Monday, September 30, 2013

Shelf-Confidence

The Kitchen Wall Mini-Series (part 2)



I'm so, so, very sorry if I mislead any of you, but I'm keeping that half wall! I need it to hide some more storage as the kitchen is tiny and serves as the kitchen, the pantry and the laudry room!!!

Je sais que je vais en décevoir plus d'un, mais je ne me débarrasse  pas de ce bout de mur, j'en ai vraiment besoin pour cacher des étagères et aussi pour que l'on ne voit pas le lave-linge, l'évier toujours plein de vaisselle et la litière du chat !


Thus said, I agree with all of you who said that the half wall looked like it had no other purpose than to hide something. So, given that I had to keep it, I thought of a way to make it look not like it was hiding something, but like it was there to show things, like a wase with flowers for example.

Cela dit, je suis tout à fait d'accord avec ceux qui me disent qu'on voit vraiment que ce mur cherche à cacher quelque chose. Du coup, j'ai cherché à faire croire que ce bout de mur était là pour montrer des choses, comme un joli bouquet de fleurs par exemple.


So I needed help for two things: an electrician added two sockets on the kitchen side, because one never can have too many sockets in a kitchen and a carpenter added a shelf on top of the half wall.



J'ai donc demandé au menuisier de me faire une jolie étagère en bois et accessoirement à l'électricien de me dissimuler deux prises derrière car on n'a jamais trop de prises dans une cuisine.


The carpenter advised me to put varnish on the shelf... So of course I painted it white so that it would blend with the shelf I had already painted... And sorry about those pictures taken while everything was still a mess... The oven is in the dining-room and the curtain under the sink hasn't been put back!


Le menuisier m'a conseillé de vernir l'étagère... Donc, bien sûr, je l'ai peinte en blanc! Je trouve que mon pichet ressort tellement mieux ainsi. Désolée, ces deux photos sont prises pendant le carnage peinture, donc pas de rideau sous l'évier et mini-four en plein milieu de la salle-à-manger... Mais les fleurs sont déjà là!


I really enjoy being able to get a few things ready facing my guests thanks to the sockets being here. So much so, that I'd love the future counter top to come all the way here. I also use that shelf for some food display if needed. Now, from the dining-room it looks like the shelf belongs to the room and not like it's hiding something.


Et voilà, maintenant, cette étagère a l'air d'avoir toujours été là, elle est pratique pour déposer le vase ou pour servir de desserte lors d'un repas.


I may or may not spend quite some tea breaks looking at it while sipping my tea... And best of all, it's been kitty approved!

Il se pourrait bien que je passe certaines pauses-thé à admirer mon étagère... Et le mieux, c'est que cela a été validé par le chat!

Picture taken early morning, before going to school, hence the weird lighting.

Now,  you may be wondering while the pictures don't show the whole wall... That's because a) I'm very bad at taking pictures - b) I have a secret project going on there. There's nothing to choose, it's a little bit of both! As for that little project, I'll show it to you next month!

Avez-vous remarqué comme j'ai tenté de montrer le moins possible le haut de l'ouverture du mur... Il y a là un petit projet secret que je vous dévoilerai le mois prochain!

So I hope you're not too disappointed!

J'espère ne pas vous avoir trop déçu!



And with great shelf-confidence, I'm linking with:

Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home       Linky Party                                      
                          My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia     

Lavender Garden Cottage          Join the fun here each Wednesday!                                                 

                

45 comments:

  1. I had to laugh a little! But you are right, the shelf makes all the difference and it does look as though it is meant to be. Much nicer to have it painted than varnished , that's a typical man-approach to wood I think. Always good to have the ct's approval!

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  2. You are really going to love that - looks really good. I like that it's painted white blends with the rest of the kitchen. Have a great week.
    Mary

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  3. pas déçue pour un sou
    les choses avancent bien, et bien joliment
    tout cela va être parfait
    Odile

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    Replies
    1. Merci beaucoup! Il reste encore beaucoup de boulot et depuis la rentrée, je suis complètement à court de temps!!!

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  4. Wow, it looks really good and I love the painted white. Just gorgeous Magali!

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  5. Everything is looking beautiful. I so love all of your chests and cupboards, so much charm! Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY, it's always a pleasure having you! Sweet kitty too, we have 4! Love them...
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  6. Il est bien comme ça ton muret avec son plan de dépose même si ton chat se l'est approprié. Je suis sûre qu'au dessus il va y avoir des claires-voies !!!
    A la prochaine pour la suite des aventures.
    Bises .Babette

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    1. Merci de ces petites visites régulières... Tu découvres toujours mes secrets avant les autres!!!

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  7. The addition of the shelf on top does make all the difference. And you are so right, one can never have too many sockets. This pretty much goes for ANY room in my opinion. :-)

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  8. I love it when things work out like this. I think it looks great Magali. You will enjoy that shelf for sure. It has so many possible purposes as well.

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  9. How lovely - the shelf is the perfect color and everything looks so fresh.

