Kimberly's Kitchen

Hi Christine,

I've included a picture of the area above our sink. We need to finish trimming out the beadboard and cabinets but you can see the backsplash and wallpaper. We originally intended on putting long shelves above the sink but the can light hit the shelves and block the light from the work area. I'm not sure what else to do in that space. I really need some more storage space (I prefer open storage in that area.) I am going to the Country Living fair this Saturday and am hoping to find a solution to my problem there. Could I do small shelves to the right of the sink and something decorative in the rest of the space?

- Kimberly

Kimberly,
I really like your wood counters. They are charming. However- I don't like seeing that line where the wallpaper and tin meet at all. It is very awkward. It has to go. Let me give you a few options.

1. I would extend the tin to the ceiling. Then- I would still do one of my subsequent ideas.
2. A plate rack is very shallow- but offers some storage and good wall coverage.
3. A very shallow shelf for glasses
4. Cubbie style shelving- just 12 inches deep.
5. Add a large window- or a pass through if it goes to an appropriate room.
6. Add shelves just deep enough for spices. Then make sure you get cool spice jars-
7. Add a display area for a collection. Don't have one? Go to an antique store and get inspired.
8. Move your lighting or add some more and give yourself all the storage you want.

What do you think readers? What should Kim do with her kitchen sink area? Do you have a favorite of these ideas or one of your own?

Townhouse Kitchen Make-Over

Hi Christine,

I discovered your site last night before bed while frantically searching for a paint color for my kitchen. My husband finally forced me to go to bed at 1 am. I woke up at 7 and got right back on! I realize now I should have waited to paint until I chose window treatments but I discovered your site too late for that!

We just spent thousands of dollars remodeling our townhouse. We bought new cabinets, put in new flooring, new lighting, beadboard and invested a small fortune in paint. I have no idea what to do now. I love my dining room beadboard and the farmhouse look it is inspired by. I hate the red paint my husband picked out for the kitchen. Yes- let's ditch the red! It's jarring to see from the dining room. The look is more coffeehouse than farmhouse. The cabinets going up are Ikea Stat

Most of the kitchen is going to be covered by cabinets, but the wall above the sink (an apron front, farmhouse style one) I love farmhouse sinks! will be bare with the exception of a 15" wide, 88" tall pull out pantry and two long white shelves.

My questions are:

1) What color should I paint my kitchen (or should I paper the whole thing?) I always love the idea of papering the whole thing! Very little of the walls are going to show. Basically the wall with the window and above and below the wall cabinets. (A 15" deep butcher block counter will go between the pass through to make a bar in the kitchen.) The color in the living and dining room (above the beadboard) is Sherwin Williams lemongrass. If I tell my husband he has to repaint that he will divorce me. I hate it when husbands get in the way of good design... I will try to work with the lemongrass ;)

2) What color counter should we go with? We can't afford to put in anything expensive like granite. We can't even afford a solid countertop like silestone or Corian. We've pretty much exhausted our budget so it will have to be laminate. Not my favorite, but I can't go over budget much more than I already have. Your order of questions is off- select your counters after you have selected your fabric and wall decor. I would look around and compare pricing on dark wood counters- wood is not as expensive as other surfaces and really is the perfect look for a farmhouse feel.

3) What type of window treatments should I use in the dining and kitchen? I was looking at some antique exterior shutters to use in the dining room, but I couldn't put them in the kitchen because there won't be enough space around the window and I think it may be best to keep the window treatments the same. I would do some fabric Roman shades. At the bottom of the post I selected a fabric for you- however- since your paint is already up- and I am just looking at a computer monitor- I don't really know if it will work- but this can give you an idea- and then you can find a fabric that matches your paint. Know this everyone!!! It is much easier to match paint to fabric than fabric to paint!!!! I selected a fabric that had a little bit of white in it. With all of your white cabinets- don't ignore white as a color in your decor- invite it in- and it will all flow together better.

