Friday, May 18, 2018

On Trend: Accessorizing Your Kitchen

Sinkology is proud to present Kristan Allen, our design expert and guest blogger who runs the @FarmhouseRedefined Instagram. Kristan is here to share some design ideas and inspiration around designing your home around your copper sink.


On Trend: Accessorizing Your Kitchen

Spring is here, but so is the rainy season!  Since the weather around here hasn’t allowed for a whole lot of outdoor work, I’ve been focusing my efforts on sprucing up certain areas inside my house.  This got me thinking about some of my favorite ways to accessorize kitchens and I thought it would be the perfect time to round up some of these easy updates that add major charm and character.  Take a look!

Cutting Boards

Painted Fox Home The Chop House Cutting Board Set

[Photo: Painted Fox Home The Chop House Cutting Board Set]

Propped up, hanging on a wall or arranged in a plate rack, I cannot get enough of chunky wood cutting boards. I don’t just use them to chop things either!  Sometimes, I’ll take two or three and stack them on top of each other to create a riser display for cheese or other party appetizers.  I’m always on the lookout for cutting boards at flea markets and antique stores, but you can also find them at your favorite retailers.  Check out The Chop House by Painted Fox Home…instant mini-collection without all the searching!

 

Countertop Organization

Countertop Organization

[Photo: Countertop Organization]

Functional décor is always a win, particularly in the kitchen where there usually isn’t a whole lot of room for clutter.  Things that are always on our counters?  Fruit and paper towels…two essentials that I wanted to display in a pretty way!  First up, this affordable, matte silver fruit basket from Target.  It has two tiers, making it perfect for storing things up and off the counter.  I also love the paper towel holder options from Ballard Designs.  They have several designs and finishes, like this white-washed one, that go with a variety of styles.  This is an easy way to elevate an everyday, necessary item!

 

Canisters

Copper Canisters for Kitchen

Canister sets are another one of those versatile items that look great and hide everyday essentials, all while keeping them within reach.  One of my favorite kitchen accessories is the vintage copper canister set I found on eBay.  If you’re striking out online or in your local antique store, you might want to check out these similar-looking ones from Anthropologie

Canisters

[Photos: KA Copper Canisters, Canisters]

For a fresh and classic look, try these Navy Speckled Ceramic canisters or Galvanized Metal and Glass canisters, both from Kirkland’s.  Either of these sets would look great with Sinkology’s Fireclay sinks!

 

Planters

Wrapped Planter

As much as I do not have a green thumb, I still love having fresh plants around the house…and the kitchen is no exception!   And fresh plants in the kitchen call for fun planters to display them in, right?  I found this cute Wrapped Around Pot from McGee & Co.  The ruffled edges give it a whimsical and feminine look, while the crisp white color makes it a versatile addition to any color palette.

McGee and Co Chinoiserie Planter

[Photos: KA Wrapped Planter, Chinoiserie Planter]

I also spied this Chinoiserie Planter…it’s the perfect way to celebrate the upcoming arrival of spring! 

 

Pretty Towels

Tea Towels

[Photo: Tea Towels]

Last, but not least, pretty tea towels!  My tea towels can usually be found hanging from the dishwasher, which means they’re front and center for all to see.  I like to use ones with classic and seasonal patterns to add a touch of color to my neutral kitchen.  These options from Magnolia (Turkish Tea Towels and Lillian Tea Towels) come in different colors and patterns, plus they’re 100% organic cotton, making them super absorbent and easy to wash!

 


If you have any additional questions during your quest for farmhouse fireclay kitchen sinks or decor, our Sinkologists are here to help. Contact us or follow us on FacebookHouzzPinterest, or Instagram for more helpful tips and design ideas.

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Thursday, May 10, 2018

Before & After: Powder Room Renovation with @MyVintagePorch

Natalie from My Vintage Porch is here to share with us her recent little powder room reno! She started her blog to share projects, DIY tutorials, budget-friendly decor, and home decorating ideas. She loves everything home decor AND, of course, projects! She loves to see the before and afters, and to step back, take a deep breath, and see what all of her hard work has brought to fruition! This recently updated bathroom with our Eddington Copper Vessel All-In-One Kit doesn’t disappoint!


It’s been a long time waiting for this project to be done and we still need to finish the floors but it’s mostly finished! I am so excited to share this project with you! I have always wanted to change this space up but didn’t want to spend a lot of money. If you followed along my journey on my Instagram stories, thank you! It’s so fun to have you along!  I will recap the process here and how we managed to revamp this space on a budget.

before-after-bathroom-renovation

 

This is the before and after. I was tired of the stripes and ready for a change. I have also always wanted some sort of furniture piece for a vanity in place of this pedestal sink. I went on a big hunt and finally found this piece at a local antique store. It’s an old record cabinet and it fit my space perfectly! I actually can’t believe that I found something to fit this small space so perfectly.

