Happy first of June, everyone! Yeah, June… that’s what I said. Can you believe that Memorial Day has come and gone and we’re now in friggin JUNE? I’m having a bit of hard time getting back into the swing of things after such a great holiday weekend, so I figured I’d talk about fun things to come to put me in a better mood.
We haven’t done too many home improvement projects around the abode recently. We got to the point where things were “acceptable” which led to laziness. Or exhaustion. Maybe a little bit of both. But now that summer is on the horizon, I have the itch to spruce things up a bit to avoid complacency. We’ve already painted our kitchen and den and purchased a new bedspread for the bedroom and rug for the living room. But is that enough? How dare you even ask.
Here is our kitchen as it stands today (minus the new wall paint color, which has yet to be revealed). We spent a few smackaroos to update the countertops and backsplash a while back, but now I’m dying to update the cabinets a bit. Our cabinets are in great shape (albeit not my favorite style), but we decided to keep them rather than spend a ton of money on brand new cabinets. I’m fine with the stain color, but it just doesn’t wow me. How about a little facelift, shall we?
Here is my first idea in a (very rough) photoshop image. I really really want white cabinets, but I just can’t bring myself to have white cabinets, white countertop, white backsplash and a white floor – boring, right? I like the look of two-toned cabinets and I think a dark, gray-blue would be just the ticket for our little kitchen. But, of course, the hubs doesn’t quite agree.
Scott thinks that white-on-white is where it’s at and not at all stark/institutional/boring. I’m not sure I can stomach that much lack of color, so I compromised with a light gray on the bottom cabinets to bring a little bit of contrast into the space. Leave me a comment with your thoughts on this (very possible) future change!
We’re also very seriously considering fixing up our deck, if the weather can hold off for an entire weekend. The current stain is looking pretty rough and we don’t want to go to the expense (and maintenance) of re-staining. Plus, we think we’d like the look of a painted deck better since we’d like to have the floor and railings/trim be two different colors. After a long afternoon in Lowe’s staring at exterior paint options, I think we’ve come to a solution.
We’d love to make all of our railings and the arbor a clean, crisp white to tie into the trim on the rest of the house -and to give our deck a lighter feel. A white floor is just out of the question, so we selected a dark, gray-blue (see a pattern here?) for the deck floor, as well as the stair treads. This palette will then open us up to painting our deck furniture, which is in severe need of a fresh coat of paint (can we say lime green chairs?!). Are you chomping at the bit to see the deck makeover? And what about the kitchen – paint away or stay the same? Sound off!
I am loving the idea of the two tone cabinets. I think with out that contrast the kitchen would definitely end up too stark. I’m leaning towards the lighter gray option currently but I love the dark charcoal as well. I think the key to the charcoal would be to make sure you have that color popping up in the rooms neighboring the kitchen like your den. That way it feels cohesive and not out of the blue. Of course you already know this :). Can’t wait for some after pics!
P.S. When do we get to see the new wall color. I’m dying over here!
I’m really liking the top white kitchen cabinets, not so much the two-tone. I think it’s because the backsplash and the floor looks cream to me (on my monitor) so I’m seeing cream, black (appliances), white, gray, and then the greenish wall color. Five colors seem a bit chaotic to me. If the top and bottom were both white, the wall color would pop more and it would seem more cohesive. But that’s just me, I see Amanda disagrees. Good thing it’s your choice! Good luck deciding!
Lime green is my favorite color! I think the deck furniture would really sing in lime green!
Oh I like the white on the kitchen cabs!
Love the idea for the deck and can’t wait to see what it looks like.
I’m torn on the kitchen. I definitely think the light maple colored cabs should go and I totally agree with you that all white is too boring/institutional.
It’s hard to decide without knowing the wall color but I think I like kitchen option #2 better because I think the lesser contrast between the lighter gray and the white cabinets looks better. It reminds me of the kitchen at The Lettered Cottage (http://www.theletteredcottage.net/). However, I can’t help but imagine a dark stain (espresso?) on the cabinets to warm up the floor and make your new counters and backsplash really stand out.
Good luck; I’m sure whatever you all decide will look great. Can’t wait to see it.
@shelley: thanks so much for the link about The Lettered Cottage – and for the vote of confidence. :) i hope i can decide what to do!
Definitely paint the railings and arbor outside white. I can’t figure out what color the door is … the slate blue you have selected is a cool tone, you might want to consider a dark green which goes better with the natural enviornment. Also paint the door on the right white (to bring less attention to it) and paint the entrance door a dark red, which will stand out against the neutral colors suggested.
As for the kitchen, I don’t suggest painting the cabinets. White cabinets only emphasize the black appliances. Grey is a cold color that is not popular with a lot of people. Since kitchens are so important when selling a home, keep that in mind. Also, are the backsplash tiles white or off-white? I suggest simply updating the cabinets with modern handles.
Whatever you decide, hope you post about it.
Have you decided on a cabinet color yet? I’m really liking the dark gray color. Have you been to Post & Gray? I really like the color of gray they painted their building. Plus they have green as an accent color, which is what you already have in your back splash.
http://www.postandgray.com/