27.6.13

The Beach House kitchen {live}

Morning...yep still smiling every time I think I'm back!

OK...

Since I'm feeling settled at long last, I thought I'd start showing you round out little beach house.

It's totally different from out big old country house in England.
Although we chose a house in the UK countryside with many of the qualities we have here -lots of natural light and high ceilings, floor boards through out and a gorgeous big garden- all qualities we wanted out children to continue to grow up with- the two houses couldn't be more different in terms of *how we live*.


Weather dictates so much doesn't it!?
I have many a blog friend in the UK, Europe and America who will be nodding along with me on this, looking around their very loved houses, taking in all the ways they deal with the seasons.

In Australia, especially along it's coastline, we pretty much live outdoors for most of the year.
I never thought about this till we had our four years abroad in England where the weather dictated every aspect of how we lived- particularly as a family with three *out-door-beach-obsessed-kids*!

I now feel blessed every day that I throw open the bi-fold doors along the back of our house and look out at my vege garden! I take nothing for granted about life in our garden!

Here are a few images of the heart of our home...it's very Australian in it's open plan layout, but it has for me, a very farm house feel to it in the elements we have introduced from our travels abroad.

It's the small things that make me *want* to cook in here, the small things that *make* me want to look after my family the way I did in England where I truly fell in love with all things culinary.
Again, I think the weather in the Northern Hemisphere dictates how your days, weeks and pass times roll...for me to create in our rambling big kitchen there, as the seasons changed, made me fall in love with cooking in a way I never thought I would!

Now a vintage potato basket full of Autumn vegetables makes me think of the next meal.
Previously it was just a beautiful image around our home that my husband *dealt with*.




The beach house is very much about bringing the outdoors in...and the indoors out.
We spend the entire summer with all windows and doors open and the house doubles in size because of this.
Our kitchen leads through large bi-fold doors to an enormous balcony where we cook and eat for months on end...all things I no longer take for granted after living abroad.

Our kitchen is also a practical space, where I run the daily to-ings and fro-ings of the family.
The black board is my god send...reminding us all of the *Weekly Top 10* to do and giving the kids a chance to leave a anyone else a comment ;)


There's a few changes afoot at some stage. I'd love our dining table to be in the kitchen and some more industrial lighting, which means we're planning and thinking about making it twice as large.
To sit at our table, the kids doing homework and preparing a meal would be so lovely.

Now I'm back here- when we do this, I'll be sharing it every step of the way...and will be needing some wise words and thoughts- be ready!

How does your kitchen work?
Does it have a huge table that you, your family and friends gather round? 

My Pinterest boards of inspiration are here.
I'm  pretty much obsessed with finding the perfect grey pendant lights!

I ADORE Pinterest as much as the next *man-I-so-need-that-room-late-night-trawling-everyones-boards-mama*.
If you have a great kitchen board- please let me know!



Am I still smiling to myself - tea cup in hand- looking at my laptop-YES M'AM!

Thanks for coming Down and hanging out....

Melissa x

34 comments:

  1. your style is just beautiful...in Australia or England...just beautiful!

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  3. So lovely to have to have you back. You have a gorgeous kitchen/heart of the home. xo
    ps. sorry about the deleted comment above, didn't realise my kids were logged on…sigh…

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  4. Lovely !!!..i have tha same basket in green for onions and patatoes...love from me Ria..x !

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  5. Yippee! After the long drought, it's such a delight to see this pop up, Miss. Loving the snippets. Keep them coming! J x

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  6. Love the way you are
    able to live--inside/out--
    so much of the year. We
    are in the throes of summer
    and enjoying every moment.
    I've always wanted to oversee
    a kitchen re-do, so will enjoy
    it vicariously through you!

    xo Suzanne

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  7. Hi.
    So glad to see you back. Don't you go running off again. This is beautiful Melissa, so light and fresh and comfortable. It screams Home! Hope you having a wonderful summer!
    :) Jen

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  8. I'm with you...love a light bright kitchen/home. Our kitchen-dining-living areas are completely open which I have grown to love and appreciate...makes for a great (if loud!!) family atmosphere xx

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  9. Amazeballs, wowsers, squeal and a walla walla bing bang. That's pretty much what my eyes are saying and my heart is squeaking as I peek into your super, spunky, stylish, sexy, sweet, sassy world... Love, luuuurve, looooove it (she sings) ... Happy to have you back???? Pfffff - happy looks sad compared to how blog world feels. I'll be trawling your pins like a pirate and I'll be stopping by for coffee all the time. Rocking it!! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

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  10. It's lovely Mel! The kitchen is the heart and soul of our country home and even though I am not in the UK, living in Tassie certainly reminds me of there. We have our dining table in our kitchen and I love that family can be there drawing, playing lego etc or adults conversing with me while I cook a meal by that huge old fireplace warming our bones...but then I also love throwing the double French doors open in Spring and having wet children running in and out and living outside.

    I think we get the best of both worlds here in Australia.
    Ness xx
    P.S- Im slightly addicted to my kitchen/dining board on pinterest- it certainly has the most pins!!

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  11. Woo hoo you are back!!! Nice to see you once again. Loving your pretty beachy home. It is nice to have such wonderful summery days and have all the doors open. I love your kitchen but hear what you are saying about having a kitchen table. So English but something I have always wanted as well. One day... Love what you have done with your decorating so far. You have such a restful scheme. I hope you have a wonderful Monday and the sun shines for you. Glad to have you back. Love Sarah xx

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  12. Your kitchen is lovely! I am from the states, but my aunt and uncle live in Australia (Cairns) and I remember when we visited them my favorite part about their house was how you could push these big folding doors back and pretty much the whole kitchen and dining area was open to the outside. Sigh, it was heaven.

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