la cuisine parfaite

Anoushka and Jack eat breakfast at the bar. Big kids. 

Jack and I went up to Seattle a few weeks ago to visit my brother and his wife and my beautiful niece Anoushka. They recently remodeled their kitchen and I was anxious to see what they had done. My sister in law loves to cook. She's from India, and she knows her way around the spice rack. I was completely inspired by their new kitchen. Every detail had been thought of. The biggest change (to me), besides how aesthetically pleasing it is, was how easy and intuitive it was to cook in their kitchen (I made cereal). Everything was where it should be, and easy to access. I was inspired to make some changes in our kitchen too. 

Jack and Anoushka watch the big kids dive into Lake Washington

Since we moved in I've "suffered" with our kitchen sink. The faucet never quite worked right. It leaked, and never turned all the way. The sink was a stainless steel double sided dealie that NEVER looked clean, and was too small to clean a pot or a pan. I know you are scanning the site for an 800 number to donate to my cause. How on earth does someone live like this?!?!?! 

As luck would have it the faucet finally died once and for all the other day. Roberto confirmed it. There was no fixing it. Nipper Knapp suggested I pick out a new sink when I went to get the faucet. He figured if he was going to get under there and open up a new tube of caulk, he might as well do it all. Yahoooooooo!  I picked out a double sided white enamel cast iron sink with a low center divider. I can soak my cashmere sweaters, and wash long handled pans. Free at last! Free at last! Thank god almighty, I'm... oh, sorry. 

I'd love an apron front farm sink, but they cost more than moses, and would have required a cut in the granite.

They also had these nice rugs in front of their sink, stove, and long runners, going across the most heavily travelled route from the kitchen door to the rest of the house. We have a decomposed granite patio, and path, in the yard. I asked for it specifically because I wanted it to look like Versailles. Uh, yeah. Well, I wanted it to look like a nice European something. But it doesn't. It wasn't the right color, that warm peachy sand color. It's basically just a giant litter box for the neighborhood cats. We are going to remedy this with some flagstone and pea gravel, just as soon as we have the money, the time, and the... oh let's be honest, as soon as we can afford to have Roberto do it. The other big problem with the DG, is that it's sandy, and the grit tracks into the house. Poor me. I know. I will have Laurie Metcalf make an infomercial about my family's plight as soon as possible. 

This is not my backyard. If it was, that whole fountain would be filled with stray cat poop. 

I found these perfect rag rugs from Crate and Barrel. The Sangria rug. (They're on sale right now, and will prolly be gone, soon, soon, soon) They've got the orange just enough orange to go with the rest of the kitchen, and just enough hot pink and purple to look crazy and mismatched, which makes me happy. 

Next stop pull out drawers. We had them in the loft we lived in BJWB (before Jack was born). I think it's the last thing I can do short of you know actually remodeling the kitchen, to make ours more workable. Finally I'll be able to find my pots and pans without getting down on the kitchen floor. Finally I'll be able to order take out in peace! Call Save The Children. Tell them I'm fine.