4) Artwork! I have no idea what to put in the dining room. I bought a beautiful painting, but it is too small for the space and will be going in the living room. I found some cool pears for you - you can see them below. This was actually the first thing I found- then the fabric. From the fabric I would pull out colors for counters and paint. The wainscoting makes for a long narrow area for wall decor. Add two sconces on either side of your art work to better fill the space. Notice how I kept the wall decor horizontal- a vertical arrangement would fight with your space. Even the sconces are horizontal in shape.

5) I can't change the lighting fixtures, but I was wondering if I should spray paint them black or white...or should I just leave them the oiled bronze color they are? I will buy some new globes for the fixture in the dining room. Should I just buy white to match the pendants and the fixture (which is also oil rubbed bronze) we will put on the kitchen ceiling? I would keep the oil rubbed bronze. It is not bad- and not worth the risk that the paint job won't look perfect. Go with neutral globes. Your light over the table is hung way too high- I would drop it down to about 36 inches over the table.

6) I have no idea what to do for a backsplash behind my stove. I have considered those faux-tin backsplashes but our contractor said they look cheap. I've also considered tile, beadboard and nothing at all. Whatever it is, it has to be easy to install because I've never done any "handyman" type stuff and my husband is "handyman" challenged. I selected a multi-color travertine and put it at the top of the post. I don't install tile- but I have heard that glass requires some real expertise- and I assumed that the smaller pieces were such that perhaps you could install it without a lot of cuts that you would more likely have with large pieces. Beadboard is inexpensive- but with all of the beadboard in your cabinets- I think it would be too much.

7) I have a dark cherry buffet I was going to put back under the dining window (I was going to stain the tabletop to match) but now I wonder if it will be too crowded with it. Are there any other options that would work under that window? I'm not married to the buffet since it was given to us. Don't overcrowd your space- from what I can see- it looks like a good space plan right now- without it. I would add a great plant to the corner and leave out more furniture.

I appreciate any advice!

Kim

Good luck Kim! I hope you can see my vision for your space- Notice how there is a touch of blue in the art work and fabric- if paint were selected last- I would have gone blue on the walls. Yellow makes you eat more. :)

Thanks for writing in-

Christine

The fabric in today's post is from Robert Allen- and the art and sconces are from Uttermost.

Lauren's New Home Part III

Today's post is a continuation of the last two on Lauren's new house. I had a few more thoughts for her today. I found a new rug option for her today. From- Crate and Barrel- the Sash Rug has it all- It has white, terra cotta and blue. There you go- you can look no further.

Secondly- furniture. I did not like the way the previous owner used a sectional in that room. Ideally the furniture would frame and face the focal point- and the sectional put it more off center than I like to see. I would use a sofa and have it right in front of the fireplace/TV alcove. (I wold do a built-in for the TV.) This will give you enough room to walk around the sofa on both sides. Add some chairs that bring in texture like the ones above from West Elm. I also like the idea of using a white slip cover on them. Your white cabinets will stand out more when you paint your walls- and repeating the white will make it stand out in a good way instead of a bad way. Small slip covers are easy to wash and not terribly expensive to replace. Use a nice long sofa - take advantage of the size of the room. The one above is from Pottery Barn. Pull in some more pattern with throw pillows that pull on your wall color and rug colors.

I have been giving your counters some more thought- and this is what you should do. Use the Silver Siena slab on the backsplash. The white in it will work great with your cabinets- but at the same time will give you color and contrast. I would use your stone here to pull out your paint color for the room- a nice neutral warm gray- with a hint of blue. I woulld look at Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray, Oyster Bay and Sea Salt. Remember- everything else first- then the paint color.

For your counters- use wood. You don't have wood floors, or wood cabinets- yours is the perfect room for wood counters. It adds warmth and charm so much more than granite or other solid surfaces. Sure there's maintenance- but sometimes it is worth it. Houses have maintenance- let's face it.

You have a tiny little three pendant light in your family room. What is up with the size of that? The nice part is you have the wiring for a better sized fixture- like the pendant light above from Lamps Plus.

Find a nice narrow table for your dining area- and bring in some warmth using a bench on the window side and then a couple of upholstered chairs on the other side- like the ones below from Crate and Barrel. You could go red and bring in some red accents- or keep it more neutral and go brown leather.

