Tuesday, May 04, 2010

More kitchen help... pretty, pretty please!

I recently posted about my kitchen (click here) and many of you chimed in with ideas to make my space more functional on a $0 budget. I've been watching episodes of HGTV's Spice Up My Kitchen online. I haven't seen them do a new kitchen for less than $50,000. Let me wipe the drool off my keyboard. But back to reality... a dream kitchen won't be happening in my near future.





(the kitchen "before" is what it looks like now)


With everyone's help, I did a mini kitchen makeover in Photoshop with some new colors on the cabinets and minimal structural change.



(the "after" version)


This photoshop fun is addicting. I tried all sorts of colors and ended back with beige and brown. I took out the soffit and added a pendant light over the sink. The tiles are updated with stickers designed specifically for the kitchen (nifty). And check out those roman shades. I found them while searching "roman shades" through Google. I took the picture off someone's blog post. Selecting the shade and deleting the inverse left me with a shade I could work with. I used the skew tool and made the shade fit the window. Then I duplicated the layer for window #2.

Easy, right? I really love these shades and the blog I took them off of said they were $24 each at JC Penny. I went to JC Penny's site and they are discontinued. Ahhh! I've search a bit and have found nothing even comparable.

My idea is to set my readers to the task of finding the shades for me. The incentive is coffee. Or at least a coffee shop gift card of your choice. Post a comment with a link (or links) to an affordable substitute to the window shades shown above. Did I mention an affordable substitute? I'll announce the winner once I've made my selection from your links (in a few days). Keep the ideas coming!


Photobucket

6 comments:

Carissa said...

Ok, since I know you and Martha Stewart run in the same circles (I read your post about making the window into a cork board) I figured you could spend a day with Martha and make your own shades....

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/make-your-own-roman-shades

Then I found a few fabrics that I liked (mind you I do not know how to sew or anything about fabrics). The polka dots are not quite your style but I thought they would be fun to look at while you are washing dishes....

http://www.etsy.com/listing/44592815/sale-lovely-polka-dots-brown-gauze

http://www.etsy.com/listing/30690815/09-fw-new-home-decor-cotton-fabric-ew-w
http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=04fa6799-db0c-42e6-bf32-26f3a2f5e77b&CategoryID=2c8f700e-ac0b-47e0-9ea8-eecc897da995

My favorite is the second one from etsy.com. I should be doing (while at work) So you and Martha have fun crafty bonding time. I will just enjoy the coffee!

Carissa

Ariel Wilson said...

I also found a DIY roman shades tutorial, but on another blog. here is the link:

http://frugalhomeideas.blogspot.com/2009/11/no-sew-roman-shades.html

Here are also some for $17.99 each at Sears:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02408227000P?vName=For%20the%20Home&cName=WindowCoverings&sName=Blinds%20&%20Shades&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a

Hope that helps!

Coleson & Tate said...

What's funny is that I googled "floral roman shade" and the first pic to come up was the tan shade you have but in blue! I was like "Score!" only to find it is also discontinued....darn.

World Market has some fun opions. I am thinking a pop of color might be fun amongst the neutral setting...(which I love the tiles and colors)

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cpwm.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pCPWM-6856164v300x300.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp%3FproductId%3D3876370&usg=__r4BbBP496QikMnPht8-hNxS4fhI=&h=300&w=300&sz=41&hl=en&start=3&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=pDsKMEqwhKhhEM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfloral%2Broman%2Bshades%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1R2ADFA_enUS342%26tbs%3Disch:1

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cpwm.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pCPWM-6856164v300x300.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp%3FproductId%3D3876370&usg=__r4BbBP496QikMnPht8-hNxS4fhI=&h=300&w=300&sz=41&hl=en&start=3&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=pDsKMEqwhKhhEM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfloral%2Broman%2Bshades%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1R2ADFA_enUS342%26tbs%3Disch:1

Andrea said...

joann fabrics has a great fabric that's close to what you want:
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=zprd_02301471a

also, i used to be really afraid to get out of my beige comfort zone, until the latest martha stewart living magazine landed in my mailbox...it's AMAZING! there's an article in there about superneutrals that you might check out - the colors are soft yet fun...and there's a quiz on her website called "what color should you paint your room?" and if you're anything like me, quizzes are just fun to take :o]

here's the links to the pages, and to a sneak peek at the magazine with a $1 off coupon you can print!

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/shades-of-nature

http://martha.zt02.net/zetanextpages/MSLMAY.html#/pageNo=-1;cs=D

btw, i don't know you, but i'm one of sara's high school friends...and your blog is very fun to read!

Anonymous said...

Others think you should make your own. (I have heard they are easy...)
I can watch your kids so that you could shop at Fabric Depot on 122nd. It is so big you are sure to find a fabric you like. You could even use my machines and make them at my house while I keep kids occupied digging in the dirt or swinging. Jenni B

Anonymous said...

wow, great suggestions! All I can offer are the colors I painted my kitchen cabinets (darker) and walls (lighter of same shade)--they look very much the same as your ideas. If you want, I can get the names to you another time. ~ Kelsey
(My word verification was "bugfu". Struck me funny)