Kitchen Aid

Mea culpa. I've dropped off the color map for awhile, as I've been distracted by our kitchen remodel. Being on hand for crews coming and going, then the holidays...needless to say, threw off my rhythm, and I'm only now getting back on the block.

The good news is that all of the crews did excellent work, and most of the work was done in a relatively short amount of time -- 7 weeks. Given that we gutted our kitchen to create not only a brand new kitchen, but also a foyer, I'd say that swift turn around is impressive.

I created the design. Our friend and supreme builder, Diane Eckland of ShadeTree Construction, managed the project and came up with the excellent lighting plan.

This is what we started with: A circa 1959 galley kitchen with no dishwasher, nor a place for one! Unpainted amber-hued oak cabinets, scratched laminate countertop, and a puke beige linoleum floor.

BEFORE

This kitchen had served its time. Gutting it was the only way to go.

Until we could budget for that, I painted the cabinets a seafoam bluegreen, the pantry wall terracotta, and the linoleum floor, teal. I replaced the creaky pantry bifold door with an attractive curtain. I also washed the front door and cedar siding with some of the seafoam paint. The amber-hued wood housing for the ceiling pendant lights was painted the ceiling off-white.

MAKING DO

I hated having no dishwasher. I hated having scant counter space. I hated having minimal storage space. The cabinetry was falling apart. I also loathed having no designated entry. One entered our main door and essentially walked into our kitchen. Argh. I knew that if we moved the front door to where the pantry was, we could have a lovely kitchen without increasing the existing footprint. So that is what we did.

Ta - da! See the reveal below. My aim was to create a timeless, not trendy kitchen. I wanted to be wrapped in warm, airy walls. The peaches and cream color I created satisfied that vision. Our kitchen ceiling is low and we have deep exterior eaves, so the cabinets needed to be a light hue. However, there would be no gallery white cabinetry and black hardware for us. Too trendy. Instead, we chose warm white cabinetry and brushed nickel hardware that tied into the silver tones of the stainless appliances.

AFTER

TWEAKING

After living with the new kitchen a bit, I realized that I wanted to change the wall color behind the range hood. Why? 4 reasons.

1. To increase the sense of depth there.

2. To provide less of a contrast to the stainless hood.

3. To pull out the deeper tones of our quartzite stone backsplash.

4. And since that wall is in the center of our home, I wanted a neutral color that would provide a rest beat to the colors surrounding it.

The warm putty hue I created did the trick. It blends seamlessly with the stainless fixtures and emphasizes the deeper tones in the quartzite backsplash. It created a greater sense of depth. The neutral greige (gray-beige mix), does offer a rest beat to the surrounding colors.

If you look closely at the central photo below, you'll see the original wall color on the trim around the range hood. I'm waiting for my painter to do a final coat of the greige on that wall and trim (hence, the blue painter's tape).

Left photo: None of these hues made the cut. Middle photo: The original peaches and cream wall. Right photo: The final wall color.

We're loving this kitchen. It's beautiful, ergonomic, and inspiring. My husband, Ray, is the cook in the family. Though now that I have a wonderful kitchen, I've even been inspired to try my hand at baking!

Stay tuned for my foyer reveal!