We are taking a "bit of a risk" in the design of the kitchen with the backsplash behind the stove countertop, as we are going to be using wood paneling. This is a risk in design for a couple reasons as it is both aesthetically a bit different and practically a challenge, since there is obviously going to be oil splashing involved from the pans.
Since the majority of our kitchen is going to be quite white, we have decided to go down this path to bring in some warmth to the room and, since it is a 1960s house, wood paneling fits with the period well. We have other wood surfaces in the house already, where we have tried to preserve original pieces of the home. For instance, the walls of the stairway and the stairs themselves are original, we have just painted them over for the zillionth time. Nearly all the floors in the house are painted wood also, and since they are white, we have to make sure that there are other colors brought in so it doesn't look like an operating theater.
The challenge involved with the wood is that we have to seal it in order to be able to wipe it and stop it from soaking in stains, but we don't know what it is going to look like after. The wood we have chosen is untreated aspen, which is a very light wood, and we are going to add a tint to the lacquer to darken it up, but how much? It has to all be painted piece by piece before installation, so we aren't going to know what it looks like "at scale" until it is on the wall and if we go too dark, it is going to destroy the light of the room, but too light and it is going to be lame.
We are going to try and test it, but for anyone who has painted large areas with bold colors, there is a difference between the patch on the wall and once it is all complete. Part of this is because our eyes and brains can't imagine it larger, but a bigger part is that once the large area is filled, the light from the room is going to interact with it and change all the other colors in the room.
We don't want our kitchen to look yellow, but with a gold tint coming in, it is going to ride the edge a little and we are unsure if it is going to fit with the rest of the house. Luckily, in a worse case scenario, we will just paint over the wood with a filler color, but we are hoping not to have to do this of course, as the finish will never be as good as the first coats.
Much of our house is currently feeling pretty cold, as even though we have renovated it, it is pretty much all just blank surface, with nothing on the walls. This gives it the impression of an office at points, or a mental asylum, but once the kitchen and office are ready, then we will have time to plan some of the interior design. Most likely, I will use some of my own photos to fill walls and might even break out a brush and paint something up. I am not much of a painter, but I can manage something abstract that would be suitable. Perhaps.
I think it is nicer when at least some of the design elements are self-created, as it brings in a personality that is unique to the home owners. Too much of what people do now is cookie-cutter from magazines or the latest season set from Ikea. There is nothing wrong with this of course, but I also feel that people who want to "own their home", should consider making part of their home, even if it is something like knitting a throw rug for the couch.
These little details might not be of the highest quality of what can be bought, but they matter more to the owners, as there is a sunk cost of effort involved, as well as the sentimentality that comes along with it. We have a lot of this in our home as we have done a lot of the work ourselves, but for now, it is largely below the surface, or the surfaces themselves. It isn't the kind of thing that gets noticed, as it is unseen or blends into the framework of the home, even though we know it is there.
Our house is not for other people, it is for us. Meaning that we don't do much to impress those who visit us, as we want to make it a place where we are comfortable to live. We don't spend that much time alone, so the shared spaces are family spaces, so that we can interact with each other and laugh together, or just sit and relax.
As the kitchen (in my opinion) is the heart of the home, I am hoping that it will be brought into the family fold and become a place that we are able to hang out together. The island in the center will help with this I hope, as it will have space for a couple of stools for us to sit and eat breakfast at or inhabit while someone is cooking.
There is an interesting difference in culture with this comparing Finland to Australia, as in Finland, if people are invited to dinner at 6, it is expected that food will be served at 6, meaning guests essentially walk in and sit at the table. In Australia, invite someone around at six and expect to walk into a half prepared meal and have to help finish it off by cutting up ingredients for the salad, or stirring some pots. Though, don't worry, you will be given a glass of wine or a beer as payment for the labor.
I far prefer the Australian way in this, as cooking together brings people closer and the conversation is relaxed. There is something intimate about it, which is perhaps because you are sharing the preparation of what is going to go in each other's mouths. While much of Australia and Finland is surprisingly similar, I feel that the social differences around the way friends and family interact makes the bonds in Finland weaker and, the social circles smaller. Of course, this is a generalization and culture is constantly under the pressure-cooker of change.
