I have a soft spot for butcher block countertops. I love their beauty, warmth, how well they go with a variety of kitchen styles, and of course, their affordability. (IKEA’s ever-popular NUMERAR beech countertops start at $129 for six feet.) They do require proper care and maintenance to keep them looking their best, but if you’re okay with that, then it’s a wonderful look for the kitchen.

As the heart of the home, your kitchen deserves to be noticed. With our expert-backed tips, advice, and inspiration you can create your dream kitchen.

This complete main level remodel is a harmonious blend of old-world charm and contemporary flair with a mountain house interior

See inside contemporary artist Farwa Moledina’s U.K. home, where she’s added character and personality to a previously bland new-build.

Watching TV With Magali (And Possibly Some Cats) - July Edition Since my summer holidays began, I've been trying to work on the Cottage a lot. This included several trip to different stores in a non-air-conditioned car in the heat wave we have these days (a Brittany heat wave, nothing inbearable, except in the car), a lot of furniture emptying and moving, long hours spent painting up on the ladder and down on my knees, some swearing and a Cottage that is a total mess. But I was happy with the way things were progressing. Depuis le début de mes vacances, j'ai essayé d'avancer le plus possible les projets que j'ai pour mon Cottage. Cela s'est traduit par de nombreux voyages vers divers magasins dans ma petite voiture non climatisée en pleine vague de chaleur, des meubles à vider et à bouger, des heures passées à peindre perchée sur l'escabeau ou accroupie sur le sol, pas mal de jurons et une maison complètement sens dessus dessous. Mais j'étais heureuse que ça avance. Then yesterday, I woke up at 4 o'clock in the morning and my body was so sore I couldn't move in my bed... So I decided to let it go, take a day off, enjoying iced tea in the garden. Et puis, hier à quatre heures du matin, j'ai ouvert un œil et j'avais tellement de courbatures partout que je ne pouvais pas me retourner dans mon lit. Du coup, j'ai décidé qu'une journée de pause était nécessaire. J'ai siroté du thé glacé dans mon jardin... Mais il va falloir attendre un peu pour voir des photos du Cottage! It does mean I have nothing to show you from the Cottage, but I have some inspiration for you! Do you remember the creamy white kitchen with grey subway tiles I showed you in my last post from the Witches of East End Pilot? It gets transformed in a grey kitchen with a marble backsplash in the next episodes! Que diriez-vous, en attendant, d'une bonne dose d'inspiration? Qui se souvient de la charmante cuisine aux tons crèmes et à la crédence grise que j'avais montré dans mon dernier article? Dès l'épisode deux, elle se transforme en une cuisine grise avec une crédence en marbre et en lambris. Many of your comments tell me that TV show kitchens are a lot bigger than my Cottage kitchen. It's right, but I still find inspiration in details. For example, I love the wood counter, the beadboard backsplash and the plate rack in this kitchen, three things that can be done in a smaller kitchen. I also love the vintage milk can. Beaucoup d'entre vous me font remarquer dans les commentaires que les cuisines de télé sont bien plus grands que celles de mon Cottage. Mais d'après moi, on peut trouver de l'inspiration dans les détails. Par exemple, le plan de travail en bois, le lambris et le range-assiettes me font craquer: trois choses aisées à reproduire, même dans un petit espace. Et avez-vous vu le vieux pot à lait? J'adore. Sometimes also, it's the show designer that gets inspired by me. I'm telling you! Look at the sheer curtains in the breakfast nook! Don't they remind you of my own curtains? Do you think I can sue (or sew) him? Parfois, c'est le décorateur qui me vole des idées. Si, si, je vous assure! Regardez les voilages sur les fenêtres du recoin déjeuner... ça vous rappelle bien les miens, non? The kitchen has a gorgeous fireplace. Now, that's something not anyone can have in a kitchen, but adding copper accents, like the ones on the mantel here, is easy to do. Une cheminée de cette taille n'est pas pour toutes les cuisines, mais on peut