making this kitchen our own {stage 2}

I remember when we first walked through our home one of the things we said was that a center island would be great in this kitchen. There seemed to be a useless open space in the middle and really just one good counter spot to work at- right in the corner next to the stove. We cooked in this corner for over a year, bumping elbows as one person cut in the corner and the other cooked at the stove. What a difference it made as soon as we put in the island a couple weeks ago. Not only is it great for cutting and prepping, but it's so nice being able to sit in the middle as well. One day in a random furniture store downtown we stumbled across this bar (it originally didn't have the wooden top). It was supposed to be a piece of furniture that sat against a wall. It just happened to be the perfect width and I like how it has drawers and cupboards as well as open shelves. We had the butcher block top made custom from Exotic woods in Burlington. I had purchased some wood veneer from them before- they are really knowledgeable and helpful and I highly recommend them for any of your wooden needs. It took us a few days of oiling the wood before we could use it and then when it was finished it looked so nice that we didn't want to cut on it! But in the end we decided that we would cut on it. After all, that's why we got butcher block in the first place. As for the stools, I am going to be refinishing them. I really wanted to have upholstered stools so we could add some fabric to the room. We found these on kijiji and I think we will paint the legs white and add some patterned fabric to the seat.

The chandelier is the other new addition to the room. I knew I wanted a chandelier, but thought something elegant or feminine would be a nice contrast to the brick and wood. Although it's not really what I had in mind, I came across this cast iron chandelier and I think it looks right at home. The office down the hall from my studio will be converting the front section of their space into a vintage shop. They have been bringing in tons of stuff in preparation to open for March (I think they'll open at the march art crawl if you're interested). I peaked my head in and spotted this beauty amongst all the stuff. After some quick research online I believe it's 1920's french Gothic...but I don't know for sure. The scalloped cap at the ceiling is perhaps that little bit of femininity I was hoping for- my favorite part of the whole chandelier. And tomorrow, we start removing cabinet doors.