Open House 932: Kitchn Cure: Day 1

It has only been in the last few years that I have begun to understand the importance of the kitchen. I'm sure most of us have dozens of vivid memories involving this room. I remember frequently sitting on the counter, bare feet dangling, cracking eggs and adding them to my mom's chocolate chip cookie batter. Often, I assumed this position in my Grandma B's kitchen which happened to be conveniently situated below my own. The woman was a whirlwind. In life, yes, but especially in the kitchen. She would occasionally hand me a spoon filled with her beloved (and nearly impossible to replicate) chocolate icing. And though she rarely offered me spoken words of affirmation, the spoon of icing was a testament to pure love and adoration.

At Grandma Stokes' house (just a hop, skip, and jump across a field), my feet stayed on the ground, but the message was the same. She would bake sugar cookies and invite me to help her decorate. Or she would make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, carefully cutting off the crust to appease me.

In my family, the kitchen was the center of the home. In that room, love and joy were freely expressed.

When hosting parties in our home, I often find that everyone in attendance migrates to the kitchen. In our current house, the kitchen is a tiny space, unable to contain more than three or four people without risking stubbed toes and spilled food. Still, I've seen at least ten people voluntarily gathered there, chatting and eating and laughing.

I've said it before. When we bought our house, we knew a kitchen renovation would be in order. But, over the year, we found other projects, trips, gifts, animals, and emergencies to sink our fiscal teeth into. So it goes. It appears we are looking at another year or two or three before a renovation takes place. And you know what? It's ok. The appliances work, our cabinets are functional, the counter is sturdy. The only major thing that is an absolute must in the coming months is the partial removal of the wall dividing the kitchen and the dining room. But, we'll get there eventually.

In the meantime, I have been looking for little ways to improve the space. The walls have gone from dirty cream to sage green to stark white.

The peel-and-stick floor was pulled up, the stained floor refinished, and a rug thrown down to hide the blemishes.

We added some new hardware, but not all of it. I used burlap to cover the blinds (let's not talk about how those are actually hanging over the windows).

I realized only recently that it has actually come a long way with a little work.

When The Kitchn announced the beginning of their annual "Kitchn Cure," I signed up. Running from September 30 to October 11, an email is delivered (almost) daily to participants' inbox, giving them their "assignment." Each task is designed to help give your kitchen a facelift without requiring an overhaul. It is a perfect kick-in-the-pants for those of us who don't have a five figure renovation budget, who are renting, or who just want to switch things up a bit.

Although it started yesterday, I only just got around to completing the first assignment this evening. That being said, it's not too late to join if you're longing for a little help getting your kitchen cleaned, organized, and gussied up.

I'm going to attempt to blog about my progress. I'd love to hear about yours. If you're interested, just go to The Kitchn Cure and enter your email address.

So, what was the first assignment? Clean out the fridge.