reprendre l'idée des casseroles en cuivre suspendues... Cela donne du charme à n'importe quelle cuisine! Inspiration can work both ways. It tells you what you love and what you don't! I loved the beadboard fridge in the pilot of the series, but clearly I don't care for the huge green one they have in the grey kitchen. L'inspiration marche dans les deux sens: elle vous guide vers ce que vous aimez, mais vous signale aussi ce que vous n'appréciez pas. Autant j'aimais le frigo recouvert de lambris que je vous ai montré la dernière fois, autant ce grand frigo vert ne me séduit pas. There are a thousand more things I'd like to show you about that kitchen, but my plinths/baseboards and my paint brushes are calling my name, so I'll just give you a few pictures of the sideboard that caght my eye. The starfish lamp is also cute... Il y a à peu près un millier d'autres choses à commenter dans cette cuisine, mais mes plinthes et mes pinceaux m'appellent. Je vais donc me contenter de vous montrer ce buffet qui me plaît bien avec sa lampe étoile de mer. Les poubelles juste à côté, j'aime beaucoup moins! Maybe I'll extand my male audience thanks to the above picture... Now if you manage to watch beyond the half naked witch, you'll see that the trashcans are next to the sideboard... That's how you know I didn't design this kitchen. I would never have let THAT happen! I hope you found some inspiration here today. I'm off to paint something! J'espère que vous avez trouvé un peu d'inspiration ici aujourd'hui. Je retourne à ma peinture! See you soon, A bientôt, PS1: I don't have children and my pupils are teenagers, so I have no idea most of the time of what's going on in the children fashion world. But recently, I had dinner with friends who have children and they said I looked like the Snow Queen. Back at home, I did a little research, and since then "Let It Go" has been the song I sing all day long (prayers for my poor neighbours would probably be appreciated). N'ayant pas d'enfant, je ne sais jamais ce qui se passe dans le monde du cinéma pour enfants (les chats en sont restés aux Aristochats). Mais récemment, lors d'un dîner avec des amis, leurs enfants ont dit que je ressemblais à la reine des neiges. Après une petite recherche effectuée de retour à la maison, la chanson de la reine des neiges est devenue ma préférée du moment. PS2: I just look like a much older version of the Snow Queen... But she's got to age, doesn't she? En fait, je suis une version plus âgée du personnage... Mais vous ne pensiez pas qu'elle allait rester jeune tout le temps? PS3: I sound nothing like Idina Menzel (hence the prayers needed for my neighbours). Je n'ai absolument pas la voix d'Idina Menzel (vous pouvez donc plaindre mes voisins!) PS4: This was totally random. Will you forgive me? Cela n'avait rien à voir avec l'article. Vous me pardonnez? PS5: I'm partying with some great bloggers!

Since moving into our 175 year old house in August, we have been busy tackling projects and making the house our own.... ON A BUDGET. Luckily the Mr. is a super…

It’s been 2.5 years since we installed our black walnut countertop from CraftArt (more on that here) in our kitchen and this past weekend we took some time to refinish it. The wonderful thing about butcher block is it can be sanded down and made new over and over and over again and it’s a pretty painless […]

Tiny kitchens with not-so-tiny style.

Explore forest kitchen design ideas that bring the beauty of nature into your home. Get inspired by organic materials and natural elements.

Happy Monday everyone, hope you had a lovely Easter weekend! We managed to squeeze in an egg hunt just before it started to rain, and Matt grilled seasoned ...

Four designs from Nelly Prodan show off the designer's spectrum of style in different, modern ways.

When Erin moved into her home, the kitchen looked like this: fluorescent lighting, dark wood cabinetry, beat up laminate countertop, and a fake brick backsplash. Not cute. So she got rid of the bad (laminate!) and kept the good (that cute rug) and made some major DIY upgrades that gave her kitchen both the look and functionality she needed. From Erin: With its galley layout and wall-to-wall upper cabinetry, work space was virtually nonexistent.