Sara’s Third Design Dilemma
Sara’s kitchen is about to get a major facelift. Here’s her letter:
Hi again John & Sherry! Well, it took some blood, sweat, & tears, but I got to be one of the lucky 3 mood boards you’re taking on this week (I stalked your order page until you were accepting people again!). I want to spruce up my eat-in kitchen and I can’t take the oak cabinets- lets brighten them up with some paint! As you know my style is casual/trad with touches of modern. The appliances stay and floor stays but with limited light my dark-ish wall color (even though I love it) needs to be brighter/lighter. I have been trying to decide on a new blue-gray color like Glidden’s Satin Sheets/Winter Harbour or a light tan like Glidden’s Sand White/Contemporary White (keep in mind my living room is Water Chestnut). Do I keep the chair rail? Does it make a room look smaller? I want to stick to blues or green accents since the living room has both of those. Things I need: artwork for that long bare wall, kitchen rugs/window treatments (yea I made the curtains, but I wont be upset to see ‘em go), a dark wood dining table, and ideas for new counter (we’ve been looking at the HD Corian/Staron options). We will be doing a row of floor to ceiling curtains to conceal the laundry area so the utilities will get tucked away. Love you guys. Thanks a million! – Sara
This space is primed for a serious makeover. Here’s the plan:
And now for the mood board breakdown.
1. Our color scheme will be oh so light and cheerful in the formerly dark kitchen thanks to bright white painted cabinets and a soft khaki-ish green tone on the walls (Benjamin Moore’s Guilford Green). Then we’ll bring in a rich chocolate brown table and a few more hits of green, tan and white for a cohesive room that feels happy and alive.
2. This pretty recycled glass hurricane is the perfect accent color for the room and we’d actually love to see a few of them on the countertops holding everything from serving spoons and spatulas to candles (or even jelly beans- how fun would that be?). And these seeded glass lovelies are only $19.99 each, which is an especially fabulous price for recycled glass.
3. We checked out Corian’s offerings and were thrilled to find so many amazing varieties. Although there are many warm tan tones that would definitely work with Sara’s crisp white cabinets, we especially loved “Granola“- and the fact that it’s partially made from recycled content is the icing on the cake- er, counter.
4. Our big idea for the space is definitely off the beaten path. We actually agree that Sara should remove the chair rail since it fragments an already divided room and creates an X on the wall where the large white doorway and the chair rail intersect (see second photo above). Removing the chair rail will instantly unify both spaces and create a more expansive feeling. Then, placing a table in the middle of the room (centered under the doorway) will actually enable Sara to hang a candle chandelier (no wires!) from the center of the white doorway above the table (this will also unify the divided space and make it feel a lot more open and cohesive). But not just any candle chandelier will do, so we searched high and low for the perfect piece that would add just the right amount of interest and style- especially once Sara spray paints it a vibrant green tone and hangs it up above her new table.
5. Although we adore Sara’s existing homemade curtains above the sink, we think something a bit more linear and neutral will really tie into the new color scheme and make those white cabinets and tan countertops look stunning.
6. These affordable deep-toned table and chairs will look right at home under Sara’s stunning green chandelier while adding tons of function and form to this eat-in kitchen.
7. For an extra pop of green and a bit of fun tone-on-tone texture, we’d love to see this 2 x 3′ rug (just $19.99!) in front of the sink. Plus it’s reversible so it can be brighter or more subdued depending on Sara’s mood.
8. Yet another piece of stunning recycled glass, this oversized green bowl will look amazing in the center of the dining table full of green apples, brown pears, or even a bunch of oranges for another pop of color in the kitchen.
9. And as for the wall that’s divided by the doorway (see second photo above) we thought adding two similarly toned and identically sized prints (one on either side of the doorway) will add more balance and cohesion to make this divided layout feel like one expansive space. We’d love to see each of these prints (here’s the first one and the second one) framed with a thick white mat for more presence- and we love how appetizing they are!
