The Kitchen Corbel Saga

When this section of the kitchen was torn out to make room for a freestanding oven, I decided to not put the corbels back under the hood.  

They seemed too ornate and and I had a more streamlined look in mind.

Still, I kept my options open should I decide the corbels should go back.

Also, there was a question as to what color they should be after the cabinets were painted green.

Should they also be green?  That would look silly.

I thought they would look great if they were natural wood, like washed pine.

 I gave them to Ian the Master Painter and this is what I got.

He faux finished them to look like a fine piece of furniture, taking his cue from my dining room hutch.

 Although he did a great job, it wasn't the look I had in mind.

 I wanted the corbels to look like I found them in a salvage yard!

I sent them back to be stripped and then finished them myself by rubbing a golden oak stain over them and letting them sit outside for a month.

And this is how they turned out.

Ryan the Contractor came over last week to install them.

We made the decision to not finish them with moulding around the top, just leave them bare and raw.

 I love how they look!

 Before the corbels were added, the stove seemed like it was a little lost on this wall.

Now the corbels box it in and frame it, giving the stove importance.

The light finish echoes the bamboo shade and eventually the raw oak curtain rod that will be installed when I get around to repurposing my dining room drapes for the window.

 I'm really glad I decided to keep the corbels.  

Yes, they are a little ornate, but the rustic finish counters that aspect.

Also, they are copies of the original corbels on the front of the house, circa 1906.

It's only right that they found their way back where they started!