Tiny French Country Kitchen

My tiny galley kitchen is only eight by ten feet with three doors and one window. 

So, there's not a lot of usable space. I have to make the most of what I have. 

And that means adding French Country charm with light, height and nostalgia.

For some reason (probably plumbing related) a previous owner had installed a false ceiling, 

complete with two unflattering flourescent lights.
The ceiling used to stop just above the window frame.

The stock cabinets were stained dark and the countertop 

was muddy brown to match the ugly coppertone fridge.

 It was depressing. Did I mention it was dark? I wish I had a "before" picture.

(Imagine really dark, ugly kitchen here.)

I couldn't do much about the tiny space but I could demo that awful ceiling and raise the ceiling to match the other rooms in the house to ten feet! It instantly felt bigger, or at least more spacious.

With that extra two feet of ceiling space, I now had a new spot for vintage collectibles.

The top of the fridge suddenly had room for a flower bucket of sunflowers,

a large vineyard basket, and a wire container of green apples. 

I'm still not sold on stainless steel everywhere and may stick with my white appliances.

French kitchens usually don't have built-in cabinets 

but rather use separate furniture pieces such as armoires and open shelves. 

A free-standing island now provides extra work space 

and holds lavender in a flower bucket and a white marble slab for baking.

I ripped out the nasty old lighting and added a vintage schoolhouse chandelier; 

later I had my electrician install four pot lights, making the space much brighter. 

I also removed the heavy Roman shades and hung vintage lace curtains. 

I installed lighter Corian countertops and painted the cabinets creamy white. 

Ahhh. Much better.

The shelf above the sink holds some of my ironstone collection.

Soft yellow walls feature some French Country artwork and a yard-sale chippy mirror 

while pots hang on a black iron rack.

Sure, I wish I had a farmhouse sink and French doors with a view of the garden

but this kitchen reminds me that this house was built more than a hundred years ago, 

before there were double ovens and dishwashers.

And it's that sense of history that French Country is all about.

Sharing With:  Dwellings, Rustic & Refined, Cedar Hill Farmhouse,
Knick of Time, Savvy Southern Style, Vintage Nest