We were bursting at the seams to share Kim’s newly painted cabinets thanks to a handy dandy color palette that we whipped up for her a few weeks back. Here’s her letter:
I couldn’t wait to get home today and send you the pics of my new kitchen! It took me a week from start to finish (with a full time job, 2 kids and 2 dogs) and I can’t believe the transformation. It feels like a totally new kitchen. Since I really didn’t like this room when we moved in 2 years ago, I never displayed any of my cherished belongings. And now I have pulled out my creamware pitchers and my sugar and creamer sets to line the counters. Your suggestions were spot on and we did it all for under $200 (including new hardware for all the doors and drawers). And yes I did one coat of tinted oil based primer and one coat of latex paint in semi-gloss just as you suggested.
Thanks again for your help! I would have chosen warmer beiges and then it would have been a big adobe mess, so you were right on to go with the green/gray undertone. I used Behr paint color matched to the Glidden swatches you recommended after reading your comments on quality of paint. The pictures don’t do it justice- it looks great!- Kim
And now for a before picture to jog your memory:
And the fabulous after pics:
At our suggestion, Kim painted the base cabinets Le Chateau by Glidden and went with Stonington Beige for the upper cabinets (a shade darker than the Sand Beige that we recommended due to the lighting in her kitchen) and it looks amazing! Thanks so much for the speedy after pics, Kim. And if anyone else out there is withholding their fabulous after pics from a Design Dilemma or a Color Conundrum let this be a reminder to totally make our day and send a few pics our way!
Lily says
Am planning to do up my kitchen and need some advice. l intend to put some ceramic tiles as the backsplash. However, what do l put up first the tiles or the cabinets?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lily,
The tile backsplash almost always goes up after the cabinets so you can get it nice and flush between the uppers and the lowers which should already be in place. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Krista says
OMG that is such a wonderful transformation!! Gives me hope for my 1940’s kitchen complete with a cabinet kitchen sink that has been painted to match the cabinets that they painted a wedgewood blue! What were they thinking!?
ought thiskat says
two questions: one, I thought this was a greenish colour based on the pics – do you have any paint recommendations based on the colour it looks like in the pics?
also, what finish of paint would be best to use (egshell, satin, etc) and would you poly these?
YoungHouseLove says
We’d definitely use semi-gloss and no poly. If you check out our Projects page (see that tab under the header?) you’ll find a full cabinet painting tutorial (which Kim followed to do hers). Hope it helps! Oh and as for the color, it’ll look different on every monitor, so we can’t really guess what green it looks like to you. We’d suggest bringing home a ton of paint swatches and picking the one that looks most like the color you’re going for by holding it up in your space in your lighting. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Mark Cornell says
My wife is slowly transforming our kitchen and it looks very similar to this one. Our next step is doing something with the lower cabinets – and she sent me the link to this. It does look nice, but it feels terribly institutional to me. I look at the white and the grey and and the stainless steel and my heart sinks. It’s not the kind of kitchen I’d want to spend much time in, even though it’s crisp and well done. I really want some color. What can I do? What would you do to this kitchen to spice it up some?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I’m not really sure you’d like our advice since we love this kitchen and wouldn’t change a thing! It’s really a personal preference thing though, so make your house your haven and do what you love! To warm it up you could add some fun amber accessories (a tea kettle, dishtowel, curtains, a fruit bowl, small rug, etc in that color) but there are a million other ways you could go as well. Good luck!
xo,
s
Ski's Lady says
I started my kitchen cabinets almost 3 years ago and became so overwhelmed with it and wasn’t prepared in knowledge that I just gave up. I have lived with 1/2 done cabinets for almost 3 years! Crazy, huh? I love the 2-tone in this kitchen. You said it was because of her lighting. How do I determine what color to do and whether to do 2-tone? I do not have good lighting in my kitchen at all. Right now, the top cabinets are white (but need to be redone) and the bottom are a medium brown. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I would just recommend bringing home a lot of swatches and taping them up on the top and bottom cabinets and seeing what you like in your lighting situation. Mocha on the bottom and cream on the top is always a classic combo. And you could even do rich chocolate brown on the bottom with crisp white on the top for a more high contrast look. Just see what you like. Good luck!
xo,
s
Ski's Lady says
Thanks! I should have clarified, that the bottom cabinets are a medium brown wood! :) So, I could do a mocha bottom, cream top w/white trim? what would be good color for walls? Trying to get the house in order for us to sell it. What is “in” for the hardware? Pewter? Brushed nickel? Thanks so much for your help!
YoungHouseLove says
Brushed nickel is always classic, and for the walls you could do some soft tone (light celery on the walls with mocha bottom cabs, cream top cabs, and white trim. Or you could do celery walls, mocha bottom cabs, white top cabs, and white trim (lots of white-cabinet-kitchens also have white trim and it’s lovely). Good luck!
xo,
s
Ski's Lady says
You are being so helpful! Thank you so much. Have (hopefully) one last question. Is it weird to do the cabinet doors the mocha and the framework the cream or white? Or is it best to do the whole bottom cabinetry the mocha and the whole top cabinetry the white/cream? I really appreciate all your help!!
YoungHouseLove says
The more “in” look right now is to do the entire frame and the doors in one color on the bottom and the same thing on the top (for a less broken up look). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Ray W says
Hey guys… You have great taste! We have a 70’s style kitchen in which we updated to Stainless appliances and painted the original cabinets. We like these colors but I am having trouble finding the La Chateau from Glidden. I tried their website and the Home Depot and no luck. If you can help I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!!!
YoungHouseLove says
I would ask them to look up the formula for you at the paint desk. They should still have it in the computer!
xo,
s
Ray W says
I gave them the name and it was not in the database. I might call Glidden directly and see what they say. If it is under a diffrent name I will post it since people are still loving this color scheme.
Thanks again.
Ray
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck!
xo,
s
Ray W says
Found the color! It is Le Chateau (#20YY 18 140 Glidden) instead of La Chateau. It is more brown then what I expected. The pics make it look a bit more olive. I bought some samples and I think we are going to try it.
How can I add some before and after pics? I would love to get any suggestions.
Ray
YoungHouseLove says
You can upload photos to our Facebook page! Good luck with everything- and thanks for the Le/La thing- I’ll update the post with that info!
xo,
s