I’m sure when it comes to the kitchen, I sometimes sound like that annoying kid in the backseat saying, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”. Luckily, things are starting to come together. Finally! Now that we’re at the “finishing touches” stage, I’m trying to focus on one area at a time. This past weekend, I made a few updates to the peninsula. Greg and I always call it the “island”, but technically I guess it’s a peninsula. Right?

First of all, here’s what this area of the kitchen looked like before…

It was in need of color, and with all of the slick surfaces, it could definitely handle some texture too.

First thing on the list was to put something inside the huge two-gallon jars sitting on the counter. For now, we’ve got one filled with flour and the other with apples. And yes, before you ask, they’re fake apples. Truth be told, I’m normally not a huge fan of fake fruit, but these guys look insanely real, and they add some needed color. I’m contemplating adding a third jar, but I’m not completely sure what I’d fill it with. I also added this cute set of salt and pepper shakers. I found these at Michaels for $1.50 a piece. I love how the simple white pottery look gives it a little bit of Jonathan Adler vibe.

Now to the island peninsula. It’s massive – so much more massive than it looked like in the drawing when we ordered the cabinets. But we’re definitely not complaining! It’s an awesome work surface to have; not only for cooking, but for house projects, too. On the other hand, when the countertop isn’t being used as a project surface, the wide open space is pretty empty looking. “…room to make her big mistakes”. Sorry. Old school Dixie Chicks moment. Anyway, I didn’t want to fill it  with a ton of clutter, so I was on the look-out for something simple, long, and at least slightly colorful. I also wanted something thin enough so someone could comfortably use either side of the counter without having to move it. Luckily, I found this guy at Home Goods…

It was long, had clean lines with a semi-rustic touch and, for $29.99, it fit the bill. Done!

Now it was time to address the book shelves on the end of the peninsula. Up until now, we hadn’t paid much attention to them, but every time I went to rearrange something, it would never look right. It drove me crazy! Then, it dawned on me… less is more!

There’s Rufus, Bentley’s BFF, trying to photobomb the picture. I took out a shelf (duh!) and, after a few minutes of stacking and rearranging, here’s what the bookshelves look like now:

I stocked the top shelf with cookbooks, a kitchen timer, and a small jar (that used to be on the counter with the two large ones) filled with cookie cutters. The bottom shelf could probably use a little more in the future, but for now we’ve got a silver ceramic pear (an oldie from ZGallerie) and more cookbooks held up by a wood recipe box.

Here’s a fun detail shot for kicks…

And yes, that is indeed a Star Wars cookbook. As for the glass cabinets…

I added a few little pops of color to the glass cabinets with a stack of small red baking dishes (from Home Goods), a butter dish (from Anthropologie), a set of vintage Pyrex bowls (from my mom) and a few ceramic farmer’s market baskets (also from Anthropologie).

Oh, and a few of you asked for a photo of the cabinet side of the peninsula, so we made sure to sneak one in…

Yet another step closer to being “done”. Someone get me a pen and paper, I need to make a list! Again… ; )

Have you entered the DENY Design giveaway yet?! They are giving one lucky reader a super cool custom duvet cover valued at $182! Click on over to enter…