It’s been awhile but the emails haven’t stopped coming. It’s time to round up the crew. The Design Crew. Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don’t know what to do? You’re not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you …. that’s you lot… the readers! Hop to it. I know you have just the right solution. This week’s email is from Natalie.
Here are 3 (not very good) photos of my kitchen, which is basically black and white. Dark grey floor tiles, white cupboards, white walls & ceiling, laminate dark wood-effect work tops, dark charcoal splash back.
We used to have Moroccan red walls but found it too dark, although we liked the contrast with the white cupboards. We are in the UK so I thought a bright colour would have been good, then we painted it white. The rest of my house has white walls but we want a colour in the kitchen that contrasts with the white cupboards, without being too dark. The walls are mostly only visible above the cupboards so there aren’t any large flat areas. I’m having a dilemma choosing between ivory/buttermilk and a classic green-grey/mud colour. I prefer the latter but am worried it might be dull and depressing in the winter, hence this request for help!
Axie says:
free fall: "Replace the backsplash with a shiny reflective finish of some sort."
Maybe those metal subway tiles I've been seeing- I'd like those too 🙂
peggy says:
You have a gorgeous kitchen. There us only one problem: too much clutter in the counters. Clear the clutter and you might not have to paint. A quick, easy fix that will make the place look much more airy.
beth says:
I agree with Peggy. Clear a little clutter, add a reddish rug in front of the sink and you are good to go. I think a color on the wall would make the white upper cabinets jump out too much.
Teresa says:
I do like your kitchen. A lot.
Why not stain the table and chairs the same color as countertops? Then, choose an accent color for a rug, placemats, a set of bowls or any other thing you usually use.
My color of choice for your kitchen would be apple green (no yellow tone). Put some of your stuff into trays or boxes to tame clutter.
If you really just want to paint the walls my color is still apple green (no yellow tone).
Whatever you do, don't touch the backsplash! 🙂
Helen in Asheville says:
I think strip lighting under the upper cabinets would be a big improvement and then you could chose the colors you like without it feeling too dark.
Keep the upper cabinets – or at least most of them and show off your dishes with glass doors.
Monika says:
My first thought was Moroccan tile when I saw your kitchen, and so when you mentioned Moroccan red, well, I think I was on the right track.
Your kitchen is rather cold — black, white, grey; hard ceramic tile, shiny dark counter. What you need — and what you have been instinctively doing by adding colourful ceramic decorations on the tops of your cupboards — is more pattern and texture.
I find the black backsplash to be too dark, and so would remove that, as well as the counters. Invest in some wood countertops — treated with a beeswax butcherblock product, it will feel divinely soft and velvety.
Remove the uppers on the stove wall, and tile to the ceiling with bright patterned, mostly blue and white, Moroccan tiles, either mismatched, or carefully matched.
http://beachhousetilestudio.net/#jp-carousel-225
http://beachhousetilestudio.net/#jp-carousel-125
http://www.houzz.com/photos/362929/PATCHWORK-WALL-TILES-REPRODUCTION-OF-OLD-TILES-LUXURYSTYLEes-contemporary-other-metro
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/298996862732824583/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/298996862736547163/
To warm up the floor, you might want to buy some vintage red Persian rugs at estate sales.
Have fun with it!
Ev says:
Great kitchen. Remove the clutter. I'd change countertops to some lighter wood and table too…. perhaps round tulip. Then i'd get come color with decoration, like artwork, rug, plants and so on. Your vases on cabinets look very lonely, i would redecorate that area for more impact.
Natalie says:
Thanks so much for all these comments – it will take me a while to extract the feedback, but I really appreciate it. In defence of my splash back, it used to be light 'country kitchen' style tiles which we hated, so when our client wanted to make a film of him using his product called 'porcelanic cement' we let him do a dark grey on our splash back and we love it! It's not as dark in reality as it looks in these photos, and it reflects a lot of light. It really smartened up the kitchen from looking too shabby chic. Anyway, I realise that cupboard next to the stove is wrong but it's very useful to me! I now realise how photos can give such a different impression of a room to how it looks to us who live in the house. And something that isn't apparent in the photos, is that the kitchen is 18 feet x 9 feet so is quite elongated.
Thanks once again to all who have commented, I will go through all the comments and make a decision on the wall colour accordingly.
Natalie
Barbara says:
I'm a little late to the party, but I took one of your images and photoshopped it with some color/design ideas. Not sure if this will help, but it was a fun project.
Green- https://herbsandhappiness.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/di_kitchenideas-green.jpg
Cheerful yellow- https://herbsandhappiness.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/di_kitchenideas-yellow.jpg
Designer wallpaper – https://herbsandhappiness.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/di_kitchenideas-wallpaper.jpg
oregonbird says:
The green will be more restful on the eye, which would be useful in such a visually busy kitchen. I like the idea of a bold print joining in with the rest of the cacophony, that would work for me, especially if you changed out for a low profile table & chairs, something far more modern. http://onedeko.co.uk/1885-9261-thickbox/flexa-lx-dining-chair.jpg