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Monday, July 8, 2013

OUR JULIA CHILD PEGBOARD WALL

We call it the "Julia Wall".

In fact, we have since we bought the farmhouse.  It was this big, blank wall as you walk into the kitchen from the living room.  It was too shallow for a piece of furniture, which would stick out into the path of the doorway.  Shelves would also have to be very shallow and thus not very practical.  The obvious use would be pictures but in a small house, where space is valuable, that just seemed frivolous.  But once the house was painted on the inside and we saw the empty, white kitchen for the first time, we just KNEW we had to have our very own Julia Child inspired wall.  

2nd Man and I were huge fans of the late, great, Julia Child.  We've both read her biography and both watched her on television for years while growing up and then into adulthood.  She inspired both of us to cook, create and enjoy time in the kitchen.  And one thing we always noticed in the background of all of her kitchens was her pegboard wall filled with cookware:


They were there at the beginning of her career...


Then in the middle of her career...


And even in her later years...the pegboard was ever present.

It was a constant.  A welcoming reminder that the kitchen is the heart of the home.  There was something so warm about them, so personal.  They also seemed magical, as you looked at all the pans and pots and tools and gadgets you would wonder what amazing foods they could create.  Her husband actually did hers for her to help her stay more organized, to remember where things went after they were used, and to have them easily accessible.  They, along with the rest of her kitchen, became so iconic that all are included in the Smithsonian Institution, exactly, inch for inch, pan for pan, whisk for whisk, as they were in her home before she moved and retired.

It all just seemed so practical, we knew we had to have our own magical pegboard space in the kitchen.







Here is the wall I was talking about.  See?  Big, blank and just crying out for something.  But you can see the door frame of the living room (on the right in this photo).  No piece of furniture or shelving would fit here.  And pictures, while pretty, would just waste the valuable space.




So I found this awesome METAL PEGBOARD.  It's made by Wall Control and in the past, they sold it for use in garages, but now it has also spread to other rooms of the home. Best of all, it's powdered coated in a bright, farmhouse red color.  It should stand up to years of use and abuse without scratching the paint off when pots and pans and utensils are constantly moved around.  So this weekend, I cranked down the a/c and spent a couple of hours getting this put up.
AND HERE IS THE END RESULT...






Of course, these aren't the final position of things and not everything we will hang.  We wanted to put up a few things just to get a feel for the look and convenience of  having items so accessible.  When we get ready, we'll take everything off and then as we use the space, it will evolve.  Naturally, 2nd Man is already eyeballing more cast iron pans.  We have several in the city, so we might take some more out there.





Red Julia Child Kitchen Pegboard









This is what it looks like when you walk from the living room and into the kitchen.  It definitely makes an impression and is the focal point of the room.

I think, and hope,  Julia would be proud...



39 comments:

  1. hey cool...now you two can be like julie and julia!

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  2. That is great use for that space and what a nice tribute to JC.

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    1. It was just so perfect a spot to not do this, ha. Thank you!

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  3. How perfect can that be!! It IS a work of art on the kitchen wall, and so practical and convenient. I've always wished I had things right out in the open and handy, rather than having to shuffle through drawers and cupboards to find stuff. Unfortunately, I haven't a blank wall in my kitchen. I do however have pegboard in my laundry room, garden shed and garage, and I love it. The colored metal would really be nice.

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    1. I'm definitely becoming a fan of pegboard. It is nice to have everything so available. One of the luxuries of starting from scratch, we can be organized. This definitely helps.

      We're sort of early stages of planning the barn and I definitely want pegboard in there too!

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  4. OMG! That is STUNNING!! Practical art. I love it! And I am a tad jealous. Now I wishing I had some wall space in my kitchen. I love the pops of mustard yellow with the red backdrop.

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    1. Aw, thanks! It definitely came out much better than I could have imagined. I did like the look of the yellow with the red. 2nd Man did too, so I think those will stay there, ha.

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  5. Have you read the new book about her,,, I think it is the very best one written about her life...

    Dearie
    - The Remarkable Life of Julia Child

    Smiles,Dottie

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    1. I had no idea there was a new book. Thank YOU for letting us know. I am so going to see about getting it. She was a fascinating lady and her presence in the cooking world is missed. Thank again!!

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  6. Love it, really looks nice!

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    1. Thank you for the compliment, much appreciated!!

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  7. 1st Man, buddy - i am sure that Julia is proud!!! me, i'm just jealous! yes, jealous as oh heck! that metal pegboard is awesome! i have the next best thing tho...i hang my pots off of the side of a plywood thingie that jambaloney built for us. nowhere near as fabulous as your pegboard! it looks awesome! i loooove it!

    your friend,
    kymber

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    1. Ha, you are so crazy. Thank you for the kind words. Don't be jealous, I'm jealous of your fabulous greenhouse!

