My Modern Kitchen Corner

Anyone who steps in my house figures out within about 3 seconds that I love retro and modern designs.  When I moved into my home, my old dining set didn’t match at all—and I was thrilled about this. It gave me a chance to search out some wonderful new pieces, and create a space where I love to sip coffee, eat, visit with friends, and work.

I live in Arlington, just outside of Washington D.C. Arlington is very urban, and most houses here run smaller than they do in much of the rest of the country. My 1940s townhouse is cozy, and a nook in the kitchen is the only dining space. I needed to maximize it.

I knew when I first saw the kitchen that a round pedestal table would be the best solution for the smallish space. The center support maximizes seating capacity, as without the legs I can easily pull up another chair if I need to sit five (or even six) people in a pinch. My favorite furniture store is Room & Board, and I absolutely love the Aria table I found there. It comes in loads of different table tops, and there are three bases. I went with the marbled white quartz composite and white base.  For chairs, I decided on a classic, and you don’t get much more iconic than the Eames molded plastic side chair.  They are functional and comfortable to sit in for hours at a time.

I personalized the space with family pieces that make me think of people I love. I discovered the vintage yellow candle holders at my grandmother’s house after she died, still in their original box.  My guess is that someone gave them to MawMaw and she didn’t like them, but no matter. They are just fabulous in my kitchen. The mid-century modern teak ice bucket was also hers.

The “G” on the wall was made by my dear neighbor. I think she should sell them. My dad helped me hang white shelves on the wall, and I filled them with a mix of aqua and yellow retro flea market finds. When you live in a small house, you learn to combine function with decoration. Almost daily I am grabbing a pitcher or sugar bin down from the shelf.

I had so much fun putting it all together. I hope you, too, will create a kitchen you love.

Shopping:

Room & Board Aria Modern Round Table | Eames Chairs | Glass Hen Dish | Fiesta Large Disk Pitcher | Milly Gabby Polka-Dot Silk Tie-Neck Dress