Kitchens for Kids

Chloe's play kitchen has been featured! Check out my kids' blog Little Folk Design to see the details, find new pics of the finished fridge, and oodles more play kitchen inspiration.

Play Kitchen - progress!

I can be impatient. And though it may seem anti-climactic, I have tendancy of revealing projects on this ol' blog while they're still in progress. Like the kitchen and the yet-still-unfinished master bedroom. But what can I say, I don't want to wait until things are perfect and done before I show them to you all - that could take years and then there would be nothing for you to read!!

So here's a first look at Chloe's play kitchen!!! Its 2/3 finished... the last piece, the fridge, still needs a few coats of paint and the doors to be hung before its done. (Ignore the ugly wallpaper and tiny baseboards. The play area is in our soon-to-be-redone basement).




I am ridiculously happy with how this project turned out. We followed the very easy-to-use plans from Ana at Knock-Off Wood but made a few modifications for aesthetics and function. We painted the set in blue-green and marigold yellow (sorry, don't have the paint names handy!). Paired with the chrome handles and ceramic knobs from Lee Valley, it has a bit of a retro 1950's vibe.

Let's look at the sink a little closer, shall we? We scored and found the perfect bar faucet at our local Re-Store for $15. For the basin, we used a metal bowl from the Dollar Store. We had a bit of a mishap and cut the hole out too big originally and so had to find another larger bowl. Lesson learned: its easier to cut a smaller hole and sand or rasp down the sides until its the right size than to cut a too large hole!


We recessed the top face panel and the toe kick just for a bit of interest. Then we added a beadboard backing and a long handle for a tea towel I will eventually sew up.

Then there's the stove! Since we have a gas stove, we decided to make this a mini-gas stove too. Creating the grill was pretty easy. HandyMan took a 1"x2" piece of wood and drilled holes down the centre the same diameter as the dowelling. Then he cut the wood in half along the length and was left with two pieces of wood with semi-circle cutouts. He angled the ends to make sure there were no sharp corners. The burners are little wooden disks we found at Michael's.




My favourite part is the oven! The plans show the oven door hinge at the bottom but we decided to put ours on the side. This way, Chloe can open the door and stand in front of the stove while she puts things in and pulls things out. We also thought the bottom hinge might mean the door could fall open more easily and slam on Chloe's feet - a definite no no. We put a magnetic latch and Chloe has easily learned how to open the door with a little tug.



We were struggling with the inside of the oven - I really wanted a pull-out shelf that would mimic the movement of a real oven rack. Unfortunately, the slide mechanism would get in the way of the oven door so we had to find another solution. Cleaning up after dinner one day, I came across a great compromise - we could use a cooling rack that looked like a real oven rack. I just happened to have one that was the perfect size! We held it in place using four eye hooks.



To add to the realism, I decided to put a push-on LED light in the stove. And here it is, in use, as Chloe bakes a cake!


Man, I could go for a piece of cake right now :) More details on the rest of the kitchen and other small changes I've made in the playroom to come...

Play Kitchen Progress

I've been working on the play kitchen when ever I can get a spare moment. Its been such a fun project. I'm getting more comfortable with the power tools but I still have to say my favourite part is the decorating and accessorizing. With the base cabinet for the sink built, I could finally get into the fun stuff - picking handles and knobs and fabric.


We found this faucet at the Habitat ReStore. It was the perfect teeny tiny size and only cost $15. Score! For the handles, we made a trip to my favourite source for cabinet hardware - Lee Valley Tools. Lee Valley is a DIY dream store. Its full of all sorts of tools and gadgets and gear for woodworking and gardening. Their online catalogues are worth a look and you can order many things online and they deliver internationally.


We ended up picking this handle. It'll be used for the play stove door and the fridge door. I really love the vintagey look of the hardware. The rivets on the handles give a utilitarian look I quite like. We got these knobs for the dials on the stove, and we picked up this long handle to act as a rod for a dish towel on the side of the play sink.


And here is the fabric I picked. Its so yummy I could eat it up!! The fabrics are from the Meadowsweet 2 collection by Sandi Handerson for Michael Miller fabrics. I purchased a bundle of five 1/2 yard pieces and an extra yard from etsy seller freshsqueezedfabrics. I hope to sew a cover for the opening under the play sink, make coordinating tea towels, and maybe an apron for Chloe too! Pretty ambitious considering I haven't sewed anything in 5 years... and I'm not even sure where the sewing machine is... and if I did find it, I don't know if I could remember how to thread it! I guess power tools aren't the only things I need to practice with.

HandyGal?

Amongst our friends and family, HandyMan is the go-to-guy for power tools (you have seen his garage, right?). Now I know how to use some of the tools but usually, when I do, HandyMan is right there by my side, telling me what to cut, how to measure, and how to build whatever project we're working on. I've never really had a project all my own (one that required power tools, anyway) but I hope to change that before the summer's end.

I read a lot of blogs and sometimes I see the ladies getting right in there, down and dirty with the tools. Like Chris at Just Beachy. See this kitchen island? Yup, she built it.

She has also built a pergola, wainscotting, bathroom tiling, reupholstery and sewing... I could go on and on. Her house is a DIY masterpiece, and she does all of it - design, execution, build - on her own (though hubby does help with some of the heavy lifting).

DIY Diva is another blogger I've mentioned before. She and her guy are currently turning an old gas station into a gorgeous country home - complete with donkey shed. Need to know how to hang wallboard by yourself - on the ceiling - and you're only 5'2? She'll show you how its done.

She can also show you how to build a picnic bench, lay fence posts, build crown molding and other tough tasks. If that weren't impressive enough, she has a tool collection that makes HandyMan weep with envy.

Pretty Handy Girl is one my newer blog reads, but oh, she definitely lives up to her name! Here's two of her great projects: a garden bench made from a headboard and footboard, and a cozy reading nook built in a closet!


Seeing all these projects has got my gears going! I want to build! I want to buy lumber! I want sawdust flying in my face! So what do I hope to tackle? Well, I want to do this kitchen playset from the plans by another handy gal, Ana from Knock-Off Wood.



You've seen Ana's site, right? It is chock-full of plans to make furniture inspired by the likes of Pottery Barn, Ikea, West Elm and more. The plans seem straight-forward and easy. Just what I'm looking for. I mean, look at how The Crafting Chicks took Ana's 2D plans and used them to make this 3D thing of beauty:



Isn't that the CUTEST play kitchen ever?! Oh, how I would have loved to have this as a kid. And if Chloe's lucky, she will have one too, made by me.