Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Input, anyone?

Spring cleaning always comes early at my home, perhaps I should rename it "spring" mad organizing, because I turn into a Nester in which everything needs a home and should remain there, for at least a little while! (I won't even begin to tell you how it was when I was 9 months pregnant one January a few years ago...) Allow me to take you on a little tour on the before and after of my kitchen. Well, it's more of a before and in-between because I am dreaming of finally finishing this much used and loved space.


BEFORE
"IN BETWEEN"



Notice the small space to the left of the stove - this is where all the magic happens, and yes, it is just shy of two feet in length. Now I can totally manage with this, if anything, I clean and put away dishes much more efficiently than ever before. I do have a nicely sized glass table but unfortunately it is not a comfortable source for a 5 ft (almost) 11 lady to chop her veggies, and so I very much am wishing for a kitchen island, see below. I have also been debating whether or not to paint the walls, and if so, what color to paint them with. I adore green, and love the shade in my kitchen. However I am not crazy about what it does for, or doesn't do for, my kitchen cabinets. I would like them to blend into the wall a little more, and so eliminate the cabinet, bulk head and ceiling contrast. Any opinion would by highly valued; should it be the same brown-grey of my dining and living room, or a shade lighter? The other option would be a much lighter color, more of a linen. I think this would brighten up the kitchen quite a bit, but I wonder how it would do with the cabinets and the transition to the dining room. On a side note, I have a glass table with four chairs in great condition for sale...!
For the walls I am thinking of mounting two open shelves to replace the art wall which could bring a little more sophistication, and then a series of dark frames with photography instead of the painting (for which I have a great new spot in the house) on the opposite wall.
And lastly, depending on how comfortable I feel to beg for just one more thing to happen in my kitchen (aside from maybe just maybe two low back bar stools), I would like to tile the back splash: natural stone 3 x 3 tiles or small glass or ceramic tiles - either way I would go with colors similar to the counter top.


In the end the question I need to ask myself is this: do these changes accomplish something I only want, or would it truly make a difference in my everyday life?! I tend to go with both, which doesn't make the decision process any easier!

3 comments:

BDrost said...

you asked....so here it is... MY opinion. LOL. I absolutely LOVE your kitchen. I think the green is fun and adds personality to your much loved and used space. I actually think it plays well with the cabinet colour. But, If you did choose to change, I would keep the colour on the grey-er side and then kick it up with an accent wall in the corner where your new island and cabinetry will go... You could keep the green you presently have or switch to a another bold hue like rich red!

Have you ever considered opening up the wall between the kitchen and dining and putting a counter top there with stools and maybe a bit of new cabinetry below. It would give the *feel* if an island and increase your counter space. Just a thought. :)

Moni said...

Hi Brenda,
Thanks for the ideas! We put the island in today, and the green looks much better with the white of the island to brighten it up. I think I will leave the walls until we open the wall to the dining room. but question: what color frames do you think would pull the room together, white like the island, espresso like the cabinets, or natural would like the floors and butcher block? I am planning on putting a series of frames where the painting is now hanging. Thanks :)

BDrost said...

Hmmm.. good question. I would probably go with the espresso to bring that color onto the other wall where there are no cabinets.. but go big on the frames so you include lots of white matting. I think you also have the dark colour on your frames in the dining area if I remember correctly then you could also swap out other frames for a new look if you change your mind.