Hopefully though, my own micro family (there are only three of us) will always find ways to be close and at some point in the future when Smallsteps is larger, she will carry the ideas of a close family into her life also. While there is so much encouragement to be individuals and disconnect from each other currently, at the end of the day, without that connection to each other, there is little point to life at all, in my opinion. Cooking together is a good way to start rebuilding the bonds of society,
but it seems far easier to order takeout.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Australia sounds very much like South Africa, large number of family and friends gather, normally bring something along with them of late with cost of living.
Share from massive table where everyone is seated, talk over each other catching up on events or news....
Kitchen with wood panels home made becomes a passion job, wood being a warm element for cold country through Winter. Here stone in older homes was used most probably similar to Australia as well, thick walls to keep house cool during Summer.
Size of kitchens in older homes were massive where everyone congregated, having visited the North homes are far smaller in most that I have seen, limiting to numbers you can invite in.
Share from massive table where everyone is seated, talk over each other catching up on events or news....
It is a good time, isn't it?
I miss having family around - my wife's family only do this at Christmas and then, it is more formal.
And yes, I think wood for cold countries and, it tends to be plentiful, as there is so much forest around. Fly over Finland - all you see is forest and lakes.
The kitchens are generally small here, you are right. Many of them are also closed off. WE are lucky, we have a largish kitchen (by local standards) and a dining room attached, so we have the space for a large enough group. Last year, we had two full tables of people for Christmas :)
I think SA is similar to Australia in many ways culturally. Backgrounds are similar.
Plenty of wood in Finland to use, nothing more warming and presentable than light wood well treated which they do so well up in the North.
Gathering of the clans down South before many moved away, always entertaining, electric atmosphere with opinions being discussed, yup most enjoyable! Most definitely no formal affair.....
Why have they moved? (If you don't mind me asking)
Reverse Apartheid with B-BBEE rulings have made opportunities extremely tough for younger generation, many with University Degrees sitting unemployed.
Indeed, the kitchen is the heart of the home. And regardless of the various cultural practices around the world, I would also prefer to have people prepare food and cook together prior to having meals as one group. Not only do friendships, social bonds, and empathetic behaviors become enhanced, but the helpful hormone called oxytocin is also triggered - scientifically responsible for reinforcing relationships among humans. 😊
As for your concern about the wood panels behind your stove countertop, there's a huge tendency that the specific area would become a fire hazard since wood is a combustible material, compromising the safety of your cooking space. A better suggested alternative, in my opinion, would be to use ceramic tiles that look like wood. They are proven to be heat-resistant components, are easier to clean, aesthetically adaptable to various colors and designs, plus are much safer in accident-prone areas like kitchens. 👍
Pretty interesting, isn't it? Think about the difference between the cultures that eat a lot of takeout.
There is a 15cm stone backing before the wood begins, so it should be okay - and we generally don't do any flambe cooking! :D But yes, you are right that it is a bit ofg a fire hazard in some way, but we should be okay in general.
Exactly! Mother Nature and science knows best. 👍
Oh I see. If so, no need to worry as the stone backing will act as a durable shield in case the wooden parts give way. 😊
:)
It is very difficult to pick a stain and hope for the best. Perhaps start a little bit on the lighter side, then you might be able to adjust it with a darker stain before having to resort to painting it. Also a lot of the finish coats will darken the stain, so starting off lighter might be best.
We have tried a single coat and a double coat today to see what suits on test pieces. At the moment, the lighter is winning. We are hoping for a tinge of gold, but nothing shiny.
I hope it works out to your liking, like you said a swatch might look good, but then when the whole wall is the same color sometimes it just does not work. Good luck on it all.
I love the smell and grains of wood. Each is different yet together brings a beauty that creates the ambience of a real home. Members of families are that way. Mom dad and children come together to form the same. Time at the dinner table, doing activities or outings help to form the glue that binds them securely as one. Your daughter will one day remember the impact of those time and replicate it in her life.
I agree. We have some wood in the bathroom and it smells great and feels warm.
It is nice to have family together to just hang out and do not much, other than eat and talk.
In Australia, usually you would bring something for the meal too. Could be a dessert, or some of the salads etc. Especially when it's a big event like Christmas. Even if hosts say, 'Don't bring a thing' - you would still bring wine or bread or even chocolates. There was a great marketing campaign for a box of chocolates years ago, 'The perfect thing to bring when you're told not to bring a thing'.