While I was in search of a cabinet for a vanity, I started “shiplapping” the walls using plywood. You can see the whole process here of how I shiplap walls with plywood.

Plywood is so much more budget friendly than shiplap and I love the texture that it adds to a space. The width of shiplap used depends on the space between the floor/trim to the ceiling. We used 7-7/16″ width for our walls. I also filled in the gaps in the corners with joint compound before I painted the walls. The color I used on the walls is Benjamin Moore White Dove.

My hubs cut out the area inside of the record cabinet for pipes to fit before I painted the cabinet. 

I painted the cabinet with Milk Paint, 1 part White Fig and 1 part Sweet Cream. It chipped a little too much the first time around so I just sanded it down a lot and repainted, and now it’s perfect. I absolutely love it! After using an oil/wax sealer, I didn’t feel that it was sealed good enough for water use around the top. So, I decided to use water based polyacrylic to seal the cabinet. I lightly sanded the cabinet with 100 grit sandpaper and sealed it with 2 coats of the matte water based polyacrylic. I feel much better having sealed it with poly, I think it will hold up better to water messes that I know are coming in here.

 

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Saturday, May 5, 2018

Planning A Budget Kitchen Makeover

Sinkology is proud to present Ashley Carpenter, a homebody, decor obsessed, DIYer that loves fitness, happy people and wants nothing more than to be on the lake soaking up the sun with good people and good music. Ashley runs the blog Joyfully Growing and is here to share some DIY and design projects created for the Sinkology blog that reflect her timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic style.


From the moment we moved into our house, I’ve been dreaming of the day we would be able to give our kitchen a little makeover. And I’m overjoyed to say that some of the plans to make that happen are already underway! *que happy dance*

All along we have been planning on keeping this kitchen update on a tight budget. Since we don’t plan to be in this house forever, we want to make sure that the choices we’re making regarding fixing up our home will be both cost-effective and give us the best ROI when we go to sell.

So here’s a look at the space we’re working with.

kitchen-makeover

It’s a little difficult to photograph this space since it’s in a little cubby with the breakfast bar overlooking the dining area – but this at least gives you an idea of our starting place.

We’ve already done a few things to this space since moving in a little over a year ago including painting the walls white, replacing the range, switching out the light fixture, and adding under/over cabinet lighting.

We also installed shiplap underneath the breakfast bar using the same tutorial we used for our wood plank accent wall in the master bedroom.

farmhouse-kitchen-renovation

I painted the planks the same color of white I used on the walls. (All of the walls were an olive green / beige color when we moved in which made the space feel really dark.)

After going back and forth on whether we wanted to take on the task of painting the existing cabinets (all of those beautiful white kitchens on Pinterest were calling my name), we finally decided to leave the cabinets alone and build a plan around keeping them their existing color.

With that said, here is the design plan we came up with:

 

kitchen-renovation-budget-planning

The biggest most obvious change will be replacing all of the countertops. We have a ton of counter space, so switching out the existing countertops for new white countertops will make a huge difference. To keep costs down, we opted to go with LG Hi-Macs Solid Surface countertops in Arctic White.

As excited as I am about lighter and brighter countertops, the upgrade I’m most looking forward to is our new farmhouse sink from Sinkology! We chose the 30” Bradstreet II Fireclay All-In-One sink kit that includes the Pfister stainless pull-down faucet. The large single basin will be so much more functional than the builder grade sink we have now.

kitchen-remodel-fireclay-farmhouse

We will have to cut into the two cabinet doors that are below our existing sink in order to make room for the apron-front farmhouse sink. We’ll keep you updated on this process as we get further along with the project.

Fun fact: I’ve had farmhouse sinks saved to my Pinterest boards since before we bought our house and I can barely contain my excitement about finally adding one to our home! Dare I say I might even be looking forward to doing dishes…?! 🙊

Finally, we’re planning on rounding out the makeover by adding a subway tile backsplash. I think this will really polish off the kitchen and give it a finished look.

So that’s the plan!

Like I mentioned above, this isn’t going to be a kitchen overhaul by any means. But with a few upgrades, we plan to give this space a fresh look without breaking the bank! Stay tuned for the full kitchen reveal post – coming soon!

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Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cake

Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic.


With a house full of growing kiddos, it’s always a good idea to have my pantry stocked with some dessert-making essentials. Essentials like chocolate chips, cocoa powder, butter, powdered sugar — and flour & sugar of course. For the longest time, my  sole “go-to”  dessert  were homemade brownies (similar to this recipe). Fudgy and gooey, perpetually pleasing brownies. 

