Step up on the deck and into the back porch.
The back porch is also the laundry room, the pet food storage area, the greenhouse, and the home of the not so smelly litter box (I found some new litter!).
Notice the ceiling color. Everyone said I should paint the ceiling, but I couldn’t cover that gorgeous color (vintage, faded turquoise). I already had that glass piece that we used in our other house.
Here’s the back door. In this old house, I’ve learned to improvise. Yes, that really is a “baggie” taped over the cat door.
As you enter the kitchen, your eye goes to this corner. I love my magnetic knife strip. It saves space and is so handy. Since I needed more drawer space in the kitchen, I painted the tall chest next to the stove. (It is really a lingerie chest that I’ve had since the 1970’s.) The curtains were made by moi!
These plates belonged to my mother-in-law, and were displayed in her kitchen for a long time. I hung them back where they were originally.
Here’s the area above the stove. Notice the magnetic spice containers on the refrigerator. The large butter mold belonged to my grandmother.
This is the other corner of the kitchen. The cabinets are over 50 years old. They were painted inside and out with Valspar Oil-based Ultra White High Gloss paint before we moved in. We also put new laminate, beadboard, and cork floors in the kitchen. Sorry, I cannot find the name of the wall paint, but the odd thing was that we discovered that the kitchen had been painted almost the same shade of green at one point.
Look at this sweet thing. This shot gives you a good view of Henry as well as the cork floor.
In another corner are some of my cookbooks. I collect them and read them like novels.
The most modern thing in our kitchen is our coffee machine. It’s a super automatic espresso machine. We could not live without it. Worth every penny.
Here’s our chalkboard. I use it for seasonal displays as well as notes to myself. Big notes.
From here you enter the dining room of our house, which I’ll show you another time. I hope you enjoyed your tour today. Did you spot something that our kitchen does not have?
peggy says
January 11, 2015 at 5:02 pmJane, your home is just gorgeous…I wouldn’t have a problem with the size at all..remember you have landscape for adding rooms if necessary…your garden would be lie heaven to me…I love the outdoors…if we had the space I would have a garden such as yours…just viewing your outdoors gives me peace..desire to get up off the sofa n do something outside…your projects are inspiring also…your little place is just heaven on this earth…God bless you n Leo in your cottage at the crossroads life..again it is so inspiring to view your site…Peggy
Mary @ Ms Redo says
August 29, 2012 at 3:29 pmMicrowave? Didn’t see one, is that what’s missing? We’ve gone without one for various periods of time and I personally don’t miss it, but the teens now have to have one for popcorn 🙂 Love your gorgeous kitchen, and so glad you didn’t paint over that turquoise paint in the laundry room! Mary
Kaye Huggins Howell says
July 24, 2012 at 11:43 amOh my gosh!!!!I LOVE your website. I love riding by the crossroads everyday looking at the cottage to see what you have added and now I have this to look at. What awesome pictures of your home. It looks just like I imagined.
Sandy says
March 17, 2012 at 11:28 pmHi,
I found your blog by seeing your comment on Debbie Doo’s space. I love your home! So warm and inviting and loads of history! I really love your kitchen and Henry is adorable! I can’t wait to see some of your garden photos this summer. I also really like the ceiling on your back porch. I wouldn’t have painted over that either. I’m a new follower.
~Sandy
Jean Windham says
February 4, 2012 at 1:14 pmI love the tour and everything sure looks pretty. You and Leo have have made wonderful changes to the home place. I think I may have submitted a comment earlier on Woody’s laptop but I am writing another one. I know you are both proud of all the changes and it is certainly nice for you to share it with the family and now your blog. Congrats on completing a year of blogging. Where does the time go???????? Jean
sabrina says
February 3, 2012 at 10:48 amJane love it! Green is my favorite color in a home. Great job for making small spaces look gorgeous!