10. Lastly, Sara mentioned that she’d be bringing in a floor-to-ceiling wall of curtains in front of the utilities in the back of the room so we thought we’d toss out these crisp white Ikea ones that are thick enough to fully obscure everything behind them (and they can still be removed and laundered so they’ll stay nice and white).
So there you have it. A fun and fabulous kitchen full of mouthwatering style. We can’t wait to see what you guys think!
Update: We sadly can no longer find the time to take on client commissioned mood boards (we now whip up general inspiration boards instead) but if we ever reinstate them we’ll make a big announcement!
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Looks good! I am interested to see the after pics and love the chandelier!
Just a FYI, I got that green bowl, #8, at Target yesterday on clearance (in MN) for $14.98 or $14.99! What a bargain — and so lovely!
Love the colors and the prints but am surprised you’d recommend corian counters. It always seems very institutional bathroom to me. perhaps if the sink is not of the same material it is better, or maybe I am thinking of the wrong product.
Hey Alexis,
Corian has come a long way and actually has many options that totally woo us these days (especially the green options with recycled stuff in the mix). Since Sara was already looking at Corian we followed her lead and dug up something that will look flecked and almost marble/granite like in the room thanks to the irregular specks and shapes in it (Corian of the past used to have very regular spots that made it look a bit more unnatural- maybe that’s what you’re thinking of?). And the sink won’t be the same material, it’ll remain white ceramic to match the appliances for a bit of contrast from the counters. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sara may want to look into a tankless water heater when they are ready for an upgrade. The W/D could look okay behind the curtain, but the water heater will always look out of place there. Plus if you want to safely conceal the tailpipe you have to run the curtains wider and further out from the appliances, cutting into the space. You need to leave at least 6″ between the tailpipe and anything flammable.
I looked at Corian when we re-modeled last year and wasn’t impressed – must just be my personal preference. The recycled “green” material thing is definitely cool though! I had no idea about that aspect.
Hey Alexis,
Yeah, the best stuff is super new (wasn’t around when we remodeled our kitchen last year either) so it’s definitely worth exploring for anyone who hasn’t checked it out in a while! John’s sister Emily has some great dove white Corian in her new kitchen (seen here) and it’s super lovely (and was pretty affordable too).
xo,
s
Very nice! We just painted our cabinets white with a bright green wall color, it looks fabulous with white or stainless appliances!
We actually got granite countertops. They were only $950 compared to to the $2k that HD quoted us for their Corian. We found a local business that does granite counters, in this economy they are all about being competitive and keeping their business afloat, thus, great deals!
Hey Julia,
Congrats on your granite score! We definitely think that Sara should check out the local granite vendors in her area to see if they have anything tan and flecky – especially with the wheeling and dealing you can do these days! And we’re so happy to hear that the newly painted white cabinets look great- we can’t wait to see how Sara’s kitch will turn out!
xo,
s
So what color will they be using for the cabinets? I know its white but was there a specific paint recommended?
Hey Elvira,
We suggested BM’s Decorators White (in our more in-depth client email that accompanies the mood board) because it’s always a classic. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hey Youngsters!
I have lately been grabbing my BM fandeck every time you recommend colors, and I am in need of a “white” lesson. For this makeover you recommended “decorators white”, and since you are calling for tan counters, I am curious as to why you would choose that cooler white over something with more yellow or tan, like navajo,, linen or bone whites? I am interested in learning the psychology involved in making this choice, because whites have always been a challenge to me. Thanks, guys, another great job!
Hey Richard,
We like our whites to feel crisp, clean and oh so pure and we’ve found that Decorators White is always that- no matter what tones it’s paired with. Navajo and Linen are both lovely white hues, but they do have yellow and tan undertones as you’ve mentioned and it would just feel a bit less crisp and fresh looking thanks to those tints. Many designers use Decorators White exclusively for trim and any furniture that they paint (cabinets, etc) in every room that they design (they swear by it) and we’ve adopted that same practice after keeping a gallon of it around our house and using it for everything from furniture painting to trim and crown molding sprucing. It really is a one-size-fits-all white. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I really love what you did here! I deff love the green hues and I looked at the prints as well as the chandelier for my self! Great work again guys!