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  10. The shelf looks wonderful, the whole place is coming together so very beautifully!! I won't be able to sleep wondering what the secret project on the dinning room side of the wall is!!!! Can't wait to see, everything you are doing is making things better and better, so I know whatever it is it will be lovely. I like having the half wall with the shelf better than having it open, myself, because of course as you say more storage, but also more display room with the shelf, and display room is another thing it's hard to have too much of, just like sockets. So very much enjoying reading your lovely blog.....

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    1. Thank you so much for that sweet comment. It's so nice to read those encouraging words after my day at school. And yopu're right, I need display room for all my knick-knacks! Sleep tight, or try to!

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  11. the little shelf looks great there cant wait to see the rest its really coming together nicely

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  12. Definitely not Magali! You've given this area a whole new purpose and looks pretty too! I thought you wanted that half wall gone too, but it looks better this way actually now that you've shown how you use it!

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  13. Great idea! I've hated my half wall to the kitchen since we moved in, but had no idea what to do with it. Maybe I'll try something like this?

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    1. I think it transforms a problem in an asset in a cheap way! Go for it!

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  14. Love it and it looks perfect! It makes a nice display area or even an extra space for food if you have a dinner party ad need space for desserts and such. You can do so many things with it now! Looking forward to the next project...:)

    Blessings, Vicky
    Life On Willie Mae Lane

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  15. Hi Magali! Your kitchen is coming along so nicely. I love the little decorated dresser shelves in front with all the pretty baskets and tea items--cozy:) So nice to hear from you, and glad you enjoyed my fall sideboard.

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  16. I think it works perfectly Magali, and of course I love the shelf painted white. One can never have enough sockets or shelves.

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  17. The shelf is the purrfect solution! One needs all the flat surfaces you can find in a kitchen with so many functions. Brilliant! Patty/BC

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    1. I'm especially enjoying it since I don't have any countertops for now other than the few inches around the sink!
      Thanks for your sweet words.

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  18. Love your little half wall and shelf ... great place for bowls of fruit or fresh flowers.
    Francine

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  19. Very, very nice and one of the things which I noticed was that through it all you had a lovely bouquet of hydrangeas!
    You are my kind of gal!!
    Autumn Hugs,
    Jemma

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  20. Perfect idea! It looks lovely! I think the wall helps to have a place to set furniture in a room. That shelf looks perfect there and definitely blends!

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  21. Pretty. I love the paint color on the wall, and I also love the corbel you put on the wall above it. It's coming along.

    How many square feet do you have in your kitchen and what it the layout?

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  22. It looks pretty, whether adorned with flowers or a kitty! And I love the cute title of your post!

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  23. Oh no, I love the half wall! It looks like the perfect little place to set up a vignette. Can't blame kitty for wanting to try it out! The new paint looks fabulous! Coming along so very nicely.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  24. It looks fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!! I love that you totally ignored the carpenter. And kitty definitely likes it too. :)

    -andi

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  25. Another surprise in the works???? Love what you did with your half wall. It is definitely kitty approved :)

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  26. I think it looks lovely Magali - with just the vase of flowers on it!!!
    Great job!
    Hugs,

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  27. I think it looks great, Magali. Adding the shelf really finished it off perfectly. Kitty seems to be very happy. xo Laura

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  28. Love the little shelf on top of the half wall ~ tops it off perfectly!

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  29. first time visiting your blog! LOVE it! I will be starting a renovation soon....downsizing to a cottage! I am enjoying seeing your adventure renovating your seaside cottage.....can't wait to see more! I am your newest follower Blessings~~~Roxie

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  30. I love how the wide shelf gives the half-wall purpose! It looks fabulous, like it’s always been there. The perfect place for a seasonal display for everyday and oh how you will use this for big dinners. Maybe a desert bar, endless possibilities! Everything is sure coming together....................

    ~Emily

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  31. That looks amazing! You are doing such a great job of making over this space!!

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  32. J'aurais bien vu sur ce bout de mur, une fenêtre fixe avec des montants en bois verticaux peints en blanc pour aller avec le style de ta maison. Mais c'est une bonne idée d'avoir gardé le muret, ça fait de la place en plus...
    Bonne journée
    ps: je t'ai suivie dans ta balade du post suivant, un endroit que je connais bien et Costaéres, j'en rêve!!!!

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  33. The perfect addition, pretty and functional, the best of both worlds,
    Kathysue

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  34. You and your secret projects!

    I don't think it looks like it is hiding anything. It looks totally practical and gives you space.

    The cabinet in the dining room looks great against all of the white.

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  35. What a perfect little shelf. Love how you've styled it, too.

    Visiting from Thursday Treasures.

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  36. Hello again Magali, it looks great, don't think you need advice. Have a great weekend.
    Jeannie










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  37. Your half wall does indeed look beautiful! I love the way it gives you another surface to decorate, too. A beautiful solution, I think! Hugs, Cindy

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  38. Looks gorgeous Magali. I think painting it was the way to go, very White House! As always, loving the amusing post title and the hints at the secret projects!

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  39. This turned out beautiful!!!! Love what you've done!
    Laura

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