The Kitchen and I, We're Cool Now

Since adding the vintage Hungarian posters, the kitchen is a fun place to be.  They are HUGE and (fashionably) fill up the whole wall with saturated colour.  I love the statement they make against our relatively plain kitchen.  Although there are elements of the kitchen I love (the herringbone tile backsplash we installed, the teak chairs we re-upholstered with houndstooth fabric, the funky black and white floor), if you've been reading for awhile you know there's lots I don't love (the wood cabinets Hubby loves, that we refinished, but still aren't my cup of tea, the awkward layout, the windowlessness).  But now I'm at peace with the whole package and am committed to this art (as opposed to version one and version two). 

In no particular rush, I am finally accessorizing the kitchen with a direction, using the posters as my guide.  When I can, I like to pick art for a room first, and then pull inspiration for colours and textures from it.

My new (to me) FAB trays look fun in the space, especially because the retro fabrics really bring to life the vintage attire sold in the posters.  I'm using one to corral the hand soap and dishwasher pods I like to keep at arm's length (I'm officially too lazy to bend over and retrieve the pods from the cupboard under the sink).  The horn dish is from Hungary.

I also have a beautiful new tea towel, sent all the way from Berlin!

 
This graphic black and white (Zebraria) tea towel is from La Kattun, handprinted fabrics.  It's hand-printed on organic cotton by a Berlin-based artist, Eva Reisinger.  I'm in love with her fresh and modern designs (available in her etsy shop).  I knew this crisp pattern would look perfect with my punchy posters (especially the one with striped parcels), and black and white floor!  She has also makes pillows with the same design and I am smitten with those too.

Next up: MORE COLOUR!  But summer is coming and with it, yard sale season!!  I know I'll find some great accessories, for a great price, if I'm patient (my Krenit bowl was last year's sweet kitchen find).



Our counters do get a daily dose of colour courtesy of my growing Pyrex, Anchor Hocking and Federal Glass collections, which we use for fruits and snacks every day.

P.S.  Eva is thrilled that I'm so enamored with her hand-printed textiles, so she's offered to host a giveaway for Dans le Townhouse readers!  She has sewn something gorgeous, just for you, so stay tuned next week for details on how to win.  I also asked Eva a few questions, so we can snoop inside her design process as well.  If you can't wait, take a look at her lovely blog, peek inside her studio, or check out her etsy shop, La Kattun.

How to Revive, Refinish and Restore Teak Wood with Teak Oil

I bought a sweet little tray at a yard sale that was in rough shape, but had a Kjeni Denmark sticker (here's a similar tray on Etsy).  I'm such a Euro-snob, I scooped it up right away.  Whenever I shop, "Made in Canada" is 10 points, "Made in USA" warrants a 9.5 and made anywhere in Europe is 9.  Finding things not made in China is one of the many reasons I love to shop vintage.

Unfortunately, this tray was only in my hands a short while because it caught my Dad's eye!  He was quite smitten with it and wanted it for his bedside table, which is also teak.  He thought it would be a perfect catchall that would help protect the table as well (like father like daughter, I guess).  I was pretty surprised that my Dad wanted to accessorize his bedside table and had the eye to pick something so perfect.  I happily handed it over, but we decided it needed a little TLC.  While my Dad had a snack and "supervised," I grabbed some teak oil and transformed the tray.  I was dubious about its makeover potential, but was amazed at the difference.

It is amazing what teak oil can do to revive tired, worn out teak, but there are some tips and tricks that must be followed!

How to Oil Teak:

Always default to the instructions on the label of your teak cleaner.  These products can really vary and it's best to follow the directions to the letter.  I have used brands that indicate the oil should sit on teak for a few minutes, others indicate a few hours.  Some recommend buffing or burnishing after application, others don't.  Ask your local mid-century modern furniture dealer for their recommendation - they might even sell the best teak oil in their shop!

Supplies:

• Teak cleaner (optional)
• Teak oil (I have used the one linked and also a brand called Zinolin)
• Lint-free cloth
• Gloves (always a good idea)

Here's what I did:

• Open the window or work outside (on a day with low humidity)
• Make sure the piece is clean - you can purchase special teak cleaner, but use a light touch
• Apply a generous coat of teak oil with a soft, lint-free rag
• Apply teak oil in the direction of the stain
• Allow to dry for two hours and wipe off excess**
• Repeat as needed (I used 4-5 coats and that made a real difference)
• To reach inside edges and corners, use a teak oil soaked Q-tip

Additional Teak Oiling Tips:

**I have, however, worked with some brands of teak oil (like this one) that perform better if you let it sit for only a few minutes and then remove, opting for more coats with less time to sink in.  IF the brand of teak oil you're using doesn't specify a time, default to letting the teak oil soak in for only a few minutes before wiping off the excess and work gradually to build up the sheen.

Word of Caution: Oils are combustible, so do not leave oil-soaked rags balled up in your trash can.  We throw ours in an outdoor fire pit or let them dry laid flat outside.  I have heard that you can also put them in a jar of water, but that's not what we do.

Teak Oiling Results!

Before, the tray was dry and washed out looking (you can really see the how dry it was in the second photo):

Here is the tray with half an application of teak oil, so you can really see the difference.

It looks fabulous now.  (Notice how the little bowl did make its way to my parents' home?!?):

Be forewarned, oiling wood (instead of using a stain or varnish) is really addictive!

I wrote a post about how I refinished the arms and legs on a mid-century chair:

I also oiled the arms on an upholstered chair (read my tip for not getting oil on the fabric!):

Then I oiled a solid walnut trivet we made from scratch:

I even oiled the top of an old stool I bought, even though I wasn't sure what kind of finish it originally had.  It turned out beautifully, though!

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