After yesterday’s wordy post, I thought it would be good to keep things simple by sharing some ideas I’m pondering for our kitchen. When we first looked at our house, it was my favorite room. Beautiful cabinets, open feel, etc. But, of course, I’m thinking of ways to give it a boost.
I’d like to add a couple of these inexpensive stools at the counter—just spotted them in Southern Living, and I like their industrial feel. I also think they would be a nice contrast to the white, cane back chairs we’re using around the table.
We have darker, traditional cabinets and I was originally thinking that I would paint the walls a dark charcoal gray to make them seem a little more modern. Lately, though, I’m feeling lighter, brighter walls. . .
Dillon Kyle Architects via DecorPad
And, a painted gray island. . .
House Beautiful
(It looks nice with the darker cabinets behind it, right? Do you know how hard it is to find great inspiration pictures of kitchens with dark cabinets?)
And, I am in love with the colors in this little breakfast nook. I have the perfect windows to hang several curtain panels and I plan on going with a print of some kind. The end chairs in this photo are great, too. . . Probably a little too nice for our house at the moment.
Studio M Interior Design
Just dreaming until I can put my plans into action. What’s on your kitchen wish list?
I'd love if you show some really good inspiration pictures of kitchens with dark cabinets. We built our house 4 years ago with cherry stained cabs...and my taste has definitely changed! Maybe you can find a way for me to lighten the feel of the room without changing the cabinets!
ReplyDeleteI love a dark island contrasting with the rest of the cabinets. I'm considering painting some of my own cabinetry to change the look a bit. Any tips?
ReplyDeletei just love the painted gray island WITH your existing dark trad. cabinets - that one photo hit it home.
ReplyDeleteIt is tough finding dark cabinets. I can still picture that kitchen in HB a few months ago that was black cabinetry and really pretty details. I think I loved it because everything is so light anymore in the kitchen. I'd love to add a rug into our kitchen but probably not for a while.
ReplyDeleteLoving the gray island. Atop my wish list is glass panels for a couple of the cabinets that we just refaced. Not sure how to do this with our particle board doors, though...
ReplyDeleteI had no clue how hard it would be find inspiration pics for dark cabinets!! We just finished building our home and I knew I wanted dark, but couldnt find anythhing to look at!!! Our cabinets are actuallys ebony and our island is "acorn with a black glaze" and it is the same color as our range hood. I LOVE LOVE our dark kitchen. I am actually wanting to paint it a color from BM called Buttered Yam :) Its a greige color now (Sandlot Gray). GO DARK!! LOL
ReplyDeleteEmily... I am in the same boat with dark cabs!! Just yesterday I started painting our kitchen walls "comfort grey." I think it's hard to find a light color that "pops" next to dark wood cabs and trim. I've been trying to research white trim with dark cabs to figure if out if that would look cheesy or not. Any thoughts on that??
ReplyDeleteWe have a bay window in our kitchen where our table currently resides. We need to replace the windows anyway (there is some wood rot outside) so I'd like to have a window seat/banquette built in. We'd be able to leave the leaf in the table to fill the space better, as well as use the bench for storage for games/craft items.
ReplyDeleteMy kitchen wish list definitely includes a sea glass tile backsplash in greens and blues... and some under cabinet lighting.
ReplyDeleteDef want a hanging pots wrack, and an island! And some open shelves. And a breakfast nook=)
ReplyDeleteI'm having the same issue of not finding inspiration pics of darker kitchens. While so many bloggers/mags show beautiful, light kitchens, I am always drawn to cozier styles for my own spaces and love to see the grain of wood under a dark stain. My new house - okay, we've been here over a year now - has beautiful dark cabinets and I am ready to tweak with new counters, backsplash, paint, and/or accents, but can't seem to find anything to get me going. If you find any other pictures, please post!
ReplyDeleteWe went with espresso cabinets when we redid the kitchen almost 2 years ago...since then I've looked for inspiration pics and have found very few. Sometimes I wish I'd gone white, but every pic I ever see of rich cabinets makes me weak-kneed (sp?), so I know I went the right direction for me. I am about to paint the walls a lighter shade tho...so the rooom isn't such a light-sucker.
ReplyDeleteWhatever you choose will be gorgeous.
I still love dark cabinets too. I of course am torn between white cabinets as well, but with a light color on the walls and the gray island, I think it's going to look amazing! You have such great ideas! Can't wait to see the final results.
ReplyDeleteSuch pretty ideas!! My current kitchen wish list -- white cabinets, black counters and more color....its going to be a slow process over here but worth it
ReplyDeleteIn our new house we have cherry cabs. They are really nice quality with great woodgrain. Way nicer than the cabs at my old house that we had painted white. I'm struggling because I wish they were either darker - like an espresso color or light. The floors are wood and it is too much wood for me. I'm thinking of painting some of the cabs - like maybe the uppers or doing glass with color on the inside either a steel blue or gray color. There is no way way my husband will let me paint them all so I am figuring out a way around it...can't wait to see what you do with yours!