For your barstools- I would go backless. You want something that will slide under the bar and get out of the way. The stool below is from Sundance.

Congratualtions on your new home Lauren. Don't go off making your own decisions now- just do what I said to. :)

XOXO

Christine

The Lakefront Kitchen Remodel

Hello again:-)

I am spending WAY too much time reading your blog today:-) I wanted to see what your thoughts were on my lakefront house that we are planning a total kitchen renovation in VERY soon. We are planning on painting all the woodwork in the kitchen white, with the island being rebuilt and painted chocolate brown. I want to keep it light and airy as it is a lakefront property and I want to bring in the blues/browns to decorate. I am unsure of the countertops to use. Keeping in mind this is our second home, budget is a huge factor. I really do not like speckled granite/quartz. I have a shiny black quartz countertop in my home now and absolutely hate it. It is so hard to keep clean. I cannot spend a lot of money in this lakefront home as we are renovating the whole thing. I need to remain frugal. :-) Any ideas would be truly wonderful. :-)

thank you so much and I hope I can get all my pics to you. :-)

deb

Dear Deb,

I will tell you exactly what to do.

1. wood countertop


2. beadboard backsplash


3. stained island


4. wood floor

1. Wood counters are a less commonly used material- but generally speaking- you can get them for a fraction of the price of other solid surfaces. Sure- they require some maintenance- but they are timeless, charming, and inexpensive. You can't get a bigger bang for your buck.

2. Beadboard backsplash. Forget the expense of a tile backsplash- purchase 4 x 8 sheets- and go beadboard. Again- charming, timeless, classic, and inexpensive. Paint it to match the cabinets. The perfect look for lakefront property.

3. Stained island. I don't like wood painted brown. Wood is brown. Wood painted brown doesn't make sense to me. You said it was being rebuilt- don't paint- stain. With the wood counters on the other area- and now that we are staining the island- do a different surface on the island counter. I would do a grayish black soapstone. If that is too expensive- stay with the white cabinets and wood counter. The backside of your bar can be beadboard to tie it together.

One more thing- if you don't NEED the privacy- remove all of those blinds and valances and put in cafe curtains. We need a little more charm in your place. :) Look at the picture at the top of the post. These would be extremely inexpensive to make or have made- and what a great look! Add chrome or black hardware. (I would probably do black.)

Thanks for writing in, and thanks for spending too much time on my blog. :)

- Christine

PS- Remember that the blue and brown combination is trendy- bring it in though dishes, pitchers and wall decor, not permanent items like backsplashes and islands.

Christin's Kitchen Remodel

I am in blue today...

Hi Christine,

I'm a friend of Dawna's in San Diego and she got me hooked on your blog. We're planning to remodel our small galley kitchen in December and I'm having the hardest time pulling it together. I was wondering if you could help me find some direction. I'm in the process of slowly redecorating my entire place and since it's so small (2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 900 square feet) I'm doing it all in the same color scheme and style. The color scheme I'm going for is black, white, tan & turquoise and the style is transitional. I've attached a floor plan and some pictures of the kitchen so you can get a feel for it as it currently is. I've also attached a picture of some dishes I bought recently that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that might give you a sense of my style and what I'm going for. Here are the big picture items: We plan to tear out the soffit at the entrance to the kitchen and take the two little side walls down to counter height, assuming there are no major plumbing or electrical issues interfering with our plans. We also plan to replace the linoleum with tile and extend the tile through the dining area (currently carpet) and over to the entry (currently linoleum). I'm hoping this will help the space feel bigger and flow better.

Now down to the details. Cabinets: My first thought was white thermofoil, but my dad is my carpenter/contractor and the place he orders the doors from does wood doors only. I like wood too, so my next thought was shaker style doors in an espresso finish to match my furniture, but my husband thinks they're too plain. And we're both concerned that the espresso in that small kitchen will make the kitchen feel dark, small and oppressive. So where I'm at right now is a maple door in a medium-tone finish with an espresso glaze and maybe a two-tone crown to try to tie the cabinets in with the furniture.