I definitely recommend checking out the new Corian products, as well as Silestone and Avonite. There are so many awesome solid surface products out there that can put granite to shame. Granite certainly has it’s pros and cons as do all countertop surfaces. I also recommend looking at many of the new Quartz products that are on the market. Be sure to go to a specialty shop and not just your local Home Depot. The options are endless!!!
I love the green bowl and vase and that chandelier is awesome. Can’t wait to see the after pictures!
Beautiful room! I can’t wait to see how it turns out. I’m curious if you guys have ever recommended cabinet refacing instead of just painting the existing cabinets. My hubby and I got quotes from HD this week and were shocked at the price tag. Is this something that you can DIY?
Re: color choice for cabinets- is there something in particular that helps you decide whether to recommend plain white vs. not white vs. two different on uppers/lowers, like in some of your other boards?
Becca and Lisa,
Both good questions. As for how we decide whether to suggest white paint for the cabinets, another color, or even a tonal look (with different hues on the upper and lower cabinets) like you’ve seen in our Portfolio, we like to consider the client’s requests. If they want a brighter and lighter space, as was the case here (and if their kitchen is pretty small) we usually go white. We’ll also suggest white if they’re planning to sell soon since it’s always a crowd pleaser. We rarely suggest a color other than white unless we’re doing something soft and tonal like Kim’s kitchen, where white would look too jarring and blinding to work with the existing cream backsplash and goldy-orange floors and counter. We knew something softer and more weathered would look serene and cool against all the warm orange-based tones in the tile and the counter (it’s all about balance) so we served up something that would complement the existing tones without making it even more orange in there.
As for refacing, we’ve actually seen people DIY it (Katie over at Bower Power redid her dark stained cabinets on her own) but she mentioned that it was quite a challenge and there were a few drips that she lamented (we hardly saw anything). The best way to do it would definitely be to do research at Ben Moore and Home Depot by chatting up the paint pros there and maybe even get a book out of the library or pull up a tutorial online for reference. Legwork beforehand always makes a project go more smoothly, and I’m confident you can do it if you set your mind to it! Keep us posted!
xo,
s
What color spray paint do u recommend for the chandelier?
Hey ShaVonna,
We didn’t select a specific color since it doesn’t have to match anything exactly… so any vibrant leafy green color that Sara can find at her local home improvement store will instantly punch things up and look chic and fun!
xo,
s
Hi,
had a bunch of moulding work done and now we are painting. I am going with antique lace for the trim in the master bedroom since the curtains are quite cream colored and that white seems to work the best with it. The master bathroom has the decorators white which matched the cabinets. I plan to use the decorators white on most of the trim throughout the rest of the house, with the exception of a hallway which will get a wallpaper with a similar cream color background to the bedroom curtains so going with the antique lace there. My dilemma is that the powder room which is off the main foyer (which will have a red paper w/ gold demask and decorator white trim), has a biscuit/bone colored toilet and sink. So should i therefore not use the decorators white in there and go with yet another white? I plan to use the mayonaisse as a ceiling color in the hallway which has the antique lace trim, so i could use the mayonaisse in this powder room. everyone walks right past it and you would be coming off the decorators white in the hallway. Thanks!
Bonni
Hey Bonni,
Using the Mayonaisse color in the powder room sounds perfect because it’ll coordinate better with the sink and toilet and tie into the ceiling in the hallway for some nice cohesion. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hey youngsters!
My kitchen is pretty similar in style to the mood board you created (which I love btw). we are planning on switching out countertops and I was wondering if I could have your opinion.
We can’t decide between black counters or brownish counters. We would prefer a brownish shade because it’s more us, but our appliances are black. Does that completely clash? Our cabinets are maple, if that matters. I’m so stuck between black vs brown!
Definitely go with the brownish shade if that’s what you prefer. Just bring in some black accents and some in the brownish color so they both look layered and intentional in the room (so neither one appears just once or twice and looks like it’s a sore thumb). Hope it helps!
xo,
s