Marcia, Marcia, Marcia

I’ve had lots of inquiries about just how the kitchen (la cucina, in Italian) is coming along. When asked, my answer has been mixed; we got the work on the south wall done, the cabinets in and plumbing taken care of in good time. Things went fairly smoothly, except for our one period of waterless-ness. But, since then things have been moving “molto lentamente” (very slowly).
Today, right now as I write, the floor is the issue. We (and by that I mean Jay) are still scraping and chiseling away at the gooey remnants of too many years of kitchen carpet. When we purchased our house back in 1980 the kitchen came complete with flowery blue wallpaper. This garden of delight was off-set on one wall by a matching pattern; a lovely striped paper of the same bright blue, yellow and orange. Our floor covering was a near-electric blue bandana sort of print blocked out in squares. This tied very well into the bright yellow bathroom, just off the kitchen of which the highlight was an orange countertop.
Quicker than immediately I tore into the wallpaper, replacing that ‘70s show with a tasteful, tiny little rust colored heart print. The woodwork shifted to neutral and the disco dance floor was replaced by a woodblock print carpet (yes carpet). Trust me, it was a huge improvement. Since that first re-design the space has seen two additional carpet applications, one berber, another berber and several changes of color. So, let’s count, first there was bright blue goo, then faux parquet goo, tan berber goo and finally green berber goo (which is really a yellow color).
That’s lots of goo to get gone. Hey, maybe that’s what we need, a big old bottle of “Goo Get Gone.” Wow, that’s exciting to think about, but sadly, as we have found, they haven’t invented it yet. The only “Goo Get Gone” that works is Jay, his inch-and-a-half wood chisel and some elbow grease.
In his spare time Jay has been camping out on the floor of la cucina, leaning on one arm, scraping with the other. The good news is, he’s 90 percent done ... we will be sanding soon, then applying a protective coat of something to the rustic pine planks. I like how it looks, I like that the floor will be a shade or two lighter than my cabinets, it shows them off nicely.
Speaking of my cabinets, they are lovely, they are perfect and I can’t believe they are mine. Milford Doell and Kevin Blum made them over at Custom Wood Products in Henderson. We had them built because we have a custom house ... nothing is straight, nothing is centered; and like its inhabitants, nothing is normal.
My cabinets are tall, up to the ceiling. They are shaker style, stained a dark, dark chocolate. They are crowned with molding. I picked out rustic black hardware for them. They are beautiful and they are tight ... I’ve spent lots of time just opening and shutting. The soft sound of the doors and drawers closing is relaxing ... not jarring like the old cupboards. No longer am I standing on my head, “diving for Tupperware.” I just pull out my pull out and there (amazingly) it is.
The countertops in cucina mia are a light gold with dark chocolate flecks that match the cabinets. The walls are painted light gold, as is the wainscoting on the back splash. Other improvements to the space include the addition of a full-size dishwasher and my mother’s very stately plaster rooster which stands about two feet tall. My stove and sink were in great repair; they stayed, but were upgraded to first class as far as surroundings go. Thanks to my father-in-law Rob I’ve added a vintage metal cupboard with five shelves and a door. I’ve also repainted an old rusty metal stool and been gifted two very cool crocheted pot holders as a kitchen warming present by a good friend.
Guess you could say the theme of cucina mia is bit European, old world that is. Anyhow, I can’t wait until it’s done. I’m planning a party for friends and family. Friends and family who understand from whence I came, kitchen-wise. Friends and family who were there during the years when I had no cupboards at all, for they will appreciate, as I do, just how wonderful my new kitchen is. I can’t wait to greet them, “Si prego, benvenuto a cucina mia.”