ReplyDeleteI'm so drawn to gray kitchen islands right now! I also love the idea of painting the bottom cabinets gray and the top a different color (white, etc.) You're super lucky that you have lots of windows to work with. You'll have so much fun with it!
ReplyDeleteLove the stools! I'm considering a lighter color on the walls in my kitchen too. I LOVE color, but my kitchen feels dark and a little too tuscan for my liking:). Can't wait to see how yours turns out!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the grey island and it's so nice to be able to use drapery in a breakfast nook - it really softens all the hard edges of cabinetry etc :)
ReplyDeleteI agree - I am really into a charcoal gray kitchen right now, inspired by Tyler Florence's black kitchen, and I can't find any great inspiration pics! Guess I'll have to take some of my own kitchen when I'm done and post them on my blog. ;) Really loved your post yesterday - thanks so much for sharing your experience!
ReplyDeletehttp://bjdhausdesign.blogspot.com/
We are actually thinking of painting our kitchen cabinets. Right now they are a natural oak, tan tile floor and stainless appliances. We just put in brown and black speckled granite counters. So, for the cabinets I'm thinking an off white with a brown glaze, the island I want to paint black. Would love to hear what you think??? Your kitchen sounds like it's going to look fantastic, I vote for lighter colors. Example Oyster Bay by Sherwin Williams or Sea Salt-Has a bit of bluish/green.
ReplyDeleteEmily, as always love your thoughts! I am sure it will be beautiful when you finish. I am still working on my kitchen. The debate has been over white cabinets or grey! I have always had a white kitchen but am leaning towards the grey! I have always loved marble and am still thinking marble but am now considering marble backsplash and concrete or soapstone countertops since I still have children in the house. I am the worst designer for my own kitchen. I think we should swap projects, bet i could get yours done faster than you and you could get mine done faster than me! LOL! may be we should trade ideas! We need another lunch! I still owe you one!
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a floorplan of your house! It is hard for me to visualize where everything is!
ReplyDeleteEmily, I am obsessed with those brown and white chairs! Do you have any other info on them? I was so excited that I did an extra blog post today just to gush about my love for them! Thanks for sharing and good luck with the renovation ideas!
ReplyDeletehttp://wishinghopingdreamingshopping.blogspot.com/
I am loving all your ideas. Especially the gray island and the banquette with the mix of fabrics. I am new to your blog and love it. Thanks
ReplyDeleteActually we did a very simple mini-redo of our kitchen this spring and got many of the things I wanted, done. Mostly it was done with paint (walls,ceiling,cabinets) and new accessories/accents. If wishes were prayers, I'd like soapstone countertops. Well, maybe someday :-)
ReplyDeleteHey Emily! I agree about finding good inspiration pics of dark cabinets, but I found one yesterday! Check it out via pinterest- http://pinterest.com/pin/250564732/
ReplyDeletexo, Emily
www.mainstreetchic.blogspot.com
Right now my hubby and I are working on refinishing an old table we got off of craigslist. We have already refinished two of the chairs that came with it. They are rattan like your old chairs but we painted them in black, w/ black and white chevron stripes on the cushion. We are wanting to do a bench on one side of the table and then some other chairs for the other side. It will look something like your last picture on your post. I can't wait to see what you come up with.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I love those stools. Second, I've noticed that I've been pinning a number of kitchens with wood lowers and either no uppers or white uppers. (Which makes me wish I gone with white uppers and stained my lowers instead.) I can't believe how painting the top cabinets the same color of the wall helped them to both recede AND bounce around lots of light. Having darker lowers feels grounding. It's like the best of both worlds. Blah, blah, blah.
ReplyDeleteI like the grey for the island a lot and think it will mix nicely with the wood! (That's a lot less painting do to do overall too!)
Camille
i am loving that banquet...love the windows, the chairs, the drapes...
ReplyDeleteBrighter might be better. It makes the kitchen look more vibrant. On the other hand, any mess done would become more noticeable. Still, the gray island seems like a pretty wonderful idea.
ReplyDelete-Chase Conely
I love reading your blog! I can relate to your taste and style! My husband and I recently were wavering countertops and decided on NJ Granite Countertops in our home. We've gotten lots of compliments. I'm happy with the look.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what it is but I love looking at pictures of kitchens. If I had it my way I would have a huge kitchen with dark granite countertops and light cabinets, or other way around. Great pictures!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos! I just love the look of your kitchen, I don't think I could be a do-it youself-er because I tried so hard but we ended up hiring our job out to NJ granite countertops...thanks for the great blog!
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