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  8. uh-oh! i just showed this post to jambaloney and he said "b*st*rds! METAL PEGBOARD and room to hang it up! b*st*rds!".

    sorry for all of the cussing but that is what he said - bahahahahahah!

    your friend,
    kymber

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    1. Now that made me laugh out loud. Tell J that I'd come do it for him if I could. :-)

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    2. bahahahahahahah! he's still cussing about your gorgeous pegboard!!!

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  9. Your red pegboard all is AMAZING & what a tribute to Julia. The powder coated metal is such an upgrade from regular pegboard. Those yellow pans really give it dimension, so I hope you can find a couple more of those. You gave a totally non-functional wall space more function per square inch than any other solution I have come across. I have the same dilema in my kitchen. One whole wall of empty nonfunctional space. I don't know what thee builder was thinking with this part of the layout. I finally bought 3 large canvas stretch bars sets and covered them with contemporary graphic fabric. I was desperate to fill the space since you saw the empty all from the living room. It served it's purpose, but I really like that your solution is functional art. Not only is a work of art, but it can be changed just by rearranging the utensils/pans. You'll never get tired of seeing this arrangement in your kitchen.
    I am going to look up the compant right now & I am happy to be a copy cat. Thanks for the inspiration. You have proven that just as Julia's cooking continues to be relevant in 2013, her everpresent pegboard display continues to be relevant to today's functional kitchen.

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    1. Thank you for that! Yes, when we first started planning, it was going to be regular pegboard (after all, it was what Julia used as well). But when we saw the powder coated metal, we knew it would stand up to use and abuse and of course hold more weight. Naturally, the red was spot on perfect so that didn't hurt, ha.

      The company sells on Amazon, we got ours from Northern Tool because we had some coupons for there. Just google 'wall control' and you can find them. They also have all sorts of options for things to hang on there but we just love making our own 'art' like you said. I'm happy to have you copy cat, it makes me feel good that I inspired someone else, when I usually get inspiration from everyone else, ha.

      Thank you and keep us posted on your progress!!

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  10. But, Ray, where will all the collectable Nascar plates go, now????

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  11. Wow! that looks great! When are you coming to my house to do something like that? Problem is, I don't have a blank wall--or the pretties to hang on it.

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    1. LOL! It was very easy to put up, the hardest part was making sure they lined up (it was six panels total). Maybe you'll find some wall space sometime! :-)

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  12. That really is perfect. Well done guys!

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  13. 1st Man,

    I love this idea, it makes it very convenient to find things instead of digging in drawers or cabinets. Thank you for posting this, now I hope you don't mind, I may have to steal.........I mean borrow the idea.

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    1. You are more than welcome, I borrowed from Julia, and I'm sure countless others have as well, ha, I hope you do something awesome with it! And blog about it!

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  14. I love it! What a way to dress up a wall. I think Julie Child would be proud of you. What a great idea!

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    1. Thank you very much. Dressing it up is a great way of putting it. When I put some things on there it reminded me of 'accessories' like you'd see in a clothing store, ha.

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  15. What a great idea! The older I get, the less I like rummaging around in bottom cupboards for the right pan...much better to have everything so accessible. Love the red, and I love Julia Child. Her kitchen is my favorite part of the Smithsonian. Thanks.

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    1. Oh, you've seen her kitchen at the Smithsonian? I'm jealous, we'd LOVE to see that someday. Awesome!

      Yes, the red was the final selling point, ha.

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  16. OH, LOVE. Love, love, love. Please keep the yellow and black pieces on there because the juxtaposition of the colors just works. WOW!

    We're in the processes of looking for a new home, in temp digs right now, but I think I just found a "must have" to add to my list of what I want in our new home. A Julia Wall. Brilliant.

    [Cool thing about living temporarily out here in the sticks is no cable, but we have local access and Julia is on TV oh, about 22 hours a day, in reruns. I especially like when she is on with Jaque Pepin]

    Sorry I haven't been around. Along with no cable the internet is sketch out here. Take care. My best to you both!

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    1. Hi there! Sorry I missed this comment. Nice to have you back! Thank you for the kind words. I'm with you on the wall, now that we see it up, we're wishing we have a bigger wall, ha. Even looking for a spot in town if we could find one on a wall.

      I know that local PBS runs a lot of those, I'd love to see them, she was just such a great teacher and fun to watch.

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    2. Oh, and welcome back!!! :-)

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  17. I only wish I had that space in the kitchen. My kitchen is large but all windows and doors. I am unable to bend so much and find things in bottom cabinets, so this would be great for me. Love it.

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    1. Thank you!!! It really it so convenient. We're trying to find another place for a smaller one, ha. Thanks again!!

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  18. Oh, I love this. I love the red peg board and the colorful pots and pans. Nicely done. You have inspired me.

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    1. Aww, shucks, thank you! It's SO easy to do and it does have a great impact if you have the wall space for it. Big hugs!!

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