Farmhouse Bread Box Returns us Home
A Homemade Breadbox Completes a Farmhouse Kitchen
A bread box completes a farmhouse kitchen. I remember the bread box that sat in my grandmother’s kitchen. Her tiny home was nestled in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. It’s not a surprise that we are returning to farmhouse kitchens, rustic breads, and rockers on front porches. There was a warmth to my grandmother’s kitchen that made the sourdough loaf she pulled out of her bread box taste better than anything I can remember. She danced around the kitchen using her dish towel as her partner. She fried up homemade donuts with pink glaze, and she put up jars and jars of peaches that glowed like lit gold. I will always wish I could go back to her kitchen where I felt so loved. I will miss her always.
Building a New Bread Box that feels Nostalgic
I gave Kevin the assignment to reproduce a bread box, using new and widely available materials, that looks and feels like it belonged in my grandmother’s kitchen. He came through brilliantly.
Home improvement stores are jumping on the farmhouse train by offering a wide variety of Shiplap, pallet-wood, and reclaimed lumber. We found lumber recycled from trees killed by beetles that had blue-ish wood-grain that I knew would look beautiful stained a white-wash gray. We also picked up a cute cabinet knob, hinges and rubber feet to complete the bread box.
Adding New World Functionality
In discussing the design, it was important that we improve on a classic. I wanted the bread box to be large enough to accommodate long loaves of bread. I also wanted the lid to double as a cutting board. By finishing the interior wood with Crisco oil, we created a food safe cutting surface that works perfectly.
Finishing Touches
I wanted the bread box lettering to look slightly weathered, so I created a stencil using my Cricut Die Cut Machine and freezer paper. Simply attach the freezer paper, shiny side down on your cutting mat. After weeding the design, lightly spray the shiny side of the freezer paper with spray glue (see my recommendation below), and press it securely against the lid of the bread box. Paint the letters using a stencil brush and craft paint.
What are some other ways to improve on a classic kitchen design?
