{Norman Farmhouse}
Photographer Helen Norman shot our home with her assitant, FJ Hughes, for the Better Homes & Gardens Magazine shoot back in February. We had such a great time and I can't wait to work with them again! Helen is not only crazy-talented but she's hysterical and so much fun to be around. She's one of those people whom you feel instantly at ease around. (clearly my toddler, Christian, agrees- below) FJ is super-cool and very relaxed, and he & his wife also just had a new baby.
{me, Jessica Thomas, Joanna Linberg, Helen Norman- holding Christian- , FJ Hughes}
When Helen first arrived at our house, she checked it out and immediately told me how crazy it was because our kitchens were so alike. She has the same gray-green cabinets with wite open shelving instead of upper cabinets and a sort of clean-lined modern farmhouse feeling in her kitchen. She informed me that our styles were really similar and she even has many of the same types of flea-market./ thrift-store finds that I have. Joanna told me what an amazing house Helen had so I bugged Helen for pictures- in particular of the kitchen. Well, I got them and now I almost wish I hadn't seen them!!! ;) Her kitchen is basically my kitchen all grown up. (i.e WAYYY BETTER!!) It's everything I wanted for my own kitchen: custom inset cabinets, soapstone sink, marble countertops... I could keep going but never in all my life have I seen a space that I just want to blatantly copy like this one.
{I just want to be there}
Perfection!!! Here's my dream sink:
I just get such a feeling when looking at Helen's photographs. There's so much life and they feel personal and real. Her kitchen feels so relaxed and functional and perfectly simple.
Look at here amazing collection of cloches!! (below) Soooo amazing!! And these cabinets?!! mm mm mm
How gorgeous are the shelves?? I seriously just want to copy everything in this kitchen.
Even her piled up dishes in the sink are beautiful!!
I love how the shelves frame the window:
Anyway, if you want to drool some more head over to her website here. (Her portfolio is perfection!!)
Hope you had a great weekend!!
xoxo,
lauren
*photography by Helen Norman ;)
As a decorator & a textile designer, this is my place to muse... perfection doesn't interest me; Reality and charm do. Fresh floppy flowers from the garden over long-stemmed roses any day, I love it when things are slightly off and tell a story. 
32 comments:
Totally agree. I think shamelessly copying this is totally reasonable. I so loved my kitchen until I saw her perfect shelving and beautiful sink area. Why, oh why, did I not think to do a double sink in my house?! I absolutely love it. But I have to say, yours is adorable, too :)
Marija
Lauren it is uncanny at how similar your taste are!! I think it wouldn't be totally copying because your taste are so similar and I am sure if you had the resources at this time in your life, this is exactly what yours would look like. What I love about yours and her kitchen is that they look like a family kitchen. One that can be user friendly and totally functional. I feel like all the huge elaborate kitchens and industrial type appliances are not as warm and friendly IMHO. I love a small and functional,charming kitchen and then you add green cupboards and I am on board. I have green cupboards and I love them!! Thanks for sharing these picts. Love them,Kathysue
EEEEK!!! I die. I thought I wanted a white kitchen for the lonest time..but lately gray cabinets are calling out to me.
This kitchen is stunning. I'm plannning a remodel of my own so thanks for the inspiration (I'm on a tight budget though which means my wish list has to be pretty flexible!).
Kristine
xxx
Oh my! That is a spectacular kitchen indeed! It's simple and beautiful and timeless. I can't blame you, I'm tempted to copy every single detail as well. From the top down. :0)
But I have to tell you, I think I first arrived at your site when I saw YOUR rather amazing kitchen makeover and considering your budget and time constraints, it is still one of my favorite rooms. Period. You did an incredible job creating a beautiful space for your family and I'm sure it will continue to evolve into the kitchen of your dreams. And, I, for one, can't wait to watch you work your magic.
What a cool styling trick, the piled up dishes in the sink. . . how great is that, and fab post as usual!
Ahhh...It looks so relaxed...un studied...so beautiful. LOVE the sink...below the window.
And that pooch....Ohhhhhhh.
Sometimes simple is very nice...it looks pretty and neat and with the window overlooking the green it is adding more flavor to the kitchen.
Manhattan Air Conditioning Service
i am in love! every detail is so finely edited and classic. even the kitchen stool top matches some of her pottery. and it certainly helps to have a room in the hands of a talented photographer.
but your kitchen lauren is amazing, can't wait to see the issue
xo
debra
That truly is gorgeous. Wow. Can't wait to see her website.
