Renovation Tapas- a "Before and After" small bite.

 This is a "Before and After Lite".

Just a small bite in this very large renovation pie.

But, when we gave the kitchen it's new face, there was that last bit, the last wall and back hallway with the two walk-in pantries left unfinished when the holidays began. When Youngest and I got back to work after the New Year, we started on the snug, a large project, and I kept this one aside for a day when we were at a waiting point on the bigger effort. 

We picked up the floor for the snug from the sawmill, HeartPine Company in Amherst, VA and it is in the  snug in piles, getting acclimated to humidity and temperature in the space before we lay it down. 

So, the perfect opportunity thus presented, time for that last bit. 

A reminder of where we began.

The Foxcroft kitchen at close. The "last wall" in question in this Before and After, is the one on the right with the old-timey phone on it and the cranberry colored wallpaper at the bottom. Plus the short hall behind it that leads past the pantries to the boot room. 

The phone was functional at one time. Not a real antique, but certainly a statement. It sticks out pretty far into the space to the left side of the awkwardly placed stove. The room behind the phone was once the laundry room, but is now another storage pantry.
 And, yes, there is a border. This one of cross-stitch alphabet, hearts and houses. 

Since we are still in a pandemic, this is a cosmetic renovation of the kitchen only, until we can do a more comprehensive one. But, I now enjoy being in the kitchen at Foxcroft. 

The wall of toleware trays was something I've wanted to do for years. The most spectacular one, the large round tray was painted by my grandmother, Betty. It fairly glows. Four of the others are from an auction, painted in the 1960s by "EHP".  The other two are from a Goodwill and a wonderful shop- a new local favorite: Circa. The blue and white plate is a place holder until I find just the right black toleware tray for that space.

The dark indigo blue is chalkboard. I will undoubtedly start writing on it sometime, but for now, I like it's crisp officiousness. It feels very Americana, preppy and grown up. 




My chalkboard wall in the back hall at Cowfeathers was a personal favorite that I enjoyed adding to whenever the mood struck.  Is Foxcroft too grown up for doodling? 


I'll let you know after the mood strikes!