My Copper Kitchen

I named this blog "The Copper Kitchen", because it quite literally is the theme for my kitchen- I have a copper kitchen.

My kitchen is basically the enclosed back porch of an old house. It is roughly 6' x 26' and while that isn't actually smaller than the average kitchen, the shape is pretty unusual to work with. Add to that the fact that it came with ugly drop ceiling, crappy cream countertops, and linoleum, and it was a space that needed a lot of work for me to love..With a degree in metalsmithing, copper was the first metal i worked with, and it holds a very special place in my tastes and heart. I used that love to transform a less-than-ideal space into a kitchen that I love.

*The walls were ragged with brown and ochre paints mixed with gold glaze

 In today's post, I'm going to share some of my favorite copper kitchen purchases with you!

Hammered Copper Canister Set- $47 (i actually picked up mine at HomeGoods)
The pewter measuring cups and spoons set isn't copper, and it isn't cheap, but in case you were interested, it's a
Crosby & Taylor Pewter Combination Set- $189
It was a gift from my husband and i love it.

Large copper mixing bowl- $32
Copper Hanging Colander- $20
Hammered Copper Moscow Mule Mugs- 4 for $44

Old Thompson Salt and Pepper Mills Set- $40 with coupon
Insulated Copper French Press- $50
Hammered Copper Mixing Bowls Set- $25

Even our barware echoes the copper!
Fitz & Floyd Decanter Set $66 (can be found on ebay for less)
Twine Hammered Copper Cocktail Shaker $20
Barconic Bottle Opener- Copper $5

Food Network Copper Plated Whisk- $15
(i also have the pie server)
Copper Measuring Cups- $35 This set of Cups and Spoons is also great
Copper Utensils- $60
*I picked up the iron-look handled utensils at HomeGoods for ~$3 each. IIRC, they are Baumalu Copper

The large tray is "decorative" but i use it for things like cookies. I found it at HomeGoods ~$12. It's copper colored aluminum. They carry matching pieces in other shapes and sizes. I am pretty sure this $30 tray on amazon is the same or very very similar product.
The Small Copper Pitcher in the blog header photo is also from Amazon ($25)

I have an assortment of copper pots and pans, some from Williams Sonoma (i bought a large copper skillet for $80), some from HomeGoods (a Baumalu saucepan, they had an assortment from $30-$50- see ebay), and even one coveted Ruffoni (these run $200+ per item)

Wilsonart Oxide Laminate Countertops with Ogee Edge ~$800 installed
Hammered Copper Sink $750
Oil-rubbed bronze faucet

Our drop ceiling was one of the things i hated the most about our kitchen. The most affordable solution, was to keep the drop ceiling, but replace the tiles. i chose a faux-tin PVC drop in tile from Decorative Ceiling Tiles and was really happy with the solution.

When replacing our countertops, i ultimately decided that i liked the durability and low maintenance of laminate, as well as the affordability, but i chose a stone-look finish and a decorative ogee edge (the edge of our countertops has formed a waterfall wave, rather than the straight glued on strip most cheap laminate countertops have) to make them feel more expensive. Ours are Wilsonart Oxide with an Ogee edge. We had them custom cut and installed for ~$800.

Our hammered copper sink is one of my favorite things

If you were wondering, we did replace the linoleum with wood laminate flooring. Laminate flooring isn't ideal for kitchens because it isn't supposed to get wet, but we're very conscious about not letting water sit on the floor because of that.