be crisp and enjoyable. Have a spectacular day and be safe out there.

The DIY Blog Hop

Now onto the DIY Blog Hop!

Chas from Chas Crazy Creations is sharing a DIY Can Organizer for your Office.

Niky from The House on Silverado does a lovely office makeover.

Andrea from Design Morsels makes great suggestions on what rugs work in your office.

Amy from Health, Home and Hearth creates a Command Center to help reduce clutter in your office.

Tarah from Grammas House DIY has small office tip to keep clutter down.

Kippi from Kippi at Home is sharing her ideas for office storage.

Kristin from White Arrows Home has a fun post about setting up a workspace for kids.

Thank you so much for joining me today! Please visit all these bloggers and leave your comments!

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The older version of this post shared with Between Naps on the Porch 605th Metamorphosis Monday

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