A Swedish Valentine

I’ve been to Ikea twice recently and it looks like I have one more trip to go. We also made two trips to the hardware store today--how is that for romance? We’re trying to sort out the kitchen. In this photo from last year (which is reversed b/c I took it on the MacBook), you can see a brown microwave on the counter on the left. That microwave (inherited from the seller) recently died and was replaced by a smaller one, which went in the cupboard above.

We’re in the process of getting a shelf cut to go into that alcove to hold cookbooks. We’ve had the shelf cut to the right size but we need a hole cut in it for plugs to go through the back to reach the outlets. In front of it will be a kettle and tea pot (currently visible at the end of the counter with the toaster). What I haven’t liked about the kitchen is the tendency for bits and pieces to collect on the counter--dish soap, sponges, pretty bits of pottery, bottles of wine, platters, books, appliances. I find it’s very hard to find that sweet spot between the perfectly placed item of interest--a bit of colour here, some texture there--and unsightly clutter. The current solution has been to buy rails from Ikea and hang buckets that will hold things. The goal is to add something functional that also addresses the austere look of the counter and walls on the right. This photo was taken before the walls were painted and prints hung. I’ll take another when we finished installing the shelf and the Ikea solutions we began installing today.
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