I think you should go with your first instinct here- the white is a much better selection. You can go with a painted cabinet- still using the same door source. Yes- it is not as durable- but as you will state later-- you only plan on being in this house a short time- and painted cabinets are beautiful. The size of your room and the color pallet that you are using really demand the white cabinets.

As for style of door I'm still struggling. Maybe something like one of the attached.

The recessed panel look is a terrific selection. Check out this post that shows several different styles of that same look.

Countertops: I think I want some kind of black granite, although I'm flexible on this, if you think something else would look better. I want granite, but not something with too much color or too busy.

If you are for sure going granite- black is the way to go- consider honed rather than polished. Also consider tan concrete or wood counters. (See them in a photo below). I think they would also go great with your look.

Backsplash: I really want a glass backsplash with turquoise in it. I found one in stock at a home improvement store (attached), but I'm not sure if this is exactly what I'm going for. I found a website where you can design a custom splash (attached) and I think it looks nice, but I'm worried about cost, accessibility and lead time.

The glass tile you selected would look great- in a small area- keep it simple.

Floors: I was thinking about doing 12 x 12 tile (see attached), maybe natural stone, maybe porcelain or ceramic. I kind of wanted to get everything else set and then match the floors to that because I care about them the least.

How about wood or a faux wood? I love white cabinets and wood floors. There are some fabulous vinyl wood looks out there. I am having one installed on a commercial job as I write and it looks amazing. People honestly wouldn't be able to tell it is not real without close examination.

I just bought a rug recently and I really like it. I'm hoping it can stay (see attached).

Sure- looks great!

Appliances: I haven't picked specific appliances yet, but I'm planning on all stainless along with all the other metal in the kitchen.

Paint: I'm planning on having the backsplash full-height, covering the sink and stove walls completely. So the only paint will be the far wall with the skinny window on it. I'm planning to paint it the same tan as the rest of our walls (see attached).

I am not a fan of the paint with the maple- if you take my advice on the white cabinet- go for it.

My biggest concern is that it is going to look disjointed, that there isn't going to be a unifying element tying everything together. Normally I think the backsplash usually does that, but I tried adding black or tan into the backsplash and it just made it look dark or muddy and that's not really the look I'm going for. I know fabric can also be a unifier, but I only have two small windows and hadn't thought too much about treating them. I want the kitchen to feel crisp, clean, fresh with high contrast, but I don't want it to feel cold and sterile either. We're hoping to only be in this place for another year or two so I'm a little concerned about resell value. I don't want to do anything too crazy that will put off potential buyers, but I want to love it in the meantime. I'd love to know what you think. Thanks!
Christin

A few more thoughts- consider white counters. Marble is not very practical- but there are some fantastic fauxs out there. Check out this door style too- I like the glass uppers... Check out the white with the wood floors.... I am also suggesting that you move your refrigerator- see my revised floorplan- you could add some shelves straight across your window- higher up- and put in a little window seat. Have your lower cabinets wrap around a little with blind corner units. This can take away the bowling alley feel and give you more of a U-shape. Another reason I like this is so that when you look into the room- the refrigerator is not what you see. I would keep the wall on the right there- and have it hide the refrigerator. In such a small space ESPECIALLY it is nice to hide the large box.

Remember your ceiling- I love the bead board ceiling with white cabinets...

Check out these beautiful faucets...

You can add fabric on Roman shades- slip covers, as well as your window seat. There are three opportunities for "unifiers".

Here is the wood counter I referred to - it is half the price of granite- and a terrific look. Use the money saved to change your upper cabinets to glass... Paint the back of the upper cabinets a turquoise color- and have it be beadboard- have them lit- it will look great!

Here is a larger window seat- but see how it flows from the cabinets?

Here are some fabrics from Amy Butler. Keep them light and crisp- cottons.

You could use a fabric like this- and have concrete counters in the background gray color...

Or use a fabric like this with dark brown wood counters...

Take some time- find the perfect collection of fabrics for your space.

Remember that your light in your dining room can also be a unifier..

Good luck with your remodel- remember- not too many colors- keep it light and crisp. Having a lot of white is not boring- it is beautiful.