Deal of the Day: Mother's Day Sale at Tikoli

One of my favorite local companies, Tikoli, is offering 15 percent off all orders this week. This could be the perfect excuse to stock up on Oakland designer Maja Brugos's graphic, modern linens to give out as gifts or to add a fresh accent to your own kitchen.

Check out all of Tikoli's colorful , 100-percent cotton tea towels (just $8.50 each after discount) right here. To take advantage of the savings, enter coupon code MOM09 at checkout between now and Sunday, May 10.

Cool Stuff: Kodu Design Refrigerator Skins

Decorative "skins" for your fridge ($95 to $140): Yea or nay?

Cool Stuff: Matryoshka Measuring Cups

I'm not normally into super-girly home decor, but am charmed nonetheless by these sweet (and practical!) stoneware Matryoshka Measuring Cups from Anthropologie.

They just might be the perfect thing for those ultra-feminine, newly-minted-college-grads-decorating-their-first-apartments on your holiday list.

The set of three is $28 right here.

Etsy Find of the Day: Stephanie DosReis Prints

These sweet "Wholesome" prints from Etsy seller and Providence, Rhode Island, artist and designer Stephanie DosReis would be super-cute hung as a grouping in a kitchen or breakfast nook:

Tea

Milk

Butter

Eggs

Toast

The 8-by-10-inch prints are $18 each or four for $60 right here. See more of DosReis's work here.

eBay Find of the Day: Vintage Enamelware Bowls

I admit that I don't know much about cooking, but I'm pretty sure these vintage enamelware bowls are part of the recipe for a happy, happy kitchen.

Current bid: $26 for the set. (Hurry -- the auction ends Thursday evening, September 18.)

Cool Stuff: New Tikoli Tea Towels

Some mouthwatering new tea towels from Oakland's own Tikoli (previously blogged here):

Left to right: Blok; Mummy 2; Neuling

Air

Bisou 2

Snap 'em up right here for just $9.50 apiece.

Bonus eBay Find of the Day: Block Chromatics Dishware

I was flipping through the latest issue of O at Home this weekend, and was immediately drawn to the colorful mugs and bowls shown in actress Jennifer Carpenter's cheerful L.A. kitchen. I'd never seen anything like them before, and turned immediately to the source notes in the back to see what they were.

Turns out they're part of a vintage tableware line called Chromatics from German manufacturer Block, and were purchased by Ms. Carpenter's decorator, Ariel Ashe, from Los Angeles' Lawson Fenning boutique (likely translation: $$$).

I thought I'd try my luck on eBay instead, and quickly turned up this set of seven Block Chromatics plates plus bowl. I love the graphic effect they create when stacked -- perfect for open shelves in the kitchen!

Current bid for the set: $17

House Voyeur: Leah S.' Incredible Remodeled Kitchen

I'm still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor after seeing photos of the newly remodeled kitchen in More Ways to Waste Time reader Leah S.' 1920s-era Colonial Revival home in Philadelphia. (Leah also has a great blog of her own called House Obsession.)

Leah's new kitchen is exactly how I'd like our own kitchen to look when we eventually re-do it: Perfectly balanced between a charming vintage look that honors and blends with the architecture of her older home, but with a fresh, modern outlook that gives it tons of energy and attitude. (Honestly, if I had a kitchen like this, I might actually cook something once in awhile.)

Here, Leah describes the process of taking her kitchen from atrocious to awesome:

"When I bought my house in March, the kitchen was a complete mess. One of the big reasons for buying this house was that there were so many design projects I could do myself -- I specifically did NOT want a house that had already been renovated by someone else. So I was excited to design my new kitchen from the ground up, and started work on it right after I moved in.

My original intent was to keep the old cabinets and paint them. But after lots of consideration, I decided they weren't going to be functional for me -- and therefore weren't worth keeping. (The top cabinets were only about 10 inches deep, and the drawers were small and shallow. Plus, they were absolutely DISGUSTING! I never even bothered unpacking any dishes or food because the cabinets were so gross.)

Over the years, I'd collected images of kitchens I liked, and after looking through them I realized there were a few commonalities: 1) White cabinetry 2) A mix of vintage and modern style 3) A feeling of openness and 4) Open shelving.

