Rethinking the Kitchen - Step 1


 By now, you have probably seen the work of designer Erika Powell.  I simply love her style.  All of my favorite designers share the same qualities.  They create traditional yet current, edited rooms you could live in.  "New House Timeless Character" was the article in the February issue of Southern Living where Erika turns a new home into a home filled with character and charm, and did I mention that I could live there?  In the March issue of Coastal Living, she puts her talents to work in two gorgeous kitchens. In walks green and blue.  Yes, I could live there too.

 

Hubs and I have have been discussing ways to update our kitchen to bring new colors and brighten things up a bit.  When I saw this issue of Coastal Living, I was inspired by the colors.  I've been babbling about blue and green for a while now, thanks for putting up with me, and Hubs and I thought the kitchen would be a good place to play with the colors.

Here is our plan in stages:
  • Add beadboard to the butler's pantry.  We have enough paneling left from our previous project, so yay!
  • Paint the inside of the cabinets robin's egg blue.   A quart of paint should do it.  The only thing that I wonder about, is should we paint the soffit white?  There is much talk about this lately and people seem to feel strongly one way or the other.  Not sure yet.
  • Paint desk and cabinet white to match the rest of the cabinets.  We have the paint.
  • Paint inside of cabinet robin's egg blue.
 
  • Paint the banquette and chairs white (Mom, avert your eyes).  


Finally, simple window treatments for the window above the sink.



    We have so many different elements going on in the kitchen and I believe painting everything white will make it more cohesive.  Plus the black granite and all of the black furniture makes everything look murky.  Following up with a touch of blue will add the zip that we are looking for.  The good news is the only thing we need to buy is a quart of paint..oh and a tiny bit of fabric.  Here is one that recently caught my eye, but I wonder if I should find something with black where you see brown to tie back to the granite.


     There is nothing like starting another project to avoid the ones you never finished....Sometimes I crack myself up.


    22 comments:

    1. Your kitchen has great bones to start with and I bet it will look fabulous once you finish your updates!! Good luck with the painting!!

      Hana

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    2. I love your ideas for your kitchen. I would paint the soffit the same as the cabinets to make it look like all one piece. I love the fabric choice. Your black granite is a neutral and you do not need to have black in the fabric. It will look super together. Love the idea of the blue in the cabinets, too.

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    3. Rene -- Your kitchen is already gorgeous, but I love all your new ideas just to give it a little "oomph"!

      Let me know how the painting of the cabinet innards goes. I want to remove a few of my cabinet doors and paint the insides and use to display all my china. If you discover any helpful tips along the way, please pass them my way. I'm planning on doing this project in the next month.

      I would leave the soffit the same color as your walls. Maybe hang something cool up there like those large wooden spoons?

      Hey, don't forget to check out my book giveaway. I'm giving away a book a day through next Wednesday. Today's book is awesome!

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    4. OMGoodness Rene!
      Is that your kitchen with the glass paned caabinets?
      Oh! Love it!
      Robin's Egg Blue paint would be scrumptious!
      Can't wait to follow these lovely ideas!
      Loving how many times you mentioned WHITE!!!!
      I am all about WHITE!!!!!
      And that first kitchen...
      it's a KILLER!!!! xxooxx

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    5. Your kitchen is really beautiful, but I think your ideas, stated here, will bring the cohesiveness that you are longing for. Plus it will bring in the lovely colors that you so long for. I like your ideas!

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    6. Thanks for all the support everyone! To soffit or not to soffit, that is the question.

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    7. I think your plan is going to make your kitchen and dining room lovely. I adore that fabric...where did you get?

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    8. Who are you telling?! I am redoing every room in my house it seems, at the same time!! The ideas you have for your kitchen sound like it's going to have a really polished classy look. I love the fabric swatch at the end. Those colors are such fun! And your banquette w/ the plates over it, fab! I can't wait to see the lamps you re-do too :o) Okay I'm done babbling now.

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    9. Nita, I found the fabric on buyfabrics.com. It's called Sidney Tropic. I don't know, I thought it was cheerful and seemed fitting for what we are doing.

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    10. Ross is crazy cheap w/ fab items! Our Ross is an hour away. So worth it though. Are you doing your lamps in brights or neutrals? I still struggle on whether to add ribbon to the shades :o(

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    11. Sounds fabulous, but glad it's you & not me.
      And I totally agree, it's so much easier starting a new project, heehee. Can you tell my Hubby that, pleeeze?

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    12. Love your kitchen already and I think what you're planning to do is going to look so amazing and fresh! I also would absolutely go with that fun bright fabric! I think it gives a great graphic punch to the whole room! Good luck and can't wait to see how it turns out!

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    13. The inside of the cabinets are finished in the Butler's pantry and over the desk. The dishes are all put away now and the color is amazing! So excited.

      I love me some paint!

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    14. Lovely kitchen..and I love the blue and green idea. I vote for white soffits. (I want soffits; we have open space above our cabinets, perfect for a cat perch and a lot of dust bunnies!)

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    15. Luv that fabric...I almost did my kitchen curtains with this print, but I went with another print. I will be posting my new curtains soooon! Come by and enter my GIVEAWAY it's for CASH:)

      Blessings,
      Linda

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    16. Your ideas for your kitchen sound great!

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    17. really fun blog... so happy to have found you. xx

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    18. I have never understood why someone would treat a cabinet soffit the same as a room's ceiling, and paint it a different color. To me, it needs to be all one color for cohesiveness. What look are the "not to soffit" crowds going for with the split colors? Drawing the eye up to the top of the cabinet? I would choose all one color, and let the contents be the star.

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    19. Your plans all sound great...keep the soffits the same color as the cabinet so they disappear and make ceiling look higher..Will be following vicariously, thinking of some of the same ideas for my kitchen, including painting the sideboard.

      have fun!

      Kit

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    20. Your ideas a great, and I will follow vicariously. Am thinking of similar for my kitchen..including painting dark wood sideboard...

      keep soffits same light color as cabinets, that way they'll disappear and make ceiling look higher..

      xx

      Kit

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    21. How exciting! Your kitchen is already beautiful but I certainly understand your desire to tweak it. You have great ideas! I'll be anxious to see the end result.
      I really need to start reading my magazines, I subscribe to both Coastal and Southern Living and don't remember seeing either of these articles.
      Thanks for following along:) Lisa

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    22. Ahh Rene you can never have too many projects going. I think we women thrive in chaos don't you?
      I can't wait to see how it looks and I think the robin's egg blue will be beautiful.
      tammy

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