The Loveliness of Elegant Simplicity in the Kitchen

Recently, Elizabeth Foss announced a series of Loveliness Fairs to be hosted by different "lovely" bloggers around the internet. The first Loveliness Fair was on the topic of the loveliness of elegant simplicity in the kitchen. A sweet lady named Meredith hosted this first fair. It was a really wonderful opportunity to read the submissions of the different women who had something lovely to say about how their kitchens, to them, are both elegant and simple. I think I learned that elegant doesn't always mean lace doilies and rosey teacups and that simple doesn't have to mean starkness or without adornment. It was a lot of fun to both read and look at photos.

I thought of submitting an entry (I DO LOVE my kitchen), but didn't quite manage to submit my entry early enough. So, instead, I will go ahead and make my entry here on my blog without submitting it to the fair. Maybe next time. Thought you all might enjoy.

I also would love to see what some of you, my other blogger buddies, have to say about your kitchens, even if it has nothing to do with elegance or simplicity. :) If any of you makes a post, let me know so I can link it here.

MY KITCHEN

As I already noted, I love my kitchen, not because it is anything spectacular (it is not), but because it is a place that makes me happy. My kitchen is an average, ordinary kitchen. Not too big. Not too small. It has a great window and doors overlooking one of my other favorite spots, our backyard. It has plain old pre-fab cabinets, off-white formica countertops and a trusty stainless steel sink. We've replaced the range, the microwave, the dishwasher and the faucet. And my dear husband replaced the worn out vinyl with tile. Nothing state-of-the-art. Nothing that Architectural Digest is going to be knocking down my door to do a spread on. But I love it dearly.




I think the reason(s) that I love it are not so much in it's design or basic contents, but because it is mine (ours) and because I believe I have made it a place that we can enjoy and find "home" in.

I do not consider my kitchen to be what I would generally think of as simple. In the past I thought of simple as meaning minimalist, but maybe not so. In some ways though it is simple. It is simple in that it is not overdone or ostentatious, but homey. It is simple because it's workspaces are mostly free of clutter. It is simple in it's setup. It is simply my favorite space!

I also would never, ever in a million years - I mean NEVER - label my kitchen as elegant. NEVER! I decided to look up "elegant"/"elegance" in the dictionary. It said things like "refined grace," "tasteful richness," and "dignified gracefulness." Still those words don't seem to describe my kitchen, but the more I think about it, I believe I can see where it might have some of these elements - some gracefulness, some tastefulness.

More than being simple or elegant, it is warm, inviting (I hope), interesting and says a lot about the decorator. I know it is my family's kitchen, but it is a reflection of me and the things I love.

* the reds and blues
* the antiques and old things
* my old Coca-Cola collectibles (and some new)
* my lamp that glows warmly in the evenings and on cloudy days
* the light streaming in
* my favorite soap and candles
* the well-used utensils I reach for time and again
* and so on and so forth




One thing that I believe contributes to the elegant simplicity for me is the uncluttered, tidy feeling. I try to keep the kitchen cleaned up so that when I look at it I feel happy about it and not frustrated. That doesn't mean there aren't things on the counters during the day or toys spread across the kitchen table. There are - plenty of them! But at the end of the day I try to get it back in order so that it (and I) are ready for the next day.

I hope my kitchen is always a place of warmth, love and welcoming. It is certainly the center and heart of our home. I pray it gives off a little bit of my heart. It is where I cook and clean for and serve the ones I love most of all. Enjoy your kitchen! And if you don't, maybe reading over the submissions at the Loveliness Fair will give you some ideas of how to make your kitchen a wonderful place.

Next Monday the Loveliness Fair will be on the subject of the loveliness of elegant simplicity in learning spaces. Well, our learning space is, once again, not elegant, but definitely simple - white board and table. We're waiting on the chairs. :)