I hired a contractor to handle the major construction, but did all the painting and detail work myself. This photo was taken after our first day of demolition.

The hardest part of the process was gathering all the pieces of the puzzle and having them arrive in time. I bought my sink for $75 on craigslist, from a guy who had it sitting in his backyard. When the installers were putting the sink in, they didn't realize the drainboards were deeper in the center than on the sides. So they had to take the sink back off and grind down the marble to make it sit flush with the countertop. The other funny thing is that at least three different workers asked where my 'new' sink was. I had to keep explaining that this was my new sink! The Fado pendant lights are from IKEA.

It took almost two months to have a fully functioning kitchen again. In the interim, I set up my fridge in the living room and my microwave and coffeemaker in the dining room. I also ate a lot of takeout! Probably the hardest thing was not having a proper sink or dishwasher -- I had dirty dishes sitting in random places all around the house.

The thing I stressed over the most was the layout and details of the cabinetry. I definitely wanted white, but I didn't like the look of Thermofoil (which is the cheapest option and seems to be the predominant thing out there for people who like white kitchens). So after some digging, I learned that almost every cabinet style could be ordered in a white-painted version for a slight upcharge. I chose Lowe's Diamond cabinets in Wittenburg Maple, and finished them with Lansa drawer pulls and Exakt knobs from IKEA.

I also knew that I didn't want much top cabinetry, because I wanted to keep the kitchen really open. So I thought hard about the functionality of each component that I put in. The slide-in gas range and the SpeedClean dishwasher are both from Fridgidaire, the Luftig hood is from IKEA, and the refrigerator is Fisher & Paykel's EZKleen stainless model. I opted for classic white subway tile set in a running bond pattern, and white carrera marble countertops.

In the end, I did have to compromise a bit on how much open shelving I was able to install, because I realized I just didn't have the space. (I had originally dreamed of doing a whole wall of open shelves like this.) The stainless steel shelves and other storage components I used are from IKEA's Grundtal series.

But I LOVE the finished product, which is almost exactly how I'd pictured it. I didn't want my house to feel like it came from a specific time period, and I incorporated as much vintage as possible in the kitchen while still trying to keep it modern. I painted the walls with Lowe's Valspar Silver Leaf and the trim with Valspar Du Jour. The 'recipe wall' was done with Rust-oleum's chalkboard paint. I refinished the original pine floors with Medium sheen Waterlox tung oil.

Overall, I'm thrilled with my new kitchen and extremely glad to have my fridge out of the living room!"

Thank you so much for sharing your amazing space with us, Leah! This is totally going in my own inspiration file. (By the way, these gorgeous "after" kitchen photos are by Leah's boyfriend, photographer Nick Steever.)

P.S. Want to see more? Click here for a peek inside other readers' homes.

P.P.S. Stay tuned over the next several days, since I have two more mindblowing House Voyeur tours in the works. I can't wait to share them with you!

Cool Stuff: Netzwerk Skin Bowls

These Netzwerk Skin Bowls look like the most delicate porcelain, but they're actually soft, malleable, and unbreakable hand-injected thermoplastic.

Handmade by Viennese designer Hedwig Rotter (aka Mano Design), the bowls are 28 euros apiece (about $43) from Pure Austrian Design.

Etsy Find of the Day: Appetitehome Textiles

I've been a fan of Portland, Oregon Etsy seller appetite's sweet, screenprinted bags and wallets for a long time. So I was happy to discover that Erin Albin, the woman behind appetite, has recently opened another Etsy storefront just for her lovely (and very reasonably priced) handmade home goods. Above: Parsley Dishtowels, $14 for two

Parsley Pillow, $22

Hollyhock Pillow, $18

Gray Mantra Napkins, $22 for four

Caraway Shower Curtain, $45

See more of the lovely textiles in the appetitehome Etsy shop -- and check out the bags and other goods in Albin's sister shop right here.

(P.S. If you're an Etsy seller -- or, for that matter, any sort of artist, craftsperson, or indie retailer -- don't be shy about dropping me a line to introduce yourself or to update me on new additions to your shop. I'm a pretty tireless hunter, but it's always nice to be alerted to something I might have missed!)

Design Dilemma: Help Me Choose a Kitchen Backsplash!