I got sidetracked; your house sounds fab with the timber accents! My wife and I have a house built in 1980, but a lot of our furniture has a 60s feel to it. One of these days I will need to show you our dining chairs. They were one of our most extravagant purchases, but they are the sexiest things with four legs you're ever likely to see!
I love it when people talk about furniture being sexy!
Righto Tarazkp, tell me these arms and legs ain't doing it for you? Designer was Arnt Lande - think he was Norwegian.
They are nice!
Looks very scandic for sure. They do love to make a decent wooden chair in these parts.
For sure. The other "weird" thing here is, ni friends at Christmas - family only. Though, houses are smaller and it is actually winter, so a bbq in the garden is out of the question :)
But a white Christmas covered in snow - that's a postcard dream!
I experinced that an empty house is colder than a furnished house. Also, carpet is so important to keep the health inside home.
Carpet? Really?
Here, I have never seen carpet in homes, though they use mats in living areas. No shoes in the home here either, and woollen socks are a thing :D
We don't enter any home with shoes here.
In Australia, shoes inside is very common - so is wall to wall carpet.
It is your last paragraph that gets my attention more:
That cooking together isn't just about cooking, right? You not only prepare a menu with the role of each person present there, but also provide a balance in the relationship that exists with each other. It will further strengthen the emotional bond, level of closeness and caring. You will not be able to live alone without the attention and care of others, especially from those closest to you.
You are right, eating together at a restaurant, eating together at a banquet at someone's house and eating together that begins with cooking together are 3 very different things. there is a different feeling and impression when leaving the atmosphere of the three.
Families that cook together, laugh together :D
Going out for dinner is nice on occasion, but there is something far more special about eating in with friends and family.
Just now I was commenting on your brother @galenkp's post about the cultural differences in what you and Latin Americans do on Sundays. And well, when it comes to cooking Latinos are similar to Australians. We are about sharing our food with others, but also inviting them to cook and even guests often bring food to share as well. I agree with you in thinking that the house should be full of spaces that call for seclusion, tranquility, and in that sense, furniture and color are fundamental. It has been proven that colors can make a difference in a space.
PS: This is my new account, my friend. The previous one was stolen. A hug for you from Venezuela, @tarazkp.
I am guessing there is more religious meaning in Venezuela?
No. Some prefer to stay at home, watch TV, watch soccer, be with friends, go to the beach or to the river. Or simply rest, away from any physical activity. Maybe it's a way to recharge energy for Monday. Hahahaha
Wood for me is the ideal material for a family and warm table, no matter its size, although I have also felt lonely, needing my family. The tradition that I know in my country Venezuela and now in Colombia is like in Finland, the food must be ready and served for the guests, but you are right and I think the idea of sharing more with people when preparing food, that strengthens ties, I must learn from the Australians. I will not go on repeating what you have rightly said, I do not want to repeat your words just to fill space and make my comment longer and more attractive. My words are sincere and I celebrate your conviction about preparing the home to please your family. I congratulate you, greetings and blessings to you! 👍
Do you ever invite friends over and cook together? It is a very nice time with a drink in hand and the conversation of the day in the other :)
This actually is right but still the satisfaction will still have to attract a nice look to be comfortable to live in your own taste.
The problem comes if we ever want to sell it :D
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Finland is much like most parts of the United States and always in our house, exactly as you expressed. The company comes at 6 and that is because preparation is half the fun. You talk, have a glass of wine, light a fire in the winter, and set the table for outside in the summer. Whoever sets the table gets to pick the dinnerware. It's fun. It would be rather uncomfortable to get there in time to eat, just like you are in a restaurant.
Yikes.
Does your wife prefer the way you entertain? I suppose she is used to one and likes the other also. I would rather have dinner with family like friends. :) I had a summer home that had a sauna building (we bought it from a Swedish family) and it had wood floors and painted floors upstairs, but, a lot of white and we used pine in the kitchen and in the living room, it was pine walls and ceiling with a hand peeled log across the ceiling. (just Google cool living room and it should come up! LOL) I love the wood and I understand what you are worried about. What is the worse that can happen? You might have to paint it if you don't like it.
I think you will like it. Wood is warm and welcoming. I like stone personally - next house maybe.
I can hardly wait to see it.
Fascinating what you say about the punctual and efficient nature of the Finnish dinner - very much different to here and I can see why you prefer it here more.
Couldn't agree more. We never DIY with resell in mind - well, maybe just a little bit...
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