The main reason brownies were my quick dessert solution (besides the obvious deliciousness) was because it is the one quick dessert I could make without a boxed mix.

Then one day it occurred to me – if I could figure out how to make my own homemade cake mix, I could pretty much make any dessert I wanted. So after some research and testing, I came up with a basic, no-fail, 4-Ingredient homemade cake mix. This mix is so versatile: it can be made into a chocolate cake, a cinnamon roll cake, a fruit cobbler, a coffee cake and more. And it happens to be the base of the recipe I’m sharing with you today.

Before I tell you all about this Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cake, let me give you one tip that will make your dessert making efforts so simple. When mixing up one batch of the homemade cake mix, go ahead and mix up 4 or 5 extra batches and store in an airtight canister. Scoop out 4 cups every time you need to make a cake and you are on your way to dessert making made easier! When I need a fabulous dessert in a pinch, this little tip has saved me so many times!

So once you have your homemade cake mix, combine it in a large mixing bowl with ::

  • milk,
  • powdered freeze-dried raspberries,
  • instant vanilla pudding and
  • vanilla extract.

Using a spatula or large spoon, stir to combine. Be sure to scrap the side and bottom so that all ingredients incorporate evenly. ((The batter will be very thick))

Fold in the chocolate chips and spread the batter into the prepared baking dish. I like to sprinkle a few extra tablespoons of chocolate chips over the top (just for looks).

Place the cake into the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the center is set and a toothpick (inserted into the center) comes out clean. Begin checking for doneness at around 42 minutes.

While the cake is baking, prepare the homemade sweetened whipped cream. This step is optional, so feel free to skip it ((but wow! is it tasty +easy!!)).

To make the whipped cream, combine ::

  • cream,
  • salt powdered sugar and
  • shaved chocolate

in a medium mixing bowl.

Using a hand mixer, beat on HIGH until the cream becomes stiff and forms soft peaks. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Once cake is finished baking, remove it from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, top with a dollop of homemade chocolate chip whipped cream if desired.

The best part about this recipe (besides the taste) is that you can totally make it your own by replacing the freeze-dried raspberries with freeze-dried blueberries or strawberries or even diced fresh fruit. You could even leave the fruit out and change up the pudding flavor (how about chocolate or pumpkin spice) – the options are limitless!

Now let’s talk cake! It’s so moist, the short ingredient list keeps the flavors clean — just like a perfect homemade cake should taste — and the freeze-dried raspberries turn the cake the most lovely lilac color. But the real showstopper is the flavor, warm, melty semi-sweet chips partner perfectly with that tangy, bright raspberry flavor. The first bite is a knee-buckler so be sure to be sitting while you eat!

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cake
Serves 15
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
50 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 4 c pre-made homemade cake mix*
  2. 2 c milk
  3. 1-4 oz package of instant vanilla pudding
  4. 2/3 c softened butter, salted
  5. 1 oz freeze-dried raspberries
  6. 2 t vanilla extract
  7. 1 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
Sweetened Chocolate Whipped Cream ((optional))
  1. 2 c heavy whipping cream
  2. 4 T powdered sugar
  3. a pinch of fine sea salt
  4. 2-3 T chocolate shavings (from a chocolate bar of your choice)**
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9" x 13" glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (I prefer Baker's Joy).
  2. Place freeze-dried raspberries into a food processor and pulse until the raspberries have become a powder.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine pre-made homemade cake mix ((or the 4 ingredients listed below*)). Whisk to combine and add milk, powdered freeze-dried raspberries, instant vanilla pudding and vanilla extract. Using a spatula or large spoon, stir to combine. Be sure to scrap the side and bottom so that all ingredients incorporate evenly. ((The batter will be very thick))
  4. Fold in the chocolate chips, saving 3-4 T to sprinkle on top.
  5. Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
  6. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the center is set and a toothpick (inserted into the center) comes out clean. Begin checking for doneness around 42 minutes.
  7. While the cake is baking prepare the homemade sweetened whipped cream. This step is optional, so feel free to skip. In a medium glass mixing bowl, combine cream, salt powdered sugar and shaved chocolate**. Using a hand mixer, beat on HIGH until the cream becomes stiff and forms soft peaks. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  8. Once cake is finished baking, remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
  9. To serve, top with a dollop of homemade chocolate chip whipped cream if desired.
  10. Serves 15
*To make your own homemade cake mix, combine the following ingredients
  1. 2 3/4 c AP flour
  2. 1 t fine sea salt
  3. 2 1/2 t baking powder
  4. 1 1/2 c granulated sugar
  5. **To prepare shaved chocolate, microplane, zest or finely chop a chocolate bar until you have 2-3T of chocolate shavings.
Adapted from Food for a Year
Adapted from Food for a Year
Sinkology http://www.sinkology.com/

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