Maura says
January 21, 2012 at 5:29 pmHello Jane,
I just discovered your blog this afternoon and for the life of me I can’t remember how I found it but I’m glad I did. What a lovely story about the farm being in your husbands family since the 1700’s…talk about family history! I’ve enjoyed looking around your home but I will have to come back to finish the tour. I just had to write to you and tell you how much I like your kitchen…I love green and white. We still have our kitchen and back porch to renovate…one day but we’re not in a hurry and we’re not going to get carried away..just paint etc. We also have a cat called Henry only he is a gray tabby 🙂 We also have an old porch on the back of the house that has the washer and dryer in it although yours appears a bit larger. They sure are handy aren’t they but they sure collect a lot of stuff LOL! I love your screened porch…can’t wait to see that post but for now I have to go and make supper. I hope you and your hubby have a wonderful evening 🙂
Maura
Jackie says
December 18, 2011 at 10:46 pmI’m a little late, but so glad I stumbled across your blog… cute kitchen!! I love the black and white, and the green adds just the right accent! Kitty Henry is the best accessory!!
Nancy (dreamitbuilditstyleit.blogspot.com) says
July 25, 2011 at 5:45 amI’m so glad you stopped by as it led me to your wonderful blog. The kitchen is fantastic. I also have a the original kitchen in my 1964 home. We stained the wood a walnut color and changed the counters. I love all the green, it’s all so pretty!
Marsha says
July 14, 2011 at 12:01 pmWhy would anyone suggest you paint the porch ceiling?? That’s the BEST part. Love the color and the vintage feel it brings to the room. YUMMY!
Pat says
July 1, 2011 at 9:10 pmHi Jane! (and Leo) …
I love this kitchen~ It feels like home to me.
I spotted that you do not have a dishwasher or a Microwave either? I think your kitchen is wonderful.
I’ve got an old house– at one time it was a farmstead– belonging to a family that has lots of roots in these parts. Not our family. But if some one asks me where I live I say…in the Ol’ Tedder place and they say– which Tedder’s first, then we narrow it down from there! Ha!
I’ll be coming back and visiting your blog more I just know it. Thanks for stopping by Corninmycoffee-pot.blogspot.com
I’m sure we’re going to have a lot in common!
Nice to meet you. Pat
Gina says
July 1, 2011 at 9:09 pmYour kitchen is so pretty! I love that green paint…such a great color. The beadboard backsplash is perfect & I, too, collect & read cookbooks like novels. Thanks for stopping by my blog today, I’m your newest follower.
harriett grady says
April 23, 2011 at 10:26 amNo dishwasher I do not have one either!
Love it especially the CAT!
Sandra says
April 19, 2011 at 8:27 amlove it! I especially LOVE the green ceiling. your home is just adorable! I love every corner.
Sweet Bee Cottage says
March 14, 2011 at 9:42 pmOh I’m so glad you invited me over to see your chalkboard because I saw lots of things I LOVE! (I’m not even counting the chalkboard in that!) That green is just gorgeous. Our house was built in 1951 and we still have the original cabinets. Our tile counter is original too – but I would LOVE to change it to black – soapstone would be perfect, but that’s not happening. I love the green with the black and all your clever storage ideas. Cute lingerie chest. Can I guess, was it originally white with gold accents? Looks kind of familiar. I love the vintage plates too. They look just absolutely perfect with the colors you chose. My mom is redoing my grandparents little house for just her and she will have white cabinets, black counters, and green accents. I can’t wait to show her yours! Love the curtains too and the little lamp above the sink. Okay I’m going to go now before I embarrass myself. LOL
Nancy Miracle says
February 19, 2011 at 10:22 pmDo you not have a dishwasher? I love your black, white and green kitchen. I should have remembered that when you were helping me pick out fabric. Thanks for your help. You have so many great decorating ideas!!!
Dee Jackson says
February 17, 2011 at 11:26 amI love your southern house. I am so glad I came across your blog. I look forward to the gardening posts. I want to come visit. haha.
I am from the south and I have always dreamed of going back and finding a cottage to fix up. Love it!!!!
Susan in SC says
February 16, 2011 at 3:07 pmJane, I love your back porch and kitchen! The green is the same color that my mom had every room in the house painted when I was growing up! Of course, Henry is my favorite picture. He’s purr-fect for a country house. I have so enjoyed looking at your pictures. I have plates hanging in my house – wonder if that is an Oconee trait we share?! LOL! How clever you are to use the lingerie chest in your kitchen. I might have to borrow that idea. And, I love your magnetic spice containers, your frog welcome sign, the heart banner, just everything!! Thanks for sharing it with us!