Sheena's Kitchen

Dear Christine,

I love your blog. I really, really do. My family and I just moved into our first house and I need some serious design advice. (my husband just peaked over my shoulder and asked, "does she do that for free?" I said, "Yes! She really does! Isn't that awesome?!" ) Anyways, my kitchen/dining room/living room need some help...

A couple of dilemmas-

There is too much wood in the kitchen. The cabinets, the floor, the kitchen table. I'd like to paint the cabinets and the kitchen bench white, but I'm not sure if it would go well with the black counter tops and black appliances. Would you paint the kitchen table white too? Or would that be too much white? Could I get away with NOT painting the cabinets? I love country/cottage/farmhouse style, and bright colors. My favorite color is a limey, viney green, which I would love to incorporate in the kitchen. Turquoise is beautiful too. (I don't know if these are colors would look good, I'm just saying. I LOVE green.) I'm want to choose colors and items that I won't have to change for a while. I love patterns too, but don't want to choose something that will be outdated in a couple of years.

Ahem. So. Too much wood.

Then there is the kitchen back splash. I'm just not sure what would look good with black counter tops. I really liked the pictures in your recent post with the bead board back splash. I've been dreaming about a green tile back splash too, but I'm not really sure how that would look. Maybe white or teal subway tile?

Last, there are built-in shelves running the length of the living room and above the kitchen range. I'm confused about these shelves. Am I supposed to put decorations up there? I'm worried about hanging stuff on the walls AND putting things on the shelf. I don't want it to look cluttered, or create competing focal points. What do you think about adding some architectural details above the shelves...such as beadboard or stonework. (ha! like I could afford stonework) Brick wallpaper, perhaps?

Anyways, I know that is a lot to cover, so whatever you can get to would be much appreciated!

Thanks again,
Sheena

Dear Sheena,

I want to add some style to your kitchen. There is simply nothing happening in there right now.

1. Window Treatments. All you have is hard surfaces. This room needs some fabric. If you are concerned about it going out of style in a few years- simply avoid your trendy color combos. Go for something more unexpected. I selected one for you below from Amy Butler. The black background will do wonders in helping to pull your counters into the pallet rather than being the lone black item in the room. It will look more like you chose them specifically to go with your fabulous cafe curtains.
2. Don't limit yourself to just one pattern in the room. Pull in some color and softness with a rug as well. The rug below is from Dash and Albert. I love how they go together - but not too matchy. Put it under your table- or in your work area. (not both.)
3. For pattern #3- look to your light above the table. I would hang a patterned drum shade like the one below from Shades of Light. You said you love green, right?
4. You need new lighting in the adjoining entry as well- go with something totally different like a metal lantern. Don't' try to have a matching set of anything.
5. So- should you paint your cabinets white? I would paint them green. I like the kitchen below with the green lower cabinets and white shelves above. I would take out the entire upper cabinet that is over the peninsula- and all of the dry wall above it. Totally open it up. I like your idea of a cream subway tile backsplash- and also your idea of bead board above the shelf area. Add black hardware.
6. One of the nice things about painting- is is allows you to make some changes to your cabinets. I would add a nicer hood- like the one below- or even a more simple one made of beadboard- like the ones in this post. The hood should aways be the focal point of the kitchen.

Good luck with your changes! Don't skip any steps! Do everything I said.

Jill's Kitchen Part II

Today’s Post is a continuation of this post, on Jill’s kitchen.
Jill’s kitchen is a great example of a very nice room, good selections made, a good sense of scale and proportions used, and yet, you could say that something is still lacking

In my first post on her room, I suggested wallpaper- A good wallpaper would do several things:
1. Add pattern- that would act as a unifier in the room, to keep the room from being multiple separate groupings, to being a unified whole.
2. It will also add more color.
3. It will add texture.
4. It will create rhythm. Rhythm is one of the principles of design that is sometimes harder to explain. But essentially it is the flow of elements in a room. This is created in different ways- repetition and alternation, progression or gradation, or opposition and contrast are some examples. Notice in Jill’s room there is a nicely decorated console table, a beautiful hutch, lovely cabinets… But perhaps, what is lacking is rhythm that takes your eye from a focal point, and helps it to do a lovely dance around the room. In answer to where to have it start and stop- I don't see an area that would not benefit from wallpaper- and if it doesn't go throughout- it no longer acts as a unifier, or a source of rhythm. Put it throughout- in both the kitchen and dining area.

Today, I wanted to mention a few other items that will add to the finished product of the room.

1. Focal point
2. Lighting

3. Above cabinet décor

First of all- the focal point. Where is it? For those of you that have yet to have your cabinets made- I would say that the focal point should be the hood of the stove. A microwave hood would be a last resort. Put your money in your hood- that is the heart of the kitchen. For you, Jill, don’t worry about it- that advice was for people who haven’t had cabinets done yet.

Lighting. I can’t see much of your ceiling, so I don’t know the extent of the can lighting in the room, but from what I can see, I would add some pendants over the bar, and a swing arm sconce at the desk. Do you have under- cabinet lighting? How about rope lighting above your cabinets? Do you need the ceiling fan? Do you need the lighting in the ceiling fan? Ceiling fans are generally better looking without lights. A good lighting plan is an integral part of a kitchen design.

Above cabinet décor. You have a pretty small area there between ceiling and cabinets. I would say that you don’t have room to do what you are trying to do, with the groupings of accessories. I would simplify it more than that- with just one thing. By one thing, I mean, one idea.

1. You could have a collection of beautiful pitchers or perhaps cake plates or large vases, or tea pots or baskets- filling the area. Check out the cookie jar collection below- They are in glass cabinets- but it is the same idea.
2. You could hang plates on the wall- all along the area.
3. You could find some cool “grass”- today’s answer to the 1990 “ivy.” Put lots of it up there- again, all along the area.

4. Another option would be to have nothing at all up there.

These ideas are separate- I am suggesting that you take just one idea- and fill the area. Don’t do plates and vases and grass… No- just one thing- keep it simple- like the kitchen above with just plates.

Hey Jill,

Thanks for writing in, you have been doing a fantastic job on your room!

Photos from Great American Kitchens and Kitchen Trends.