I was over at my friend Liz's house for game night a few weeks ago; before we got into a game of "Mystery Express" (it's like Clue, but on a train), we went through her inspiration binder. She's redoing parts of her already gorgeous bungalow, and has torn out a binder's worth of magazine pages to work from. One idea I particularly liked was this mirrored kitchen backsplash, as seen in House Beautiful.
You should really check out the full article, because the kitchen is EENSY but still efficient and beautiful.
As we all know, putting a mirror in a small space is a common way of opening up that room. It reflects light, and tricks the eye into thinking that we're looking further back into the space or perhaps out a window. (Or if you're a parakeet, it tricks you into thinking there's another person in the room and then you attack them.)
But we don't usually think about putting in a mirror in the kitchen. I know I often look pretty crap when I'm cooking: the steam rising up from the food makes my hair go all frizzy, my makeup melts a bit... But if you can deal with that, your kitchen's style can really benefit from a little reflection. Though renters may not be able to install an actual mirrored backsplash like in these examples, you can still put up a hanging mirror -- or maybe a bunch of them!
Mirrors in the kitchen can have the drawback of needing to be cleaned a little more often, but the upside is that the cleaning is extremely easy. They can also reflect countertop clutter, so they work best if you tend to have more minimalist counters.
Overall, I think that this can be a cheap and easy way to bring a little glam into a room that's rather task-oriented. Plus, you can check for food in your teeth before heading back out after a meal...
Via Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful, Two Tall Girls, and More Than Glass.
Thanks for the cred, sister! That tiny kitchen in House Beautiful blew me away - only 46 sq feet?! A glorious example of how smart & creative planning can turn any tiny ass space into one that works. I love my binder, and i love your blog - it's given me lots of new inspiration!
ReplyDelete- Lizzie O.
ugh - don't you love dream kitchen photos? such inspiration. I love the tiny kitchen at the top best.
ReplyDeleteWAY cool idea in reality too... I put a mirror in my kitchen about a year ago, a big one leaning against a wall next to my sink.. I got the idea on a walk.. noticed a tiny house with a kitchen sink facing AWAY from gorgeous ocean view had put a mirror so that it covered the window that was above the sink... now crappy cement fence view was replaced with ocean!
ReplyDeleteThe mirror in my house has the added benefit is I do not miss parts of the party (open floor plan) & don't feel soo lonely while doing stuff in the kitchen now!
Oh, that's genius! I love that reflecting-view idea.
ReplyDeletei did get super excited about seeing this one because i remember seeing it featured in a magazine a while back and i absolutely loved it! :)
ReplyDelete