Gotta Love No. 61 - Kitschens. What are they?

 

Pink Gooseberry. Butterly Gold. Spring Blossom. Aqua Snowflake Garland. These are words that have made a lover of kitsch spin around faster than one can imagine. They are patterns of vintage Pyrex which has become a sought-after list-topper. And has helped to launch the term "kitschen", one of the trends for 2024. 

Kitsch is defined as "art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way". Who decides what excessive garishness is? I believe that if we design our homes telling our biography, true to ourselves, all of us will have a bit of kitsch that will be appreciated in an ironic or knowing way. Presented the way we define excessive garishness - in other words selecting "less is more" or "more is just right". 

I have always been a kitchen gadget girl and one who loves to mix and match dishes. My first home, built in the 1960's was a cute two-bedroom cottage-like home with a tiny kitchen. I painted the existing brown cabinets the perfect shade of lipstick red and papered the walls with a large-scale floral wallpaper and it fit right in with my mixmatch style. I needed it to be fun. Cooking and baking should be fun. Not only the surroundings but every measuring spoon, bowl, pot, pan, appliance. Whatever that means to you, whether you tuck these fun things in a drawer or cabinet or display them. Fun like using a mixing bowl that belonged to your granny no matter the color, fun means using an artsy spoon you found in that tucked away shop aboard, fun means enjoying the memories these items create or bring to mind.

Illustrated ceramics, mismatched glassware, bistro dinnerware, linens with vintage designs, appliances in bold hues, granny's blue willow mixed with altered art plates, glass doored cabinets displaying vintage Pyrex. This defines the elements of kitschens. And it all can happen with the backdrop of a neutral palette on the walls, floors, and cabinetry or against whatever garish color palette you choose. 

Call it nostalgic and retro - but it will never lose its real place as the heart of the home. Celebrate in your way this trend of the kitschen, however it warms your heart and home. Even if it's just those brightly colored dish towels.

Bon Appetit! Be inspired.

Sources: Anthropologie, BHG, Etsy, Studio Soph, Domino Magazine, Pinterest

Well Dressed Home No. 67 - French Bistro Shelves

 

I wish I could make this post a scratch and sniff. Let's imagine the aromas that ignite us from the moment we walk into a French bistro and like most good memories, let us also think about bringing that delight into our own homes.

The experience of a French bistro is daunting. There is so much to take in and it takes all five of our senses. Luckily, the French lifestyle beckons us to take our time, there's no rush. 

After the initial pause to take in the sensation of the breads, coffees, and casual French traditional foods we start to notice. Notice the laid back, coziness of our surroundings and we begin to relax into them subconsciously. We don't catch ourselves smiling off into the distance as we drink in our first eye scan of this experience.  

We don't want to miss even the tiniest detail that must be embedded into our soul for retrieval for many times to come. We are adults playing the I Spy game and loving every moment of it.

Memory retrieval number 1,000 - the French bistro shelves. It's been 15 years since my visit to Paris (not to sound like the Gloria Stuart as Old Rose in Titanic (1997), and I still remember the shelves with their most important job of holding the fresh baked goodies in that bistro. Yes under all the layers of surreality that is the French bistro experience, my eyes caught the bistro shelves and fell in love. And I'm not the only one.

The use of French bistro shelves are yet another way to bring our story into our home. To add a chapter that marries a memory with function. And I love that this chapter is in the kitchen, the heart of the home. Every day we touch these shelves and display well-chosen pieces to sit on them. Just like the French baker proudly displays their handmade provisions. 

The French bistro shelves are the perfect perch for your favorite glassware, vintage or everyday dishware, that near and dear piece of art, or a crock of spoons and bistro white bowls for the late night ice cream attack. 

Rustic or sophisticated, the French bistro shelves are at home with vintage or crystal. Polished or warm brass. 

Relax and enjoy the simple things in life. Next stop, the local bakery!

Stay tuned for my obsession with French bakery cabinets.

Resources: The Linen Rabbit, Style at Home, Studio-McGee, Amuneal Manufacturing, William Sonoma, Pinterest