I am thrilled to have my dye kitchen completed! Here is my new and improved stove top area. I had my son build a counter with a bead board back splash. The stove top itself was a thrifted appliance and it was a gold color. I bought some enamel appliance paint and gave it several coats of white. Will it make it through all the heat and wear and tear of dragging heavy pots on it? Who knows! The Home Depot paint guy said that it should be good for high heat. The worse that can happen is that it will look very distressed. Maybe even industrial! We shall see. It will still be better than what it was.
There was an aluminum label stuck to the top. I removed it before painting the stove top, and decided to hammer some lettering into it: PRIMITIVE SPIRIT. Now it adds a fun touch to the piece.
Underneath I needed lots of room for my many large dye pots, so I had Nate leave it open and install a dowel to hold a curtain. I found the perfect piece of old bark cloth from my collection. It needed minimal cutting (as I hate cutting up old pieces if I can help it. They are so precious!) and sewing to make it into my cabinet curtain.
I am taking my time with decorating the walls. But one item that I have been planning to have in the dye kitchen is this vintage metal and wood towel rack. It is perfect here over the sink. Today it is drying two new skeins of yarn that I spun.
I realized that there is something very familiar about this dye kitchen set up. With the old sink in front of the two windows and covered porch beyond, it is very reminiscent of my grandmother’s kitchen. I can feel that space here.
She loved to look out her windows to the tree-lined pond in the backyard, where turtles liked to sun themselves on the fallen tree trunks. I can hear her whistling a song, and imagine her pulling out her binoculars to get a closer look at a tiny creature.
Nostalgia overtakes me! How interesting that I have created this space!
Have a creative day ~ Karen
Enjoy your new dye kitchen. It’s lovely!
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It’s almost too pretty to use. I wish you many happy colors from your beautiful dye kitchen!!
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A fabulous finish! And I love that you hammered in “primitive spirit”! Very unique!
Tracey
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A place of dreams……..sigh!
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Love your new dye kitchen–Lucky you to have such a neat space to play!
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Brilliant to have the stove top designed to Your height specs. Altogether charming.
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you noticed! thanks for commenting. yes, we worked that out so it would be easier for me to lift the pots and dump the contents in the sink.
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Very nice! Love the space below as well. Perfect place to store your dye pots. I see lots of new colors in the future. Enjoy!
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wonderful space!
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thank you all for your well wishes! i am so excited to finally have a dye kitchen. i am not making any promises, but maybe now i can get that dye book together!
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oh lovely, lovely! what a perfect place to dye and to glance back and revisit grandma’s kitchen…
rebecca
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nostalgia is a powerful force for creativity!
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First…i love the dye kitchen!! It is my dream to have my own “creative space” and i am jealous!! hee hee…second, where did you find the stamps to use on metal? I have looked everywhere and can’t find them…when i ask, they look at me so strangely! What are they called?? Thanks!!
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it is an alphabet stamping set for hammering on metal. i bought mine at harbor freight for a very reasonable price. if you don’t have a local store, i believe they sell online. thanks for your nice post and good luck at finding the stamp set.
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Isn’t it such a gift to be able to create a space from scratch with all that you hope for it to be?! It’s beautiful, Karen. I love the curtain you made and the hammered label for the stove top. I adore bead board and it looks perfect where you have it. To think how many hours you will enjoy yourself in that space doing what you love! I’m very happy for you. š
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thanks! the process was very challenging because 3D space is tricky. scale is important, and having enough space without making it into a huge cave. i was very nervous about it. i am so happy that it worked out!
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I’m insanely jealous of this.
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i shall take that as a high compliment!
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How neat is this area?! I am envious. All my dyeing is done on the kitchen stove, in the kitchen – the kitchen stove that also helps me prepare food for 5. To have my own little area for play would be wonderful. Thanks for sharing. ~Ann
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i do understand your dilemna. hang in there!
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Good Morning Karen,
I love what you did to your dye kitchen especially the recycled stove top, very ingenious!
I too am fortunate to have a space…a “Mother-In-Law” kitchen in my basement, which has been reclaimed as a dye kitchen! Going into my 2nd year of marriage my new husband is very understanding of my need to “play” and has graciously given up rooms for my creative endeavors. Your kitchen has given me inspired thoughts to liven up my play room with a new coat of paint! Here we go again….
Thanks for the continued ideas of recycling and renewing!
Sheri
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thanks for the comment and for the glimpse into your creative space. paint is a great way to give a room a facelift. have fun with your new ideas!
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