By the way, I loved your nursery post... love all the unique touches and it definitely says "curiosity shop" to me. :)
I'm linking to your blog in my post today because (speaking of copying), I copied your idea with the chalkboard paint under our new mantle. Thanks for the great idea!
There is a funny photo (which my friend sent to me)of piled up dishes and the baby in the sink....I thought of immediately when I spotted that sink. Well, Helen's work speaks for itself and I think both kitchen's are fabulous.
You are both talented and unique!
pve
Lovely kitchen!
Lauren,
I've always been a white kitchen person...but lately I've been lovin' the gray paint kitchens too. We just completed a client's kitchen where I was able to have fun and do this gray/green paint....love it!! I'll feature pics of my client's kitchen remodel soon on my blog b/c it's a great makeover (your typical suburban home from the 80's updated)....
LOVE Helen Norman's kitchen!! And adore the double faucets in the soapstone sink.
All the best,
Jeanette
http://jvwhome.blogspot.com
Oh that is perfection!
What a great kitchen. I usually like brighter colors, but even I like it! I love marble counters, but I'm not brave enough to do it. Never even occurred to me to do a soapstone sink. So many thoughts after looking at these pictures, I'm a little scared to see her entire portfolio!
http://40daysof.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/the-transformation-of-my-breakfast-room/
Beautiful kitchen. Great light. I love a kitchen that looks so warm and homey but sleek and super-organized at the same time. The floor alone is fabulous! I say "copy away!".
I love everything about this kitchen:
Green cabinets...favorite color!
White shelves and white dishes.
Glass domes are fantastic and have always wanted to own one!
Love the topiary in the window!
I can see why you are so smitten. It does look like yours! Love your kitchen still Lauren!
~jamilyn
Your kitchen is just as pretty and functional. Those glass domes are fabulous! I wonder how long it took her to gather all of them? By the way, I am trying to get my blog read by more than just family and friends. The post I did today is of my daughter's apt. Since she is about the age of your readers you may enjoy this post. http://graciousinteriors.blogspot.com/2010/04/pass-it-on.html?spref=fb
I'm wiping the drool off my chin as I write this... the kitchen is so comfortable. The colours, finishes and accessories are lovely.
I just popped over to her website and her work is stunning.
thanks
Susan
She is such a rockstar. Her work on Martina Arfwidson's house (pic 23 in her interiors portfolio) for Martha Stewart is one of my favorite interiors series. She is so talented. I can't wait to see her depiction of your home. It sounds like you had a stellar team with her AND Jessica Thomas!
Absolutely gorgeous, I could actually like cooking:-) in a kitchen to bright and stylish. I love this look!!
Beautiful, beautiful work and web-site! I wanted to sit in the interiors, eat the food and visit the resorts!!!
She does have a pretty fab kitchen but, then again, so do you. Yours is all your own work and creativity!! So glad you had a blast. But you do seem pretty go-with-the-flow.... I don't know Helen, but I'm glad I came over 'cause I love kitchens. cheers, -susan
I just can't get past those fantastic taps!!
I am in love with this kitchen!
Thanks for sharing.
xCharlotta
Thanks for sharing her kitchen and her website...very talented. I love your kitchen as well, though. You have done such a great job and by yourselves to boot! Equally impressive. BTW, I passed on a little blogger award to you this morning.
Helen's kitchen has been extremely inspirational to me for a few years now. Her style greatly influenced my kitchen...we did the open shelving over tile (tile just up, shelves not on yet) and honed marble counters. We ended up going white though because of the way the rest of the house worked out.
So fun to see some different images, the dishes in the sink are great!
Jessica~
what's not to love about farmhouse kitchens?
I just posted your blog post on my Facebook fan page. ajphotostylist.
Helen one of my good friends I love working with her. As a stylist I get to work with lots of talented photographers, but she is one of my favorites! check out some of our work together (Sinskey winery in Napa)
http://www.ajphotostylist.net/
I don't know how I missed this post yesterday Lauren but that kitchen is going into my inspiration files asap!
Love it all.
T
Hi Lauren,
I gasped when I saw this post! This is the inspiration kitchen I used for our kitchen - for open shelving, windows over sink, cabinets...My copy was torn out of a magazine though and it's wrinkled and folded as I showed it to a lot of contractors! LOVE her style!
xoTrina
I, too, am in love with her kitchen, and yours! I'm sure you say it somewhere, but what is the cabinet paint color? It's exactly what I want in my kitchen. Thanks so much!!!
Okay, yeah, how do you seriously make dishes in the sink look awesome? I'm sooo impressed!!!
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