More Ways to Waste Time reader Kimberly, of Oakville, Ontario, writes: "Can you help me decide on a backsplash that will add some polish and character to the kitchen in my newly built townhouse? In terms of my design style, I love classic old-house accents like crown molding -- though I don't mind some modern elements, too, as long as they blend well.

I'm leaning toward a cream-colored, 4x4 ceramic tile with a tumbled marble look. I'm trying to keep in mind the resale appeal of neutral decor, but I also spend a lot of time cooking and don't want to live with a 'borrowed kitchen.' The walls are still 'builder's white,' so I'm planning to paint as well. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!"

That's not a bad-looking kitchen, Kimberly -- especially considering that it came with the house. But I agree that a great backsplash will give the room a more finished look and allow you to put your own stamp on the place.

I hate to say this, but tumbled marble tile (and especially faux tumbled marble tile) is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. I just think it looks really generic, so it's not going to help you personalize the look of your kitchen. Plus, if it's not dated already -- and I would argue that it is -- it certainly will be in a couple of years. (Remember the shiny granite that everyone went bonkers over in the Eighties and Nineties? I'm convinced the tumbled-tile, pseudo "Tuscan Kitchen" look is this decade's version of that.) So I don't think that's going to help you come resale time. My vote: Ixnay on the tumbled tile.

Photo from Making It Lovely

My first thought -- because I absolutely love the stuff -- is subway tile. I just don't think you can ever go wrong with clean, classy, classic rows of fresh white subway tile. See how great it looks in my blogging buddy Nicole Balch's kitchen? Prices vary depending on brand, quality, and other features, but you can get basic white subway tile at your local home-improvement store without spending a fortune.

Photo borrowed from beachbungalow8

Colored subway tile is striking, too -- though this pretty cornflower blue probably wouldn't work with your brown countertops and warm wood cabinets.

Photo from Building Stone Magazine

How about subway tile in a soft, sage green? I'm pretty sure these are glass tiles cut into a long, thin subway shape. I like how they're running up the wall rather and across it for a more modern look.

Photo by Beearo

Another option is a solid-glass backsplash. You can paint the wall behind it any color you like (and even take the glass off and repaint every couple of years for a fresh new look for the cost of a gallon of paint). And you can customize the backsplash with removable wall decals, like the wood-veneer ones from Beearo shown here.

Photo from the Metal Peddler

Or how about a sheet-metal backsplash? Stainless steel would tie in with your appliances, but I think aged copper would look especially nice with the brown countertops and wood cabinets.

Photo from Goodwin Associates

A relatively inexpensive, do-it-yourself version of this is to buy a few boxes of vintage-reproduction copper ceiling tiles and simply nail them up as a backsplash.

In terms of a paint color for the rest of the kitchen, that will sort of depend on what material and color you settle on for the backsplash. But I like soft, warm greens with cherry-toned wood like you have on your kitchen cabinets. An ochre yellow might also work, as could a spicy terracotta.

Readers, any other ideas or suggestions for Kimberly? Please post a comment and share them. And Kimberly, let us know what you decide, and be sure to send in a snapshot or two of your completed kitchen!

(P.S. Have a design dilemma of your own? Send it in, along with a photo or two, and I'll put it up here for a communal brainstorming session. But please -- can we take a break from kitchens for a little while? In the meantime, Susan Serra over at The Kitchen Designer blog has a ton of great kitchen renovation ideas to peruse.)

Cool Stuff: Hammocks & High Tea

There's nothing like a crisp new tea towel or two to freshen up your kitchen, and I'm absolutely loving these pretty ones from Hammocks & High Tea. Printed with non-toxic, water-based ink on a blend of organic hemp and soy, the handmade, silkscreened 17-by-26-inch towels are just $13 each. (I might even grab a couple of extras to sew into a summery cushion cover.)

My faves: Parrot Cove, above.

Ikat Chevron

Indian Summer

Wild Ginger

Hammocks and High Tea also offers pretty French lavender- and rose tea-scented rice paper drawer liners. Above: Indian Summer, $25 for a set of six.

See all of the offerings at Hammocks & High Tea -- owner Karen Young makes gorgeous stationery as well -- right here. (Pssst -- if you're a Daily Candy reader, you get 25 percent off your order right now.)